r-goloka-mhtmya The Glories of Goloka

1. Vairgya: Renunciation
r-janamejaya uvca satya sac-chstra-vargrthasra saghya durlabha gha sva-mtre pitr me ka-prem prakita
r-janamejaya uvcar Janamejaya said; satyam truly; sattranscendental; stra-vargaof all scriptures; arthaof the meaning; srathe essence; saghyahaving been collected; durlabha rare; ghaconfidential; sva-mtreto his own mother; pitrby the father; memy; ka-prem with love for Ka; prakitarevealed. r Janamejaya said: Truly, my father gleaned the essential meaning of all eternal scriptures, and with great love for Ka he revealed to his mother that rare confidential truth. Commentary: rla Santana Gosvm begins his commentary on the second part of r Bhadbhgavatmta by offering his homage to Lord Caitanya Mahprabhu. rla Santana writes, By taking shelter of Lord Caitanyas gemlike beauty, even a dull person like me can be inspired to dance wonderfully. This second part of r Bhadbhgavatmta reveals the glories of the highest
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spiritual planet, Goloka, where pure devotees who have received the essence of r Kas mercy enjoy the infinite ecstasy of playing with Ka forever. To prepare us for hearing the superexcellent glories of Goloka, Kas personal abode, the seven chapters in Part One of Bhadbhgavatmta were meant for gradually removing all obstructing misconceptions. There the first chapter began a story, in answer to a question by Uttar, that first told of the glories of devotional service manifest on earth by depicting the opulent, first-class worship offered to Ka by a learned brhmaa who was master of a village and by a mighty king. To hear more of the discourse between Uttar and her son, Parkit, his son Janamejaya asks Jaimini a question. Jaimini was Janamejayas spiritual master, and to please him Janamejaya praises what he has heard thus far. In Part One of Bhad-bhgavatmta, Parkit left aside everything superfluous and spoke to his mother the essence of rmad-Bhgavatam, the best of revealed scriptures. This rare accomplishment required that he understand many scriptures, many sources of pure knowledge, and carefully ascertain their confidential purport regarding unalloyed devotional service to the Supreme Lord. By the word satyam, King Janamejaya confirms that he accepts everything spoken in the first part as authoritative and true. TEXT 2

rmad-bhgavatmbhodhipyam idam piban na tpymi muni-reha tvan-mukhmbhoja-vsitam

rmat-bhgavataof rmad-Bhgavatam; ambha-dhi of the ocean; pyamnectar; idamthis; piban deeply drinking; na tpymiI am not satiated; muni-rehaO best of sages; tvatyour; mukha2

ambha-jaby the lotus mouth; vsitamscented. O best of sages, I cannot drink enough of this nectarean ocean of rmad-Bhgavatam, its fragrance enhanced by contact with your lotus mouth. Commentary: Although Janamejaya Mahrja has already tasted perfect nectar in Part One, he still wants to taste more. The Bhgavatam and other scriptures that reveal the secrets of pure devotional service are rmat, full of beauty and riches. These exceptional scriptures are like boundless oceans, for the scriptures are vast not only in size but also in the scope of their ideas. Just as the Ocean of Milk is the greatest ocean, rmad-Bhgavatam is the greatest devotional scripture, unfathomably deep. In the narration of Nradas search for the greatest object of r Kas mercy, Janamejaya has enthusiastically drunk the exquisitely sweet nectar of the Bhgavatam. Nonetheless, his thirst is not yet quenched. Because Jaimini has mixed into this nectar the attractive fragrance emanating from his own lotus mouth, Janamejayas thirst to hear has become so much stimulated that he cannot hear enough. tan mt-putrayor vidvan savda kathyat tayo sudh-sra-mayo nyo pi ka-pdbja-lubdhayo tattherefore; mt-putrayoof the mother and son; vidvanO learned one; savdadiscussion; kathyatmplease narrate; tayoof the two of them; sudhof nectar; sra-mayaimbued with the essence; anyaother; apialso; kaof Ka; pda-abjafor the lotus feet; lubdhayowho were greedy. Therefore, O learned one, please tell me what other nectarean topics were discussed by the mother and son, who were greedy to enjoy the taste of Kas
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lotus feet. Commentary: Although the topics discussed by Uttar and Parkit involve privileged knowledge meant only for pure devotees of the Lord, Jaimini i is also vidvn, a competent knower of those secrets. r-jaiminir uvca naitat sva-aktito rjan vaktu jtu ca akyate sarva-jn ca durjeya brahmnubhavinm api r-jaimini uvcar Jaimini said; nanot; etat this; sva-aktitaby ones strength; rjanO king; vaktumto speak; jtumto understand; caand; akyateis possible; sarva-jnmfor the knowers of everything; caand; durjeyamdifficult to comprehend; brahma-anubhavinmwho directly experience the Absolute Truth; apieven. r Jaimini said: O king, to understand or speak about these topics by ones own strength is impossible. Even all-knowing sages who directly perceive the Absolute Truth find them difficult to comprehend. Commentary: The essence of the science of pure devotion to Ka is beyond the power of words to explain or the mind to comprehend. Even mystics who can see past, present, and future, and even liberated souls, whose minds are attuned to perceiving transcendental reality, fail to understand the glories of Goloka revealed in the nectar ocean of rmad-Bhgavatam. Much more exalted than the spiritual reality of impersonal Brahman is the ultimate reality shared by the Personality of Godhead and His devotees.

ka-bhakti-rasmbhodhe prasdd bdaryae parkid-uttar-prve

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nivio rauam ajas

ka-bhaktiof Kas pure devotional service; rasa-ambhodhewho is an ocean of the rasas; prasdtby the mercy; bdaryaeof Bdaryai (ukadeva Gosvm); parkit-uttarof Parkit and Uttar; prveat the side; niviasitting; arauamI heard; ajasdirectly.

TRANSLATION But Bdaryai is an ocean of the rasas of kabhakti, and by his mercy I sat near Parkit and Uttar and directly heard their conversation. Commentary: If, as Jaimini says, Ka and His devotional service are beyond the mind and words, how was Jaimini himself able to speak the sublime first part of r Bhad-bhgavatmta? Jaimini answers that ukadeva Gosvm, the son of Bdaryaa, empowered him. Jaimini was expert in many departments of Vedic knowledge and had deep realization of the Absolute Truth. But he was unable to understand and describe Kas glories on the strength of these qualifications alone; rather, he was empowered by the favor of the exalted Vaiava ukadeva. Knowing that Jaimini was the only person fit to repeat the conversation between Parkit and his mother, ukadeva arranged for Jaimini to sit in a place that would be[out] next to them so he could hear the Bhgavatmta. Since Jaimini heard it and was empowered by ukadeva Gosvm[out] to understand it properly, the book has the potency to capture the serious attention of its readers. And because of having been transmitted by the mercy of exalted devotees, r Bhad-bhgavatmta should be accepted as authentic revealed scripture.

para gopyam api snigdhe iye vcyam iti ruti

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tac chryat mah-bhga goloka-mahimdhun

parammost; gopyamsecret; apieven; snigdheloyal; iyeto a disciple; vcyammay be spoken; iti thus; rutirevealed scripture; tattherefore; ryatmplease hear; mah-bhgaO most fortunate one; goloka-mahimthe glories of Goloka; adhun now. The Vedas say that to a loyal disciple one may speak even the most confidential secret. Therefore, O most fortunate one, now please hear the glories of Goloka. Commentary: Although what Janamejaya asked Jaimini is confidential, Jaimini is willing to speak because Janamejaya is fit to hear. This is implied by the epithet mah-bhga, O most fortunate one. In Part One, Jaimini described the glories of the most intimate devotees of the Supreme Lord, and now he will describe the glories of Goloka, the place dearest to the Lord. Because this description glorifies the Lord and His devotees, it is fitting for the Bhgavatmta.

r-ka-karu-sraptra-nirdhra-sat-kathm rutvbht paramnandapr tava pitmah

r-kaof r Ka; karu-sraof the essence of the mercy; ptraof the recipient; nirdhra about the determination; sat-kathmthe sacred narration; rutvhaving heard; abhtwas; paramanandawith the highest bliss; prfilled; tava your; pitmahpaternal grandmother. After your grandmother heard the sacred narration about the search for the person most favored by the essence of Lord Kas mercy, she was filled with the highest bliss.

tdg-bhakti-vieasya gop-knta-padbjayo rotu phala-viea tad bhoga-sthna ca sat-tamam vaikuhd api manvn vimant hdi svayam tac cnkalayant s papraccha r-parkitam
tdkof such; bhakti-vieasyaexceptional devotion; gop-kntaof the lover of the gops; pada-abjayoto the lotus feet; rotumto hear; phala-vieamthe special fruit; tatof that; bhoga-sthnamthe place of enjoyment; caand; sattamamsuperior; vaikuhtto Vaikuha; apieven; manvnconsidering; vimantwondering; hdiin her heart; svayamon her own; tatthat; caand; ankalayantunable to conclude; sshe; papraccha asked; r-parkitamr Parkit. Exceptional devotion to the lotus feet of the Lord, the lover of the gops, has a special fruit, and Uttar was eager to hear about that fruit, and about the place where it is enjoyed, which she thought must be higher than even Vaikuha. Wondering within her heart about these topics, unable to conclude anything on her own, she inquired from r Parkit. Commentary: Mother Uttar was uncertain about the identity of the place of r Kas intimate pleasure pastimes, which she supposed must be more excellent than the majestic kingdom of God, Vaikuha. Confident of her sons ability to resolve her doubt, she unhesitatingly submitted to him this question.

rmad-uttarovca kmin puya-kart

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trai-lokya ghi padam agh ca tasyordhva sthita loka-catuayam

rmat-uttar uvcarmat Uttar said; kminm who have material desires; puya-kartmand who perform auspicious duties; trai-lokyamthe three worlds; ghimfor householders; padamthe abode; aghmfor those who have renounced their homes; caand; tasyathan that; rdhvamhigher; sthitam located; loka-catuayamthe four worlds. rmat Uttar said: By performing auspicious duties, householders with material desires can achieve the three celestial worlds, and persons who have renounced their homes can reach the four worlds still beyond those. Commentary: Uttar has some doubts about the identity of the personal abode of r Gopntha, but she does understand that the devotees whose love is focused on Gopnthas lotus feet deserve to be elevated to the most excellent destination, a place better than all others. To express this understanding to her son and properly establish the context for her inquiry, she speaks eleven verses (texts 10 through 20) describing the various destinations of different grades of progressive souls. First she mentions the destinations of persons involved in material work, who are divided into two categoriesthe attached and unattached. Auspicious duties are those prescribed by the Vedas; they include duties performed as regular obligations (nitya-karma), duties stipulated for exceptional circumstances (naimittika-karma), and duties performed as optional work for the fulfillment of personal desires (kmya-karma). The performers of these material activities are generally in the ghastha-rama, family men with many desires. The destinations for such regulated enjoyers of the fruits of work are within the three
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planetary systems Bhr, Bhuvar, and Svar. The karms being described by Uttar are not ordinary modern materialists; rather, these karms satisfy their material desires through the auspicious ritual duties of the Vedas. By virtue of strict celibacy, the perpetual brahmacrs, the vnaprasthas, and the sannyss are qualified to reach the four highest material planets, namely Mahar, Janas, Tapas, and Satya. As stated by[out] r ukadeva Gosvm states in the Second Canto of rmad Bhgavatam (2.6.20): pds trayo bahi csann aprajn ya ram antas tri-lokys tv aparo gha-medho bhad-vrata The spiritual world, which consists of three fourths of the Lords energy, is situated beyond this material world and is especially meant for those who will never be reborn. Others, who are attached to family life and who do not strictly follow celibacy vows, must live within the three material worlds. In other words, those who vow never to create offspring are granted for their subtle enjoyment the worlds beyond the three systems Bhr, Bhuvar, and Svar. Everyone else is entangled in household life; instead of adhering to the great vow of celibacy, they remain addicted to sex. Householders who are free from material desires and whose only ambition is to execute their prescribed duties can also reach the higher planets of Mahar and beyond, and those who sufficiently purify their consciousness can even attain liberation. As Lord Rudra says in the Fourth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (4.24.29): sva-dharma-niha ata-janmabhi pumn viricatm eti tata para hi mm avykta bhgavato tha vaiava
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pada yathha vibudh kaltyaye A person who executes his occupational duty properly for one hundred births becomes qualified to occupy the post of Brahm, and if he becomes more qualified he can approach me. But a person directly surrendered to Lord Ka, or Viu, in unalloyed devotional service is at once promoted to the spiritual planets. I and other demigods attain those planets after the destruction of the material world.

bhognte muhur vttim ete sarve praynti hi mahar-di-gat kecin mucyante brahma saha
bhogaof enjoyment; anteat the end; muhuagain; vttimrebirth in the lower worlds; etethese; sarveall; prayntithey obtain; hicertainly; maha-diMahar and beyond; gatwho have reached; kecitsome; mucyanteare liberated; brahma saha along with Brahm. But when their enjoyment ends, all these persons must return to this mundane earth. Only a select few of those who have reached the planets of Mahar and beyond are liberated along with Brahm. Commentary: Materially ambitious people must accept repeated births. Among them, persons dedicated exclusively to prescribed Vedic duties can achieve liberation when they finish enjoying the results of their good works. For persons whose renunciation is incomplete, one path of gradual liberation is to enjoy subtle pleasures on the Mahar, Janas, Tapas, and Satya planets for a long time and then become liberated along with Lord Brahm when the universe is finally destroyed. Another gradual path, described in the Upaniads and Vednta-stra, is known as Arcir-di. On this path the progressing candidate travels one last time through the higher
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regions of the universe, enjoying in each of several intermediate stages in bodies more and more subtle, until he attains liberation. Karms who do not progress toward liberation enjoy heavenly pleasures temporarily and then come back down to material endeavors on lower planets. As r Ka says in the Bhagavad-gt (9.2021): trai-vidy m soma-p pta-pp yajair iv svar-gati prrthayante te puyam sdya surendra-lokam ananti divyn divi deva-bhogn te ta bhuktv svarga-loka vila ke puye martya-loka vianti eva tray-dharmam anuprapann gatgata kma-km labhante Those who study the Vedas and drink the soma juice, seeking the heavenly planets, worship Me indirectly. Purified of sinful reactions, they take birth on the pious, heavenly planet of Indra, where they enjoy godly delights. When they have thus enjoyed vast heavenly sense pleasure and the results of their pious activities are exhausted, they return to this mortal planet again. Thus those who seek sense enjoyment by adhering to the principles of the three Vedas achieve only repeated birth and death. Mere elevation to the highest planets in the universe cannot assure one liberation from birth and death. One must give up all material desires. As r Ka states in Bhagavad-gt (8.16), brahma-bhuvanl lok/ punar-vartino rjuna: From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. Only persons fully dedicated to selfless work can join Lord Brahm in attaining liberation:

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brahma saha te sarve samprpte pratisacare parasynte kttmna pravianti para padam The fully successful transcendentalists enter the supreme abode along with Brahm during the final annihilation at the end of Brahms life.

kecit kramea mucyante bhogn bhuktvrcir-diu labhante yataya sadyo mukti jna-par hi ye
kecitsome; krameain stages; mucyantebecome liberated; bhognpleasures; bhuktvenjoying; arci-diuin the realms of fire and so on; labhanteattain; yatayaascetics; sadyaquickly; muktimliberation; jna-pardevoted to spiritual knowledge; hicertainly; yewho. Some persons enjoy pleasures in upper regions like the realm of fire and attain liberation gradually, in stages. And ascetics fully devoted to spiritual knowledge quickly obtain liberation. Commentary: Expert practitioners of yoga can follow the Arcir-di path. The first destination on this path is Arcis, or the region ruled by the god of fire. Beyond Arcis are other regions, such as the circle of iumra. In the Second Canto of rmadBhgavatam[hyphen] (2.2.2431) r ukadeva Gosvm elaborates on the yogs progress on the Arcir-di path: vaivnara yti vihyas gata suumay brahma-pathena oci vidhta-kalko tha harer udastt prayti cakra npa aiumram O king, when a mystic passes over the Milky Way by

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the illuminating Suum to reach the highest planet, Brahmaloka, he goes first to Vaivnara, the planet of the deity of fire, wherein he becomes completely cleansed of all contaminations, and thereafter he still goes higher, to the circle of iumra, to relate with Lord Hari, the Personality of Godhead. tad viva-nbhi tv ativartya vior ayas virajentmanaika namaskta brahma-vidm upaiti kalpyuo yad vibudh ramante This iumra is the pivot for the turning of the complete universe, and it is called the navel of Viu [Garbhodakay Viu]. The yog alone goes beyond this circle of iumra and attains the planet [Maharloka] where purified saints like Bhgu enjoy a duration of life of 4,300,000,000 solar years. That planet is worshipable even for the saints who are transcendentally situated. atho anantasya mukhnalena dandahyamna sa nirkya vivam niryti siddhevara-jua-dhiya yad dvai-parrdhya tad u pramehyam At the time of the devastation of the universe, a flame of fire emanates from the mouth of Ananta. The yog sees all the planets of the universe burning to ashes, and thus he leaves for Satyaloka by airplanes used by the great purified souls. The duration of life in Satyaloka is calculated to be 15,480,000,000,000 years. na yatra oko na jar na mtyur nrtir na codvega te kutacit yac cit tato da kpaynida-vid duranta-dukha-prabhavnudarant
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On that planet of Satyaloka, there is neither bereavement nor old age nor death. There is no pain of any kind, and therefore there are no anxieties, save that sometimes there is a feeling of compassion for those unaware of the process of devotional service, who are subjected to unsurpassable miseries in the material world. tato viea pratipadya nirbhayas tentmanpo nala-mrtir atvaran jyotir-mayo vyum upetya kle vyv-tman kha bhad tma-ligam After reaching Satyaloka, the devotee is specifically able to be incorporated fearlessly by the subtle body in an identity similar to that of the gross body, and one after another he gradually attains stages of existence from earthly to watery, to fiery, glowing and airy, until he reaches the ethereal stage. ghrena gandha rasanena vai rasa rpa ca dy vasana tvacaiva rotrea copetya nabho-guatva prena cktim upaiti yog The devotee thus surpasses the subtle objects of different senses like aroma by smelling, the palate by tasting, vision by seeing forms, touch by contacting, the vibrations of the ear by ethereal identification, and the sense organs by material activities. sa bhta-skmendriya-sannikara mano-maya deva-maya vikryam sasdya gaty saha tena yti vijna-tattva gua-sannirodham The devotee, thus surpassing the gross and the subtle forms of coverings, enters the plane of
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egoism. There he merges the material modes of nature [ignorance and passion] in that point of neutralization and thus reaches egoism in goodness. After this, all egoism is merged in the mahattattva, and he comes to the point of pure selfrealization. tentmantmnam upaiti ntam nandam nanda-mayo vasne et gati bhgavat gato ya sa vai punar neha viajjate ga Only the purified soul can attain the perfection of associating with the Personality of Godhead in complete bliss and satisfaction in his constitutional state. Whoever is able to reach such devotional perfection is never again attracted by the material world, and he never returns. This is the gradual way of liberation. Paramahasas, however, are liberated immediately at the end of their current life.

bhakt bhagavato ye tu sa-km svecchaykhiln bhujn sukha-bhogs te viuddh ynti tat-padam

bhaktdevotees; bhagavataof the Personality of Godhead; yewho; tubut; sa-kmwith material desires; sva-icchaywillfully; akhilnall; bhujnindulging in; sukhaenjoyable; bhog pleasures; tethey; viuddhfully purified; yntigo; tatto that; padamabode. But even the devotees of the Personality of Godhead who still have material desires can enjoy the pleasures they wish and then become fully purified and go to the Lords abode. Commentary: Vaiava devotees are more elevated than nondevotee paramahasas. Even a devotee burdened by material desires is in a better
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position than an impersonalist free from such desires. Still, just as both karms and jns are distinguished in terms of their relative freedom from ulterior desires, so also are bhaktas. Most karms and jns can approach perfection only gradually; only a few paramahasa-jns achieve immediate liberation. Similarly, though all Vaiavas are sure candidates for ultimate perfection, the sakma-bhaktas, those whose devotion to the Personality of Godhead is mixed with desires to control and enjoy, must first become purified. Still, although sakma-bhaktas need further purification to qualify for entry into the kingdom of God, they should never be considered subject to the laws of material nature like the karms and jns. As stated here, sakma-bhaktas live happily in this world, free from material restraints (svecchay). They are at liberty to visit all the regions of this world, including the highest planets, beginning with Mahar, they can reach the subtlest stages on the Arcir-di path, and they can attain the Vaikuha realms within this universe like vetadvpa and Rampriya. Avoiding frustration from the deficiencies and miseries that taint every material situation, sakma-bhaktas find happiness in this world (sukha-bhogn). rla Santana Gosvm uses the word bhujn (enjoying) in a form of the present tense to indicate that even while Vaiavas are finishing up their last enjoyment of the material world the power of the Lords devotional service purifies them enough to demolish all obstacles in their hearts. Their material business finished, they then achieve the Supreme Lords eternal abode.

vaikuha durlabha muktai sndrnanda-cid-tmakam nikm ye tu tad-bhakt labhante sadya eva tat
vaikuhamVaikuha; durlabhamdifficult to be
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achieved; muktaiby liberated souls; sndra concentrated; nandaof ecstasy; citand pure consciousness; tmakamconsisting; nikmfree from selfish desires; yewho; tubut; tatof Him; bhaktthe devotees; labhantereach; sadya quickly; evaindeed; tatthat. That abode, Vaikuha, is made of concentrated ecstasy and pure consciousness. Even for liberated souls it is difficult to attain. But the Lords devotees who are free from selfish desires reach it at once. Commentary: Mother Uttar now tells her son, Parkit, what she understands about the transcendental nature of Vaikuha. Parkit has heard similar general descriptions of the Vaikuha atmosphere from ukadeva Gosvm in the Second and Tenth Cantos of rmad-Bhgavatam: na yatra klo nimi para prabhu kuto nu dev jagat ya ire na yatra sattva na rajas tama ca na vai vikro na mahn pradhnam para pada vaiavam mananti tad yan neti netty atad-utsiskava visjya daurtmyam ananya-sauhd hdopaguhyrha-pada pade pade What to speak of the celestial demigods empowered to rule over mundane creatures, in that transcendental state there is no supremacy of devastating time, which controls even the demigods themselves. Nor is there the mode of material goodness, nor passion, nor ignorance, nor even the false ego, nor the material Causal Ocean, nor the material nature. The transcendentalists desire to avoid everything godless, for they know that supreme situation in which everything is related with the Supreme Lord Viu. Therefore a pure devotee in absolute harmony with the Lord does not
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create perplexities, but worships the lotus feet of the Lord at every moment, taking them into his heart. (Bhgavatam 2.2.1718) tasmai sva-loka bhagavn sabhjita sandaraym sa para na yat-param vyapeta-saklea-vimoha-sdhvasa sva-davadbhir puruair abhiutam pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayo sattva ca mira na ca kla-vikrama na yatra my kim utpare harer anuvrat yatra sursurrcit Very much satisfied with the penance of Lord Brahm, the Personality of Godhead was pleased to manifest His personal abode, Vaikuha, the supreme planet above all others. That transcendental abode of the Lord is adored by all self-realized persons freed from all miseries and fear of illusory existence. In the spiritual world there is neither the mode of passion, nor the mode of ignorance, nor a mixture of both, nor is there adulterated goodness, nor the influence of time or My itself. Only the pure devotees of the Lord, who are worshiped both by demigods and by demons, reside in the spiritual world as the Lords associates. (Bhgavatam 2.9.910) iti sacintya bhagavn mah-kruiko hari daraym sa loka sva gopn tamasa param satya jnam ananta yad brahma-jyoti santanam yad dhi payanti munayo gupye samhit After deeply considering, the all-merciful Supreme
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Personality of Godhead Hari revealed to the cowherd men His abode, which is beyond material darkness. Lord Ka revealed the indestructible spiritual effulgence, which is unlimited, conscious, and eternal. Sages see that spiritual existence in trance, when their consciousness is free of the modes of material nature. (Bhgavatam 10.28.1415) Now, in texts 14 through 19, Uttar similarly explains in a general way the transcendental existence of Vaikuha. The Lords impersonal effulgence faintly reflects the spiritual atmosphere of Vaikuha, which is the fullest manifestation of the Absolute Truth. Having reestablished a personal relationship with the Lord, pure Vaiavas attain Vaikuha. Impersonalists, however, at best attain the brahmajyoti effulgence, where they realize their eternal existence without knowing their relationship with the Lord or the ecstatic pleasure that comes from serving Him in that relationship. In other words, the Vaikuha atmosphere is a super-intensified version of the brahmajyoti sky, and thus the life enjoyed by the Lords devotees in Vaikuha is much more wonderful than the comparatively insignificant pleasure of merging into the brahmajyoti.

tatra r-ka-pdbjaskt-sev-sukha sad bahudhnubhavantas te ramante dhik-ktmtam

SYNONYMS tatrathere; r-kaof r Ka; pda-abjaat the lotus feet; sktdirect; sevof service; sukhamthe happiness; sadalways; bahudhin many ways; anubhavantaexperiencing; tethey; ramante enjoy; dhik-ktacondemned in which; amtamthe nectar of immortality.

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The pure devotees living in Vaikuha enjoy forever in varied ways the happiness of directly serving r Kas lotus feet. In comparison, the nectar of liberation appears condemned. Commentary: For the residents of Vaikuha, God is not a distant abstraction. They see Him always and serve Him directly. For them that service is never tedious or degrading, but is always sheer enjoyment.

jna-bhakts tu tev eke uddha-bhakt pare pare prema-bhakt pare premapar premtur pare
SYNONYMS jna-bhaktdevotees attached to knowledge; tu but; teuamong them; ekesome; uddha-bhaktpure devotees; pareothers; aparestill others; premabhaktdevotees in love of God; pareothers; prema-pardevotees exclusively dedicated to love of God; prema-turdevotees painfully obsessed by love of God; pareothers. Among the Supreme Lords devotees, some are devotees attached to knowledge, and others are pure. Still others are situated in love of God, others are immersed in love of God, and yet others are painfully overwhelmed by love of God. Commentary: Vaiavas develop their love of God to different extents and thus in any given lifetime attain different destinations. Jna-bhaktas cultivate devotional service mixed with the pursuit of knowledge. Their interests focus on subjects such as the greatness of devotion to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. For them devotional service consists of activities within the ninefold practice of sdhana-bhakti. An example of such a Vaiava is Lord abhadevas son Bharata Mahrja. Next, uddha-bhaktas want only devotional service to the
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Personality of Godhead, without any mixture of fruitive work, knowledge, or renunciation. Ambara Mahrja is a typical uddha-bhakta. Prema-bhaktas like r Hanumn are endowed with mature ecstatic love. They perpetually serve the Lord with fullhearted enthusiasm, being interested only in the loving affection, intimate association, and opportunities for service that they find at the lotus feet of their beloved supreme master. Still other devotees are prema-para-bhaktas, like rmn Arjuna and his brothers. They are not interested in the process of bhakti itself, but only in prema, ecstatic love. By the causeless mercy of the Lord, entirely pure prema of the highest quality has arisen in their hearts, binding them by ropes of eagerness to see the Lord and enjoy friendly talks and other intimate dealings with Him. Finally, premtura-bhaktas, such as the Ydavas, headed by rmn Uddhava, are overwhelmed by the incessant bliss of prema and the intense desire to relish all the transformations of that prema and its related ecstasies. Although everyone in Vaikuha has prema, we must recognize different degrees of prema. The natural perfection of uddha-bhakti is prema-bhakti, which is higher because devotees who have reached prema have special qualities not found in those who have attained only uddha-bhakti. And beyond premabhakti, the prema-para devotees are more elevated, and the premtura devotees still more.

tratamyavatm e phale smya na yujyate tratamya tu vaikuhe kathacid ghaate na hi

SYNONYMS tratamya-vatmon different levels; temof these; phalein results; smyamsameness; na yujyateis not appropriate; tratamyamhierarchy;
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tuhowever; vaikuhein Vaikuha; kathacitin any way; ghaate nadoes not take place; hi certainly. Since the levels of these devotees are various, it seems unfitting that the results they achieve be the same.But in Vaikuha no hierarchies exist. Commentary: Without higher and higher levels of enjoyment and realization of the greatness of God, the five different levels of bhakti would be incomplete. To award the same results to devotees of differing levels of attraction would not befit the perfect and all-compassionate Personality of Godhead. And how could all the Lords devotees be satisfied by only one kind of reciprocation? Thus there is a need for hierarchy in the varieties of devotion and the corresponding moods in which the Lord reciprocates. In Vaikuha, however, such a hierarchy is impossible to find, because the atmosphere of that place is purely spiritual.

paryavasyati srpyasmpydau ca tulyat na ryate para prpya vaikuhd adhika kiyat

SYNONYMS paryavasyatithe result comes; srpyain the perfection of having a form like the Supreme Lords; smpyain the perfection of living in close proximity to the Supreme Lord; dauand so on; caand; tulyatequality; na ryateis not heard of; paramanother; prpyamgoal to be attained; vaikuhtthan Vaikuha; adhikam higher; kiyatat all. It follows that among devotees in Vaikuha there is equality even in the special Vaikuha perfections, such as living near the Supreme Lord or attaining a form like His. And a goal higher than Vaikuha is unheard of.
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Commentary: Someone might think that even though all devotees in Vaikuha share equally in the bliss of serving the Personality of Godhead, some hierarchy of greater and lesser engagements can be discerned. Indeed, it seems that in Vaikuha the Lords pastimes of supreme rulership and opulence are manifest more fully to some devotees than to others, just as in the material world the Lord is more intimately revealed to devotees who worship Him by brahma-satra (the sacrifice of transcendental knowledge) than to those who worship Him at the grosser level of karma-satra (mere ritual sacrifice). In Vaikuha some devotees, such as those stationed as doorkeepers at the boundaries of the Lords kingdom, seem to be relative outsiders compared to devotees who have more intimate services, such as massaging the Lords lotus feet. Ultimately, however, in Vaikuha all these varieties of devotional service are equal, displaying but minor variations in the mood of dsya-rasa in reverence. The many kinds of Vaikuha perfection are equal manifestations of the same basic servitude. Those perfections include srpya (having a transcendental body with four arms and other features like the Lords) and smpya (living close to the Lord as one of His associates or servants). There are also other such perfections. Those others, implied in this verse by the ending -dau in the word smpydau, are attainments such as being posted as commander of the Lords army or as a personal servant massaging the Lords feet or dressing His hair. The perfection of syujya, merging into the existence of God, is prized by impersonalists but is not found in Vaikuha. Rather than a devotional perfection, syujya is a form of impersonal liberation. Even demons who hate the Personality of Godhead are sometimes given syujya as a reward for constantly meditating on the Lord as an enemy. But anyone who has tasted
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devotional service to the Supreme Lord rejects syujya. Someone might ask, But cant a devotee in Vaikuha achieve some special perfection by virtue of being exceptionally qualified? No, this verse replies. Since Vaikuha is a place in which all desires are fulfilled, nothing there beyond the perfections already easily available remains to be achieved.

tat-pradea-vieeu sva-svabhva-vieata sva-sva-priya-viepty sarvem astu v sukham

tatof that (Vaikuha); pradea-vieeuin particular regions; sva-svabhvaaccording to their natures; vieataindividual; sva-sva-priyadear to each one; vieaindividual; aptyby their achievements; sarvemof all; astu vof course there is; sukhamhappiness. Of course, all the devotees in each distinct region of Vaikuha are completely happy, for they have all achieved what by their own specific natures they desire. Commentary: Granting that devotees in select parts of Vaikuha are empowered to enjoy special privileges according to their unique devotional moods, there may still remain doubt about where the most confidential devotees of the Lord reside. Within the realm of Vaikuha a few special places do exist, such as Ayodhy and Dvrak, where more intimate forms of pure devotional service are manifest. For each replica abode of the Lord on earth there is an original abode in Vaikuha. As stated in scripture, y yath bhuvi vartante % puryo bhagavata priy ts tath santi vaikuhe % tat-tal-llrtham dt

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On this earth there are many sacred cities dear to the Personality of Godhead, and all of them also exist in Vaikuha, where they are revered for their importance in the Lords various pastimes. Mother Uttar is speaking as if the liberated devotees of Vaikuha represent all five varieties of Vaiavasjna-bhaktas, uddha-bhaktas, premabhaktas, prema-para-bhaktas, and premtura-bhaktas. In fact, however, she speaks without much conviction, because as far as she understands, the devotees of Vaikuha are not divided into such categories.

par kh gata tat-tadrasa-jtyatocitam athpi rsa-kt-tdgbhaktnm astu k gati

parmultimate; khmlimit; gatamattained; tattateach individually; rasaof transcendental reciprocation; jtyataccording to the mode; ucitamsuitable; atha apinonetheless; rsa-ktof the performer of the rsa dance (Ka); tdk such; bhaktnmof the devotees; astuthere should be; kwhat; gatidestination. They have all attained the ultimate limit of happiness, each in his own kind of ecstatic reciprocation with the Lord. But what place is destined for the exceptional devotees of the performer of the rsa dance? Commentary: Well, someone might ask, if there is a hierarchy of greater and lesser devotees in Vaikuha, then only some of them are fully happy. Is that proper? Arent devotees of the Supreme Lord, especially those who have attained Vaikuha, greater than mere liberated souls? Dont they enjoy the highest happiness, above that of liberation? The current verse clears this doubt. All the residents of Vaikuha enjoy incomparable happiness, but some gradation of happiness still exists because each devotee relishes a mixture of
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ecstasies that make up his individual devotional mood, or rasa. It is natural, therefore, that according to a devotees sthyi-bhva, the predominating mood of his ecstatic rasa, he receive a particular degree and kind of happiness. Nonetheless, each devotee thinks that his happiness is perfect and complete, because it exactly suits his personality. Having acknowledged this, Mother Uttar next expresses her own doubt about the devotees of Ka, whose spontaneous love for the Lord is greater than all other varieties of prema. In Vaikuha is there a special place where those devotees can enjoy the supreme happiness they deserve? Within Uttars question are the following implications: The uddha-bhaktas, in their worship of the Supreme Lord, enjoy greater ecstasy than the jna-bhaktas. But although the devotees in Vaikuha find themselves in a hierarchy that would normally cause envy, quarrel, and other kinds of conflict, those devotees are free from jealousy and other faults, which are the root causes of pain and lamentation. Without this purity they could not reside in Vaikuha. Being affectionately attached to one another in sublime prema, they all feel ever-increasing happiness in their worship of the Lord. As already mentioned, the uddha-bhaktas, whose devotion to the Lord does not depend on the pleasure of life in Vaikuha, are higher than the more conditional jna-bhaktas. That being so, what about the status of devotees still more elevated? What about the Lords best servants, the premabhaktas, who are indifferent to all possible selfish concerns? What about the Lords supreme friends, the prema-para-bhaktas, who receive His unconditional special favor? And what about His closest loved ones, the premtura-bhaktas, who are bound by the most intimate relationships with the
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Lord and who live only for His satisfaction? What special place can be found in Vaikuha for those superexcellent devotees? The Skanda Pura explains that exceptional regions do exist in Vaikuha. Vaikuha has transcendental cities such as Ayodhy and Dvrak, which, like their counterparts on earth, are filled with the Supreme Lords personal associates and paraphernalia. In those supreme places the Lord is always present in His most attractive forms. Thus, for example, in the Ayodhy region of Vaikuha devotees of the standard of Hanumn constantly see the Lord of the Raghus, Lord Rmacandra, attended by r St, Lakmaa, and the rest of His entourage. Those devotees continue to enjoy the happiness of being His servants, just as they did while present with the Lord during His pastimes on earth, and their ambitions are fulfilled in every conceivable way. Similarly, in the Dvrak of Vaikuha devotees like r Yudhihira and his family worship Ka as the darling son of Devak, the friend of Arjuna, the younger brother of Balarma, the beloved of Rukmi and Satyabhm. The Pavas continue to serve Ka in their own homes with the same friendship as during His avatra. And also in Dvrak the Ydavas, including exalted souls like Uddhava, worship and serve Ka as their own master, regarding Him as more valuable than their wealth, their power, and their very lives. In the endless manifold transformations of pure love, the Ydavas, their inner and outer consciousness surcharged with bliss, enjoy as much happiness as they desire. In Vaikuha these devotees enjoy life just as they did when present with their most dear Lord on the earth, where they enjoyed the supreme good fortune of serving His lotus feet, receiving His mercy, relishing pure love for Him, and sharing in His pastimes. That the Supreme Lords earthly and Vaikuha pastimes have these features in common
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does not diminish the greatness of the spiritual world, because whether in the material or the spiritual world, all the Lords devotees are objects of His infinite compassion. Even if devotees occupy higher and lower positions, the differences pale beside the inconceivably desirable, overwhelming ecstasies of pure love of God. Still, we should recognize a natural hierarchy in the varieties of devotional service. Because jnabhaktas harbor some attachment to knowledge, the pure ecstasies of prema do not develop in their hearts, even while they live in Vaikuha. The transcendental happiness they deserve is confined mostly to their mental activities. uddha-bhaktas enjoy a greater happiness, which enlivens all their senses through hearing and chanting about the Lord, remembering Him, and so on. And prema-bhaktas feel even greater happiness through all their internal and external senses, because while seeing the Lord and serving Him in various ways they constantly meditate on Him with love. Prema-para-bhaktas cherish yet a higher standard of happiness, which they taste in their friendly dealings with the Lord, in their talking freely with Him, and in their intense moods of separation and meeting. That transcendental happiness floods their entire being. And premtura-bhaktas know the ultimate extreme of happiness; they are immersed in the unending and most intense loving expectation of seeing the Lord, sharing pastimes with Him, and exchanging countless intimate dealings with Him. Every fiber of their existence is surcharged with such happiness, which always exceeds their greatest expectations. Therefore, since various levels of sdhana bring various degrees of perfection, it is undeniable that in Vaikuha, where happiness reaches its ultimate limits, some devotees enjoy more happiness and some less. And in the final issue, those who practice the highest mode of the Lords devotional
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service achieve one last extreme of perfection, the ecstasy known only by those whose love focuses exclusively on the lotus feet of the divine paramour of the gops. Relative to this, the position of all other devotees is inferior. The nature of Vaikuha, the spiritual kingdom, is such that each devotee, regardless of his mood of devotion, feels that in pursuing the tendencies of his heart in his own relationship with the Lord the happiness he tastes is unsurpassable. Still, Uttar wants to know what special destination awaits the Lords most exceptional devotees, those overflowing with spontaneous love for the lotus feet of r Nanda-kiora. TEXT 21

ye sarva-nairapekyea rdh-dsyecchava param sakrtayanti tan-nma tda-priyat-may

yewho; sarvato everything; nairapekyeawith indifference; rdh-dsyaservitude to r Rdh; icchavadesiring; paramonly; sakrtayantithey chant; tatHis; nmaname; tdasuch; priyat with love; mayfull. They chant His names and are full of unique love for Him. Indifferent to everything else, they want only to become servants of r Rdh. Commentary: The devotees of r Rdh, who is the dearmost beloved of Lord Madana-gopla, are not impersonalists void of desires. They are fully confident that if r Rdhik accepts them as Her servants, everything they desire will be achieved, and more. The privilege of serving r Rdh is the rarest goal of life, and it is fitting that this privilege be attainable only by executing the most excellent of sdhanas. That is to say, one can please Her Divine Grace only by the sacrifice of purely chanting the names of r Rsa-rasika, the
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hero of the rsa dance. In sweet voices the servants of r Rdh always melodiously and loudly chant Kas names. Such devotees are worthy to engage in such elevated service because their hearts are filled with the supreme variety of spontaneous ecstatic love for Ka. TEXT 22

anyem iva te ca prpya ced hn na tpyati aho nanda-yaodder na sahe td gatim

anyemof others; ivalike; temtheir; caand; prpyamthe object of attainment; cetif; htmy heart; na tpyatiwill not be satisfied; ahooh; nanda-yaod-deof Nanda, Yaod, and others; na saheI cannot tolerate; tdmsuch; gatima destination. If those special devotees attain only the same perfection as others, my heart will be left discontent. For such devotees as Nanda and Yaod to reach only the same destinationto me the very thought is intolerable. Commentary: Someone might propose that r Mathurpur, like Ayodhy and Dvrak, may be located in Vaikuha. The devotees of Rdh and Ka may thus have their Vaikuha Gokula where they can enjoy pastimes with the Lord and feel happiness greater than that of the Ydavas, just as the Ydavas enjoy happiness greater than that of the Pavas. Uttar, however, is not satisfied with this proposal. She cannot tolerate having the devotees of Gokula categorized with other, ordinary Vaiavas. TEXT 23

vividhn mahimn hi yatra kh par par kon paryavasyanti samudre sarito yath
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vividhnmof various; mahimnmexcellences; hi indeed; yatrain whom; khthe limits; par parmost extreme; konmmillions; paryavasyantiaccumulate; samudrein the ocean; saritarivers; yathas. Varied and countless excellences flow into those devotees, like rivers into the ocean. Commentary: All varieties of perfection are fully manifest in the devotees of Gokula. Those devotees are perfectly beautiful, charming, and graceful, and they are endowed with the valuable assets of religious duty, economic development, sense gratification, renunciation, knowledge, realization, devotion, and pure love of God. All these perfections are present within them to the utmost degree possible for finite living beings. Whenever r Bhad-bhgavatmta depicts the glories of devotees lesser than the residents of Gokula, its purpose is to highlight the greater glories of the Gokula-vss and demonstrate that all varieties of excellence flow ultimately into the residents of Gokula, just as the waters of all rivers flow at last into the ocean. TEXT 24

tad-artham ucita sthnam eka vaikuhata param apekitam avaya syt tat prakyoddharasva mm
tat-arthamfor that reason; ucitamappropriate; sthnamplace; ekamone; vaikuhata parambeyond Vaikuha; apekitamexpected; avayamcertainly; sytthere should be; tatthat; prakyaby revealing; uddharasvaplease deliver; mmme. Therefore a suitable place must surely exist for them, beyond Vaikuha. Please reveal it to me and rescue me. Commentary: In this verse Mother Uttar sums up her inquiry. She reasons that there must be some place
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even greater than Vaikuha, a place suitable for the enjoyment of devotees like r Nanda and Yaod. That place should have certain qualifications. It should be devoid of thought that the Lord is the supreme all-powerful controller (in other words, it should be free from awe and reverence). It should be untainted by flaws that impede the growth of ecstatic love. It should be invisible to those who are addicted to dry knowledge. And it should be approachable only by those dearmost servants of the Lord who delight in being caught under the sway of a prema untasted in this world or any other. That place should be the quintessence of attractiveness, a place fully enriched with the unique, indescribable bliss of transcendental rasa. It should be sweeter than the sweet, superior to the superior, describable only by great saints who forever relish the taste of r Kas lotus feet, saints like Nrada, for surely he must sing the glories of that place with his v. Such a unique place must certainly exist, Uttar thinks, but because it is most confidential and I am not very intelligent I am unable to ascertain its identity. Therefore, lost in an ocean of sadness, in waves of doubt, in deep currents of confusion, she asks her son, Parkit, to reveal that place to her by describing it in words. By doing this he will lift her out of the ocean of sorrow. Of course, the blessed district of Mathur, the best of all places, is already manifest on earth and can most certainly provide r Nanda and others the exceptional happiness of taking part in the Lords wonderful pastimes. But Uttar has doubts because that Mathur is within the material world. Thus she is asking whether another transcendental location exists for the pastimes of Ka and His favorite devotees. To external vision the modern residents of the earthly Mathur seem subject to the bodily transformations of disease, old age, and
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death and so appear entangled in mundane illusion. Unlike the Lords abode in Vaikuha, the Mathur on earth does not seem to award immediate perfection to everyone who merely steps into it. So Uttar doubts whether the earthly Mathur is in fact the ultimate goal of human endeavor. And she suspects that at the time of the universal annihilation or of the partial annihilation of the three middle planetary systems, the district of Mathur may disappear. This question raised by Mother Uttar, although subtle and therefore difficult, will gradually be answered by Parkit through the story of Gopakumra. First Parkit will describe r Goloka in the spiritual world as the destination of Kas most intimate devotees, and then he will speak about the pleasure pastimes Ka performs both there and in the Mathur on earth. Although the earthly Mathur is located within the material realm, it remains untouched by the influence of illusion, just as the Supreme Lord Himself, His devotees, and His pastimes remain unaffected by illusion when they descend to the material world. As r Nrada Muni will state later in r Bhadbhgavatmta (2.5.55): nn-vidhs tasya paricchad ye nmni ll priya-bhmaya ca satyni nityny akhilni tadvad ekny anekni ca tni viddhi All the paraphernalia of the Lords service, including His names, His pastimes, and His favorite abodes, assume various forms. You should understand that just as each of these forms is eternally real, each is simultaneously one and many. Yogamy, the spiritual energy of the Lord, arranges for the present-day residents of Mathur to appear to undergo material transformations. The Lords spiritual energy does this to delude the nondevotees and satisfy the Lords devotees, just
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as she prevents nondevotees from feeling ecstasy even after having personal audience of the Lord, the embodiment of highest bliss. This subject will be explained later, in the narration of Gopakumras sojourn in Tapoloka. That the glories of earthly Mathur are hidden from ordinary eyes indicates the greatness of that abode. Indeed, the earthly Mathur and its glories are eternal; they are not destroyed even when the universe is annihilated. Devotees who think that Mathur may in the future disappear are mistaken, because in fact Mathur is beyond destruction, even by the Lords ultimate divine weapon, the Sudarana disc, which is the governing force underlying material time, the destroyer of the worlds. All the same, Mother Uttar is asking about some other supreme place because the greatness of earthly Mathur is not at once perceived and because many people have not heard about the wonderful activities the Personality of Godhead displays there. In fact the glories of the earthly Mathur in some ways surpass those of the spiritual planet Goloka, and r Bhad-bhgavatmta, therefore, will describe how Gopa-kumra, after realizing the glories of Goloka, learned about this from r Nrada. The original Personality of Godhead r Ka descends to Mathur in this world with all His beauty and other attributes to exhibit unprecedented playful activities. And when the entire universe or the three middle planetary systems are destroyed, the earthly Mathur becomes invisible and merges back into r Goloka. In other words, Mathur is not destroyed; it remains unchanged, above the wheel of time. But because the Lords pastimes are then no longer perceivable in Mathur on earth, it seems that the Personality of Godhead continues to enjoy Himself only in the corresponding spiritual realm, Goloka. And so r Goloka is considered the ultimate destination of
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spiritual endeavor. r Nrada may sometimes ascribe to Mathur on earth glories even greater than those of Goloka, but that is not contradictory. Since the two places are in essence nondifferent, whatever is said about one of them is true of the other. TEXT 25

r-jaiminir uvca mtur eva mah-ramyapranennandita suta t natv sru-romcam rebhe pratibhitum
r-jaimini uvcar Jaimini said; mtuof his mother; evamthus; mah-ramyamost pleasing; pranenaby the inquiry; nanditadelighted; sutathe son; tmto her; natvbowing down; saaruwith tears; roma-acamand bodily hairs standing on end; rebhebegan; pratibhitumto reply. r Jaimini said: Delighted by this most pleasing inquiry from Mother Uttar, her son, Parkit, bowed down to her and began his reply. Tears poured from his eyes, and his bodily hairs stood on end. Commentary: Parkit will begin his reply by complimenting his mother for her excellent question and by offering respects to his worshipable Lord. TEXT 26

r-parkid uvca r-ka-jvite mtas tadya-virahsahe tavaiva yogya prano ya na kto ya ca kaicana
r-parkit uvcar Parkit said; r-kafor r Ka; jvitewhose existence; mtamy dear mother; tadyaof Him; virahathe separation; asahewho cannot tolerate; tavayour; evaindeed; yogyapraiseworthy; pranaquestion; ayamthis; nanot; ktamade before; yawhich; caand;
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kaicanaby any persons. r Parkit said: My dear mother, for you, who live only for r Ka, separation from Him is intolerable. This question of yours is most praiseworthy. No one has ever asked this question before. Commentary: Parkit wishes to encourage his mother so that her mind will easily focus on what he is about to say. He calls her r-ka-jvit, which means either one who lives only for r Ka or one whom r Ka brought back to life, the second meaning alluding to Kas saving the life of Uttar by stopping the brahmstra of Avatthm. Uttar is known for having suffered greatly in separation from Ka. As Sta Gosvm described in the First Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (1.10.9-10): subhadr draupad kunt vira-tanay tath gndhr dhtarra ca yuyutsur gautamo yamau vkodara ca dhaumya ca striyo matsya-sutdaya na sehire vimuhyanto viraha rga-dhanvana Subhadr, Draupad, Kunt, Uttar, and Gndhr, and Dhtarra, Yuyutsu, Kpcrya, and Nakula and Sahadeva, and Bhmasena and Dhaumya, and ladies such as the daughter of Matsya all nearly fainted because it was impossible for them to bear separation from Lord Ka. King Vira, the father of Uttar, was adopted along with his sister, Satyavat, by a fisherman (Matsya). Since Vira was also called Matsya, the name Matsya-sut (daughter of a fisherman) can indicate either Satyavat or her niece Uttar. If we take the second of these alternatives, Uttar is mentioned twice in these two verses, indicating
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that she hankered for Ka in separation even more intensely than the others. Therefore it is quite appropriate for her to ask so confidentially about Kas devotional service. Tavaiva yogya prana means The only relevant question is yours [tava eva]. Few other persons would have had the proper devotional attitude to ask such a question. TEXT 27

nija-priya-sakhasytra r-subhadr-pater aham yena pautratay garbhe tava saj-janma lambhita

nijaown; priya-sakhasyaof His dear friend (Arjuna); atrahere; r-subhadr-pateof the husband of r Subhadr; ahamI; yenaby whom; pautratayas a grandson; garbhein the womb; tava your; sat-janmathe auspicious birth; lambhita obtained. Ka Himself granted me the fortunate privilege to be born here, from your womb as a grandson of His dear friend Arjuna, the husband of r Subhadr. Commentary: Parkit realizes that only by the special mercy of r Ka will he be able to answer his mothers question, and accordingly he offers his homage to Ka. In texts 27 through 31 he first describes the favors Ka showed him throughout his life. In this verse the word atra (here) has several related meanings: Parkit was born in the holy land of Bhrata-vara, in its most pious central region, in the human species, in a dynasty of great katriyas, and from the womb of Uttar as the grandson of Kas friend Arjuna. His birth was sat, auspicious, because it was connected with Ka. Ka protected Parkits unborn body from mutilation by the weapon of Avatthm. And Parkits grandmother was Subhadr, Kas sister, not any other of Arjunas wives. TEXT 28
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garbhntare ca dhta-cakra-gadena yena brahmstrato ham avita sahito bhavaty blye nareu nija-rpa-parkaa ca nto muhu parama-bhgavatocita yat
garbha-antarewithin the womb; caand; dhta holding; cakradisc; gadenaand club; yenaby whom; brahma-astratafrom the brahmstra weapon; ahamI; avitaprotected; sahitatogether with; bhavaty your good self; blyein childhood; nareuamong men; nija-rpafor His form; parkaamto the searching; caand; ntaled; muhurepeatedly; parama-bhgavataof topmost Vaiavas; ucitam worthy; yatwhich. To protect both me and you from the brahmstra weapon, Ka appeared within your womb holding His disc and club. In my childhood He led me to search constantly among men for His own form, a meditation worthy of the most exalted Vaiavas. Commentary: When Lord Ka entered the womb of Uttar to protect her embryo, He assumed His fourarmed form and used both His disc and His club to dispel the brahmstra. This pastime is described in the First and Tenth Cantos of rmad-Bhgavatam: katajka gad-pim tmana sarvato diam paribhramantam ulkbh bhrmayanta gad muhu With four long, beautiful arms, earrings of fiery gold, eyes blood red with fury, and His club constantly encircling Him like a shooting star, the Lord whirled about the child. (Bhgavatam 1.12.9) drauy-astra-vipluam ida mad-aga santna-bja kuru-pavnm jugopa kuki gata tta-cakro mtu ca me ya araa gaty Because my mother surrendered unto Lord Kas
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lotus feet, the Lord, Sudarana cakra in hand, entered her womb and saved my body, the body of the last remaining descendant of the Kurus and the Pavas, which was almost destroyed by the fiery weapon of Avatthm. (Bhgavatam 10.1.6) The sight of the Lords beautiful form within his mothers womb greatly impressed the unborn Parkit: aguha-mtram amala sphurat-puraa-maulinam apvya-darana yma taid vsasam acyutam rmad-drgha-catur-bhu tapta-kcana-kualam The Lord was only thumb high, but He was all transcendental. He had a beautiful, blackish, infallible body, and He wore a dress of lightning yellow and a helmet of blazing gold. The Lord was enriched with four hands and with earrings of molten gold. Thus He was seen by the child. (Bhgavatam 1.12.8-9) All through his childhood, Parkit tried to find the same Lord he had seen in the womb. Whenever he saw a similar-looking person he would ask himself, Is this the same one? rmad-Bhgavatam (1.12.30) describes the origin of his name: sa ea loke vikhyta parkid iti yat prabhu prva dam anudhyyan parketa narev iha He would become famous in the world as Parkit [examiner] because he would come to examine all human beings in his search for that personality whom he saw before his birth. Thus he would come to constantly contemplate the Lord. In this way, even in early childhood Parkit always meditated on the
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all-attractive form of r Ka. TEXT 29

yennuvart mahat guai kto vikhypito ha kali-nigrahea sampdya rjya-riyam adbhut tato nirvedito bhsura-pa-dpant
yenaby which; anuvartattended; mahatmof great saints; guaiwith the qualities; ktamade; vikhypitafamous; ahamI; kali-nigraheaby subduing Kali; sampdyagaining; rjya-riyamroyal opulence; adbhutmwonderful; tatasubsequently; nirveditamade to renounce; bhsurathrough the agency of a brhmaa; paof a curse; dpantby the causing to give. By Him I was endowed with the qualities of great saints and made famous for subduing Kali. By faithfully following Him I gained wonderful royal opulences. Then, through a brhmaas curse, He made me renounce everything. Commentary: By r Kas blessings, Parkit had many saintly qualities, like selfless care for the people, respect for brahminical authority, and strict adherence to his promises. These qualities he inherited from his ancestors, who were pious kings. As the brhmaa astrologers told Yudhihira Mahrja at the time of Parkits birth: prtha prajvit skd ikvkur iva mnava brahmaya satya-sandha ca rmo darathir yath O son of Pth, this child will be exactly like King Ikvku, son of Manu, in maintaining all those who are born. And in following the brahminical principles, especially in being true to his promise, he will be exactly like Rma, the Personality of Godhead, the son of Mahrja Daaratha.
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ea dt araya ca yath hy aunara ibi yao-vitanit svn dauyantir iva yajvanm This child will be a munificent donor of charity and protector of the surrendered, like the famous King ibi of the Unara country. And he will expand the name and fame of his family like Bharata, the son of Mahrja Duyanta. dhanvinm agrar ea tulya crjunayor dvayo huta iva durdhara samudra iva dustara Amongst great bowmen, he will be as good as the two Arjunas [Pava Arjuna and Krtavrya Arjuna]. He will be as irresistible as fire and as unsurpassable as the ocean. mgendra iva vikrnto nievyo himavn iva titikur vasudhevsau sahiu pitarv iva He will be as strong as a lion, and as worthy a shelter as the Himlaya Mountains. He will be forbearing like the earth, and as tolerant as his parents. pitmaha-sama smye prasde giriopama raya sarva-bhtn yath devo ramraya In equanimity of mind he will be like his grandfather Yudhihira or Brahm. He will be munificent like iva, the lord of the Kailsa Hill. And he will be the resort of everyone, like the Supreme Personality of Godhead Nryaa, who is
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even the shelter of the goddess of fortune. sarva-sad-gua-mhtmye ea kam anuvrata rantideva ivodr yaytir iva dhrmika The child will be almost as good as Lord r Ka by following in His footsteps. In magnanimity he will become as great as King Rantideva, and in religion like Mahrja Yayti. dhty bali-sama ke prahrda iva sad-graha He will be like Bali Mahrja in patience and a staunch devotee of Lord Ka like Prahlda Mahrja. (Bhgavatam 1.12.1925) While on a victory tour of his kingdom, Parkit came to Kuruketra, on the shore of the eastflowing Sarasvat, and there confronted Kali, the personification of the modern age. Kali, in the form of a dra, was committing violence against a cow and a bull, who were actually the goddess Earth and personified Religion. Parkit subdued Kali, and thus for the duration of his own reign he limited the spread of Kalis influence. For this accomplishment he became world-famous. By Kas grace Parkits rule was a source of amazement to everyone. The kingdom was free from disturbance and abundant in wealth. But Parkit lost interest in his royal opulence in a moment, when cursed by gi, the son of the sage amka. The brhmaas son cursed the king thus: iti laghita-maryda takaka saptame hani dakyati sma kulgra codito me tata-druham On the seventh day from today a snake-bird will
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bite that most wretched member of the dynasty because of his having broken the laws of etiquette by insulting my father. (Bhgavatam 1.18.37) Parkit understood, however, that this curse was also Kas arrangement for his benefit; otherwise, the king would never have committed such an offense against a pure sage, the young son of the sage would never have cursed the king, or Ka would have empowered the king to neutralize the curse. The immediate effect of the curse was to awaken Parkits sense of renunciation: tasyaiva me ghasya parvareo vysakta-cittasya ghev abhkam nirveda-mlo dvija-pa-rpo yatra prasakto bhayam u dhatte The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the controller of both the transcendental and mundane worlds, has graciously overtaken me in the form of a brhmaas curse. Because of my being too much attached to family life, the Lord, in order to save me, has appeared before me in such a way that only out of fear I will detach myself from the world. (Bhgavatam 1.19.14) Because Parkit was engrossed in household obligations, he considered himself sinful. But he was grateful that r Ka, just to draw him close, appeared to him in the form of the brhmaas curse. When an attached person in family life receives such a curse, he naturally becomes frightened. This is auspicious for the conditioned soul because fear can help inspire renunciation and in renunciation Ka can be achieved. Therefore Ka arranged for the brhmaa boy to curse Parkit. TEXT 30

tac-chiya-rpea ca mat-priya ta sarvya pa nilayndha-kpt r-vsudevena vikya nta pryopaveya mati dyu-nadym
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tatof him (the brhmaa sage amka); iyarpeain the form of a disciple (his son gi); caand; matto me; priyamdear; tamthat; sarvyabeing made to hear; pamthe curse; nilayaof home; andha-kptout of the blind well; r-vsudevenaby r Vsudeva (Ka); vikya being pulled; ntabeing led; prya-upaveyato fast till death; matimto the decision; dyu-nadym by the river of heaven (r Gag). When I heard of that curse, I took it as most welcome. r Vsudeva, in the form of a brhmaas disciple, was dragging me out of the blind well of family life and guiding me to choose to fast till death on the shore of the celestial Gag. Commentary: By another fortunate circumstance, someone informed Parkit that he was cursed to die in seven days. Had Parkit remained unaware of this news, he would never have gone to the bank of the Gag to fast in preparation for death. Although Parkit has poetically described the brhmaas curse as a cause of fear, the truth is that when Parkit learned of the curse he was unfearing and even pleased. He was already hoping for such a reaction to his offense. Thus he says here, mat-priya tam: I took it as most welcome. In the last chapter of the First Canto of rmad Bhgavatam (1.19.2), just before hearing of the curse, Parkit expressed his mind: dhruva tato me kta-deva-heland duratyaya vyasana nti-drght tad astu kma hy agha-niktya me yath na kury punar evam addh Due to neglecting the injunctions of the Supreme Lord, I must certainly expect some difficulty to overcome me in the near future. I now desire without reservation that the calamity come directly upon me at once, for in this way I may be freed of the sinful reaction and not commit such an offense
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again. He wanted the reaction to come immediately, without delay (nti-drght). And he wanted the punishment to fall directly on himself (addh), rather than on one of his sons or someone else. Here Parkit calls his family life a blind well, a well from which he was incapable of lifting himself. r Ka very kindly pulled him out of that well and brought him to the shore of the celestial river Gag. Ka, as Lord Vsudeva, the presiding Deity of consciousness, also attracted Parkits mind to the idea of fasting from food and drink until death. Because the Lord personally took control of him, Parkit did not remain in his palace and try to counteract the curse by performing yaja (sacrifice) and pryacitta (atonement for an accidental fall into sinful activity). Ka is Vsudeva, the Supersoul of all, and He is the son of r Vasudeva, who is a reservoir of supreme compassion and gentleness. Therefore it was only natural for Ka to favor His dear devotee Parkit by arranging such a circumstance. TEXT 31

munndra-gohym upadeya tattva uktman yena bhaya nirasya pramodya ca sva-priya-saga-dnt kathmta samprati ca prapyye
muni-indraof most eminent sages; gohymin the assembly; upadeyabeing taught; tattvamthe Supreme Truth; uka-tmanin the form of ukadeva; yenaby whom; bhayamfear; nirasyabeing dispelled; pramodyabeing delighted; caand; sva-priyaof His dear devotees; sagaof the association; dntby the gift; kath-amtamthe nectar of His topics; sampratinow; caand; prapyyeI shall help you drink. In the assembly of most eminent sages, the Lord dispelled my fear by explaining the truth through ukadeva. And the Lord delighted me by granting the
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association of His dear devotees. Now I shall help you drink the nectar of topics about the Lord. Commentary: Many eminent sages like Vasiha, Parara, Vysa, and Nrada assembled to witness Parkits passing away. The word gohym, which sometimes means in a discussion, indicates that first there was some debate among the sages, as described in r Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya: tena te devat-tattva p vdn vitenire nn-stra-vido vipr mitha sdhana-daai harir daiva ivo daiva bhskaro daivam ity uta kla eva svabhvas tu karmaiveti pthag jagu Having been asked the truth about the Supreme Lord, the sages, who were expert in many scriptures, expounded a number of different theories. Each sage tried to refute the validity of what the others recommended for spiritual practice. They made various opposing claims: Hari is the Supreme Lord. iva is the Supreme Lord. The sun is the Supreme Lord. Time is the Supreme. Mans nature is supreme. Karma is supreme. The word gohym can also mean in the assembly. Taken that way, it indicates that what ukadeva told Parkit was irrefutably authoritative because the greatest sages of the universe unanimously approved it. The philosophical disagreements ended with the arrival of ukadeva. Through ukadeva, the son of Vysa, Ka Himself imparted to Parkit the essential spiritual instructions of rmadBhgavatam. ukadeva enlightened Parkit in two ways. By teaching the factual nature of the body and the soul, he removed Parkits fearhis fear of the bite of the snake-bird Takaka and of the cycle of birth and death. And by teaching about
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transcendental topics such as the glories of devotional service to the Personality of Godhead, ukadeva filled Parkit with joy. By the time Parkit spoke this verse to his mother, his divine spiritual master had already gone away, and the time for death had arrived. But Ka continued to favor Parkit by again blessing him with the association of a saintly Vaiava, namely his own mother. Parkit therefore says to her, Now let me serve you hari-kathmta, the excellent nectarean topics of the Lord. To be able to drink hari-kathmta in the company of the Lords beloved devotees is the most desirable achievement in life. TEXT 32

ka praamya nirupdhi-kpkara tam savardhya vipra-vacandarato ghta svasynta-klam idam eka-man bruve te pranottara sakala-vaiava-stra-sram
kamto Ka; praamyapaying my obeisances; nirupdhiunconditional; kpof mercy; karamthe reservoir; tamto Him; savardhyabeing postponed; vipraof the brhmaa; vacanafor the words; darataout of respect; ghtamaccepted; svasya my; antaof the demise; klamthe time; idamthis; eka-manwith one-pointed attention; bruveI shall speak; teyou; pranato the question; uttaramthe answer; sakalaof all; vaiava-straVaiava scriptures; sramthe essence. I bow down to Him, r Ka, the reservoir of causeless mercy. Out of respect for the words of the brhmaa, I have accepted the appointed time for my demise. That time being momentarily delayed, I shall answer your question with one-pointed attention by describing the essence of all Vaiava scriptures. Commentary: Someone might suggest it inappropriate for a saintly person like Parkit Mahrja to advertise his own good qualities. Anticipating such
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a doubt, Parkit explains that everything praiseworthy he has said about himself is due only to the causeless mercy of Ka. Ka is the source of all undeserved mercy; if we see a generous person act kindly to someone undeserving, that kindness is but a small portion from the original, infinite repository of causeless mercy. Thus, Parkit submits, even though I am the most fallen and unworthy soul, devoid of good qualities, many excellences have appeared in me, and these are nothing other than excellences of Ka. My speaking praise of myself, therefore, is faultless. These moments are supposed to be the last of King Parkits life, but somehow they are being extended so that he has time to satisfy his mother, who wants to hear the essence of the nectar of rmad-Bhgavatam. Parkit thus intends to give full attention to his answer, even at the cost of the yogic meditation he should perform while preparing for death. TEXT 33

ruti-smtn vkyni skt ttparyato py aham vykhyya bodhayitvaitat tv santoayitu kama

rutiof rutis; smtnmand of smtis; vkyni the statements; sktliterally; ttparyataby the implication of their purports; apialso; aham I; vykhyyaby explaining; bodhayitvmaking you understand; etatthis; tvmyou; santoayitumto satisfy; kamaam capable. I could satisfy your request by explaining to you the statements of the rutis and smtis, both in their literal meaning and in their implications. Commentary: One way to answer his mothers inquiry would be to systematically explain the authoritative philosophical statements of revealed scriptures. To do this, he would carefully have to
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discern which scriptural passages should be accepted literally and which need to be interpreted conditionally or figuratively to agree with what has already been established as real. TEXT 34

tathpi sva-guro prpta prasdt saaya-cchidam atretihsam dau te vyaktrtha kathaymy amum
tath apinonetheless; sva-guroof my spiritual master; prptamobtained; prasdtby the mercy; saayadoubts; chidamwhich destroys; atrataking this opportunity; itihsama history; daufirst; teyour; vyakta-arthamfor the clarification; kathaymiI shall tell; amumthis. But I prefer to clarify this subject for you by first relating a history I learned by the mercy of my spiritual master. This narration will dispel your doubts. Commentary: Vysa never formally initiated his son ukadeva Gosvm, and ukadeva never formally initiated his student Parkit. Nonetheless, the entire tradition of hearing rmad-Bhgavatam in the transcendental bhgavata line of disciplic succession rests on the foundation of the relationship between ukadeva and Parkit as guru and disciple. Parkit will recount in his own words the essence of what he heard from his guru, taking care to present the literal facts in the most straightforward way. He does not want his mother to suffer any confusion or doubt. TEXT 35

vipro nikicana kacit pur prgjyotie pure vasann ajta-strrtho bahu-dravia-kmyay

vipraa brhmaa; nikicanapoor; kacit
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certain; purlong ago; prgjyotie purein the city of Prgjyotia; vasanwas living; ajtanot knowing; stra-arthathe meaning of the scriptures; bahu-draviaafter much wealth; kmyayhankering. Long ago in the city of Prgjyotia there lived a poor brhmaa. He was ignorant of the teachings of scripture, and he hankered after abundant wealth. TEXTS 3637

tatratya-dev kmkhy raddhaynu-dina bhajan tasy sakt tuy svapne mantra dakaram lebhe madana-goplacarambhoja-daivatam tad-dhyndi-vidhnhya skd iva mah-nidhim
tatratyaof that place; devmthe goddess; kmakhymKmkhy; raddhayfaithfully; anu-dinam every day; bhajanworshiping; tasy saktfrom her; tuywho was satisfied; svapnein a dream; mantramthe mantra; daa-akaramof ten syllables; lebhehe received; madana-goplaof Madana-gopla; caraa-ambhojathe lotus feet; daivatamwhose object of worship; tatof that; dhyna-difor the meditation and so on; vidhnawith the prescriptions; hyamincluded; sktdirectly; ivaas if; mah-nidhima great treasure. Every day he would faithfully worship Kmkhy, the goddess of that place. And when she became satisfied he received from her in a dream the tensyllable mantra for worshiping the lotus feet of Madana-gopla. The goddess also gave him instructions on how to meditate upon the mantra and perform various details of practice. The mantra manifested itself before him like a valuable treasure-chest opened right before his eyes.
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Commentary: This brhmaa lived in the northeast of India, in what is now the state of Assam. His city, Prgjyotia, had been the capital of Bhaumsura during the time of the advent of Lord Ka. The brhmaa had never studied the scriptures properly and had never heard a basic explanation of their message from authorized teachers. That such an unfortunate fool achieved all his ambitions is proof of the potency of the mantra he received. The ten-syllable gopla-mantra is defined in esoteric terms in the book Krama-dpik, an old Vaiava tantra by Keava crya. Vedic and tantric mantras should be chanted only by qualified persons who have received them through proper initiation. Therefore, when books discuss these mantras, special efforts are made to disguise the exact syllables of the mantra. Sometimes a few syllables are changed or inverted in the description, or sometimes, as in the Krama-dpiks presentation of this gopla-mantra, the explanation is impossible to understand by those who are unfamiliar with the cryptic code being used. Thus Krama-dpik describes the ten-syllable gopla-mantra as follows: rg sottara-danta ro vmki-yugdvityo ra, l aurir blo balnuja-dvayam athkara-catukam. The holder of the bow arga, the upper teeth, then ra, and the second letter conjoined with the goddess Vnk, then the bearer of the trident, and auri, and Bla, and twice the younger brother of Bala, and four more syllables. The Deity worshiped by this mantra is r Madanagopla, who happens to be the worshipable Deity of rla Santana Gosvm. Kmkhy Dev gave the brhmaa not only the mantra but also the method for meditating on the mantras Deity; and, as implied by the word di (and so on), she also told him how to touch ones body to sanctify it with the syllables of the mantra and how to worship the Deity through various means, including appropriate hand gestures.
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How was the brhmaas attention attracted away from his worship of Dev? The gopla-mantra made such a vivid impression on him that he completely forgot his other religious activities. TEXT 38

devy-deena ta mantra vivikte satata japan dhanecchy nivtto bhl lebhe ca hdi nirvtim
devof the goddess; deenaon the order; tam that; mantrammantra; viviktein a private place; satatamconstantly; japanchanting; dhanafor wealth; icchyfrom the desire; nivtta detached; abhthe became; lebhehe obtained; ca and; hdiin his heart; nirvtimsatisfaction. On the order of the goddess, he chanted the mantra constantly to himself in a secluded place. Gradually he gave up his desire for wealth, and his heart became satisfied. Commentary: The brhmaa was so foolish that he ignored the advice of the goddess and dismissed the mantra as the false creation of a dream. She then appeared to him in a second dream to repeat her instructions. TEXT 39

vastu-tattvnabhijo nyat sa kicit pra-laukikam sdhana kila sdhya ca vartamnam amanyata

vastu-tattvaof the real facts; anabhija ignorant; anyatother; sahe; kicitsomething; pra-laukikamin the next world; sdhanamthe means; kilaindeed; sdhyamthe goal; caand; vartamnamexisting; amanyatathought. Ignorant of the real facts, he thought that something other than this mantra, something in the next life, must be his means of success and the goal of his endeavors.
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Commentary: Lacking discrimination, the brhmaa was unable to recognize the value of the mantra relative to other things in his life; his judgment of what to accept and what to reject was impaired. But by the grace of the mantra, his mind, previously uninterested in the next life, now began to turn in that direction. The goddess had withheld from him knowledge about the full power of this mantra, and so he was imagining other goals and means of success. But as we shall see later in this narration, the effectiveness of the gopla-mantra, even when knowledge about it is lacking, is evidence of its great potency. The mantra bestows all benefits even when chanted without faith or understanding. TEXT 40

ghdika parityajya bhramas trtheu bhikay gato nirvhayan deha gag-sgara-sagamam

gha-dikamhis home and so on; parityajyaleaving; bhramanwandering; trtheuamong various pilgrimage places; bhikayby begging; gatahe went; nirvhayanmaintaining; dehamhis body; gag-sgaraof the river Gag and the ocean; sagamamto the meeting place. He left his home and other connections and began wandering among pilgrimage places, maintaining his bodily needs by begging. And thus he traveled to the place where the Gag meets the ocean. Commentary: The brhmaas chanting gradually increasing its effect, he soon gave up sinful activities and needless sense gratification and took up a renounced life. TEXT 41

viprn gag-tae payat sarva-vidy-viradn sva-dharmcra-niratn

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pryao ghio bahn

viprnbrhmaas; gag-taeon the shore of the Gag; apayathe saw; sarva-vidyin all fields of knowledge; viradnproficient; sva-dharma-cra in their prescribed duties; niratnfixed; pryaafor the most part; ghiafamily men; bahnmany. There on the shore of the Gag he saw many brhmaas, mostly family men, who were expert in all fields of knowledge and devoted to performing their prescribed duties. Commentary: Since the trtha he was visiting, Gag-sgara, was in southern Bengal at the confluence of the Gag and the sea, the brhmaas he met were Bengalis. They were expert in the fourteen Vedic departments of learning enumerated in the Viu Pura (3.6.27): agni ved catvro mms nyya-vistara dharma-stra pura ca vidy hy et caturdaa The four Vedas, their six supplements, the Puras, the Dharma-stras, the Mms interpretation of the Vedas, and the elaborate science of Nyya logicthese are the fourteen departments of learning. TEXT 42

tair varyamnam cra nitya-naimittikdikam vayaka tath kmya svarga urva tat-phalam
taiby them; varyamnambeing described; cram proper behavior; nityaregular duties; naimittika occasional duties; dikamand so on; vayakam obligatory; tathand; kmyamoptional, for the fulfillment of personal desires; svargamheaven; urvahe heard; tatof these; phalamthe fruit.
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He heard them describe regular and occasional duties one is obliged to perform, optional duties for particular desires, and the fruit of these actsattainment of heaven. Commentary: Brhmaas initiated into the Vedic rituals are expected to perform certain sacrifices regularly as a matter of duty, sacrifices like the Agnihotra yaja, which must be done twice every day, at sunrise and sunset. Such brhmaas may also be obliged to execute other rituals because of special circumstances in their lives, when, for example, they must perform the rddha memorial on the anniversary of an elders death. Besides these obligatory nitya and naimittika duties, a brhmaa may also elect to undertake certain sacrifices and vows, called kmya rituals, to fulfill personal ambitions. Thus there are three kinds of duties for Vedic brhmaas. The brhmaa from Prgjyotia-pura may have heard the local brhmaas of Gag-sgara thus glorify the principles of dharma: cra-prabhavo dharmo dharmasya prabhur acyuta Dharma arises from proper behavior, and the Lord of dharma is the infallible Personality of Godhead. sad-cravat pus jitau lokv ubhv api A person who possesses good behavior has conquered both this world and the next. The local brhmaas may have also glorified heaven as the fruit of dharma with such words as these: yan na dukhena sambhinna na ca grastam anantaram abhilopanta ca sukha tat svar
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The happiness of the residents of heaven is untainted, never consumed by misery, and it comes to them just as they desire. . (Vdrtha of Gaddhara Bhaa) TEXT 43

nn-sakalpa-vkyai ca tad-anuhna-nihatm dv tatrodita-raddha pravtta ikita sa tai

nnvarious; sakalpa-vkyaiwith statements of firm intention; caand; tatof these (vows); anuhnafor the performance; nihatmthe determination; dvseeing; tatrain this; udita arose; raddhahis faith; pravttabecame engaged; ikitataught; sahe; taiby them. From the various words they spoke to express their determined vows, he saw how firm the brhmaas were in their intentions to perform these duties. His faith aroused, he began to follow this process according to their instructions. Commentary: The brhmaa not only heard the glories of dharma in theory but saw exemplars practicing what they preached. He heard them declare their intentions (sakalpas) to perform such duties as bathing daily in the Gag and then watched as they diligently carried these duties out. Although in all his life he had received no useful spiritual education, these brhmaas were now carefully teaching him the principles of dharma according to their understanding. TEXT 44

devy-jdarato mantram api nitya raho japan tat-prabhvn na lebhe nta santoa teu karmasu
devof the goddess; jfor the order; darata out of respect; mantramhis mantra; apistill; nityamregularly; rahain private; japanchanting
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quietly; tatof it; prabhvtby the influence; na lebhehe did not obtain; antainner; santoam satisfaction; teutheir; karmasuin the ritual activities. Out of respect for the goddesss order, he regularly continued to chant his mantra quietly in private. And by the influence of the mantra, he felt no inner satisfaction from those rituals. Commentary: Attraction to worshiping the Supreme Lord defeats attraction to lesser religious practices. TEXT 45

sa nirvidya gata k dadara bahu-dea-jn yati-pryn jans tatrdvaita-vykhy-vivdina

sahe; nirvidyabecoming uninterested; gatawent; kmto Vras; dadarahe saw; bahu-dea-jn born in many different regions; yatirenounced sannyss; prynmostly; jannpeople; tatra there; advaitaof strict monism; vykhyof the interpretation; vivdinaproponents. He therefore lost interest and went to K, where he saw people from many different regions, especially sannyss propounding the theory of monism. TEXT 46

vivevara praamydau gatv prati-maha yatn natv sambhya virma te prve cakra sa
viva-varamto Lord Vivevara; praamyaoffering obeisances; daufirst; gatvgoing; prati-maham to each rama; yatnto the sannyss; natv bowing down; sambhyahaving discussions; virmamrest; temof them; prvein the company; cakratook; sahe.

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He first offered his obeisances to Lord Vivevara and then visited the various ramas, where he bowed down to the sannyss, had discussions with them, and rested in their company. Commentary: As the deity Vivevara, Lord iva presides over his sacred abode of K, also known in Sanskrit as Vras and known popularly as Benares. TEXT 47

vdeu uddha-buddhn te pi-tala-stha-vat moka bodhayat vkyai sra mene sa tan-matam

vdeuin philosophical talks; uddha-buddhnm whose intelligence was pure; temof them; pitalain the palm of ones hand; stha-vatas if held; mokamliberation; bodhayatmwho were explaining; vkyaiby the words; sramessential; meneconsidered; sahe; tattheir; matamopinions. The intelligence of these sannyss was pure, or at least it seemed so from their philosophical talks. Their words described liberation as something readily available, as if held in the palm of ones hand, and this inspired him to accept their opinions as perfect. TEXTS 4849

vann avirata nysamokotkara-pari sa tebhyo vednta-vkyni maikary samcaran snna vivevara payas te sage praysata miea-bhogn bhujna sannysa kartum iavn
vanhearing; aviratamwithout cease; nysato renunciation; mokaof liberation; utkaraand to the excellence; paridedicated; sahe; tebhya
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from them; vednta-vkynistatements of Vednta; maikarymat the holy site Maikarik; samcaranperforming; snnamhis ritual bath; vivevaramLord Vivevara; payanseeing; tem of them; sagein the association; apraysata effortlessly; miapalatable; iato his taste; bhognfood; bhujnapartaking of; sannysamthe renounced order of life; kartumto take up; iavnhe began to desire. He would constantly hear from them descriptions of the Vednta doctrine, glorifying renunciation and liberation. He would bathe at Maikarik-gha and have darana of Lord Vivevara, and, without having to work for his meals, he would enjoy tasty food to his liking in the company of the sannyss. He thus developed the desire to become a sannys himself. TEXT 50

sva-japya gauravd devys tathnta-sukha-lbhata atyajann ekad svapne payat tan-mantra-devatm

sva-japyamthe chanting of his mantra; gauravtout of respect; devyfor the goddess; tathand; antainner; sukhapleasure; lbhatabecause of obtaining; atyajannot giving up; ekadone day; svapnein a dream; apayathe saw; tat-mantraof that mantra; devatmthe Deity. Still, out of respect for the goddess, and because it gave him pleasure within, he never gave up chanting his mantra. And one day he saw the Deity of his mantra in a dream. Commentary: The Prgjyotia-pura brhmaas faith was damaged by the impersonal propaganda he heard in K, by which his hope to meet the Lord of the universe was replaced with a false hope to merge into oneness. Nonetheless, he went on with his mantra-japa because he held the goddess Kmkhy in
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awe and was unwilling to violate her order. Despite his weakened faith in the mantra, it continued to exert its transcendental influence. His heart could derive no substantial contentment from the promises of the Vednta texts, because he spontaneously felt more gratification from chanting Lord Goplas mantra. Perhaps the brhmaas attraction to liberation could never have been dispelled had r Gopla, the Deity of his mantra, not personally appeared in his dream. Or perhaps his hope for liberation would have dissipated anyway by the power of the mantra. In any case, his heart changed. TEXT 51

tan-mah-ramyatka paramnanda-gocara taj-japnya-pravttau hi na lebhe sa mano-balam

tatof Him (r Gopla); mahgreat; ramyatby the charm; kaattracted; parama-nandathe greatest ecstasy; gocaraexperiencing; tatof that (mantra); japathan the chanting; anyaother; pravttaufor engagements; hiindeed; na lebhedid not obtain; sahe; manamental; balamstrength. The charm of r Gopla attracted him and gave him the greatest ecstasy. And thereafter he could no longer find the mental strength to engage in anything other than chanting his mantra. Commentary: He no longer felt any enthusiasm for sannysa or liberation, what to speak of sacred baths and other rituals. TEXT 52

iti-kartavyat-mho dna san svapnam gata tay devy sahgatya tatrdia ivena sa
iti-kartavyatabout specifically what he should do to fulfill his duties; mhaconfused; dna
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depressed; sanbecoming; svapnama dream; gatahe experienced; tayher; devy sahaalong with the goddess; gatyawho came; tatrathere; dia instructed; ivenaby Lord iva; sahe. Confused about what he should do, he became depressed. Then, in another dream, Lord iva came to him, along with the goddess, to instruct him. Commentary: His heart was drawn to Lord Gopla, but his mind was in a dilemma: Should I take sannysa and strive for liberation, or should I just chant my mantra? Such is the likely result of fellowship with impersonalists: ones determination becomes fickle, and one cannot choose the right thing to do. In this third appearance in the brhmaas dreams, the goddess Kmkhy brought along her husband, the lord of K, to make her presentation more convincing. TEXT 53

m mrkha kuru sannysa druta r-mathur vraja tatra vndvane vaya prrthas tva bhaviyasi
mdo not; mrkhaO foolish one; kurutake; sannysamthe renounced order; drutamimmediately; r-mathurmto r Mathur; vrajago; tatrathere; vndvanein the Vndvana forest; avayam necessarily; pra-arthafulfilled in all ambitions; tvamyou; bhaviyasiwill become. [Lord iva said:] Foolish man, dont take sannysa! Go at once to r Mathur. There in the Vndvana forest you will surely fulfill all your desires. TEXT 54

sotkaho mathur gantu muhus t krtayas tata sa tad-dea-dia gacchan prayga prpa vartmani
sa-utkahawith eagerness; mathurmto Mathur; gantumto go; muhurepeatedly; tmthat (Mathur);
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krtayanglorifying; tatathen; sahe; tat-dea of that district; diamin the direction; gacchan going; praygamat Prayga; prpaarrived; vartmanion the way. Eager to go to Mathur, the brhmaa set off toward that district, all the while chanting its glories. On the way he came to Prayga. Commentary: The brhmaa headed west, repeatedly chanting, Mathur! Mathur!. TEXT 55

tasmil+ lasan-mdhava-pda-padme gagrita-r-yamun-manoje snnya mghoasi trtha-rje prptn sa sdhn atao dadara
tasminthere; lasatshining; mdhavaof Lord Mdhava; pda-padmeat the lotus feet; gagritasheltered in the Gag; r-yamunat the divine Yamun; mana-jecharming; snnyafor taking a bath; mghain the month of Mgha (January-February); asiat dawn; trtha-rjeat the king of holy places; prptnwho had come; sa he; sdhnspiritual persons; ataaby the hundreds; dadarasaw. There at the king of holy places, by the charming Yamun within the Gag, he found hundreds of saints who had gathered near the effulgent lotus feet of Lord Mdhava to bathe at dawn in the month of Mgha. Commentary: Prayga is called the king of trthas because there one discovers ones hearts devotion for the Personality of Godhead. At Prayga the Gaga and Yamun unite, and downstream from their confluence the Yamun is considered present on one side of the Gaga. This is the Yamun within the Gaga. Gag and Yamun are not only physically united at Praygathey also share an intimate bond of love for Ka. TEXT 56
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te sad-gta-nati-stavdibhi r-viu-pjotsavam aikatbhita tan-nma-sakrtana-vdya-nartanai premrta-ndai ruditai ca obhitam

temof them; sadconstant; gtawith singing; natioffering of obeisances; stava-dibhiprayers and so on; r-viur Viu; pjof worshiping; utsavama festival; aikatahe saw; abhitaall around; tatHis; nma-sakrtanawith chanting of the holy names; vdyamusic; nartanaiand dancing; premin pure love; rta-ndaiwith plaintive cries; ruditaiwith sobbing; caand; obhitam attractive. On every side before him, he saw them conducting a great festival of worship for r Viu, with expressions of joyous devotion like constant singing, offering of obeisances, and recitation of prayers. The loud congregational chanting of the Lords names, along with music, dancing, sobbing, and plaintive cries of love, was attractive. Commentary: In addition to what the verse specifically mentions, the brhmaa saw the elaborate arrangements for feeding and worshiping the Lord in His Deity form. This same Deity, Bindu Mdhava, was seen by Lord Caitanya Mahprabhu when He visited Pryaga. TEXT 57

so budho vismaya prpto vaiavn pcchati sma tn he gyak vandino re daa-vat ptino bhuvi
sahe; abudhainnocent; vismayamamazement; prptaobtained; vaiavnthe Vaiavas; pcchati smaasked; tnthem; he gyakO singers; vandina reO offerers of prayers; daa-vatlike rods; ptinaO you who are falling; bhuvion the ground. Innocent, ignorant, and amazed, he said to those Vaiavas, Excuse me, you singers, you reciters of
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prayers, and you who are falling on the ground like rods. Commentary: Never before having seen such behavior or even heard of it, the brhmaa didnt know what to think. He was unaware of Vaiava etiquette and unable to distinguish the Vaiavas from ordinary stage performers and court reciters. And so he naively interrupted the sakrtana and addressed the Vaiavas disrespectfully. He could see only their external behavior but not their internal spiritual status. TEXTS 58-59

bho vdak nartak re rma-keti-vdina rodak ramya-tilak cru-ml-dhar nar bhavataika kaa svasth na kolhalam arhatha vadateda vidhaddhve ki ka vrcayatha sdaram
bho vdakO chanters; nartak reO dancers; rmaRma; kaKa; itithus; vdinaO you who are saying; rodakyou who are crying; ramya charming; tilakwhose auspicious marks on the forehead; crubeautiful; mlgarlands; dhar wearing; narmen; bhavatyou; ekamone; kaam for a moment; svasthbecoming calm; nanot; kolhalamcommotion; arhathayou should make; vadataplease tell; idamthis; vidhaddhveyou are performing; kimwhat; kamwhom; vor; arcayatha you are worshiping; sa-daramwith respect. My dear musicians, dear chanters and dancers, loudly crying out Rma Ka, you men adorned with beautiful tilaka and attractive garlands, please calm down for a moment and stop making such a racket! What is this ceremony you are observing? Whom are you so reverently worshiping?

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Commentary: He mistook some of the Vaiavas for ordinary musicians, dancers, and chanters of mundane slogans, but at least he admired the beauty of their viu-tilaka, which resembled in form a temple of Viu. Since he was unaware of the transcendental value of the sound of the Supreme Lords names sung loudly in public congregation, he judged the sakrtana to be needless noise. He assumed that these people had meaningful work to do and wondered why they were neglecting their duties to indulge in frivolity. Or, as he suggested in his questions, he thought this might be some strange kind of ritual duty or even the unusual worship of some deity. TEXT 60

tac chrutvopahasanti sma kecit ta kecid abruvan re mha t tiheti ke py cur dna-vatsal
tatthat; rutvhearing; upahasanti smalaughed; kecitsome; tamhim; kecitsome; abruvansaid; re mhaO fool; tmquiet; tiharemain; iti thus; ke apiothers; apiand; cusaid; dnavatsalcompassionate to unfortunate persons. Some of the Vaiavas simply laughed at hearing this. Others told him, You fool, just be quiet! Yet others, compassionate to fallen souls, said to him something else. Commentary: Some participants in the sakrtana festival who were newcomers to devotional service began ridiculing the brhmaa: Oh, you are the best of sages, the most learned scholar! Yes, you are right, we are all out of our wits, and this noise is a public nuisance. Some of the intermediate sdhakas in the group were angered by his comments. Others, the fully self-realized devotees in the assembly, showed him the same compassion they felt for all living beings. As real friends of the conditioned souls, they frankly told
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him what he needed to hear. TEXT 61

r-vaiav cu aye vipra-ja jnsi na kicid bata mha-dh viu-bhaktn punar maiva sambodhaya na jalpa ca
r-vaiav cuthe holy Vaiavas said; aye hey; vipra-jaO you who were born a brhmaa; jnsi nayou do not understand; kicitanything; bataindeed; mhabewildered; dhwhose intelligence; viu-bhaktndevotees of Viu; punaagain; mdo not; evamlike this; sambodhaya address; nado not; jalpaspeak loosely; caand. The holy Vaiavas said: Hey, bewildered son of a brhmaa, dont you understand anything? Dont ever again address devotees of Viu like that and speak to them such nonsense! Commentary: The paramahasas were obviously disappointed that despite his birth in a brhmaa family he was such a fool. Out of kindness they advised him to refrain from treating Vaiavas like materialistic people; he should never again ask them to stop making noise as if they were ordinary singers and reciters. TEXT 62

bhagavantam ime viu nitya vayam upsmahe guror ghta-dkk yath-mantra yath-vidhi
bhagavantamthe Supreme Lord; imethese persons; viumViu; nityamalways; vayamwe; upsmahe worship; gurofrom the spiritual master; ghtadkkhaving taken initiation; yathaccording to; mantramour mantras; yathaccording to; vidhi our methods. Initiated by our gurus, we always worship the Supreme Lord Viu with the mantras and methods
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they have given us. Commentary: What distinguished the sakrtana devotees from the Prgjyotia-pura brhmaa was that they had accepted Vaiava initiation from authorized cryas and were practicing devotional service according to the instructions of their spiritual masters. Because the brhmaa lacked the mercy of a pure devotee, his chanting of the gopla-mantra was bearing undeveloped results instead of mature fruit. Real spiritual knowledge had eluded him. TEXT 63

r-nsiha-tanu kecid raghuntha tathpare eke goplam ity eva nn-rpa dvijottama
r-nsihaof r Nsiha; tanumin the form; kecitsome; raghunthamLord Rmacandra; tath also; apareothers; ekesome; goplamr Gopla; itithus; evamin this way; nn-rpamin various forms; dvija-uttamaO best of the brhmaas. O best of brhmaas, we are worshiping the Lord in various forms. Some of us worship Him in His feature as Nsiha, some as Lord Raghuntha, and others as r Gopla. Commentary: Having been initiated into various viu-mantras, the Vaiavas were worshiping the Lord in various expansions, including four-armed Nryaa and His avatras Matsya, Krma, Varha, and Vmana. TEXT 64

r-parkid uvca tato sau lajjito vipro pcchat sa-praraya mud kuto vasati kdk sa ki vrtha dtum vara
r-parkit uvcar Parkit said; tatathen; asauhe; lajjitaashamed; viprathe brhmaa;
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apcchatasked; sa-prarayamwith humility; mud with pleasure; kutawhere; vasatilives; kdk like what; saHe; kimwhat; vand; artham benefit; dtumof giving; varacapable. r Parkit said: Hearing this made the brhmaa feel ashamed. With great humility but with joy he asked them, Where does this Lord live? What is He like? What benefits is He able to grant? Commentary: This Lord the devotees called Viu was unknown to the brhmaa, who was curious whether the Lord lived in a village, a city, or somewhere else. What god, human, or animal did His form resemble? What special powers did He have, and what wealth could He give to His devotees? TEXT 65

r-vaiav cu sad sarvatra vasati bahi cnta ca sa prabhu kacin na sadas tena kathacid vidyate kvacit
r-vaiav cuthe holy Vaiavas said; sad always; sarvatraeverywhere; vasatilives; bahi outside; caand; antainside; caand; saHe; prabhuthe Lord; kacit nano one; sada comparable; tenawith Him; kathacitin any respect; vidyateexists; kvacitanywhere. The holy Vaiavas said: He is the supreme master, and He always lives everywhere, both within and without. No one anywhere compares to Him in any respect. Commentary: In the material world, all things are limited in time, space, and substance. A person in a particular body, for example, has only a certain life span. Before and after, he is absent from that body. His bodily existence occupies but a small space within the universe; he may move from one place to another, but only within strict limits. And his identity is separate from that of any other
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person or thing. Lord Viu, however, is not an ordinary person limited in these or other ways. He pervades all time and space, and all other individual people and things are also part of Him. This answers the question Where does He live? In reply to the question What is He like? the Vaiavas say that He is unique and incomparable. No ones beauty or other personal qualities are equal to His, neither within this material world nor outside it. TEXT 66

sarvntar-tm jagad-varevaro ya sac-cid-nanda-ghano mano-rama vaikuha-loke prakaa sad vased ya sevakebhya svam api prayacchati
sarvaof all beings; anta-tmthe inner self; jagatof the universe; vara-varathe Lord of all lords; yawho; sat-cit-nandaof eternity, knowledge, and bliss; ghanathe full embodiment; mana-ramaattracting the mind; vaikuha-lokein the world of Vaikuha; prakaavisible; sad always; vasetdwells; yawho; sevakebhyato His servants; svamHimself; apieven; prayacchati gives. He is the Supersoul within the heart of every living being, the Lord of all lords of the universe, the all-attractive concentrated embodiment of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. He dwells in the world of Vaikuha, where He always can be seen. And to His servants He gives His very self. Commentary: Ignorant of the many aspects of the Supreme Lords personality, the brhmaa might doubt how one could devote oneself to a person who has no particular identity or location. Here the Vaiavas assure the brhmaa that the Lord does have His own manifold identities and locations. He is the Supersoul both of the entire universe and of each individual living being. Thus His greatness
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manifests itself within and without. He is the ruler of all lords of the many universes; whatever powers and assets other rulers possess He has also, but in quantity without limit. He is the Supreme Absolute Truth in person, and His primary location is Vaikuha. Even though as the indwelling Supersoul He is hidden, His opulences are fully visible in His form as the Lord of Vaikuha, whom His devotees can see to their hearts delight. His beauty, charm, and countless other transcendental qualities are all-attractive. And in answer to the question What is He capable of giving? the answer is His own self. By this the Vaiavas imply that He can easily bestow pure devotion and eternal residence in Vaikuha, what to speak of the four goals of material life. As expressed by the prefix pra- in the verb prayacchati, He liberally gives all this plus Himself, which further implies that He and His servants share a flood of boundless ecstasy. TEXT 67

ruti-smti-styamna kensya mahimocyatm tad atra vcyamnni purni muhu u

rutiby the original revealed scriptures; smti and by their supplements; styamnaglorified; kenaby whom; asyaHis; mahimthe greatness; ucyatmcan be described; tattherefore; atrahere; vcyamnniwhich are being spoken; purnithe Puras; muhuprofusely; uplease hear. The rutis and smtis glorify Him. Who can describe His greatness? But while you are here, please listen to the profuse histories spoken about Him from the Puras. Commentary: This holy pilgrimage site Prayga, the king of trthas, is a most suitable place for hearing the glories of the Supreme Lord from the authoritative histories recorded in the Puras.
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TEXT 68

mdhava nama clokya pratirpa jagat-prabho tato cird ida sarva para ca jsyasi svayam
mdhavamto Lord Mdhava; namaplease bow down; ca and; lokyalooking at; pratirpamthe direct manifestation; jagat-prabhoof the Lord of the universe; tatathus; acirtin a short time; idam this; sarvamall; parammore; caand; jsyasiyou will understand; svayamyourself. Just bow down to Lord Mdhava and behold Him, the direct manifestation of the Lord of the universe. And soon you will understand for yourself all this and much more. Commentary: The Lord of Vaikuha can be seen directly in His image as Mdhava, the presiding Deity of Davamedha-gha at Prayga. In the short time the Vaiavas were speaking to the Prgjyotia-pura brhmaa, they could only hint at the glories of Lord Viu, but if the brhmaa were to follow their advice by hearing from them the Puras, bowing down to Lord Mdhava, and meditating on the Deitys beautiful form, more realization would automatically be revealed within his heart. TEXT 69

r-parkid uvca tata r-mdhava vkya namas tasmin vyacaa sa srpya sva-jape cintyamna-devasya kicana
r-parkit uvcar Parkit said; tatathus; r-mdhavamat r Mdhava; vkyalooking; naman bowing down; tasminwithin Him; vyacaasaw; sa he; srpyamsimilarity in appearance; sva-japein the chanting of his mantra; cintyamnabeing meditated on; devasyawith the Deity; kicanasome.
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r Parkit said: Thus, while looking at r Mdhava and bowing down to Him, the brhmaa noticed some likeness in appearance between r Mdhava and the Lord on whom he meditated while chanting his mantra. Commentary: Just as the Vaiavas had predicted, by associating with Lord Mdhava the brhmaa began to realize transcendental knowledge. He noticed that certain features of the Deity, like the shape of His mouth and eyes, were similar to the features of the Lord whom he sometimes envisioned while chanting his mantra. TEXT 70

tatra kicit pura sa oti saha vaiavai tair arcyamn vividh viu-mrt ca payati
tatrathere; kicitsome; puramPuras; sahe; otiheard; saha vaiavaialong with the Vaiavas; taiby them; arcyamnworshiped; vividhvarious; viu-mrtDeities of Viu; ca and; payatisaw. There at Davamedha-gha he heard some passages from the Puras in the company of the Vaiavas, and he saw various Deities of Viu they worshiped. Commentary: In the presence of Lord Mdhava he listened to discussions on such portions of the Puras as the Mgha-mhtmya of r Padma Pura (Uttara-khaa), which praises bathing at Prayga in the month of Mgha. By hearing in the company of pure devotees, he became affected by their strong faith and ecstatic mood. TEXT 71

tathpi pratyabhijeya tasya na syd acetasa mad-devo jagad-o ya mdhavo pi sat prabhu
tath apinonetheless; pratyabhijrecognition;
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iyamthis; tasyaby him; na sytthere was not; acetasawho was ignorant; mat-devamy Lord; jagat-aruler of the universe; ayamthis; mdhavaLord Mdhava; apialso; satmof the saintly devotees; prabhuthe master. Nonetheless he remained ignorant, unable to recognize his own worshipable Deity to be the same Lord Mdhava, the ruler of the universe and master of the saintly devotees. Commentary: Anyone with good discrimination would have been able to deduce from the similarities between Lord Mdhava and Lord Gopla that the Deity of the brhmaas mantra was the very same Lord of the universe appearing at Davamedha-gha. The brhmaa, however, was too foolish. TEXT 72

ida sa vimaty em upsyo jagad-vara sa eva mdhava cya maynya ko py upsyate

idamthis; sahe; vimatithought; emof them; upsyathe object of worship; jagat-varathe Lord of the universe; saHe; evaonly; mdhava Mdhava; caand; ayamthis; mayby me; anya another; ka apisomeone; upsyateis being worshiped. He continued to think that this Mdhava, the Lord of the universe, was the object of worship for these Vaiavas, and that his object of worship was someone else. Commentary: The brhmaa had enough trust in the words of the Vaiavas to be convinced that the Deity of Mdhava was indeed the Supreme Lord, but he hadnt accepted enough of their mercy to understand that all along he had been worshiping with his mantra the same Lord. TEXT 73

akha-cakra-gad-padma73

vibhita-catur-bhuja na mad-devas tata kasmt pratyeta sa mdhava

akhawith a conchshell; cakradisc; gadclub; padmaand lotus; vibhitadecorated; catu-bhuja having four hands; nanot; matmy; devaDeity; tatatherefore; kasmtwhy; pratyetashould be perceived; saHe; mdhavaas Lord Mdhava. Lord Mdhava has four arms, he thought, and is decorated with a conchshell, disc, club, and lotus. This is not my Deity. Why should my Lord look like this? Commentary: The Pacartras describe the form of Lord Mdhava among the twenty-four vyha expansions of Nryaa. Gad-akha-cakra-padmn bibhran mdhava ucyate: When the Lord is holding His club, conchshell, disc, and lotus [in that order, clockwise, from His lower right hand], He is called Mdhava. TEXT 74

nya narrdha-sihrdharpa-dhr ca mat-prabhu na vmano py asau mnakrma-koldi-rpavn

nanot; ayamthis; nara-ardhaof half man; sihaardhahalf lion; rpa-dhrtaking the form; ca and; matmy; prabhuLord; nanor; vmanaa dwarf; apieither; asauHe; mnaof a fish; krmaa turtle; kolaa boar; diand so on; rpa-vnhaving the form. My Lord doesnt appear as half man, half lion. He doesnt become a dwarf or take the forms of a fish, a turtle, a hog, and the like. TEXT 75

npi kodaa-pi syd rghavo rja-lakaa kecid e pjyena

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goplenstu v sadk
na apinor; kodaaa bow; piin whose hand; sytis; rghavathe Lord of the Raghus; rjalakaamarked with the signs of a king; kecit by some; emof these persons; pjyenawho is worshiped; goplenawith Gopla; astu vHe may be; sadksimilar. Nor does He become the Lord of the Raghus, with the signs of a king and a bow in His hand. But maybe my Deity does somewhat resemble the Gopla worshiped by some of these devotees. Commentary: The brhmaa could not identify the Deity of His mantra with Lord Rmacandra, who appeared as a great king with the royal symbols of throne, cmaras, and white umbrella. TEXT 76

manye thpi madyo ya na bhavej jagad-vara nsti tal-lakaa mghamhtmydau ruta hi yat
manyeI think; atha apistill; madyamy; ayam this; na bhavetcannot be; jagat-varathe Lord of the universe; na astithere are not; tatof Him; lakaamthe characteristics; mgha-mhtmyain the descriptions of the glories of the month of Mgha; dauand elsewhere; rutamheard from scripture; hicertainly; yatwhich. Still, I cannot imagine that my Deity is the Lord of the universe. My Deity doesnt have the characteristics I have heard described in The Glorification of the Month of Mgha and other scriptural texts. Commentary: Lord Mdhava of Prayga is described in the story of Devadyuti, which is included in the Mgha-mhtmya of the Padma Pura (Uttara-khaa 128.202, 129.44): ta dv garurha
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pratyagra-jalada-cchavim catur-bhu vilka sarvlakra-bhitam He saw the Lord seated on Garua. The Lords complexion was the color of a new rain cloud. He had four arms and broad eyes, and He was decorated with all kinds of ornaments. brahmdaya sur sarve yogina sanakdaya tv skt-kartum icchanti siddh ca kapildaya All the demigods led by Brahm, the yogs led by Sanaka, and the perfected mystics led by Kapila want to see You in person. The current verse says that the brhmaa heard from mgha-mhtmydau, the Mgha-mhtmya and other texts. Those other texts may have included the section of r Skanda Pura that glorifies Prayga-trtha. TEXT 77

goprbha-vargai sakhibhir vane sa g va-mukho rakati vanya-bhaa gopgan-varga-vilsa-lampao dharma sat laghayattaro yath
gopa-arbhaof cowherd boys; vargaiwith groups; sakhibhiwho are His friends; vanein the forest; saHe; gcows; vaa flute; mukhaat His mouth; rakatitends; vanya-bhaadecorated with forest ornaments; gopa-aganof cowherd girls; vargawith the groups; vilsasports; lampaa greedy to enjoy; dharmamthe religious principles; satmof saintly persons; laghayatiHe transgresses; itaraan ordinary person; yath like. My Lord takes care of the cows in the forest along with His many cowherd friends. He holds a flute to His mouth and is decorated with forest ornaments.
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Just like an ordinary person, He transgresses the religious principles of saints, being always addicted to playful sports with all the cowherd girls. Commentary: Arguing on the strength of the evidence he has gathered about his Gopla from meditating on the mantra, the brhmaa here tries to prove that the Deity of his own mantra cannot be the Lord of the universe. The brhmaas worshipable Gopla is always in the forest with His friends, busy taking care of His cows. His flute is usually near His mouth because He very much likes playing on it. He also likes to decorate Himself with forest items like peacock feathers, garlands of kadamba flowers, red oxide tilaka for His forehead, and rings of guja berries for His ears. Like a wayward materialist, He violates the laws of cultured behavior by consorting with other mens wives and behaving in other socially forbidden ways, none of which suits the character of the Supreme Lord of the universe. Even if in some features the brhmaas Gopla resembles the Gopla worshiped by some of the local Vaiavasthe Nryaa expansion called Goplathat Gopla Nryaa cannot be the same person. Lord Nryaa could hardly go wandering in the forest tending cows, nor habitually break the principles of religion. TEXT 78

devy prabhvd nandam asypy rdhane labhe tan na jahy kadpy enam etan-mantra-japa na ca
devyof the goddess; prabhvtby the power; nandambliss; asyaHis; apiand; rdhanein the worship; labheI obtain; tattherefore; na jahymI shall not abandon; kad apiever; enamHim; etatmantraof this mantra; japamthe chanting; na ca nor. By the power of the goddess I have felt bliss in
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worshiping Him. Therefore I shall never abandon Him or my chanting of His mantra. Commentary: Vaiavas may question how one can realize ecstasy in worshiping anyone other than the Supreme Lord, but the brhmaa counters that it is possible by the potency of the goddess Kmkhy. Since she ordered him to always chant this mantra and since he feels such pleasure in chanting, why should he give it up? TEXT 79

eva sa prva-van mantra ta japan nirjane nijam deva skd iveketa sat saga-prabhvata
evamthus; sahe; prva-vatas before; mantram mantra; tamthat; japanchanting; nirjanein seclusion; nijamhis own; devamLord; sktin person; ivaas if; ketahe would see; satmof the saintly Vaiavas; sagaof the association; prabhvataby the power. Thus the brhmaa continued chanting his mantra in seclusion as before. And by the power of the saintly company of the Vaiavas, he would see his Lord, as if directly in person. Commentary: Since the ignorant brhmaa lacked the instructions and blessings of a pure devotee spiritual master, he had not yet developed true knowledge and faith. But still he was reaping the benefits of sdhu-saga in Prayga. Even without the support of guru and stra, he was making some advancement by associating favorably with Vaiavas. He kept chanting the ten-syllable Gopla mantra, renowned among all mantras as the most excellent, and as his heart became more and more cleansed he entered into an intense meditation in which he saw His Lord as vividly as if the Lord were physically present. TEXT 80

vastu-svabhvd nanda78

mrchm pnoti karhicit vyutthya japa-klpagamam lakya ocati

vastuof the object; svabhvtbecause of the nature; nandafrom ecstasy; mrchmfainting; pnotihe experienced; karhicitsometimes; vyutthyastanding up; japafor chanting; klaof the time; apagamamthe expiration; lakya noticing; ocatihe would lament. Because of the nature of the object of his meditation, he sometimes fainted in ecstasy, and when he woke up and noticed that the time for chanting his mantra had been lost he would lament. Commentary: Sometimes the ecstasy of his meditation made all the external functions of his senses stop, as if he had achieved samdhi. This symptom was but a superficial reflection of the advanced conditions of bhva and prema. It arose not from mature understanding of the object of meditation but from the transcendental influence of the object Himself. TEXT 81

upadravo ya ko me nujto vighno mahn kila na sampto japo me dyatano rtryam gat
upadravadisturbance; ayamthis; kawhat; mefor me; anujtaarisen; vighnaobstruction; mahn great; kilaindeed; nanot; samptafinished; japachanting; memy; adyatanafor today; rtr night; iyamthis; gatcome. What is the cause of this disturbance? Now I am in great trouble! Night has fallen before I could finish todays chanting. Commentary: That night had come before he could finish his chanting was an upadrava, or cause of pain, as well as a vighna, an obstruction to fulfilling his vow to chant a prescribed number of mantras daily.
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TEXT 82

ki nidrbhibhavo ya me ki bhtbhibhavo tha v aho mad-dusvabhvo yac choka-sthne pi ht-sukham

kimwhether; nidrby sleep; abhibhavabeing overcome; ayamthis; memy; kimwhether; bhtaby a ghost; abhibhavabeing overcome; atha vor; aho oh; matmy; du-svabhvabad nature; yatwhich; okaof sadness; sthnein a situation; apieven; htin the heart; sukhamhappiness. Have I fallen asleep? Or become haunted by a ghost? Oh, I am so wicked that even when I have reason to be sad I feel happiness in my heart! Commentary: Trying to answer his own question about the cause of the problem, the brhmaa guessed that he might have fallen asleep. But since he didnt feel tired, he guessed again that something else might have happened, like having been attacked by a ghost. TEXT 83

ekad tu tathaivsau ocann akta-bhojana nidro mdhaveneda samdia sa-sntvanam

ekadone day; tuhowever; tath evain this same way; asauhe; ocanlamenting; akta-bhojananot having eaten; nidrasleepy; mdhavenaby Lord Mdhava; idamthis; samdiainstructed; sahe; sntvanamconsolation. One day, however, while lamenting in this way, as he began to feel drowsy from fasting he saw Lord Mdhava, who consoled him and gave him this instruction: Commentary: Once again the brhmaa had fallen into a trance of ecstasy and upon waking had become upset with himself. This time he felt so discouraged that he finished the day without
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eating, which made him feel sleepy. Lord Mdhava, the Deity of Davamedha-trtha, then appeared to him in this sleeplike state and said something like this: Why are you lamenting for no good reason? And why are you causing distress to Me, your worshipable Deity? I assure you that all your ambitions will soon be achieved. TEXT 84

vipra vivevarasynusmara vkyam um-pate yamun-tra-mrgea tac chr-vndvana vraja

vipraO brhmaa; vivevarasyaof Vivevara; anusmarajust remember; vkyamthe words; umpatethe husband of Um; yamunof the Yamun; traalong the shore; mrgeaby the path; tatto that; r-vndvanamr Vndvana; vrajago. Dear brhmaa, please remember the words of Vivevara, the husband of Um. Go by the path along the shore of the Yamun to r Vndvana.Commentary: While reminding the brhmaa of Lord Vivevaras instruction, Lord Gopla repeated it from His own mouth and in His own words, thus making it His direct order also. Apart from this, Vivevara (Lord iva) is the husband of the goddess Kmkhy, the spiritual authority who gave the brhmaa his mantra, so the brhmaa should not neglect the instruction. TEXT 85

tatrsdhraa hara lapsyase mat-prasdata vilamba pathi kutrpi m kuruva kathacana

tatrathere; asdhraamextraordinary; haram pleasure; lapsyaseyou will obtain; matMy; prasdataby the mercy; vilambamdelay; pathion the road; kutra apianywhere; m kuruvado not do; kathacanafor any reason.

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By My mercy, there you will obtain extraordinary pleasure. Go, and dont delay anywhere on the road for any reason. Commentary: The pleasure to be had in r Vndvana is incomparable, superior to all four kinds of success in worldly endeavorreligiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation. The brhmaa should be undistracted while on the road to Vndvana. He shouldnt stray from devotional service onto the side roads of jna and karma. Lord Mdhava here advises the brhmaa that good fortune will arise by His mercy alone, the Lords mercy, not that of anyone else. But that mercy of Lord Mdhava will appear especially in certain places, at certain times, and in certain company. TEXT 86

tata sa prtar utthya ha san prasthita kramt rman-madhu-pur prpta snto virnti-trthake
tatathus; sahe; prtaearly in the morning; utthyaarising; hahappy; sanfeeling; prasthitahe set out; kramtgradually; rmat blessed; madhu-purmat Mathur; prptaarrived; sntabathed; virnti-trthakeat Virntitrtha. Thus the brhmaa arose early in the morning and happily set out on his journey. Gradually he came to blessed Madhupur and bathed at Virnti-trtha. Commentary: Obeying the Lords order, the brhmaa at once started for Vndvana. And when he entered the holy dhma, he came first to Mathur City. Following the standard custom of pilgrims, he first visited the bathing place on the Yamun known as Virnti-trtha (Virma-gha). TEXT 87

gato vndvana tatra dhyyamna nije jape

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ta ta parikara pryo vkybhka nananda sa

gatagone; vndvanamto Vndvana; tatrathere; dhyyamnammeditated upon; nijehis own; japein the chanting; tam tamthe various; parikaram entourage and paraphernalia; pryathe greater part; vkyaseeing; abhkamconstantly; nananda rejoiced; sahe. He went on to Vndvana and there felt enlivened at every moment, for while chanting his mantra he saw in meditation most of the companions and surroundings from Kas pastimes. Commentary: He saw Kas supremely beautiful cows, cowherds, kadamba trees, and so on, which, although famous, are beyond the power of unqualified people to describe. TEXT 88

tasmin go-bhite payan kam aptas tato bhraman ke-trthasya prvasy dii urva rodanam
tasminin that place; go-bhitedecorated with cows; apayannot seeing; kam apianyone; ita tatahere and there; bhramanwandering; ketrthasyaof Ke-trtha; prvasymeastern; dii on the side; urvahe heard; rodanamcrying. He wandered here and there in that cow-adorned land, without meeting any people. But at one place on the eastern side of Ke-trtha, he heard someone crying. Commentary: At the holy place where Ka had once killed the horse demon, Ke, the brhmaa met the first human being he was to encounter in Vndvana. This sacred place Ke-trtha is described in the Mathur-mhtmya of the Varha Pura (152.30-31): gag ata-gu prokt mthure mama maale
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yamun virut devi ntra kry vicra tasy ata-gu prokt yatra ke niptita key ata-gu prokt yatra viramito hari One hundred times more sacred than the Gag, O goddess Earth, is the Yamun in My own abode, Mathur. No one need doubt this. More sacred than Mathur by a hundred times is the place on the Yamun where the Ke demon fell, and one hundred times more sacred than that Ke-trtha is the spot nearby where Ka rested after the demon was killed. TEXT 89

tad-dig-bhga gata prem nma-sakrtanair yutam tad karya muhus tatra ta manuyam amrgayat
tatin that; dik-bhgamdirection; gatagoing; premin pure love; nma-sakrtanaiwith the sounds of nma-sakrtana; yutamjoined; tatthat; karyahearing; muhuconstantly; tatrathere; tamthat; manuyamfor the person; amrgayathe looked. Heading in the direction of that sound, he heard it mingled with constant nma-sakrtana performed in pure love. And so he looked for the person chanting. Commentary: From a distance he recognized only the sound of crying, but as he approached he heard the names of the Supreme Lord being sweetly chanted with great affection, with syllables drawn out long and melodious, by someone whose heart seemed completely softened by love of God. He became intent upon finding the person chanting. TEXT 90
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ghanndhakrraynta so payan kacid unmukha nirdhrya tad-dhvani-sthna yamun-tram avrajat

ghanadense; andhakrawith darkness; arayaa forest; antawithin; sahe; apayannot seeing; kacitanyone; unmukha eagerly turning toward; nirdhryanoticing; tatof that; dhvanisound; sthnamthe place; yamun-tramto the bank of the Yamun; avrajathe went. He entered a dense, dark forest where he couldnt see anyone. But he discerned the place from which the sound came, and he eagerly went there, to the bank of the Yamun. Commentary: So thick was the forest that the leaves of the trees left no space for the light of the sun to enter. The brhmaa saw no one but could still hear the sound of nma-sakrtana, which drew him further on. TEXT 91

tatra npa-nikujntar gopa-vea-paricchadam kiora su-kumrga sundara tam udaikata

tatrathere; npaof kadamba trees; nikuja-anta in a grove; gopaof a cowherd; veawhose dress; paricchadamand paraphernalia; kiorama young man; su-kumravery tender; agamwhose body; sundaram handsome; tamhim; udaikatahe saw. There, in a grove of kadamba trees, he found a handsome young man whose body was very tender, with the dress and accouterments of a cowherd. Commentary: The person the brhmaa discovered was dressed like a cowherd boy, with a flute, buffalo horn, and herding stick and with a peacock feather on his head. Every part of his body appeared auspicious. TEXT 92
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nijea-devat-bhrnty gopleti mah-mud samhvayan pramya papta bhuvi daa-vat

nijafor his own; ia-devatworshipable Deity; bhrntybecause of mistaking; goplaO Gopla!; itithus; mah-mudwith great joy; samhvayan calling out; pramyafor offering respects; paptahe fell; bhuvito the ground; daa-vatlike a rod. Mistaking this person for his worshipable Deity, the brhmaa joyfully called out O Gopla! and fell to the ground like a rod to offer respects. Commentary: Because the cowherd sitting before the brhmaa was dressed and ornamented just like Madana-gopla, the brhmaa thought that this was the Deity in person. The brhmaa wanted to offer a fitting salutation, so he at once fell flat on the ground and with spontaneous enthusiasm sweetly called out, O Gopla! The offering of these three syllables go-p-la was his way of properly honoring the Lord. TEXTS 9394

tato jta-bahir-di sa sarva-ja-iromai jtv ta mthura vipra kmkhy-dea-vsinam rman-madana-goplopsaka ca samgatam nistya kujd utthpya natvligya nyaveayat
tatathen; jtaappearing; bahi-dihis external consciousness; sahe; sarva-jaof knowers of everything; ira-maithe crest jewel; jtvknowing; tamhim; mthuramof Mathur; viprama brhmaa; kmkhy-deain the land of the goddess Kmkhy; vsinama resident; rmat86

madana-goplaof rmn Madana-gopla; upsakama worshiper; caand; samgatamarrived; nistya coming out; kujtfrom the grove; utthpya standing up to show respect; natvbowing down; ligyaembracing him; nyaveayathe made the brhmaa sit down. This young man was the crest jewel of those who know everything. As he regained external consciousness, he recognized his visitor as a Mathur brhmaa living in the district of the goddess Kmkhy and worshiping rmn Madanagopla. The young cowherd stood up and came out of the grove, bowed down to the brhmaa and embraced him, and made him sit down. Commentary: The cowherd knew without being told that his guest was a brhmaa who had traveled to Vndvana from a long distance. More specifically he knew that his visitor was the child of a brhmaa family of Mathur who had moved to the Kmarp district in Assam to worship the presiding goddess Kmkhy. Furthermore, the young cowherd knew that this brhmaa was now worshiping the lotus feet of rmn Madana-gopla and had come for some special purpose of the Lords. Actually, r Rdh-dev had ordered the cowherd to go to the grove that morning. So he bowed down to his guest, raised him from the ground, embraced him, and invited him to sit down. TEXT 95

athtithyena santoya vivsotpdanya sa kicit tennubhta yad vyajaym sa sa-smitam

athathen; tithyenawith hospitality; santoya satisfying him; vivsahis confidence; utpdanya for generating; sahe; kicitsomething; tenaby him; anubhtamexperienced; yatwhich; vyajaym sarevealed; sa-smitamwith a smile.

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To further gain the brhmaas confidence, the cowherd pleased him with hospitality and then smiled and revealed something about the brhmaas life. Commentary: The young cowherd, Gopa-kumra, greeted his brhmaa guest in a manner befitting the time and place and then briefly recounted what had happened in the brhmaas life, beginning with his worship of the goddess Kmkhy and leading up to his coming to this place on the shore of the Yamun. The cowherd expertly revealed things hidden in the brhmaas heart that no one else could have known. Why did he do this? He wanted to win the brhmaas trust so that the brhmaa would believe what he was about to be told. Otherwise, the brhmaa might be skeptical about Gopa-kumras fantastic story. TEXT 96

buddhv gopa-kumra ta labdhvevtma-priya mud vivasto kathayat tasmin sva-vtta brhmao khilam
buddhvrecognizing; gopa-kumrama young cowherd boy; tamhim; labdhvaccepting; ivaas if; tmapriyama dear friend; mudhappily; vivasta trusting; akathayathe recounted; tasminto him (the cowherd); sva-vttamhis own story; brhmaa the brhmaa; akhilamentire. The brhmaa now understood that this was a young cowherd boy and accepted him as if the boy were a dear friend. Happily trusting him, the brhmaa then recounted his own entire life story. Commentary: When the brhmaa understood that this was not his worshipable Lord but a cowherd with all good qualities, the brhmaa relaxed. TEXT 97

sa-krpayam ida csau prarita punar abravt

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ta sarva-ja-vara matv sat-tama gopa-nandanam

sa-krpayamwith humility; idamthe following; ca and; asauhe (the brhmaa); praritasubmissive; punafurther; abravtsaid; tamto him (the cowherd); sarva-jaof knowers of everything; varamthe best; matvconsidering him; sat-tamam the most saintly; gopa-nandanamyoung child of the cowherds. Then with great humility, considering this young child of the cowherds the best of wise men and a great saint, the brhmaa submissively added an inquiry. TEXT 98

r-brhmaa uvca rutv bahu-vidha sdhya sdhana ca tatas tata prpya ktya ca niretu na kicic chakyate may
r-brhmaa uvcathe brhmaa said; rutv having heard; bahu-vidhamof various kinds; sdhyamgoals; sdhanammethods of achievement; ca and; tata tatafrom various sources; prpyamwhat is to be attained; ktyamwhat is to be done; ca and; niretumto determine; nanot; kicit anything; akyatecan be done; mayby me. The brhmaa said: From various sources I have heard of various goals and various methods to achieve them, but still I cannot definitely decide what goal I should strive for and what I should do to reach it. Commentary: On the bank of the Gag, at K and elsewhere, the brhmaa had heard various kinds of spiritual advice. He had heard in one place that heaven is the ultimate goal of life, and in another that liberation from the cycle of birth and death is the goal. And as for means of success he had heard claims that karma was the means, or jna, or
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other methods. No wonder he was confused. TEXT 99

yac ca devy-jay kicid anutihmi nityaa tasypi ki phala tac ca katamat karma vedmi na
yatwhat; caand; devof the goddess; jayby the order; kicitsomething; anutihmiI perform; nityaaregularly; tasyaof that; apieven; kim what; phalamresult; tatthat; caand; katamatof which kind; karmaactivity; vedmi naI do not know. Whatever the goddess ordered me, I regularly do. But I have no idea about the results of those duties, or even what kind of acts they are. Commentary: If the brhmaa did not know what the goal of his endeavor was and how he might achieve it, why was he continuing to chant his mantra? He was doing so because he had respect for the order of the goddess Kmkhy. The little she had asked him to do, namely chant this mantra, was not much compared to the complex duties of householders and sannyss that he had learned about from others. He continued chanting out of reverence for the goddess, not because he understood the essence of what he was doing. He was even unaware whether this chanting belonged to the category of ritual duties, cultivation of knowledge, or devotional service. Therefore, he thought, since his practice was not based on definite knowledge and faith, it had no real value for his spiritual advancement. TEXT 100

teneda viphala janma manvna kmaye mtim para jvmi kpay ivayor mdhavasya ca
tenatherefore; idamthis; viphalamfruitless; janmalife; manvnaconsidering; kmayeI long for; mtimdeath; paramonly; jvmiI live;
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kpayby the mercy; ivayoof Lord iva and his wife; mdhavasyaof Lord Mdhava; caand. I therefore think my life worthless, and I simply want to die. I continue to live only by the mercy of Lord Mdhava, and Lord iva and his wife. Commentary: It was at Prayga that the brhmaa had reached this point of crisis in his spiritual life. There also, however, he had received the grace of Lord Viu in the form of r Mdhava and of Lord Vivevara and his wife Kmkhy-dev, who had all appeared in dreams to give him guidance. TEXT 101

tayaivtrdya sarva-ja daylu tv sva-deva-vat prpya ha prasanno smi kpaa m samuddhara

tayby that (mercy); evaonly; atrahere; adya today; sarva-jamall-knowing; daylum compassionate; tvmyou; sva-deva-vatjust like my worshipable Deity; prpyaobtaining; hahappy; prasannasatisfied; asmiI am; kpaamwretched; mmme; samuddharaplease deliver. Only by their mercy have I met you here today, a compassionate and all-knowing person. You are just like my worshipable Deity, and I am very happy and satisfied to meet you. Now please deliver this wretched soul. Commentary: At Prayga the brhmaa received the mercy of r Mdhava, Vivevara, and Kmkhydev, but only in Vndvana could he understand the inestimable value of that mercy. Now he is confident that Gopa-kumra is as good as Lord Madana-gopla; in other words, Gopa-kumras transcendental instructions can easily lift him out of the ocean of his doubts and out of the vast ocean of material existence. TEXT 102

r-parkid uvca
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niamya sdara tasya vacana sa vyacintayat etasya kta-ktyasya jt prrthat kilav

r-parkit uvcar Parkit said; niamya hearing; sa-daramwith respect; tasyahis; vacanamwords; sahe; vyacintayatthought; etasya of this person; kta-ktyasyawho has done everything he needs to do; jthas arisen; praarthatcomplete success in life; kilaindeed. r Parkit said: Respectfully having heard the brhmaas words, the young cowherd thought, This person has done everything he needs to do. Indeed, his life is a complete success. Commentary: The word dara is usually understood to mean respect, but it can also mean affection. With respect for the brhmaas status as a Mathur brhmaa and with special affinity for him as a fellow worshiper of r Madana-gopla, Gopa-kumra heard him out. Texts 102 through 108 describe Gopakumras thoughtful concern for the brhmaa. TEXT 103

kevala tat-padmbhojaskd-kvaiyate taj-jape rhati nsakti kintu tan-nma-krtane

kevalamonly; tatHis; pada-ambhojaof the lotus feet; sktdirectly; kseeing; avaiyate remains; tatHis; japein the quiet chanting of the mantra; arhatihe requires; nanot; saktim attachment; kinturather; tatHis; nma-krtanein the nma-sakrtana. All that remains for him to achieve is to see directly the lotus feet of the Lord. He needs to become attached not so much to the solitary chanting of the Lords mantra but to the sakrtana of His names. Commentary: When received by Pacartric initiation
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in a Vaiava sampradya, viu-mantras deliver the chanter from illusion and provide him liberation and entrance into the divine life of devotional service. But the highest standard of pure love of God is obtainable not by the pcartrika-vidhi but by the bhgavata-vidhi of nma-sakrtana, worship of Kas names without material motives. The Prgjyotia-pura brhmaa had been chanting the ten-syllable Gopla mantra for some time with good effect, but only after he heard the uddha-nma from Gopa-kumra was he able to chant the same names of Lord Gopla in the perfect consciousness of sakrtana. Offenseless sakrtana with concentrated attention naturally develops into spontaneous attraction to Ka and His loving service. TEXTS 104-105

rman-madana-goplapdbjopsant param nma-sakrtana-pryd vchtta-phala-pradt tal-ll-sthala-pln raddh-sandarandarai sampdyamnn nitar kicin nsty eva sdhanam
rmat-madana-goplaof rmn Madana-gopla; pdaabjaof the lotus feet; upsantthan the worship; paramhigher; nma-sakrtana-prytconsisting primarily of nma-sakrtana; vch-attabeyond expectations; phalafruits; pradtwhich bestows; tatHis; llof the pastimes; sthala-plnmof the many places; raddhwith faith; sandarana seeing; daraiwith respect; sampdyamntbeing accomplished; nitarmfully; kicitany; na asti there is not; evaat all; sdhanammethod of practice. Certainly no means of perfection is superior to
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the worship of rmn Madana-goplas lotus feet. That worship yields results far beyond what one could expect. It should be performed mainly through nma-sakrtana, along with reverence and affection for the many places of r Goplas pastimes, places one should regularly visit. Commentary: How then had the brhmaa already made so much spiritual advancement? He had done so by worshiping r Ka, although irregularly. He had been worshiping without the complete faith and understanding that come only from the special mercy of Kas pure devotees. But any contact with Ka, the supreme goal of all existence, assures absolute perfection, and so also does any contact with His names, for hearing and chanting of His names is the supreme method for attaining kaprema. Even offensive chanting of Kas names, if continued long enough, will free one from disqualifications, and even nmbhsa, offenseless chanting without real attachment, will quickly lead to liberation and the rise of transcendental attachment and taste. Thus for spiritual upliftment there is no better practice than worship of the divine lotus feet of Lord Madana-gopla. In this verse the Lords feet are described as rmn, indicating that they fully possess all types of wealth and splendor. They have the potency to satisfy all the heartfelt desires of a devotee and to delight him in ways unanticipated by his conscious, and even subconscious, desires. The principal activity of this worship is sakrtana, chanting out loud in melodious song the Lords names, like Ka, Govinda and Gopla. r Parkit further suggests that the effects of hari-nma-sakrtana are enhanced by visiting the sacred places in Vraja-bhmi where Ka enjoyed pastimes with His gopas and gops. As much as other obligations in devotional service allow, Vaiavas should wander about these places and see them with their own eyes. If they do this with love and
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respect, their nma-bhajana will soon bear fruit. TEXT 106

sajta-premakc csmc catur-varga-viambakt tat-pdbja-va-krd anyat sdhya na kicana

sajtamanifest; premaktin which there is pure love; caand; asmtthan that; catu-vargathe four goals of life; viambaktwhich ridicules; tatHis; pda-abjathe lotus feet; va-krtwhich brings under control; anyatother; sdhyamgoal; na kicananone at all. There is no other final goal than that in which pure love of God appears, mocking the four lesser aims of life and bringing the Lords lotus feet under ones control. Commentary: In comparison to ka-prema, the four goals religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation appear insignificant. Only prema-bhakti can bring the Personality of Godhead under control: r-kkari ca s. (Bhakti-rasmta-sindhu 1.1.17) TEXT 107 iti bodhayitu csya sarva-saaya-nodanam sva-vttam eva nikhila nna prk pratipdaye SYNONYMS itithus; bodhayitumto bring him to the realization; caand; asyahis; sarvaall; saaya doubts; nodanamwhich will dispel; svamy own; vttamhistory; evaindeed; nikhilamcomplete; nnamcertainly; prkfirst; pratipdayeI should present. TRANSLATION

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To bring him to this realization, first I must tell him my own history in full. That will clear away all his doubts. PURPORT Commentary: The brhmaa needs to be informed that Ka is the goal of his endeavors and that nmasakrtana is the means to achieve Ka. But if Gopa-kumra were to say this from the start, the brhmaa, his mind ruled by doubts and misconceptions, might not grasp the full import of the advice. Therefore, to win the brhmaas trust, Gopa-kumra first needs to describe his own experiences, beginning from when he also received the same gopla-mantra and continuing up to the present moment. That will drive away the brhmaas doubts and wrong ideas. It will also allow the brhmaa to drink the nectar of r-bhagavat-kath, which will render his heart pure enough to assimilate the transcendental knowledge he requires. In fact, that knowledge should then manifest itself automatically, even without needing to be explicitly stated. TEXT 108 svayam eva sva-mhtmya kathyate yan na tat satm sammata syt tathpy asya nnykhynd dhita bhavet SYNONYMS svayamby oneself; evaindeed; svaof oneself; mhtmyamthe glorification; kathyateis spoken; yatwhen; nanot; tatthat; satmby saintly persons; sammatamapproved; sytgenerally is; tath apinevertheless; asyahis; nanot; anyaof something else; khyntby the narration; hitam benefit; bhavetwill come about.

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TRANSLATION Describing ones own glories is disapproved by spiritual authorities. But nothing else I could tell will bring about his good fortune. PURPORT Commentary: As the saying goes, sva-praas dhruvo mtyu: Self-praise is as good as death. All the same, Gopa-kumra understands that nothing but his own story will dispel the brhmaas doubts and give him tattva-jna. Because Gopa-kumra used his mystic power to describe the brhmaas past, the brhmaa is already inclined to believe him. So Gopa-kumra should not hesitate to tell his own story and thereby make the brhmaa fortunate, since his own story is very similar to that of the brhmaa and will drive away all his doubts. r Rdhs order will then be quickly carried out, and what would ordinarily have been a breach of etiquette will be perfectly acceptable behavior. TEXT 109 eva vinicitya mahnubhvo goptmajo sv avadhpya vipram tmnubhta gaditu pravtta pauriko yadvad i puram SYNONYMS evamthus; vinicityamaking up his mind; mahanubhvathe great, thoughtful devotee; gopa-tmajason of the cowherds; asauhe; avadhpyacalling the attention; vipramof the brhmaa; tmaby himself; anubhtamwhat was experienced; gaditumto speak of; pravttabegan; paurikaof the Puras; yadvatas; ia sage; purama Pura. TRANSLATION Thus the saintly son of the cowherds made up his
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mind. He asked the brhmaa for his attention and began to speak about his own life, just as a sage versed in the Puras would speak an epic. PURPORT Commentary: Gopa-kumra spoke with great authority; although he was just a young herdsman, anyone listening to him would think he was an ancient speaker of the Puras like Romaharaa Sta or his son Ugrarav, or a seer of Vedic mantras like the i Vmadeva. His narration was as authoritative as the Puras and fully in accord with all stras. The sage Devala has defined the characteristics of a i: rdhva-rets tapasy ugro niyat ca sayam pnugrahayo akta satya-sandho bhaved i A i is one whose semen flows upward, who is fierce in observing austere vows, who eats moderately, controls his senses, is able to curse and bless, and adheres firmly to the truth. TEXT 110 r-gopa-kumra uvca atretihs bahavo vidyante thpi kathyate sva-vttam evnusmtya mohdv api sagatam SYNONYMS r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; atra here; itihshistorical accounts; bahavamany; vidyantethere are; atha apinonetheless; kathyate is going to be told; sva-vttammy own story; eva only; anusmtyarecollecting; mohaduring fits of ecstasy; dauand so on; apialso; sagatamwhat occurred.
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TRANSLATION r Gopa-kumra said: There are many historical accounts relevant to this topic, but I am going to tell you my own story, including recollections of what occurred at times when I was bewildered by ecstasy and other distractions. PURPORT Commentary: There are many ancient historical accounts about what certain people did and said to one another that may be useful in explaining how to determine the best goal of life and the means to achieve it. These accounts are called Itihsas: dharmrtha-kma-mokm upadea-samanvitam prva-vtta-kath-yuktam itihsa pracakate A text that consists of narrations of past events and includes instructions about religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation is called an Itihsa. Gopa-kumras plan, however, is to tell his own history instead. Of all forms of evidence for establishing the truth, experience from ones own life is the strongest. Thus when Gopa-kumra frankly reveals the events of his life, the brhmaa should be persuaded of the higher truth that Gopa-kumra has grasped. On occasions Gopa-kumra was unaware of what was going on around him because the overflowing of his love for the Supreme Lord disturbed his external perception. Even so, by virtue of his advanced self-realization he can now recollect even the details of events of which he was unconscious when they occurred. Many of these personal events are also too confidential to discuss freely in public, and Gopa-kumra may be somewhat embarrassed to
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mention them. He feels obliged, however, to do everything he can to help enlighten the brhmaa. As Gopa-kumra will tell the brhmaa in the last chapter of this book: paya yac ctmanas tasya tadynm api dhruvam vtta parama-gopya tat sarva te kathita may Just see. I have told you everything that happened to me, and everything done by the Lord and His devotees, even that which is extremely confidential.. (Bhad-bhgavatmta 2.7.4) TEXT 111

gopla-vtter vaiyasya govardhana-nivsina putro ham do bla pur g crayan nij

goplaas a cowherd; vttewho made his living; vaiyasyaof a vaiya; govardhana-nivsinaa resident of Govardhana; putraa son; ahamI; dasuch; blaa young boy; purin the past; gcows; crayantending; nijmy own. I am a son of a vaiya of Govardhana who made his living as a cowherd. As a young boy of that community, I used to tend my own cows. TEXT 112

tasmin govardhane ktre vndvane tra ca mthure maale blai sama vipra-vara sthita
tasminat that place; govardhaneGovardhana; k of the Yamun; treon the banks; vndvanein the forest of Vndvana; atrahere; caand; mthure maalein the Mathur district; blaiwith boys; samamtogether; vipra-varaO best of brhmaas; sthitaremaining.

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O best of learned brhmaas, I stayed in the company of other boys there at Govardhana, here in Vndvana, on the banks of the Yamun, and at various other places in the district of Mathur. Commentary: Now Gopa-kumra begins his story, which will continue till the end of the sixth chapter. He was born in a vaiya community, in a family of cowherds. Many scriptures, including rmadBhgavatam (10.24.21), describe that vaiyas may engage in four occupations: trade, banking, farming, and cow protection (ki-vijya-go-rak kusda ca). As this history unfolds, we shall find that although a long time has passed since Gopa-kumra was an innocent boy at Govardhana, he has not aged at all. As he explains later, this was due to a blessing given him by his spiritual master: tvam etasya prabhvea % cira-jv bhavnv-aham dg-goprbha-rpa ca % tat-phalpty-arha-mnasa By the potency of this mantra, may you live a long time, may you always have the form of a cowherd boy, and may you develop the right mentality for tasting the mantras fruit. (Bhad-bhgavatmta 2.1.191) Gopa-kumras tending a herd of his own cows means that his family was relatively well-to-do and independent. In the course of doing this work, he wandered over the area within the twenty-yojana circumference of Mathur-maala. Among the places he used for cow herding, his special favorites were Govardhana, the forest of Vndvana, and the shores of the Yamun. Sometimes he went to other locations in the dhma, like Mahvana, but according to one transcendental opinion Vraja-bhmi consists of nothing but Govardhana, Vndvana, and the Yamun, since these three places pervade the entire dhma. In any case, there is no place outside Vraja-dhma where a cowherd can get real benefit from his occupation.
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Gopa-kumra addresses his new student by saying O best of learned brhmaas because the student hails from the brhmaa community of Mathur. TEXT 113

vana-madhye ca paymo nityam eka dvijottamam divya-mrti virakty-hya paryaantam itas tata
vanaof the forest; madhyein the mist; caand; paymawe would see; nityamregularly; ekamone; dvija-uttamamfirst-class brhmaa; divyadivine; mrtimwhose bodily appearance; viraktiwith renunciation; hyamendowed; paryaantam wandering; ita tatahere and there. In the forest we regularly saw a certain firstclass brhmaa, wandering from place to place. He was very renounced, and his body appeared like that of a god. Commentary: This person the boys frequently saw was in truth the best of brhmaas. His body was golden and very beautiful. TEXT 114

krtayanta muhu ka japa-dhyna-rata kvacit ntyanta kvpi gyanta kvpi hsa-para kvacit
krtayantamchanting the glories; muhualways; kamof Ka; japain chanting his mantra; dhynaand meditation; ratamabsorbed; kvacit sometimes; ntyantamdancing; kva apisometimes; gyantamsinging; kva apisometimes; hsato laughter; paramgiving his attention; kvacit sometimes. He was always chanting the glories of Ka. Sometimes he sang and sometimes danced. Sometimes, absorbed in meditation, he chanted his mantra to himself, and sometimes he gave himself to laughter. Commentary: The outstanding characteristic of this
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brhmaa was that he always vibrated Kas glories, either with the two-syllable name Ka or with other names of the Personality of Godhead. He would sing these names sweetly in various ways. He sometimes appeared withdrawn into his private japa and dhyna, which he dutifully performed daily even though he was already perfect in chanting the Lords holy names. As the tantras prescribe, even a person who has perfected the chanting of his mantra should continue to perform regular worship through japa and dhyna to show gratitude to his spiritual benefactors: siddha-mantro pi pttm tri-sandhya devam arcayet niyamenaika-sandhya v japed aottara atam Even if one has perfected his mantra and is completely pure in heart, he should still worship the Lord at the three junctures of the day by the method prescribed. Or at least at one of these three times he should do this worship, and 108 times he should chant japa of his mantra. When the brhmaa seemed withdrawn, intent on his prescribed chanting and meditation, in fact his outward senses were inactive not because he was controlling them out of duty but because ecstatic love was swelling up within him. TEXT 115

vikroanta kvacid bhmau skhalanta kvpi matta-vat luhanta bhuvi kutrpi rudanta kvacid uccakai
vikroantamshouting; kvacitsometimes; bhmauon the ground; skhalantamstumbling; kva api sometimes; matta-vatlike a madman; luhantam rolling; bhuvion the ground; kutra apiin some places; rudantamsobbing; kvacitsometimes; uccakailoudly.
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Sometimes he shouted, or loudly sobbed, or stumbled and fell to the ground, or rolled about on the ground like a madman. TEXT 116

visaja patita kvpi lema-llru-dhray pakayanta gav vartmarajsi mta-vat kvacit

visajamunconscious; patitamfallen down; kva apisometimes; lemaof his mucus; llasaliva; aruand tears; dhraywith the flood; pakayantamturning into mud; gavmof the cows; vartmaon the path; rajsithe dust; mta-vatlike a corpse; kvacitsometimes. Sometimes he fell unconscious and lay still like a corpse, the flood of his mucus, saliva, and tears turning the dust on the cow path into mud. Commentary: Because the brhmaa was practicing such intense chanting of the Lords names, he would sometimes feel joy so immense that he would lose outward consciousness. Sometimes he would collapse without wetting the ground as described here, and then he would appear to have died. TEXT 117

kautukena vaya bl ymo mu vkitu sad sa tu gopa-kumrn no labdhv namati bhaktita

kautukenacuriously; vayamwe; blboys; yma would come; amumat him; vkitumto look; sad always; sahe; tubut; gopa-kumrnyoung cowherd boys; naus; labdhvobtaining; namatiwould bow down; bhaktitawith devotion. Out of curiosity we cowherd boys would often come look at him. But when he saw us in front of him he would bow down to us with devotion. Commentary: He apparently had great respect for the boys, despite their having no special respect for
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him. TEXT 118

gham liyati prem sarvgeu sa-cumbanam parityaktu na aknoti mdn priya-bandhu-vat

ghamdeeply; liyatihe would embrace; prem with love; sarvaon all; ageulimbs; sa-cumbanam with kissing; parityaktumto give up; na aknotihe was not able; mdnthe likes of us; priyabandhu-vatas if his best friends. He would heartily embrace us and affectionately cover us with kisses, as if we were his best friends. He was unable to give up our company. Commentary: Immersed in ka-prema, this brhmaa was attracted to these village boys because they resembled young Ka and His cowherd friends. Priya-bandhu has several meanings: best friends, close relatives, most dear devotees of the Lord, and the Supreme Lord, who is dear to His devotees. TEXT 119

may go-rasa-dndisevaysau prasdita ekad yamun-tre prpyligya jagda mm

mayby me; go-rasaof milk products; dnawith gifts; diand so on; sevayby the service; asau he; prasditapleased; ekadone day; yamun-tre on the shore of the Yamun; prpyameeting; ligyaembracing; jagdahe said; mmto me. He was pleased with my services like giving gifts of milk products. One day, meeting me on the shore of the Yamun, he embraced me and spoke in this way: Commentary: Gopa-kumra gave his new friend presents of milk, yogurt, and other milk products and would also carry his water pot and follow him
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around. This kind of voluntary service pleased the great soul, who became disposed to give the boy his mercy. TEXT 120

vatsa tva sakalbhasiddhim icchasi ced imam prasda jagad-asya sntv key gha mat
vatsadear child; tvamyou; sakalaall; abhaof desires; siddhimthe fulfillment; icchasiyou want; cetif; imamthis; prasdammercy; jagat-asyaof the Lord of the universe; sntvtaking a bath; keymat Ke-gha; ghaplease take it; mat from me. My dear child, if you want to fulfill all your desires, please bathe at Ke-gha and then accept from Me this mercy of the Lord of the universe. Commentary: Normally we consider the mercy of the Supreme Lord something intangible, but the saintly brhmaa called it this mercy as if it were a tangible object in front of them. He told Gopakumra Just take it from me as if literally placing it in his hands. TEXT 121

evam eta bhavan-mantra sntyopadidea me pra-kmo napekyo pi sa daylu-iromai

evamthus; etamthis; bhavat-mantramyour mantra; sntyawho had bathed; upadideahe imparted; me to me; pra-kmafully satisfied in himself; anapekyaindifferent; apialthough; sahe; dayluof compassionate persons; ira-maithe crest jewel. Thus, after I bathed, he mantra you are chanting. satisfied in himself and things, he was the crest
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imparted to me the same Although he was fully indifferent to material jewel of all compassionate

souls. Commentary: Since Gopa-kumra and his student have been initiated into the same mantra, their relationship should become very friendly. When Gopa-kumra got his mantra he should not have thought that this was his gurus way of reciprocating the gifts of buttermilk and yogurt. His guru, being fully self-satisfied, did not need the service. Only out of infinite compassion for the fallen souls did the guru show Gopa-kumra his mercy. TEXT 122

pj-vidhi ikayitu dhyeyam uccrayan jape premkulo gato moha rudan virahiva sa
pjof worshiping; vidhimthe method; ikayitum to instruct; dhyeyamthe object of meditation; uccrayanuttering; japein the chanting; premain pure love; kulaagitated; gata mohamhe became bewildered; rudancrying; virahia woman separated from her lover; ivaas if; sahe. He was about to explain the method of worshiping with the mantra, but as soon as he mentioned the object of meditation he was overcome by pure love of God, became confused, and started crying like a woman separated from her lover. Commentary: Gopa-kumras guru had the instructions for properly using the mantra just on the tip of his tongue. He was about to tell Gopa-kumra how to mark the body with the syllables of the mantra, how to meditate systematically on the meaning of the mantra, and all the other details for reciting the mantra in worship. But as soon as he started to describe the beautiful form of rmn Madana-gopla a sudden ecstasy caught hold of him, and, crying like a lovesick woman remembering her distant beloved, he lost his train of thought. TEXT 123
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saj prpto tha kicin na prau akto may bhiy utthya vimanasko gt kvpi prpta punar na sa
sajmnormal consciousness; prptaobtaining; athathen; kicitanything; nanot; praumto ask; aktawas possible; mayby me; bhiyout of fear; utthyastanding up; vimanaskadistressed; agthe went; kva apisomewhere; prptafound; puna again; nanot; sahe. When he regained normal consciousness I was afraid to ask him anything. He stood up and went away, distressed. And after that he was nowhere to be found. Commentary: Having just received initiation, Gopakumra felt deep reverence for his spiritual master, and without first being spoken to he dared not say anything. He feared he might have done something offensive to upset his guru and thought that if he said anything wrong his guru might start crying again. Why didnt the saintly brhmaa give the missing instructions unasked? In his ecstatic mood he was unhappy and distracted, so he went away saying nothing more. And because he had no fixed residence he was not to be found again. TEXT 124

may tu kim ida labdha kim asya phalam eva v mantra katha sdhanya iti jta na kicana
mayby me; tubut; kimwhat; idamthis; labdham received; kimwhat; asyaof it; phalamthe fruit; evaeven; vor; mantrathe mantra; kathamhow; sdhanyato be perfected; itithus; jtamknown; nanot; kicanaat all. I had no idea what this mantra was that I had received, what fruit its chanting would bear, or even how the mantra was to be practiced.
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Commentary: Gopa-kumra did not even know the name of this ten-syllable mantra. Was the mantra meant to be sung out loud? Or chanted quietly? Or was it a mantra at all? If it was powerful, when chanted perfectly what fruit would it bear? His guru had told him that the mantra would fulfill all his desires, but that was vague. Until now Gopa-kumra had never thought seriously about his ultimate desires and goals. TEXT 125

tad-vkya-gauraveaiva mantra ta kevala mukhe kenpy alakito jasra japeya kautukd iva
tathis; vkyafor the words; gauraveaout of respect; evaonly; mantramthe mantra; tamit; kevalamonly; mukhein my mouth; kena apiby anyone; alakitanot seen; ajasramconstantly; japeyamI would chant; kautuktout of curiosity; ivaas if. Simply out of respect for the brhmaas words, I constantly murmured this mantra in secluded places, unseen by others. I chanted it just out of curiosity. Commentary: Gopa-kumra, aware of his ignorance of the true nature of the mantra, was embarrassed to chant it in public. But it certainly fascinated him. TEXT 126

tan-mah-puruasyaiva prabhvt tdena ca japena citta-uddhir me tatra raddhpy ajyata

tatof that; mah-puruasyagreat person; evaonly; prabhvtby the influence; tdenaby such; ca even; japenachanting; cittaof the mind; uddhi purification; memy; tatrain it; raddhfaith; apialso; ajyatadeveloped.
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By the influence of that great person, even such aimless chanting purified my mind, and I developed faith in the mantra. Commentary: Without scientific knowledge of its practice and significance, the young sdhaka Gopakumra could hardly have solid faith in the mantra. He was not firmly convinced of its efficacy, nor was he affectionately attracted to it. Nonetheless, his naive chanting purified his mind of lust, envy, and greed. TEXT 127

tad-vkya cnusandhya jagad-vara-sdhakam ta mantra manyamno ha tuyan japa-paro bhavam

tathis; vkyamwords; caand; anusandhya contemplating; jagat-varathe Lord of the universe; sdhakamthe means of achieving; tam that; mantrammantra; manyamnaconsidering; aham I; tuyanfeeling satisfied; japain chanting the mantra; paraabsorbed; abhavamI became. Contemplating my gurus words, I understood the mantra to be the means for achieving the Lord of the universe. Thus I became satisfied and absorbed in chanting. Commentary: Gopa-kumras guru had told him, Accept the Supreme Lords mercy. Remembering this, Gopa-kumra concluded that the mantra was meant for obtaining the favor of the Supreme Lord. This was a satisfying reason to take enthusiastically to the chanting. TEXT 128 kdo jagad-o sau kad v dyat may tad-eka-llaso hitv ghdn jhnavm agm kdalike what; jagat-aLord of the universe; asauthis; kadwhen; vand; dyatmHe might be seen; mayby me; tatthat; ekaonly; llasamy
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aspiration; hitvabandoning; gha-dnhome and so on; jhnavmto the Gag; agmI went. I became eager to know who this Lord of the universe was and when I might be able to see Him. With this as my only aspiration I abandoned my home and other attachments and went to the bank of the Gag. Commentary: Wanting to identify the Lord of the universe, Gopa-kumra compared Him to familiar people and things. But he could find no clue in the place where he had been brought up, so he left home to wander in search of the Lord. TEXT 129

drc chakha-dhvani rutv tat-pada pulina gata vipra vkynama tatra lagrma-ilrcakam
drtfrom a distance; akhaof a conchshell; dhvanimthe sound; rutvhearing; tatof that; padamto the location; pulinama bank of the river; gataI went; viprama brhmaa; vkyaseeing; anamamI bowed down; tatrathere; lagrma-il the lagrma-il; arcakamwho was worshiping. Hearing the distant sound of a conchshell being blown, I followed that sound to its origin on a sandy bank of the river. There I saw a learned brhmaa worshiping a lagrma-il, and I bowed down. TEXT 130

ki ima yajasi svminn iti po may hasan so vadat ki na jnsi blya jagad-vara
kimwhat; imamthis; yajasiyou are worshiping; svminO master; itithus; paasked; mayby me; hasanlaughing; sahe; avadatsaid; kim whether; na jnsiyou do not know; bladear boy; ayamthis; jagat-varathe Lord of the universe.
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I asked him, Master, what are you worshiping? Laughing, he replied, Dear boy, dont you know that this is the Lord of the universe? Commentary: The worshiper was surprised that anyone, even a child, would be ignorant that r lagrma is a direct incarnation of the Lord of the universe. TEXT 131

tac chrutvha su-samprpto nidhi labdhveva nirdhana naa v bndhavo bandhu param mudam ptavn
tatthat; rutvhearing; ahamI; su-samprpta welcoming; nidhima treasure; labdhvobtaining; ivalike; nirdhanaa poor man; naamlost; vor; bndhavaa family member; bandhumhis relative; parammsupreme; mudamhappiness; ptavnI obtained. Hearing this I felt unlimited happiness, like a poor man finding a welcome treasure, or a family man reuniting with a long-lost relative. TEXT 132

jagad-a muhu payan daa-vac chraddhaynamam pdodaka sa-nirmlya viprasya kpaypnuvam

jagat-amat the Lord of the universe; muhufor a long time; payanlooking; daa-vatlike a rod; raddhaywith faith; anamamI bowed down; pda from His feet; udakamthe water; sa-nirmlyamalong with remnants of His food; viprasyaof the brhmaa; kpayby the mercy; pnuvamI obtained. I gazed for a long time at the Lord of the universe and with faith bowed down to Him, my whole body flat on the ground like a rod. By the brhmaas mercy I received some water that had washed the Lords feet, and some remnants of offerings to Him. Commentary: With newborn faith and affection for
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the Lord in His lagrma form, Gopa-kumra happily accepted the Lords caramta, along with remnants of tulas leaves and other items earlier offered to the Lord. TEXT 133

udyatena gha gantu karae tena yitam jagad-a vilokyrto vyalapa ssram dam
udyatenawho was preparing; ghamto his home; gantumto go; karaein a box; tenaby him; yitamlaid to rest; jagat-amthe Lord of the universe; vilokyaseeing; rtamentally pained; vyalapamI complained; sa-asramtearfully; dam like this. Then the brhmaa, preparing to return home, lay the Lord of the universe to rest in a box. Pained to see this, I tearfully complained in this way: TEXT 134

h h dhta karantar asthne paramevara kim apy asau na cbhukta nidr tu kudhay katham
h halas, alas; dhtaput; karaa-antainside a box; asthnein an unsuitable place; paramavarathe Supreme Lord; kim apieven though; asauHe; nanot; caand; abhuktahas eaten; nidr sleep; tubut; kudhaybecause of hunger; katham how. My God, you are putting the Supreme Lord into a boxsuch an unfit place! And He hasnt even eaten! How will He sleep if He is hungry? Commentary: Gopa-kumra thought the little box an ill-chosen place for the Lord of the universe. Told that being placed in such a box is what is done with the Deity after worship to Him is finished, Gopa-kumra replied that he had not seen the brhmaa make an offering of food substantial
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enough to satisfy the Lords appetite and that the Lord should not be forced to sleep without first being fed. TEXT 135

praktyaiva na jnmi mthura-brhmaottama asmd vilakaa kacit kvpy asti jagad-vara

praktyby my conditioned nature; evaindeed; na jnmiI did not understand; mthurafrom Mathur; brhmaa-uttamaO first-class brhmaa; asmtfrom this (world); vilakaadifferent; kacitsomeone; kva apisomewhere; astithere is; jagat-varathe Lord of the universe. O excellent brhmaa from Mathur, because of my material conditioning I was unaware that the Lord of the universe is different from everyone and everything in this world. Commentary: Gopa-kumra was ignorant of the Supreme Persons transcendental nature. The Lord can enjoy Himself everywhere simultaneously by expanding into an infinite number of forms. There is no reason to worry that He will go hungry because of one devotees neglect. He may seem to be a small stone trapped in a box, but in fact the Lord is unlimited. TEXT 136

ity aktrima-santpa vilpturam abravt brhmaa sntayitv m hra-vad vinaynvita

itithus; aktrimanot artificial; santpamwhose suffering; vilpaby lamentation; turamwho was agitated; abravtsaid; brhmaathe brhmaa; sntayitvconsoling; mmme; hra-vatshyly; vinaya-anvitafull of humility. As I complained and suffered in my uncontrived lamentation, the brhmaa tried to console me. Full
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of humility, he shyly spoke. Commentary: The saintly brhmaa was ashamed of being too poor to feed even a human guest, what to speak of the Supreme Lord. And in fact the place where he had now performed his worship simply had no facilities for cooking. But the humility the brhmaa felt was not caused by any external circumstance; it was a natural ecstasy of his individual type of love of God. TEXT 137

nava-vaiava ki kartu daridra aknuy param arpaymi sva-bhogya hi jagad-ya kevalam

nava-vaiavaO new Vaiava; kimwhat; kartumto do; daridraa poor man; aknuymI can; param more; arpaymiI offer; sva-bhogyamthe meals prepared for myself; hiindeed; jagat-yato the Lord of the universe; kevalamonly. O new Vaiava, he said, what more can this poor man do? I can offer to the Lord of the universe only the meals I prepare for myself. Commentary: The brhmaa who lived near the Gag thought, If this cowherd boy has never seen a brhmaa like me worshiping lagrma-il, he must be new to spiritual life. TEXTS 138-139

yadi pjotsava tasya vaibhava ca didkase tadaitad-dea-rjasya viu-pjnurgia mah-sdho pur yhi vartamnam adrata tatra skt samkasva durdara jagad-varam
yadiif; pjof worship; utsavama great festival; tasyaHis; vaibhavamopulence; caand; didkase
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you are eager to see; tadthen; etatthis; dearjasyaof the ruler of the country; viu-pjto the worship of Lord Viu; anurgiawho has loving attraction; mah-sdhovery saintly; purm to the capital city; yhigo; vartamnampresent; adratanot far away; tatrathere; skt directly; samkasvajust see; durdaramvery difficult to see; jagat-varamthe Lord of the universe. If you are eager to see the Lords opulence and a great festival of His worship, please go to the capital city of this countrys very saintly ruler. He is attached to the worship of Lord Viu in great love. You will find his city not far away, and there you can behold the Lord of the universe, who is so difficult to see. Commentary: The king of this district on the shore of the Gag was a sincere Vaiava, which made him a greater saint than any karm, jn, or ordinary yog. He worshiped the Deity of Lord Viu with festive opulence. If Gopa-kumra liked, he could go to the capital and see for himself this kings wonderful worship. He could see the Lords beauty, the rich offerings made to the Lord, and His luxurious sleeping quarters. The opulences of the kings Deity were much more readily visible than those of the poor brhmaas lagrma-il. TEXT 140

ht-praka mahnanda sarvathnubhaviyasi idnm etya mad-gehe bhukva viu-niveditam

htyour heart; prakamwhich will fill; mahnandamgreat ecstasy; sarvathin all respects; anubhaviyasiyou will experience; idnmnow; etyacoming; matmy; gehein the house; bhukva please eat; viu-niveditamthe remnants of food offered to Lord Viu.

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You will feel great ecstasy, fulfilling all your hearts desires. But for now please come have lunch in my house from the remnants of what has been offered to Lord Viu. Commentary: Gopa-kumra will certainly feel bliss if he witnesses the opulence of the Viu Deity in the royal city, hears the songs and prayers recited for the pleasure of the Lord, and tastes the remnants of food offered to the Lord. The brhmaa admits that devotees who have pure love for the Lord prefer to see Him worshiped with suitable opulence, opulence that he, a poor man, cannot provide for his own Deity. Gopa-kumra should therefore at once go to the capital, but before he goes he should have lunch at the brhmaas house, where he can taste what little rice and other items have been offered this morning to the brhmaas lagrma Deity. TEXT 141

tad-vcnandito gatv kudhito pi tad-layam ta praamya tad-uddiavartman t purm agm

tathis; vcby the words; nanditadelighted; agatvnot going; kudhitahungry; apialthough; tathis; layamto the house; tamto him; praamya bowing down; tatby him; uddiaindicated; vartmanalong the road; tmto that; purmcity; agmI went. Delighted by the brhmaas words, I offered him my obeisances and without stopping at his house (even though hungry), I set off for the capital by the road he pointed out. Commentary: Gopa-kumra repeatedly prostrated himself before the brhmaa with great devotion. He did this partly to beg pardon for declining the brhmaas invitation and partly to beg blessings for an auspicious journey. TEXT 142
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anta-pure deva-kule jagad-rcana-dhvanim aprva tumula drc chrutvpccham amu jann

anta-pureinside the inner city; deva-kulein a temple; jagat-aof the Lord of the universe; arcanaof the worship of the Lord; dhvanimthe sound; aprvamunprecedented; tumulama tumult; drtfrom a distance; rutvhearing; apcchamI asked; amumabout this; jannfrom some people. Within the inner precincts of the city, from a distance I heard the sound of temple worship of the Lord of the universe. I had never heard such a tumult, so I asked about it from people nearby. Commentary: The noise Gopa-kumra heard came from the Lords rati ceremony in the royal temple, where many devotees were chanting and playing musical instruments. The sound impressed Gopakumra as very wonderful. TEXT 143

vijya tatra jagad-varam kitu ta kenpy avrita-gati sa-java praviya akhri-pakaja-gad-vilasat-karbja rmac-catur-bhujam apayam aha samakam
vijyabeing informed; tatrathere; jagat-varam the Lord of the universe; kitumto see; tamHim; kena apiby anyone; avritanot stopped; gatimy movement; sa-javamquickly; praviyaentering; akhawith conchshell; aridisc; pakajalotus; gadand club; vilasatresplendent; kara-abjam whose lotus hands; rmatbeautiful; catu-bhujam with four arms; apayamsaw; ahamI; samakamin front of me. Learning that the Lord of the universe was being worshiped, I wanted to see Him. As I approached, no one stopped me, so I quickly entered the temple, where in front of me I beheld the beautiful fourarmed form of the Lord, His hands resplendent with
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a conchshell, disc, lotus, and club. Commentary: The guards at the door of the temple neither questioned Gopa-kumra nor blocked his entrance, so he eagerly ran inside. There he saw the Deity of Viu, whose beauty and opulence more than fulfilled the brhmaas predictions, and Gopa-kumras own expectations. The four arms of the Lord resembled the bodies of mighty serpents. TEXT 144

sarvga-sundaratara nava-megha-knti kaueya-pta-vasana vana-mlayhyam sauvara-bhaam avarya-kiora-mrti prendu-vaktram amta-smitam abja-netram

sarvaall; agawith His limbs; sundara-tarammost beautiful; navanew; meghaof a rain cloud; kntim whose complexion; kaueyaof silk; ptayellow; vasanamwhose garment; vana-mlaywith a flower garland; hyamrichly adorned; sauvaraof gold; bhaamwith ornaments; avaryaindescribable; kiorayouthful; mrtimwhose personal form; pra full; indulike the moon; vaktramwhose face; amtanectarean; smitamwhose smile; abja resembling lotuses; netramwhose eyes. All the parts of His body were exquisitely attractive, and His complexion resembled a new rain cloud. Words can hardly describe his youthful body, dressed in yellow silk, ornamented with gold, and garlanded with forest flowers that increased His beauty. His face, with its sweet nectarean smile and lotuslike eyes, appeared like the full moon. Commentary: Beginning from His eyes and mouth, every part of Lord Vius body was enchanting. Gopa-kumra could only compare His beauty to that of the most beautiful things he knewa rain cloud, the moon, and lotus flowers. TEXT 145

sampjita-vividha-durlabha-vastu-vargai sevnuakta-paricraka-vnda-juam
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ntydika ca purato nubhavantam rt tihantam sana-vare su-paricchadaugham

sampjitawho were worshiping; vividhavarious; durlabharare; vastu-vargaiwith things; sevto His service; anuaktawho were fondly attached; paricraka-vndaby many servants; juamjoined; ntya-dikamdancing and so on; caand; purata before Him; anubhavantamperceiving; rtfrom some distance; tihantamstanding; sanaon a seat; vareexcellent; su-paricchadaof excellent paraphernalia; oghamhaving a great amount. While many attendants, fondly attached to serving Him, worshiped Him with various rare items, He stood on an excellent throne and from a distance watched the dancing and other entertainment presented before Him. Every sort of wonderful paraphernalia was being engaged for His pleasure. Commentary: As the most precious items to be found were presented to the Lord, one after another, His personal attendants waved cmara fans intently and offered Him betel nut and other refreshments. In the midst of all this, He stood on His throne instead of coming forward to meet the crowd and acknowledged the entertainment going on further away by watching with unblinking eyes. TEXT 146

paramnanda-pro ha praaman daa-van muhu vyacintayam ida svasypayam adya didkitam

parama-nandawith supreme bliss; prafilled; ahamI; praamanbowing down; daa-vatlike a rod; muhurepeatedly; vyacintayamI thought; idamthis; svasyamy; apayamI have seen; adyatoday; didkitamwhat I always wanted to see. Filled with supreme bliss, I repeatedly fell flat on the ground. Today, I thought, I have seen what I always wanted to see.
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TEXT 147

samprpto janma-sphalya na gamiymy ata kvacit vaiavn ca kpay tatraiva nyavasa sukham
samprptaobtained; janmaof my biynonymsrth; sphalyamthe success; na gamiymiI shall not go; atafrom here; kvacitever; vaiavnmof the Vaiavas; caand; kpayby the mercy; tatra there; evaonly; nyavasamI resided; sukham happily. Now my life is a success. I shall never go away from this place. And so, by the mercy of the Vaiavas, I began to live there happily. Commentary: Gopa-kumra had left his family and friends to wander in search of his worshipable Lord and now had found Him. Although as a penniless beggar from a foreign country Gopa-kumra could hardly expect to be allowed to stay in the neighborhood of the royal palace and dine on the remnants of the kings Deity, the local Vaiavas were kind to him. They brought him mah-prasda and did everything possible to encourage and protect him. TEXT 148

bhujno viu-naivedya payan pj-mahotsavam van pjdi-mhtmya yatnn mantra raho japan
bhujnaeating; viu-naivedyamremnants of food offered to Viu; payanseeing; pjof His worship; mah-utsavamthe great festivals; van hearing; pj-diof His worship and so on; mhtmyamglories; yatntcarefully; mantrammy mantra; rahain private; japanchanting. I would eat remnants of food offered to Lord Viu, witness the great festivals of His worship, and hear the glories of His worship and more, all the
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while carefully chanting my mantra in private. Commentary: While residing with the Vaiavas who served the Deity of Lord Viu, Gopa-kumra heard from them the glories of worship of Viu, as described in various Puras and other scriptures. He heard that worshiping Viu is the highest activity for human beings, and he heard specific instructions about various aspects of His worship. He also heard about the glories of Lord Vius prasda: abhir msopavsais tu yat phala parikrtitam vior naivedya-sikthnna bhujat tat kalau yuge All the benefits ascribed to the vow of fasting for six months are gained in Kali-yuga by those who eat food mixed with the remnants of Lord Viu. From all these instructions, however, Gopa-kumra did not receive a complete, systematic spiritual education. No one told him, for example, about such basic matters as the existence of higher planets, like the Svarga of Lord Indra. The Vaiavas were unaware that Gopa-kumra, despite his saintly qualities, had never had any training. Thus he remained naive about the complexities of the material world. TEXT 149

asys tu vraja-bhme rr gopa-kr-sukha ca tat kadcid api me brahman hdayn npasarpati

asyof this; tubut; vraja-bhmeVraja-bhmi; rthe beauty; gopaas a cowherd; krof playing; sukhamthe happiness; caand; tatthat; kadcit evaever; memy; brahmanO brhmaa; hdaytfrom the heart; na apasarpatiwould not go away.

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Yet my heart, O brhmaa, never forgot the beauty of this Vraja-bhmi and the joy of playing here as a cowherd. Commentary: Gopa-kumras indelible recollections of Vraja-dhma, far from being just sentimental, were a sign that by chanting his mantra he was reaping transcendental results. The public opulence of Lord Vius worship did not attract him more than the simple happiness of wandering about the fields of Vraja. While sleeping or awake, he could not forget Vraja. Even while he took part in Lord Vius festivals, thoughts of Vraja-bhmi lingered in his mind. TEXT 150

eva dinni katicit snanda tatra tihata tdk-pj-vidhne me param llasjani

evamin this way; dinnidays; katicitsome; sanandamblissfully; tatrathere; tihatawho remained; tdksuch; pjof worship; vidhnein the method; memy; paramgreat; llaseagerness; ajaniwas born. Remaining thus for some days in that place, I developed great eagerness to engage in that method of worship. Commentary: Gopa-kumra was eager to reciprocate in a personal way with the Lord of the universe, and the opulent worship in Vius temple seemed such a way. TEXT 151

athputra sa rj m vaideikam api priyt su-la vkya putratve parikalpycirn mta

athathen; aputrasonless; sahe; rjthe king; mmme; vaideikama foreigner; apialthough; priytout of affection; su-lamof good
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character; vkyaseeing; putratveas his son; parikalpyaadopting; acirtsoon; mtadied. The king of that country was sonless. And despite my being a foreigner, he noted my good character, and he developed affection for me. But soon after finally adopting me as his son, he died. TEXT 152

may ca labdhv tad-rjya viu-pj muddhik pravartit tad-annai ca bhojyante sdhavo nv-aham
mayby me; caand; labdhvbeing obtained; tat his; rjyamkingdom; viu-pjthe worship of Viu; mudwith delight; adhikmore; pravartit promoted; tatfrom that; annaiwith the food; ca and; bhojyantewere fed; sdhavasaintly persons; anu-ahamdaily. After inheriting his kingdom, I arranged even more elaborately the joyful worship of Lord Viu. Every day, saintly persons were fed with remnants of food from this worship. Commentary: Simple soul that he was, Gopa-kumra accepted his material elevation as a chance to increase his devotional service. As king he saw to it that Lord Vius worship was improved and that the Lords mercy was distributed as widely as possible. TEXT 153

svaya ca kvacid saktim aktv prva-vad vasan japa nirvhayan bhuje prasdnna prabho param
svayammyself; caand; kvacitat any time; saktim attachment; aktvnot forming; prva-vatas before; vasanliving; japamthe quiet chanting of my mantra; nirvhayancarrying out; bhujeI ate; prasda-annamthe remnants of food; prabhoof the Lord; paramonly.
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And always unattached to royal opulence, I continued living just as before. I quietly chanted my mantra and ate only remnants of food left by the Lord as His mercy. Commentary: Gopa-kumras mantra protected him from being corrupted by royal power. Thus he was undistracted by sovereignty and wealth. Retaining his unassuming simplicity, he went on chanting his mantra, satisfied with the gratification that his senses enjoyed from honoring Lord Vius prasda. TEXT 154

rjo sya parivrebhya prd rjya vibhajya tat tathpi rjya-sambandhd dukha me bahudhodbhavet
rjaof the king; asyahis; parivrebhyato the family members and servants; prdmI gave; rjyam the responsibilities of the kingdom; vibhajya dividing; tatit; tath apinonetheless; rjyawith the kingdom; sambandhtbecause of my connection; dukhamunhappiness; memy; bahudhin various ways; udbhavetwould arise. I divided the affairs of the kingdom and handed them over to the relatives and entourage of the deceased king. But still I suffered in various ways due to my connection with the kingdom. Commentary: To avoid being blamed for neglecting the kingdom while absorbed in private meditation, Gopa-kumra delegated the practical affairs of ruling to the previous kings friends, ministers, in-laws, and immediate family. He gave them the authority to make day-to-day decisions. Nonetheless, various anxieties connected with the kingdom continued to be thrust upon him, and so a crisis gradually arose. Discriminating Vaiavas may be better off uninvolved in the management of kingdoms. TEXT 155

kadpi para-rrd bh
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kadcic cakravartina vividhdea-sandohaplanensvatantrat

kad apisometimes; paraother; rrtfrom kingdoms; bhfear; kadcitsometimes; cakravartinafrom the emperor; vividhaof various kinds; deaof commands; sandohathe abundance; planenabecause of having to obey; asvatantrat lack of freedom. Sometimes I feared neighboring kingdoms, and at other times the emperor. Having to obey his various and abundant commands stifled my freedom. Commentary: Every king has enemies, including the unhappy citizens of his own state as well as the rulers of rival kingdoms. If he is the vassal of a greater king, he must follow the overlords whims and cannot act independently.Gopa-kumra felt all these anxieties. TEXT 156

jagad-vara-naivedya spam anyena kenacit nta bahir v sandigdho na bhukte ko pi saj-jana

jagat-varaof the Supreme Lord; naivedyamthe remnants of food; spamtouched; anyena kenacit by anyone else; ntamcarried; bahioutside; v or; sandigdhadoubted; na bhuktedoes not eat; ka apiany; sat-janarespectable person. If the Supreme Lords remnants were touched by an outsider, or carried outside the temple, or if for any other reason a doubt arose about the purity of the remnants, no respectable person would eat them. Commentary: Gopa-kumra certainly should have tolerated any trouble arising from serving the Lord, but the serious obstructions that appeared in Gopa-kumras devotional service provoked him much more than the petty complications of royal politics. The brhmaas of this region were very
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strict about the food they accepted. They would not accept Lord Vius prasda if it had been touched by anyone other than appointed servants of the Deity or taken outside the sacred area of the temple. These brhmaas cited the tradition of cultured behavior as evidence to support their scruples: their predecessors had never accepted prasda that had in these ways been contaminated. Real brhmaas and Vaiavas, however, become unhappy to see such behavior; for them it is difficult to live in a place where such disrespect of the Supreme Lords prasda is promoted. Furthermore, their opinion on this matter is supported in scriptures such as r Bhad-viu Pura: naivedya jagad-asya anna-pndika ca yat bhakybhakya-vicras tu nsti tad-bhakae dvija brahma-van nirvikra hi yath vius tathaiva tat vicra ye prakurvanti bhakae tad dvijtaya kuha-vydhi-samyukt putra-dra-vivarjit niraya ynti te vipr yasmn nvartate puna O twice-born, one should never question whether remnants of food and drink offered to the Lord of the universe are fit or unfit to eat. One should never make such distinctions. The prasda of the Lord is as incorruptible as the Vedic mantras and Lord Viu Himself. Those who consider whether the Lords prasda is eatable or uneatable will suffer leprosy. They will lose their children and wives, O brhmaa, and go to hell, never to return. TEXT 15
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marma-alyena caitena nirvedo me mahn abht nee didkita skt prpta tyaktu ca tat-prabhum
marmain a vital point of the body; alyenaby the dart; caand; etenathis; nirvedadisgust; memy; mahngreat; abhtarose; na eI did not want; didkitamwhom I had wanted to see; skt directly; prptamobtained; tyaktumto leave; ca and; tatthat; prabhumLord. Such darts, shot into my vital points, made me like giving everything up. But I had no desire to leave the Lord, whom long I had hankered to see and whose personal contact I had now obtained. Commentary: To see the leaders of society refusing Vius prasda was more painful to Gopa-kumra than the wounds of well-aimed arrows. One who is cut at a major juncture of the subtle channels carrying pra feels excruciating pain. But the pain of having to watch and tolerate apardhas in the service of Lord Viu was more painful for Gopa-kumra than such a wound. He lost whatever enthusiasm he had for continuing his involvement with ruling the kingdom, but he could not leave Lord Viu. TEXT 158

etasmin eva samaye tatra dakia-deata samgatai sdhu-varai kathita tairthikair idam
etasminat this; evavery; samayetime; tatra there; dakia-deatafrom the southern country; samgataiwho had arrived; sdhuby saints; varaivenerable; kathitamsaid; tairthikaiwho were on pilgrimage; idamthis. Just then, some venerable saints from the south arrived on pilgrimage and told me this: Commentary: The saintly pilgrims were Vaiavas
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from Jaganntha-pur. For a while they had left that holy dhma to see Lord Vius Deities and devotees elsewhere, mostly in the various trthas. TEXT 159

dru-brahma jagan-ntho bhagavn puruottame ketre nlcale krrava-tre virjate

SYNONYMS dru-brahmathe Absolute Truth in wood; jagannthaJaganntha, the Lord of the universe; bhagavnthe Personality of Godhead; puruottame ketrein the holy district Puruottama; nlaacaleon the blue mountain; kra-aravaof the salt ocean; treon the shore; virjateis present. At Puruottama-ketra, on the blue mountain on the shore of the salt ocean, Jaganntha, the Lord of the universe, the Personality of Godhead, is present as the Absolute Truth manifest in wood. Commentary: Within the holy dhma called Puruottama on the shore of the salt ocean is a district called Nlcala, and there the Supreme Personality of Godhead is present as Lord Jaganntha. He is called dru-brahma because He is the Absolute Truth in wood (dru), and because He destroys (drat) the miseries of material existence. He is described in a number of Puras. For example, in the Padma Pura: samudrasyottare tre ste r-puruottame prnanda-maya brahma dru-vyja-arra-bht At r Puruottama, on the northern shore of the ocean, resides the Supreme Absolute Truth. Full of perfect ecstasy, He has assumed a transcendental body that appears wooden.
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And in the Bhad-viu Pura: nldrau cotkale dee ketre r-puruottame druy ste cid-nando jagannthkhya-mrtin In the land of Orissa, on the blue mountain at r Puruottama-ketra, the ecstatic and all-spiritual Lord is present in wood in His form known as Jaganntha. TEXT 160

mah-vibhtimn rjyam autkala playan svayam vyajayan nija-mhtmya sad sevaka-vatsala

mahgreat; vibhti-mnthe possessor of opulences; rjyamthe kingdom; autkalamof Utkala; playan ruling; svayamHimself; vyajayanexhibiting; nija His own; mhtmyamglories; sadalways; sevakafor His servants; vatsalaconcerned like a parent. With infinite opulence, that Lord Himself rules the kingdom of Utkala. He displays His unique glories and always takes affectionate care of His devotees. Commentary: Utkala is another name for Orissa. Lord Jaganntha Himself rules this kingdom by issuing various commands and guidelines for the citizens conduct of business and personal affairs. As the Tattva-ymala states: bhrate cotkale dee bh-svarge puruottame dru-rp jaganntho bhaktnm abhaya-prada nara-cem updya ste mokaika-kraka In the Utkala kingdom in Bhrata-vara lies the
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earthly heaven of Puruottama. There Lord Jaganntha appears in a wooden form. Taking up humanlike activities, He bestows fearlessness on His devotees. He is the only giver of liberation. Lord Jaganntha displays His own glories, such as His kind compassion on unfortunate souls. Especially affectionate to His servants, He never takes their offenses seriously. TEXT 161

tasynna pcita lakmy svaya bhuktv daylun datta tena sva-bhaktebhyo labhyate deva-durlabham
SYNONYMS tasyaHis; annamfood; pcitamcooked; lakmyby His consort, the goddess of fortune; svayam Himself; bhuktvhaving eaten; daylunthe allmerciful; dattamis given; tenaby Him; svabhaktebhyato His devotees; labhyateis obtained; devaby the demigods; durlabhamrarely obtained. After eating food cooked for Him by His consort Lakm, the all-merciful Lord distributes to His devotees His own remnants, which are available in Nlcala even though by demigods they are rarely obtained. Commentary: The remnants from the plate of Lord Viu are extremely difficult to obtain. But in Nlcala, after the goddess Lakm personally cooks for Lord Jaganntha, the Lord eats each preparation and then freely distributes His remnants to His devotees. Being all-merciful, Lord Jaganntha sees to it Himself that all His devotees obtain His prasda. When everything cooked for the Lord is offered before Him in many clay pots, sometimes He eats only a little of each preparation, and sometimes He eats everything and then miraculously refills the pots.
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TEXT 162

mah-prasda-saja ca tat spa yena kenacit yatra kutrpi v ntam avicrea bhujyate
SYNONYMS mah-prasda-sajamcalled mah-prasda; caand; tatthat; spamtouched; yena kenacitby anyone; yatra kutra apianywhere; vor; ntambrought; avicreawithout discrimination; bhujyateis eaten. That food is called His mah-prasda. Be it touched by anyone or brought anywhere, without discriminating the devotees eat it. Commentary: The mah-prasda of Lord Jaganntha is unique. Because it has been touched by His nectarean lips, it can never be contaminated, even if touched by an unseeable or untouchable person or if carried to an unclean place. No decent person ever refuses to eat Lord Jagannthas mah-prasda, or complains that it might not be pure, or that the time is improper to accept it. It is said: yad anna pcayet lakmr % bhokt ca puruottama spspa na mantavya % yath vius tathaiva tat
The food that Lakm cooks and Lord Puruottama eats should be accepted without consideration of its being touched or untouched by anyone. It is as pure as Lord Viu Himself. The Skanda Pura adds:

cira-stham api sauka % nta v dra-deata yathyathopabhukta sat % sarva-pppanodanam

Even if Lord Jagannthas prasda has completely dried up from sitting for a long time or has been carried to a far 132

distant place, if eaten in the proper spirit it will surely drive away all ones sins. According to the Bhaviya Pura:

antya-varair hna-varai % sakara-prabhavair api spa jagat-pater anna % bhukta sarvghananam

Even if the food eaten by the Lord of the universe has been touched by outcastes, by those with no caste, or by those born in mixed castes, still it has the power to destroy all sins. In the words of the Tattva-ymala:

nsti tatraiva rjendra % spspa-vivecanam yasya saspa-mtrea % ynty amedhy pavitratm

O best of kings, one should never be concerned whether someone has touched Lord Jagannthas prasda. If persons unfit to take part in Vedic sacrifices simply touch this prasda, they become completely sanctified. And according to the Garua Pura:

na kla-niyamo vipr % vrate cndryae yath prpta-mtrea bhujta % yadcchen mokam tmana
O brhmaa, there are no restrictions about when to accept this prasda as there are in the observance of vows like Cndryaa. Whenever one receives Lord Jagannthas prasda one should eat it at once if one wants to attain liberation of the soul.

TEXT 163

aho tat-ketra-mhtmya gardabho pi catur-bhuja yatra pravea-mtrea na kasypi punar-bhava

SYNONYMS ahooh; tat-ketraof that holy district; mhtmyamthe greatness; gardabhaa donkey; api even; catu-bhujafour-armed; yatrathere;
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praveaby entering; mtreasimply; nanot; kasya apiof anyone; puna-bhavarebirth. TRANSLATION Oh, that holy ketra is so great that even the donkeys living there have four arms! Anyone who simply enters that district will never take birth again. Commentary: Some may doubt the claim that Lord Jagannthas prasda is so special. Those doubters should be informed that Lord Jagannthas abode is even more special. Even lowly animals like donkeys who live there are four-armed, for they have automatically achieved the perfection of srpya, having bodily features just like the Lords. This is stated by Lord Brahm in the Brahma Pura: aho ketrasya mhtmya samantd daa yojanam divi-h yatra payanti sarvn eva catur-bhuj Just see how great is this holy abode! The demigods in heaven see that in this ketra, for ten yojanas on all sides, everyone has four arms. r Veda-vysa says in the Garua Pura: yatra sthit jan sarve akha-cakrbja-paya dyante divi dev ca mohayanti muhur muhu Everyone living there appears with hands holding a conchshell, disc, and lotus. The demigods in heaven are constantly bewildered to see this. And r Nrada says in the Bahvca-pariia: catur-bhuj jan sarve dyante yan-nivsina

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All the residents there are seen to have four arms. Furthermore, simply by setting foot in Puruottamaketra, any living being coming from anywhere is freed from having to take another birth. This is confirmed by r Veda-vysa in the same Bahvcapariia: sparand eva tat ketrai n mukti-pradyakam yatra skt para brahma bhti drava-llay api janma-atai sgrair duritcra-tatpara ketre smin saga-mtrea jyate viun saha This holy ketra, where the Supreme Truth is present in His pastime of having a wooden form, bestows liberation upon all men who simply touch it. Even if someone has been dedicated to sinful behavior for many hundreds of lives, by merely coming into contact with this ketra he will take birth in the company of Lord Viu. TEXT 164

praphulla-puarkke tasminn evekite jane phala syd evam arauam carya prvam arutam
SYNONYMS praphullafully blossomed; puarkalike lotuses; akewhose eyes; tasminHim; evajust; kitebeing seen; janeof life; phalamthe ultimate goal; sytthere is; evamthus; arauamI heard; caryamwonders; prvambefore; arutamnot heard. TRANSLATION
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A mere glimpse of Him, whose eyes are like lotuses in full bloom, grants the ultimate goal of life. Such wonders I heard, which I had never heard before. Commentary: The Personality of Godhead may be visible elsewhere in other Deity forms, as indeed He is on the shore of the Gag in the kingdom where Gopa-kumra was now living. But the beauty of Lord Jaganntha is unique. So exquisitely charming is His beauty that by seeing Him merely once one feels relief from all miseries. That a glimpse of Lord Jaganntha is enough to perfect ones life is stated by r Nrada in his talks with r Prahlda in the Padma Pura: ravadyair upyair ya kathacid dyate maha nldri-ikhare bhti sarva-ckua-gocara tam eva paramtmna ye prapayanti mnav te ynti bhavana vio ki punar ye bhavda The glories of the Lord, which are partly perceived by methods like hearing, are openly visible on the peak of the blue mountain. Any human being who sees that Supreme Being will go to the abode of Viu, what to speak of a great soul like you. As Gopa-kumra heard from his visitors these glories of Puruottama-ketra, and more, wonder arose in his heart because he had never before heard anything like those glories. Although the form of the Lord that Gopa-kumra was worshiping was the same Personality of Godhead, Lord r Jaganntha is the origin of all such incarnations of the Lord. From seeing the source of all incarnations, especially at such an exceptional place as Puruottama-ketra, one can gain greater
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benefit than from seeing a mere incarnation. Gopa-kumra had not heard such facts about the Lord in all the days he had been worshiping Lord Viu on the shore of the Gag, nor had he developed firm attachment to worshiping the Lords Deity. That this was the combined influence of his divine spiritual master and the divine Personality of Godhead will be explained more clearly later in this narration. We shall see how Gopa-kumras guru and Gopa-kumras worshipable Lord continually exert their influence on his step-by-step spiritual progress. TEXT 165

tad-didkbhibhto ha sarva santyajya tat-kae sakrtayan jaganntham auhra-dea-dia rita

tatHim; didkby desire to see; abhibhta overcome; ahamI; sarvameverything; santyajya abandoning; tat-kaeat that moment; sakrtayan glorifying; jagannthamLord Jaganntha; auhradeaof Orissa; diamthe direction; ritaI took to. Overcome by desire to see Lord Jaganntha, in a moment I abandoned everything and set off in the direction of Orissa, chanting Lord Jagannthas glories. Commentary: Gopa-kumra was so inspired by the glories of Lord Jaganntha and the Lords ketra that he gave up all external and internal affinity to the kingdom and everything related to it. He at once began his journey to Jaganntha Pur, heading off in the general direction of Orissa. While on the road he constantly chanted the four syllables of Lord Jagannthas name. TEXT 166
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tat ketram acirt prptas tatratyn daa-van naman anta-pura pravio ha te karuay satm
I quickly reached that holy district of the Lord. Bowing down to all the residents, by the mercy of those saintly persons I was able to enter the temple grounds. Commentary: Since Gopa-kumra was a foreigner and no one knew what his business was, his sudden appearance on the temple ground might have aroused suspicion. The pure Vaiavas of Puruottamaketra, however, welcomed him kindly; they recognized that he had come to receive Lord Jagannthas mercy. TEXT 167

drd adari puruottama-vaktra-candro bhrjad-vila-nayano mai-pura-bhla snigdhbhra-kntir arudhara-dpti-ramyo ea-prasda-vikasat-smita-candrikhya

drtfrom a distance; adariwas seen; puruottamaof Lord Jaganntha; vaktrathe face; candralike the moon; bhrjatshining; vila broad; nayanawhose eyes; maimade of gems; puratilaka; bhlaon whose forehead; snigdha full of rain; abhralike a cloud; kntiwhose effulgence; aruadawn-colored; adharawhose lips; dptiwhich effulgence; ramyaattractive; aea unlimited; prasdasatisfaction; vikasatradiating; smitaof His smile; candrikwith the moonbeams; hyaadorned. From a distance I saw the moonlike face of Lord Puruottama, His broad eyes shining brilliantly, His forehead decorated with tilaka made of gems. His complexion glowed like a cloud full of rain, and the effulgence of His dawn-colored lips was all-attractive. Moonbeams of unlimited satisfaction emanated from His smile, adding to His beauty.
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Commentary: The round face of Lord Jaganntha is easily recognizable, even from a distance. It gives joy to everyone, just like the full moon. Gopakumra had been meditating on the general features of the Lords face even before seeing Him and now could see the details of the Lords beauty for the first time. TEXT 168

tatrgrato gantu-man ca nee prem hato vepathubhir niruddha romca-bhinno ru-vilupta-di stambha suparasya kathacid pta
tatrathere; agratabefore Him; gantu-man intending to come; caand; na eI was not able; premby ecstatic love; hatastruck; vepathubhi by trembling in my body; niruddhaimpeded; romaacaby hair standing on end; bhinna distinguished; aruby tears; viluptaobstructed; dimy vision; stambhamthe column; suparasya of Garua; kathacitsomehow; ptareached. Struck by the ecstasy of pure love and impeded by trembling in my body, I was unable to go forward despite my desire. But somehow I reached Garuas column, my hair standing on end, my vision clouded by tears. Commentary: Gopa-kumra was eager to enter Lord Jagannthas temple but had difficulty proceeding, because his mind was overwhelmed by love and his body by the ecstasy of jya, being stunned. Unconscious of his own movements, only by the Lords mercy did Gopa-kumra reach the column on which Garua sits before Lord Jagannthas altar. TEXTS 169-170

divymbarlakaraa-srag-valvypta mano-locana-hara-vardhanam sihsanasyopari llay sthita bhuktv mah-bhoga-gan mano-harn

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prama-ntya-stuti-vdya-gtapars tu sa-prema vilokayantam mah-mahimn padam kamo pata jaganntham aha vimuhya
divyadivine; ambaragarments; alakaraajewelry; srakof garlands; valand a series; vyptamwho was covered; manaof the mind; locanaof the eyes; harathe pleasure; vardhanamwho was increasing; siha-sanasyaa lion throne; upariupon; llay playfully; sthitamsituated; bhuktveating; mah wonderful; bhoga-ganvarieties of food; manaharnattractive; pramain bowing down; ntya dancing; stutioffering prayers; vdyaplaying music; gtaand singing; parnthose who were busily engaged; tuand; sa-premawith love; vilokayantamwatching; mah-mahimnmof supreme splendor; padamthe locus; kamaseeing; apatamfell; jagannthamLord Jaganntha; ahamI; vimuhyafainting. I saw Lord Jaganntha, bedecked with jewelry, divine garments, and flower garlands. The sight of Him increased the pleasure of my eyes and mind. As He sat playfully on His lion throne, He ate the wonderful varieties of attractive food being offered to Him. With love He watched His devotees busily singing, dancing, playing music, offering prayers, and bowing down to Him. Bewildered by seeing that supremely splendorous pageant, I fainted and fell to the floor. Commentary: From his vantage point near the Garuastambha, Gopa-kumra could see the details of Lord Jagannthas beauty even more clearly. It proved too much for him to experience all at once. TEXT 171

saj labdhv samunmlya locane lokayan puna unmatta iva ta dhartu sa-vego dhvam agrata
sajmconsciousness; labdhvobtaining;
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samunmlyaopening completely; locanemy eyes; lokayangazing; punaagain; unmattaa madman; ivaas if; tamHim; dhartumto catch hold of; savegaquickly; adhvamI ran; agrataforward. I came to my senses, opened my eyes, and gazed upon Him again. Like a madman I ran forward quickly to catch hold of Him. TEXT 172

cird didkito do jvita jvita may prpto dya jagad-o ya nija-prabhur iti bruvan
cirtafter a long time; didkitadesired to be seen; daseen; jvitammy life; jvitamis a real life; mayby me; prptaachieved; adya today; jagat-aLord of the universe; ayamthis; nijamy own; prabhumaster; itithus; bruvan saying. I cried out, Now I am seeing what for so long I have wanted to see. From today my life is a real life. I have obtained the Lord of the universe, my master! Commentary: Previously Gopa-kumra had never felt fully alive, but now, after seeing Lord Jaganntha, he considered himself delivered from the living death of material existence. Repeating himself out of sheer joy, he declared that now he had not only seen the Lord of the universe but come into intimate contact with Him. In Lord Jaganntha he perceived for the first time all the characteristics of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. TEXT 173

sa-vetra-ghta pratihribhis tad nivrito jta-vicra-lajjita prabho kp tm anumnya nirgato mah-prasdnnam athpnava bahi
sa-vetra-ghtamwith blows of sticks;
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pratihribhiby the guards; tadthen; nivrita prevented; jtaawakened; vicraby my discrimination; lajjitaembarrassed; prabhoof the Lord; kpmmercy; tmthat; anumnya reasoning; nirgatahaving exited; mah-prasdaannammah-prasda remnants; athathen; pnavamI received; bahioutside. At that moment I was stopped by blows from the sticks of the guards. Realizing what I had done I felt embarrassed. This is the Lords mercy, I reasoned, and went outside, where I received remnants of His mah-prasda. Commentary: Being struck by the sticks of the doorkeepers brought Gopa-kumra out of his trance. He thought, Here I am, an insignificant foreigner, behaving with such impudence! What am I doing? But despite some physical pain, Gopa-kumra was not at all unhappy. He was still overjoyed to be in the realm of Lord Jaganntha. The Lord was kind enough to arrange for the guards to stop him, because had he embraced Lord Jaganntha as he had intended, he would have committed a serious offense. Calming himself down, Gopa-kumra went outside, where a compassionate person gave him mah-prasda from the Lord. TEXTS 174-175

tad bhuktv satvara brahman bhagavan-mandira puna praviycarya-jta yan may da mud padam hdi kartu na akyate tat katha kriyat mukhe eva tatra div pra sthitvnando nubhyate
tatthat; bhuktveating; satvaramimmediately; brahmanO brhmaa; bhagavatof the Supreme Lord; mandiramthe temple; punaagain; praviya
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entering; caryathe wonders; jtamall; yat which; mayby me; damseen; mudmof all kinds of happiness; padamthe reservoir; hdiin the heart; kartumto do; na akyateit is not possible; tatso; kathamhow; kriyatmit can be done; mukhe in the mouth; evamthus; tatrathere; divthe day; pramentire; sthitvstanding; nandaecstasy; anubhyatewas experienced. O brhmaa, after eating that mah-prasda I quickly reentered the Lords temple. From the wonders I then saw, I felt a reservoir of happiness I am unable to understand in my heart, let alone describe with my mouth. I simply stood there all day, relishing bliss. Commentary: Gopa-kumras heart could not assimilate everything he was relishingone amazing thing after another without stop, and each wonder inconceivable. How, then, could he properly describe what he saw? The power of speech is usually slower and more limited than the power of the mind. TEXT 176

rtrau mahotsave vtte bhac-chgra-sambhave nirgamyate tu nirvtte pupjali-mahotsave

rtrauat night; mah-utsavewhen a great festival; vtteoccurred; bhat-graopulent ornamentation; sambhavewhich involved; nirgamyate had to leave; tubut; nirvttewhen completed; pupa-ajaliwith offerings of palmfuls of flowers; mah-utsavethe great ceremony. At night there was a great festival, with the Lord dressed and ornamented in elaborate splendor. But finally, after a great ceremony with offerings of palmfuls of flowers, it was time to leave the temple. TEXT 177
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nettha jta sat sage klo nava-navotsavai tadaivsy vraja-bhuva oko me niragd iva
nanot; itthamin this way; jtanoticed; satm of saintly devotees; sagein the company; kla time; nava-navaever new; utsavaiwith festivals; tadthen; evaindeed; asyfrom this; vrajabhuvaland of Vraja; okasorrow; memy; niragt went away; ivaas if. As I thus enjoyed ever-new festivals in the company of saintly devotees, time passed unnoticed. I seemed to forget the sorrow of my separation from this land of Vraja. Commentary: The pain Gopa-kumra had been feeling from being outside Vraja subsided in the presence of Lord Jaganntha, but it was never uprooted completely from his heart. TEXT 178

r-jaganntha-devasya sevakeu kpottam vividhj ca sarvatra ryate py anubhyate

r-jaganntha-devasyaof r Jaganntha-deva; sevakeuon the servants; kpthe mercy; uttam supreme; vividhavarious; jHis commands; ca and; sarvatraeverywhere; ryatewere heard of; apiand; anubhyatewere directly experienced. Everywhere, I heard about and saw for myself the most exalted mercy of Lord r Jaganntha on His servants and perceived the various commands He gave them. Commentary: In reciprocating with His devotees, Lord Jaganntha often went out of His way to fulfill their various desires and would issue commands so as to give them opportunities for service. Gopa-kumra not only heard about this mercy from numerous sources but saw examples of it
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with his own eyes. TEXT 179

nnyat kim api roceta jagannthasya darant purato sya mhtmyaurpi nivartate
nanot; anyatother; kim apianything; rocetawould attract; jagannthasyaof Lord Jaganntha; darantthan the sight; puratafrom the Puras; asyaHis; mhtmyaabout the glories; urthe desire to hear; apieven; nivartate ceased. Nothing other than the sight of Lord Jaganntha attracted me. I even lost interest in hearing about His glories from the Puras. Commentary: At first Gopa-kumra was quite interested in the recitations by Puric experts in the temple, in which the glories of Lord Jaganntha were read from the Brahma Pura and other scriptures. But as he became more and more attracted to the beauty of Lord Jagannthas lotus face, he could no longer pay attention to those recitations. That is one reason he remained ignorant about such basic facts as the existence of the heavenly planets. TEXT 180

rra mnasa v syt kicid dukha kadcana tac ca r-puarkke de sadyo vinayati
rrambodily; mnasammental; vor; sytif there might be; kicitsome; dukhamdistress; kadcanasometimes; tatthat; caand; rpuarka-akeof the divine lotus-eyed Lord; deat the sight; sadyaat once; vinayatiwould disappear. And even if I sometimes underwent some physical or mental distress, as soon as I saw the lotus-eyed
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Lord the pain disappeared. Commentary: It is to be expected that any embodied soul will often be distracted from the ecstasy of seeing Lord Jagannthas lotus face by unavoidable physical and mental disturbances. Diseases constantly threaten the bodies of conditioned souls, and all kinds of desires and vexations constantly pass through their minds. Gopa-kumra also felt these natural disturbances, but they at once disappeared whenever he came before Lord Jaganntha. The bliss he felt from seeing the Lord made him forget his troubles and gradually diminished them almost to nil. TEXT 181

phala labdha japasyeti matvodse sma tatra ca eva cira-dina tatra nyavasa paramai sukhai
phalamthe result; labdhamattained; japasyaof my chanting; itithus; matvthinking; udse smaI became indifferent; tatrato it; caand; evamthus; cira-dinamfor many days; tatrathere; nyavasamI resided; paramaiperfect; sukhaiwith all kinds of happiness. Thus, thinking I had attained the final result of my chanting, I became indifferent even to chanting. For many days I lived in the city of Lord Jaganntha in such perfect happiness. TEXT 182

atha tasyntary sevy karhicit prabho jt rucir me tpo pi tasy aghaann mahn
athathen; tasyaHis; ntarymof the intimate servants; sevymin service; karhicitat some time; prabhoof the Lord; jtdeveloped; ruci taste; memy; tpadiscomfort; apialso; tasyof that; aghaantbecause of the nonfulfillment;
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mahngreat. Then I began to feel the urge for more intimate service to the Lord. But this desire also brought me great pain because it remained unfulfilled. Commentary: Just living in Jaganntha Pur was a source of great bliss, but Gopa-kumra began to feel attracted to the even greater bliss of rendering personal service to Lord Jaganntha. This urge, first felt as a vague discomfort, gradually became a conscious desire. Gopa-kumra wanted to enter the inner rooms of the temple and approach the Lord as one of His personal attendants. One might wonder whether this desire was no more practical than wanting to touch the moon with ones hand, but Gopa-kumra refers to Lord Jaganntha as prabhu, indicating that the Lord can do anything. TEXTS 183-184

ya cakravart tatratya sa prabhor mukhya-sevaka r-mukha vkitu ketre yad yti mahotsave saj-janopadravodynabhagdau vrite py atha mdo kican svaira prabhu drau na aknuyu
yawho; cakravartthe great king; tatratyaof that place; sahe; prabhoof the Lord; mukhyathe chief; sevakaservant; r-mukhamHis transcendental face; vkitumto see; ketreto the holy city; yadwhen; ytihe would come; mahutsaveduring a festival; sat-janato respectable gentlemen; upadravadisturbance; udynato gardens; bhagadamage; dauand so on; vritebeing prevented; apieven; athathen; mdalike me; akicanunimportant people; svairamfreely; prabhumthe Lord; draumto see; na aknuyuwere not able.
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On special festival days the Lords chief servant, the mighty king who ruled that country, came to the holy city to see the Lords transcendental face. To prevent problems like disturbances to respectable people and damage to the Lords gardens, unimportant people like me were then forbidden to freely see the Lord. Commentary: By the special mercy of Lord Jaganntha, the king of Pur at that time was a cakravart, an overlord of several other kings. By the privilege of his royal position he was officially the principal worshiper of the Lord. His capital was elsewhere, but for major festivals like the Ratha-ytr he would come to r Jaganntha Pur. On those occasions common people like Gopakumra, without status and entourage, would be restricted from freely coming to see the Lord. This prohibition was not offensive on the part of the king, who was a saintly devotee, because it was necessary to protect the Lords property and service. If everyone were allowed into the temple while the king was present, he and the respectable people with him would have difficulty taking darana, and the Lords flower gardens could be damaged or His ponds polluted by unruly mobs. At the very least, the Lords privacy would be threatened if too many people were allowed to converge on the temple. Thus the poor people in the city had to tolerate having their movements restricted, and then too they were harassed by the presence of the kings large army, with its elephants, chariots, horsemen, and infantry soldiers. TEXT 185

evam udbhta-hd-rogo drka sva-gurum ekad r-jaganntha-devgre parama-prema-vihvalam

evamin this way; udbhtahaving appeared; htof the heart; rogadisease; adrkamI saw; sva148

gurummy guru; ekadone day; r-jaganntha-deva of r Jaganntha-deva; agrein front; parama supreme; premaby ecstatic love; vihvalam overwhelmed. One day when I thus felt sick at heart, I saw my spiritual master standing in front of r Jaganntha-deva, overwhelmed by the highest ecstatic love of God. Commentary: Somehow the same great soul who had given Gopa-kumra his mantra in r Vndvana was now in Pur, taking darana of Lord Jaganntha. TEXT 186

na sa sambhitu akto may tarhi gata kvacit alakito jagannthar-mukhka-cetas

nanot; sahe; sambhitumto speak with; akta possible; mayby me; tarhithen; gatagone away; kvacitsomewhere; alakitaunnoticed; jaganntha of Lord Jaganntha; r-mukhaby the beautiful face; kaattracted; cetaswhose mind. But before I could speak with him, he left to go somewhere, and my mind was so attracted to the beautiful face of Lord Jaganntha that I didnt notice which way my guru went. Commentary: Gopa-kumra made a serious mistake by neglecting to follow his guru and meet him, but it was not offensive because he had innocently fallen victim to Lord Jagannthas beauty. TEXT 187

itas tato mgyatsau dine nyasmis tae mbudhe nma-sakrtannandair ntyal+ labdho mayaikala
ita tatahere and there; amgyatawas searched for; asauhe; dineon the day; anyasminother; taeon the shore; ambu-dheof the ocean; nmasakrtanaof nma-sakrtana; nandaiin the
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varieties of bliss; ntyandancing; labdhafound; mayby me; ekalaalone. After searching here and there, the next day I found him on the shore of the ocean, dancing alone in the ecstasies of nma-sakrtana. TEXT 188

daa-vat praamanta m dvr-vda-prvakam liyjpaym sa sarva-jo nugrahd idam

daa-vatlike a rod; praamantamwho was bowing down; mmme; dvseeing; -vda-prvakam after giving his blessings; liyaembracing; jpaym sahe told; sarva-jathe knower of everything; anugrahtout of mercy; idamthis. Seeing me prostrating myself like a rod on the ground, my all-knowing master gave me his blessings. Then he embraced me and mercifully told me this: Commentary: If Gopa-kumras guru knew everything, then surely he knew, without being told, the desires Gopa-kumra held in his heart. TEXT 189

yad yat sakalpya bho vatsa nija mantra japiyasi tat-prabhvea tat sarva vchtta ca setsyati
yat yatwhatever; sakalpyaintending; bho vatsa my dear boy; nijamyour own; mantrammantra; japiyasiyou will chant; tat-prabhveaby its power; tatthat; sarvamall; vchyour desire; attamwhat exceeds; caand; setsyatiyou will achieve. My dear boy, whatever you desire while chanting your mantra, by its power you will fully achieve. Indeed, you will attain more than you desire.
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Commentary: Before performing any religious ritual, including the chanting of mantras, one should solemnly formulate ones sakalpa (intention), either verbally or mentally. In most Vedic sacrifices one can expect ones sakalpa to be fulfilled only in the indefinite future, most likely in the next life. But by the blessing of his guru, Gopa-kumras specific sakalpas would all be quickly realized, as we shall see as his story continues. TEXT 190

r-jaganntha-devasya sev-rpa ca viddhi tam eva matv ca vivasya na kadcij japa tyaje
r-jaganntha-devasyaof r Jaganntha-deva; sevof the service; rpama form; caand; viddhi please know; tamthis; evamthus; matv understanding; caand; vivasyabeing confident; na kadcitnever; japamyour chanting; tyajeyou should give up. This chanting, please understand, is another form of service to Lord r Jaganntha. Have faith in this and never give up your japa. Commentary: Even if Gopa-kumra has no other desire than to render personal service to Lord Jaganntha, he is here told to understand that chanting his mantra is intimate service to the Lord. Gopa-kumra may not have seen this for himself, but he should accept it out of confidence in the words of his guru. Aware of Gopa-kumras intense desire to serve Jaganntha, the all-knowing guru also perceives that Gopa-kumra is neglecting his mantra and so is helping him achieve his desire by correcting his neglect. TEXT 191

tvam etasya prabhvea cira-jv bhavnv-aham

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dg-goprbha-rpa ca tat-phalpty-arha-mnasa
SYNONYMS tvamyou; etasyaof this (mantra); prabhveaby the potency; cira-jvlong-lived; bhavamay be; anu-ahamalways; dksuch; gopa-arbhaof a cowherd boy; rpahaving the form; caand; tatof this (chanting); phalaof the fruit; ptifor realizing; arhasuitable; mnasamentality. By the potency of this mantra, may you live a long time, may you always have the form of a cowherd boy, and may you develop the right mentality for tasting the mantras fruit. Commentary: To help Gopa-kumra take advantage of the benediction that his mantra will fulfill all his desires, his guru gives him three more blessings. First, Gopa-kumra will live long enough to enjoy whatever he may desire, even if that involves traveling to higher planets, where life is much longer than on earth. Second, he will avoid old age and its ailments, staying always a young cowherd boy. In other words, throughout his life he will keep the same age and dress he has now, regardless of where he goes, be it Lord Brahms planet or Vaikuha. Third, his mind will not become confused or agitated by the immediate fulfillment of his desires, because the mantra will keep his intelligence fixed on the final goalto see with his own eyes Lord Madana-gopla and join in the Lords sporting pastimes. And as a side result of this third benediction, even when Gopakumra achieves the posts of an emperor and of Lord Indra he will remain ignorant of the planets he has not yet seenSvarga-loka, Mahar-loka, and so on. This so-called ignorance will help him progress toward ultimate happiness, as r Nrada will later explain at the end of Chapter Five. TEXT 192
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m drakyasi kadpy atra vndraye kadcana eva sa mm anujpya kutrpi sahasgamat

mmme; drakyasiyou will see; kad apisometimes; atrahere; vndrayein Vndvana; kadcana sometimes; evamthus; sahe; mmto me; anujpya giving instructions; kutra apisomewhere; sahas suddenly; agamathe went. Sometimes you will see me here, and sometimes in Vndvana. Having thus instructed me, my guru suddenly left to go elsewhere. Commentary: Gopa-kumra has still not received complete instructions on how to chant his mantra, but in his gurus opinion the time and place are not proper for divulging that information. Instead, the guru promises that Gopa-kumra will meet him again a few more times. If Gopa-kumra were to be given complete information about his sdhana, he might reach perfection quickly, but as fate would have it, he must first do some traveling around the universe. TEXT 193

tad-viyogena dna san r-jaganntham kitum gata ntim aha prpto yatna ckarava jape
tatfrom him; viyogenabecause of the separation; dnamiserable; sanbecoming; r-jagannthamr Jaganntha; kitumto see; gatawent; ntim peace; ahamI; prptaobtained; yatnameffort; ca and; akaravamI made; japein chanting my mantra. Separated from my guru I felt very much aggrieved, but when I went to see Lord Jaganntha I regained my peace of mind and made a great endeavor to chant my japa. Commentary: The unfortunate can become free of distress simply by taking shelter of r
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Jaganntha-deva; they need not resort to any other remedy. And if they fail to see Lord Jaganntha, they can expect neither relief from suffering nor real happiness. TEXTS 194-195

yadsy daranotkah vraja-bhmer abht-tarm tad tu r-jagannthamahimn sphurati sma me tat-ketropavana-re vndrayatayrava yamuntvena nldribhgo govardhantman
yadwhen; asythis; daranato see; utkah intense eagerness; vraja-bhmeVraja-bhmi; abhttarmbecame very much; tadthen; tuhowever; rjagannthaof r Jaganntha; mahimnby the glories; sphurati smawould become manifest; meto me; tatof that; ketraholy abode; upavanaof gardens; rethe series; vndrayatayappearing as the Vndvana forest; aravathe sea; yamuntvenaas being the Yamun; nldriof Nldri Hill; bhgathe slope; govardhana-tmanas Govardhana. Whenever my eagerness to see Vraja-bhmi became intense, on the strength of r Jagannthas glories the many gardens of His abode would appear to me as Vndvana, its sea as the Yamun, and the slope of Nldri Hill as Govardhana. Commentary: The first result Gopa-kumra noticed after reviving the serious chanting of his mantra was that he saw certain special opulences of Lord Jaganntha. In particular, he became aware of various ways in which Lord Jagannthas abode, Puruottama-ketra, is nondifferent from Kas abode, Vraja-bhmi. Lord Jagannthas various pleasure gardens reminded Gopa-kumra of the
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Vndvana forest, the shore of the salt ocean reminded him of the Yamun River, and the portion of Nldri Hill near the western side of Lord Jagannthas temple reminded him of Govardhana. Thus he was not as miserable as he would have been had he not been able to see Kas abode. TEXT 196

eva vasan sukha tatra bhagavad-darand anu guru-pdjay nitya japmi svea-siddhaye
evamin this way; vasanliving; sukhamhappily; tatrathere; bhagavat-darant anuafter taking darana of the Lord; guru-pdaof my worshipable guru; jayon the order; nityamevery day; japmiI chanted my mantra; sva-iaof my desire; siddhayefor the achievement. In this way I continued living there happily. Every day after taking darana of the Lord, I chanted my mantra, following the order of my worshipable guru and hoping to achieve my desired perfection. Commentary: Each morning, after visiting Lord Jaganntha in His temple, Gopa-kumra would return to his residence and sit in a quiet place to chant his mantra. He was meditating on the specific sakalpa of being allowed to join the temple service of Jaganntha. As this verse indicates, he was no longer so obsessed with seeing Lord Jaganntha that he neglected his mantra, and he was beginning to develop both genuine devotion for his spiritual master and faith in the transcendental goal of life. TEXT 197

atha tasmin mah-rje kla prpte sya snun jyehenti-viraktena rjyam ag-kta na tat
athathen; tasminthat; mah-rjeking; klamthe
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time of his demise; prptareaching; asyahis; snunby the son; jyehenaeldest; ati-viraktena who was very renounced; rjyamthe kingdom; agktamaccepted; nanot; tatthat. Then the king of Pur passed away, and his eldest son, who was very renounced, refused to accept the kingdom. Commentary: Gopa-kumras guru had promised that the mantra would readily fulfill all of Gopakumras desires, and now the first of those desires was about to be realized. Texts 197 through 202 describe how Gopa-kumra became king of Pur and was able to enter Lord Jagannthas intimate service. The crown prince declined the throne because he wanted only to continue taking darana of Lord Jagannthas lotus face; he did not even want the privileged services granted to the king. TEXT 198

tatrbhiikta pasynujay jagad-itu samparkya mah-rjacihnni sacivair aham

tatrathere; abhiiktaanointed; pasyawho was asked; anujaywith the permission; jagat-itu of the Lord of the universe; samparkyaobserving; mah-rjaof a great king; cihnnithe signs; sacivaiby the ministers; ahamI. The ministers consulted the Lord of the universe and took His command, and after observing in me the signs of a mahrja they anointed me king. Commentary: Assembled before Lord Jaganntha, the ministers humbly submitted, The eldest prince is so attached to seeing Your lotus face that he has no interest in ruling. And as a matter of principle, none of the younger princes should assume the throne as long as the eldest is alive. None of the kings other family members display the character of a great ruler. But if no one becomes
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king, law and order in the country cannot be maintained even for a short time. Please tell us whom we should place on the throne. In reply Lord Jaganntha commanded them, One of My devotees, a young cowherd born at r Govardhana, has come here. You should crown him. Or else He told them, Crown whomever you find has the signs of a mahrja. In this way the Supreme Lord, the compassionate friend of the wretched, the most clever maker of all arrangements, ordered the ministers to look for a person with kingly symptoms, symptoms they duly found in Gopa-kumra. Thus neither the princes nor others had an opportunity to become envious of him. Some of the marks of royalty are mentioned in reference to Emperor Bharata, the son of akuntal, in rmad-Bhgavatam (9.20.24). Cakra dakiahaste sya/ padma-koo sya pdayo: He had the mark of Lord Kas disc on the palm of his right hand and the mark of a lotus whorl on the soles of his feet. TEXT 199

vividh vardhits tasya may pj mahotsav vieato mah-ytr dvdatrpi guic

vividhvarious; vardhitimproved; tasyaHis; mayby me; pjceremonies of worship; mahutsavand festivals; vieataespecially; mahytrthe major festivals; dvdaatwelve; atra among them; apialso; guicthe Guic festival. I tried to improve the worship and various festivals of Lord Jaganntha in Pur, especially His twelve major festivals, most important among them the Guic Ratha-ytr. Commentary: In each of the twelve months, beginning with Phlguna, Lord Jaganntha enjoys a major festival in His temple, such as His swing festival, candana festival, bathing festival, Ratha-ytr,
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and damanaka, the festival of breaking the damanaka tree. As King of Pur, Gopa-kumra increased the opulence of all these celebrations. He gave the most attention to improving Lord Jagannthas Ratha-ytr to the Guic temple. TEXT 200

pthivy sdhava sarve milit yatra vargaa premonmatt ivekyante ntya-gtdi-tatpar

pthivyof the world; sdhavasaintly persons; sarveall; militgathered; yatraduring which; vargaain groups; premwith pure love of God; unmattinsane; ivaas if; kyantethey would be seen; ntyain dancing; gta-disinging and so on; tat-parabsorbed. For these festivals, saintly persons gathered in groups from around the world. Absorbed in dancing, singing, and so on, they appeared as if insane with love of God. Commentary: The sdhus who visited Puruottamaketra belonged to many different sampradyas, but they would all assemble happily, in their own sakrtana groups, for Lord Jagannthas festivals. TEXT 201

rjya rjopabhogya ca jaganntha-padbjayo samarpykicanatvena sev kurve nijecchay

rjyamthe kingdom; rjaroyal; upabhogyam facilities for enjoyment; caand; jagannthaof Lord Jaganntha; pada-abjayoat the lotus feet; samarpyaoffering; akicanatvenain the mood of having no possessions; sevmservice; kurveI did; nija-icchayas I liked. I offered the kingdom, with all its royal enjoyments, at the lotus feet of Jaganntha. In a completely dependent mood, I took my pleasure in
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simply serving the Lord. Commentary: Even as King of Pur, Gopa-kumra retained his innocence. He remained simple-hearted, as he had always been; but because he was the ultimate authority among the servants of Lord Jaganntha, he could serve the Lord whenever and however he wanted. TEXT 202

nijai priya-tamair nityasevakai saha sa prabhu narma-goh vitanute prema-kr ca karhicit

nijaiHis own; priya-tamaidearest; nitya permanent; sevakaithe servants; sahaalong with; saHe; prabhuthe Lord; narma-goh confidential talks; vitanutewould exhibit; premakrmloving pastimes; caand; karhicitsometimes. With His dearest permanent servants, the Lord enjoyed confidential talks and sometimes displayed intimate loving pastimes. Commentary: Now wanting Gopa-kumra to make another change in his life, Lord Jaganntha arranged for a seed of discontent to be planted in his heart. Texts 202 through 205 thus describe how Gopa-kumra began to feel jealous of the hereditary Orissan servants of Jaganntha, to whom the Lord extended special privileges. TEXT 203

yad v llay sthubhva bhajati kautuk pranty athpi scarys te tal-llnusria

yadwhen; vor; llayas His pastime; sthuof being immobile; bhvamthe mood; bhajatiHe would assume; kautukplayful; prantiwere delighted; atha apinonetheless; sa-caryamazed; tethey; tatsuch; llof the pastimes; anusria following in the mood.
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Or even when the playful Lord Jaganntha stood still as His pastime, His closest devotees gave themselves to His intimate mood, amazed at His greatness and delighted in love. Commentary: In the private company of the Orissan pjrs, Lord Jaganntha would sometimes talk and engage in various personal exchanges. But even when He remained motionless and silent on the altar, those most intimate devotees still had very special relationships with Him. The Lord is not a lifeless log; He only pretends to be like that. Every chance He gets, He indulges in all sorts of sports and tricks with His devotees. The pjrs were astonished to see how Lord Jaganntha at one moment acts like a naughty child and the next poses as an immobile Deity. But rather than become morose when Jaganntha was not active and speaking to them, the pjrs were happy to go along with whatever pastime the Lord was playing at the moment, be it active or passive. TEXT 204

mampi tatra tatr syd athgantuko smy aham tad-eka-niho npi sy katha tat-tat-prasda-bhk
mamamy; apithough; tatra tatrafor those (special reciprocations); hope; sytthere would be; athahowever; gantukarecently arrived; asmiam; ahamI; tatto Him; eka-nihaexclusively devoted; nanot; apialso; symcan I be; katham how; tat-tatin those particular forms; prasdaof the mercy; bhka recipient. I also wanted to join in those special pastimes, but being just a newcomer, without exclusive devotion to Lord Jaganntha, how could I receive His mercy in those special ways? Commentary: Gopa-kumra thought himself unfit even to desire to join in Lord Jagannthas intimate talks and pastimes with His servants. In fact, he
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thought that the very desire arose in his heart from jealousy. No wonder, therefore, he felt distressed. He had only recently entered Jagannthas service and was not one of the hereditary pjrs. Nor did he have fixed, unalloyed devotion to the Lord of Nlcala, because his heart was still attracted to r Vndvana forest and the other places of Kas pastimes in Vraja-bhmi. TEXT 205

tathpy utkala-bhaktn tat-tat-saubhgya-bhvanai sajanyamnay tat-tadaydhi kilodbhavet

tath apieven so; utkala-bhaktnmof the Orissan devotees; tat-tatthat varied; saubhgyaof good fortune; bhvanaiby my thoughts; sajanyamnay which appeared; tat-tatvarious; ayby the desires; dhimental pain; kilaindeed; udbhavet would arise. Even so, I went through anguish when I thought of the kinds of good fortune the Orissan devotees enjoyed and when I reflected in various ways on my desire to be like those devotees. TEXT 206

nma-sakrtana-stotragtni bhagavat-pura ryamni dunvanti mathur-smraki mm

nma-sakrtanacongregational chanting of the Lords names; stotraprayers; gtniand songs; bhagavat-purain front of the Lord; ryamni being heard; dunvantiwould disturb; mathurof Mathur; smrakicauses of remembering; mmme. When I heard the songs, prayers, and congregational chanting of the Lords names in front of Lord Jaganntha, I was disturbed because they reminded me of Mathur.
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Commentary: In the presence of Lord Jaganntha, devotees would chant names of the Lord like Mathur-ntha, Vndvana-candra, and Govardhanoddhraa. They would recite ancient prayers from the Puras and prayers by modern authors. They would sing properly composed songs, with suitable melody and rhythm. Hearing those auspicious sounds troubled Gopa-kumras mind because they made him more vividly remember Mathur and started him thinking about going back. TEXT 207

sdhu-saga-bald gatv de rjva-locane sarva oko vilyeta na syj jigami kvacit

sdhu-sagaof the association of saintly devotees; balton the strength; gatvgoing; debeing seen; rjva-locanethe lotus-eyed Lord; sarva all; okasorrow; vilyetawould dissipate; na sytthere would not be; jigamidesire to go; kvacitanywhere. Blessed by the strength of my closeness with saintly devotees, I was able to go see the lotuseyed Lord, and whenever I went to see Him all my sorrow would dissolve. Thus I never wanted to go anywhere else. TEXT 208

tathpi mama smrjyasamparkea hdi svata bhagavad-darannanda samya nodeti prva-vat

tath apinonetheless; mamamy; smrjyawith ruling the kingdom; samparkeabecause of the connection; hdiin my heart; svataspontaneously; bhagavatof the Lord; daranafrom seeing; nanda ecstasy; samyakcomplete; na udetiwould not arise; prva-vatlike before. But because of my involvement with ruling the
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kingdom, my heart could never feel the complete spontaneous ecstasy it used to feel from seeing the Lord. Commentary: By the mercy of the great devotees of Pur, Gopa-kumra got repeated darana of the allblissful Lord Jaganntha, and every visit destroyed his sorrow. Only by the powerful mercy of the devotees was he able to relish the beauty of the Lord; on the strength of his own spiritual accomplishments alone he would never have overcome his distress. Yet his happiness was never as full as before, because he was entangled in the management of the kingdom. Despite having officially offered the kingdom at the feet of Lord Jaganntha, he was still burdened by the many anxieties of a king. TEXT 209

ytr-mahotsav cham vto rja-maalai sukha kalayitu nee svecchay bahudh bhajan
ytrat the Ratha-ytr; mah-utsavnand big festivals; caand; ahamI; vtasurrounded; rjamaalaiby the royal entourage; sukhamfreely; kalayitumto spend the time; na eI was not able; sva-icchayaccording to my free desire; bahudhin various ways; bhajanworshiping. At the Ratha-ytr and other big festivals, I was surrounded by my royal entourage and unable to spend time enjoying the occasions. And I could no longer worship Lord Jaganntha according to my own desire in the various ways I had before.

PURPORTverse s
Commentary: As king, Gopa-kumra had opportunities to sweep the road in front of Lord Jagannthas cart, wipe the Lords face, and offer betel nut to
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His mouth, but the pleasure he felt from these services was constrained by the presence of the crowds. TEXT 210

rjo patyev amtyeu bandhuv api samarpya tam rjya-bhra svaya prg-vad udsnatay sthita
rjaof the king; apatyeuamong the children; amtyeuministers; bandhuurelatives; apialso; samarpyaoffering; tamthat; rjyaof ruling the kingdom; bhramthe burden; svayamalone; prk-vat as before; udsnatayas uninvolved; sthita situated. So I handed over the burden of ruling the kingdom to the sons, ministers, and relatives of the previous king, and as before I became uninvolved and aloof. PURPORT Commentary: At last he abdicated the throne. TEXT 211

sukha raho japa kurvan jaganntha-padbjayo sampe svecchay sevm carann avasa tata
sukhamhappily; rahain private; japamthe chanting of my mantra; kurvanperforming; jagannthaof Lord Jaganntha; pada-abjayothe lotus feet; sampenearby; sva-icchayas I liked; sevmservice; caranperforming; avasamI resided; tatafrom that time. I continued living nearby, happily chanting my mantra in private and offering service at the lotus feet of Lord Jaganntha as I liked. TEXT 212

tathpi loka-sammn164

daratas tda sukham na labheya vinirviamans tatrbhava sthitau

tath apistill; lokafrom the populace; sammna because of the honor; darataand respect; tdamsuch; sukhamhappiness; na labheyaI could not obtain; vinirviauninterested; manin my mind; tatrathere; abhavamI became; sthitauin remaining. But because of the honor and respect I received from the populace, I could no longer feel happiness in Pur. And so I lost interest in staying there. Commentary: Gopa-kumra tried to refuse formal worship from his former subjects, but even when they obliged him, dispensing with formalities, they still treated him with great respect. TEXT 213

gantu vndvana prtar jrtha purata prabho gata rman-mukha payan sarva tad vismarmy aho
gantumto go; vndvanamto Vndvana; prtaearly in the morning; j-arthamin order to ask permission; puratain front; prabhoof Lord Jaganntha; gatahaving gone; rmat-mukhamHis beautiful face; payanseeing; sarvamall; tat that; vismarmiI would forget; ahooh. Early in the morning, I went before Lord Jaganntha to ask His permission to leave for Vndvana; but oh, when I saw His beautiful face I forgot all my plans. Commentary: Gopa-kumra reasoned like this: The Lord of the universe, for whose sake I left Vrajabhmi, I have obtained directly here. How is it right for me to abandon Him, and how can I find the power to do such a thing? And even if the same Lord wants to bring me back to His favorite playground Vndvana to show me some special mercy, I still
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cannot go away from here without first getting His express permission. But when Gopa-kumra went before Lord Jaganntha in the temple, as soon as he saw the Lords divine face he forgot everythinghis mental pain, the remembrance of Vndvana that caused the pain, and his intention to ask the Lords permission to go. This pattern occurred day after day. TEXT 214

eva savatsare jte may tatraikad rutam mathury prytebhyo tratya-vtta vieata
evamthus; savatsarea year; jtehaving passed; mayby me; tatrathere; ekadonce; rutamheard; mathuryfrom Mathur; prytebhyafrom persons who had come; atratyaof this place; vttamnews; vieatain detail. Thus one year passed, and then one day I heard some detailed news of Mathur from visitors who had come from there. Commentary: Gopa-kumra heard these visitors describe the splendor of the cows, cowherds, birds, trees, forest animals, and other residents of such neighborhoods as r Vndvana and Govardhana. TEXT 215

oka-dukhtura rtrau ayna m mah-prabhu idam jpaym sa para-dukhena ktara

okaby sorrow; dukhaand pain;~~ turam tormented; rtrauat night; aynamwho was lying in bed; mmme; mah-prabhuthe Supreme Lord Jaganntha; idamthis; jpaym saordered; para of others; dukhenaby the suffering; ktarawho is distressed. That night as I was lying in bed, tormented by sorrow and pain, the Supreme Lord Jaganntha, who
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is pained by the suffering of others, gave me the following command. TEXT 216

bho gopa-nandana ketram ida mama yath priyam tath r-mathur thsau janma-bhmir vieata
bho gopa-nandanaO son of a cowherd; ketramholy city; idamthis; mamaMy; yathas; priyamdear; tathso; r-mathurr Mathur; athathus; asau this; janma-bhmibirthplace; vieata especially. As dear as this holy city is to Me, O son of a cowherd, My birthplace, r Mathur, is even more dear. Commentary: By calling His devotee gopa-nandana, Lord Jaganntha subtly hinted that it was fitting for him to live in Vraja-bhmi. TEXT 217

blya-ll-sthalbhi ca tbhis tbhir alakt nivasmi yathtrha tath tatrpi vibhraman

blya-llof childhood pastimes; sthalbhiwith sites; caand; tbhivarious; alaktdecorated; nivasmilive; yathas; atrahere; ahamI; tath so; tatrathere; apialso; vibhramanwandering. Mathur is adorned with the various sites of My childhood pastimes. Just as I live always here in Pur, wandering about everywhere, so do I in Mathur. Commentary: Mathur is even more dear to the Personality of Godhead than Puruottama-ketra because in Mathur He displayed His birth and childhood pastimes. Childhood technically means the years before maturity, which are divided into the three phases called kaumra, paugaa, and kaiora. Many scriptural statements describe human life as
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passing through birth, youth, and old age. For example: janma blya tata sarvo jantu prpnoti yauvanam avyhataiva bhavati tato nu-divasa jar Every creature is born, is then a child, and then a youth. And if his life is not interrupted prematurely, he daily approaches old age. Gopa-kumra might object that here in Pur the Lord is visible whereas in Mathur He is not. But Lord Jaganntha here answers that He certainly lives in Mathur, wandering about and enjoying with His devotees. TEXT 218

sad dolyamntm katha tad anutapyase tatraiva gaccha kle m tad-rpa drakyasi dhruvam
sadconstantly; dolyamnaequivocating; tmyour mind; kathamwhy; tattherefore; anutapyasedo you lament; tatrathere; evaonly; gacchago; klein due course of time; mmMe; tat-rpamin that form; drakyasiyou will see; dhruvamwith certainty. Why constantly lament, wavering between one decision and another? Just go to Mathur, and in time you will surely see Me in the form you desire. Commentary: The form of the Lord that Gopa-kumra cherishes in his meditation is that of r Madanagopla-deva. Lord Jaganntha assures Gopa-kumra, You will see Me in that form at the proper time in Mathur-bhmi. Thereafter, you will never again suffer sorrow or discontent. TEXT 219

j-ml prtar dya pjviprair vse me samgatya dattm

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kahe baddhv prasthito vkya cakra natvthpto mthura deam etam

jindicating the order; mlma garland; prta in the early morning; dyareceiving; pjvipraiby the brhmaas who worshiped the Lord; vseat the residence; memy; samgatyawho came; dattmgiven; kaheon my neck; baddhvplacing it; prasthitadeparted; vkyaseeing; cakramthe disc; natvbowing down; athathen; ptareached; mthuramof Mathur; deamthe land; etamthis. Early that morning at my residence I received a flower garland from some pjr brhmaas, indicating the Lords command. I placed the garland on my neck and departed, bowing down to the cakra on top of the temple as I saw it for the last time. And in that way I came to this land of Mathur. Commentary: Just in case Gopa-kumra might judge his dream false, Lord Jaganntha sent a garland from His morning pj as a sign of His approval. This confirmed that the Lord wanted him to go to Mathur. Lord Jaganntha appeared on earth mainly to display His pastime of accepting formal worship in His temple, and His brhmaa pjrs shared in this pastime. The Lord ordered His pjrs to take the garland off His neck and bring it to Gopakumra. And rather than go to the temple to see the Lords lotus face, Gopa-kumra left at once for Mathur. Thus ends the First Chapter of Part Two of rla Santana Gosvms Bhad-bhgavatmta, entitled Vairgya: Renunciation.

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2. Jna: Knowledge

TEXT 1

r-gopa-kumra uvca mthurottama virntau sntv vndvana gata atra govardhandau ca yath-kma paribhraman
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; mthuraof the Mathur brhmaas; uttamaO best; virntauat Virnti-gha; sntvafter bathing; vndvanamto Vndvana; gatacame; atrahere; govardhana-dauin such places as Govardhana; ca and; yath-kmamas I desired; paribhraman wandering. r Gopa-kumra said: O best of the Mathur brhmaas, after bathing at Virnti-gha I came to Vndvana. Here I wandered freely in such places as Govardhana. Commentary: This second chapter describes the glories of Svargaloka and the other higher planets in the universe. It compares inward meditation on the Supreme Lord with external vision of Him, and devotional service with liberation. Virnti-gha (Virma-gha) is the principal holy site in Mathur City. Pilgrims usually begin their visits to Mathur with a bath at Virmagha. TEXT 2

piba ca go-rasa prvabndhavais tair alakita bhajan sva-japyam anaya dinni katicit sukham
pibandrinking; caand; go-rasamthe nectar from the cows; prvaprevious; bndhavaiwith my
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friends; taiby them; alakitaunnoticed; bhajan worshiping; sva-japyamthe mantra I was supposed to chant; anayamI passed; dinnidays; katicit several; sukhamhappily. Unnoticed by my former friends, in their company I drank the nectar from the cows and happily passed a number of days worshiping my mantra. Commentary: Gopa-kumras former friends did not recognize him, because he was dressed like a foreigner. Thus his association with them at this time was not very close. TEXT 3

atha sandaranotkah jagad-asya sjani yayeda nya-vad vkya puruottamam asmaram

athathen; sandaranafor seeing in person; utkahhankering; jagat-asyathe Lord of the universe; sthat; ajaniappeared; yayby which; idamthis; nya-vatas if empty; vkyaseeing; puruottamamPuruottama-ketra; asmaramI remembered. But then a hankering to see the Lord of the universe arose in me that made this land of Mathur seem vacant. I remembered Puruottama-ketra. Commentary: To Gopa-kumras eyes his worshipable Lord seemed absent from Mathur-bhmi, but this perception was false. In fact, as implied here by the suffix -vat (as if) in nya-vat (as if empty), the Lord of the universe is eternally present in the holy land of Mathur. rmadBhgavatam repeatedly confirms this truth. For example, in the Fourth Canto (4.8.42) we find: puya madhu-vana yatra snnidhya nityad hare The forest Madhuvana is most auspicious because

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there the Personality of Godhead Hari is always present. Similarly in the Tenth Canto (10.1.28): mathur bhagavn yatra nitya sannihito hari In Mathur Lord Hari is always present. And also in the Tenth Canto (10.44.13): puy bata vraja-bhuvo yad aya n-ligagha pura-puruo vana-citra-mlya g playan saha-bala kvaaya ca veu vikraycati giritra-ramrcitghri How pious are the tracts of land in Vraja, for there the primeval Personality of Godhead, disguising Himself with human traits, wanders about, enacting His many pastimes! Adorned with wonderfully variegated forest garlands, He whose feet are worshiped by Lord iva and the goddess Ram vibrates His flute as He tends the cows in the company of Balarma. In the last line of this verse, the verb acati (He wanders) is in the present tense, indicating that when this verse was spoken by the women of Mathur City, after Ka had been brought there by Akrra, Ka was still present in Vraja. The conclusion is that Kas pastimes of tending the cows and playing with His friends in the forests of Vraja are eternal. Gopa-kumra, however, had not yet developed the spiritual eyes to see Kas presence in Vraja. So he was thinking about going back to Jaganntha Pur, where the Lord is always visible to everyone. Because he had not yet gained r Kas special favor, he lacked the taste of vraja-bhva and wanted to go elsewhere. Even after he visited various places of Kas pastimes in Vraja and felt something special, his realizations were somehow covered, and he felt dissatisfied at not seeing his Lord. But eventually he will achieve the
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perfection of all his desires in Vndvana, where he will remain permanently, with perfect faith and satisfaction. TEXT 4

rtas tatra jaganntha draum ohrn punar vrajan pathi gag-tae paya dharmcra-parn dvijn
rtadistressed; tatrathere; jagannthamLord Jaganntha; draumto see; ohrnto Orissa; punaagain; vrajantraveling; pathion the path; gag-taeon the shore of the Gag; apayamI saw; dharma-crato the execution of religious duties; parndedicated; dvijnbrhmaas. In great anxiety I set off once more for Orissa to see Lord Jaganntha. And on the path along the shore of the Gag I met some brhmaas who were fixed in their religious duties. Commentary: Gopa-kumra was anxious to see Lord Jaganntha and also unhappy about leaving Vraja. TEXT 5

vicitra-stra-vijebhyas tebhya crauam adbhutam svargo nmordhva-dee sti deva-loko ntarkata

vicitravarious; strain scriptures; vijebhya who were learned; tebhyafrom them; caand; arauamI heard; adbhutamamazing; svarga nma called Svarga; rdhva-deein the region above; astithere is; devaof the demigods; lokathe world; antarkataabove the upper atmosphere. From those brhmaas, who were learned in various kinds of scripture, I heard something amazingthat above the upper atmosphere there is a world of demigods called Svarga. Commentary: Having never received a proper education, Gopa-kumra did not even know that there are upper regions of the universe populated by
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superhuman civilizations. Almost everyone born in India hears about heaven and other wonders of the universe, because even the popular culture is based on the authority of the Vedic scriptures. But Gopakumra, in his simple life as a cowherd at Govardhana, had heard nothing about these things. Now he met some brhmaas on the road who were not only well versed in the rutis, smtis, epics, Puras, and philosophical texts but were glad to share what they knew. Texts 5 through 11 describe what those brhmaas told him. TEXT 6

vimnvalibhi rmn nirbhayo dukha-varjita jar-maraa-rogdidoa-varga-bahikta

vimnaof airplanes; valibhiwith rows; rmn splendid; nirbhayafearless; dukhaof misery; varjitadevoid; jarold age; maraadeath; rogadidisease and so on; doa-vargaall kinds of defects; bahi-ktaexcluding. That world is splendid with formations of celestial airplanes. It is a fearless place, devoid of misery and impervious to faults like disease, old age, and death. Commentary: The demigods who reside on Svargaloka travel at will on airplanes propelled by the wind, and they fear neither disease nor old age nor death, which always threaten and overcome the residents of the lower worlds. TEXT 7

mah-sukha-mayo labhya puyair atrottamai ktaiyasya akro dhipo jyyn bhrt r-jagad-itu
mah-sukhawith the greatest happiness; maya filled; labhyaobtainable; puyaiby pious persons; atrain this world; uttamaimost
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excellent; ktaiby acts; yasyawhose; akra Indra; adhipathe ruler; jyynelder; bhrtthe brother; r-jagat-ituof the divine Lord of the universe. That Svarga, pervaded by the greatest happiness, one can attain by the highest acts of piety in this world. Its ruler is akra [Indra], the elder brother of the Lord of the universe. Commentary: Svargaloka is glorious because the life enjoyed there is of superior quality; because only by exceptional efforts can one achieve it; and because its ruler is the great Indra. Lord Viu in His form of Vmanadeva is the younger brother of King Indra. TEXTS 89

yady apy asti bila-svargo viu-edy-alakta bhauma-svarga ca tad-dvpavardiu pade pade vicitra-rpa-r-kapjotsava-virjita tathpy rdhva-taro loko divyas tbhy viiyate
yadi apialthough; astithere is; bila-svargathe subterranean heaven; viuby Lord Viu; ea-di Ananta ea and others; alaktaadorned; bhaumasvargathe earthly heaven; caand; tatof that region; dvpa-vara-diuof dvpas, varas, and so on; pade padein various locations; vicitra various; rpain forms; r-kaof r Ka; pj-utsavawith festive worship; virjita resplendent; tath apinonetheless; rdhva-tara higher; lokathe world; divyaof heaven; tbhym to both of these; viiyateis superior. Of course, there are subterranean heavens, adorned with the presence of incarnations like Lord Viu and Ananta ea, and there are heavens on earth in
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various dvpas, varas, and other regions, heavens resplendent with the festive worship of r Ka in various forms. Nonetheless, the heavenly world in the higher realms is still superior. Commentary: The Fifth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam gives information of heavens, called Bila-svargas, below the earthly planetary system and tells of heavens on the earthly system itself. In the subterranean heavens, Viu is present on Sutalaloka as the doorkeeper of Bali Mahrja and on Ptla-loka as ea, the superintendent of the seventh region below the earth. The word di (and so on) in the phrase viu-edy-alakta indicates that in the Bila-svargas there are other appearances of Viu as well. Thus we find in i Vlmkis Rmyaa that r Kapila, who broke Rvaas intoxicated pride, resides on Atala-loka, and that Lord iva, as r Rudra, resides on Vitala. According to rmad-Bhgavatam, the earthly planetary system, Bh-maala, consists of various dvpas, or islands, and their subdivisions, tracts of land known as varas. On these dvpas and varas the Lord is worshiped in various incarnations. For example, on Plaka-dvpa the Supreme Lord is worshiped as Sryadeva, on Ilvta-vara as r Sakaraa, and on Bhadrva-vara as r Hayagrva. The Lord is also worshiped in the Milk Ocean and other special places. Yet despite this varied worship of the Lord in the earthly and subterranean heavens, the Svargaloka in the upper part of the universe holds a special position. It is rdhva-tara, superior to the other heavens and physically higher. And it is divya, the home of the very powerful devas. Gopa-kumra need not think about going to any other heavenly planet. TEXT 10

yasmin r-jagad-o sti skd aditi-nandana tasyopendrasya vrt ca

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r-vior adbhut rut

yasminin which; r-jagat-athe divine Lord of the universe; astiis present; sktpersonally; aditi-nandanathe darling son of Aditi; tasyaof Him; upendrasyaas Upendra; vrtaccounts; caand; r-vioof r Viu; adbhutwonderful; rut heard. In that heaven the Lord of the universe is present in person as the darling son of Aditi. I heard about that wonderful appearance of r Viu as Upendra. Commentary: The name Upendra literally means He who comes after Indra, or in other words, Indras younger brother. Or, understanding the prefix upa to mean above, Upendra may also mean greater than Indra. Indra himself gives this interpretation in r Hari-vaa (2.19.46): mamopari yathendras tva sthpito gobhir vara upendra iti ka tv gsyanti divi devat Because the cows have established You as the Indra above me, the supreme controller, the demigods in heaven, O Ka, will call You Upendra. TEXT 11

ruhya pakndram itas tato sau kran vinighnann asurn mano-jai ll-vacobh ramayann ajasra devn nija-bhrttayrcyate tai
ruhyamounting; paki-indramthe king of birds, Garua; ita tatahere and there; asauHis; kransporting; vinighnankilling; asurndemons; mana-jaicharming; llwith pastimes; vacobhi and with words; ramayanpleasing; ajasram completely; devnthe demigods; nijatheir own; bhrttayas the brother; arcyateHe is worshiped; taiby them.
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Mounting the king of birds, He goes here and there to kill demons as a sport. With His wonderful pastimes and pleasing words He completely satisfies the demigods. They worship Him as their own brother. Commentary: Gopa-kumra has not witnessed such wonderful pastimes of the Personality of Godhead in any of the places he has gone to thus far. In Svargaloka he will be able to see Lord Vmana flying on His carrier, Garua, traveling to display pastimes in various places. TEXT 12

tad-darane jta-manorathkula sakalpa-prva sva-japa samcaran sv-alpena klena vimnam gata mudham ruhya gatas tri-piapam
tatof Him; daranefor the seeing; jtadeveloped; mana-rathabecause of the desire; kulaanxious; sakalpa-prvamwith this intention; sva-japamthe chanting of my mantra; samcaranperforming; sualpenavery short; klenaafter some time; vimnam a celestial airplane; gatamarrived; mudwith joy; ahamI; ruhyamounting; gatawent; tripiapamto the heavenly kingdom. Eager to see Him, I chanted my mantra specifically for that purpose. In a very short time a celestial airplane arrived. I climbed aboard and joyfully flew to the heavenly kingdom. Commentary: Having an intense desire to fulfill, Gopa-kumra now felt inspired to chant with special attention, correctly following all the rules for worship with the mantra. And so his desire to go to Svargaloka was quickly achieved. TEXT 13

prva gag-taa-npa-ghe yasya d pratih ta r-viu sura-gaa-vta sac-cidnanda-sndram

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tatrpaya rucira-garua-skandha-sihsanastha v-gta madhura-madhura nradasyrcayantam

prvampreviously; gag-taaon the shore of the Gag; npaof the king; ghein the palace; yasya whose; dseen; pratihthe established worship; tamHim; r-viumr Viu; sura-gaa by groups of demigods; vtamsurrounded; sat-citnandaof eternity, knowledge, and bliss; sndram the embodiment; tatrathere; apayamI saw; rucira attractive; garua-skandhaof the shoulder of Garua; siha-sanaon the royal throne; stham situated; v-gtamthe music of the v; madhura-madhuramvery sweet; nradasyaof Nrada; arcayantampraising. There I saw the same r Viu whom earlier I had seen worshiped in the kings palace on the shore of the Gag. That Lord, the concentrated embodiment of eternity, knowledge, and bliss, was seated on His royal thronethe attractive shoulders of Garua. Surrounded by hosts of demigods, the Lord praised the very sweet music of Nradas v. Commentary: It seemed to Gopa-kumra that the Deity he had seen before in the kings palace on earth was a very faithful image of the Lord he was seeing now in person. The Lord carried the same conchshell, disc, and other weapons in His four hands, and He had the same yma complexion and youthful age. Yet in Svargaloka He appeared even more beautiful and charming. And unlike the Deity on earth, here the Lord was surrounded by many demigods. Gopa-kumra recognized Him as the eternal Truth, the embodiment of knowledge and wonderful bliss, the Absolute Truth in its concentrated essence, more brilliant than the sun. As the greatest of kings, the Lord took His royal seat on the shoulders of Garua and gracefully acknowledged the songs of Nrada.
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TEXT 14

prpya prpya draum ia ca dv tatrtmna manyamna ktrtham drd bhyo daa-vad vandamnas tenhto nugraha-snigdha-vc
prpyaattaining; prpyamthe object of attainment; draumto see; iamthe object of desire; caand; dvseeing; tatrathere; tmnammyself; manyamnaconsidering; kta-arthamfully successful; drtfrom a distance; bhya repeatedly; daa-vatlike a stick; vandamna reciting praises; tenaby Him; htacalled out to; anugrahawith compassion; snigdhamellow; vc with a voice. Thus I attained the goal of my endeavors and saw the object I had hankered to see. I now considered my life perfected. From a distance I again and again offered prostrate obeisances and recited prayers. Lord Viu then called out to me in a voice mellow with compassion. TEXT 15

diy diygato si tvam atra r-gopa-nandana ala daa-pramair me nikae nusarbhayam

diyby good fortune; diyby good fortune; gataarrived; asiare; tvamyou; atrahere; rgopa-nandanadear son of a cowherd; alamenough; daalike a stick; pramaiwith obeisances; me to Me; nikaeclose; anusaracome; abhayam fearlessly. What great, great fortune, dear son of a cowherd, that you have come here! Enough with this bowing on the ground! Dont be afraid to come close to Me. Commentary: Gopa-kumra has long been eager to meet His Lord, and His Lord to meet him. Lord Viu is delighted that His dear devotee has somehow come to Svargaloka and is now by His side. And so, although
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Gopa-kumra, because of a sense of protocol, fears to approach the Lord, the Lord wants him to leave that protocol behind. TEXT 16

tasyjay mahendrea preritais tri-daair aham agrata sdara ntv prayatnd upaveita
tasyaHis; jayfollowing the order; mahindreaby great Indra; preritaisent; tri-daai by demigods; ahamI; agratain front; sa-daram respectfully; ntvbeing brought; prayatntwith effort; upaveitagiven a seat. By the Supreme Lords order, the great Indra had some of the demigods respectfully bring me forward and induce me to take a seat. TEXT 17

divyair raye vke rogo

dravyais tarpito nandankhye vsa prpito g praharam kcit tatra bhr nsti oko mtyur glnir rtir jar ca

divyaiheavenly; dravyaiby items; tarpita satisfied; nandana-khyecalled Nandana; arayein the forest; vsamresidence; prpitaobtained; agmI experienced; praharamdelight; vkeI saw; kcitany; tatrathere; bhfear; na astithere is not; okasorrow; rogadisease; mtyudeath; glnifatigue; rtipain; jarold age; caand. They satisfied me by offerings of heavenly pleasures and a residence in the Nandana forest. I felt delighted. Here, I saw, there was no pain, no fear, no death, no sorrow, no disease, fatigue, or old age. Commentary: Lord Viu told the demigods to escort Gopa-kumra respectfully into His presence, honor Gopa-kumra with a seat, offer him choice heavenly items, and give him a place to stay in Indras pleasure gardens. The demigods followed this order
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carefully, greeting the cowherd boy with a cup of the nectar of immortality and various tokens of honor. Gopa-kumras perception that in Svargaloka most of the constraints of earthly life were absent was more than just a first impression; it lasted for all the time he was there. TEXT 18

santu v katicid dos tn aha gaaymi na tda jagad-asya sandarana-sukha bhajan

santuthere were; vhowever; katicita few; do faults; tnthem; ahamI; gaaymi nadid not take into account; tdamsuch; jagat-asyaof the Lord of the universe; sandaranain seeing directly; sukhamhappiness; bhajanexperiencing. There were a few flaws in heaven, but I didnt take them into account, because I felt enormous joy in freely seeing the Lord of the universe. Commentary: Sometimes the demigods in heaven quarreled among themselves, but to Gopa-kumra this seemed insignificant. On earth he had never seen the Supreme Lord so fully display His personality. TEXT 19

mahendrercyate svargavibhtibhir asau prabhu bhrttvenevaratvena araatvena cnv-aham

mah-indreaby Mahendra; arcyatewas worshiped; svargaof heaven; vibhtibhiwith the opulences; asauHe; prabhuthe Supreme Lord; bhrttvenaas brother; varatvenaas Lord; araatvenaas shelter; caand; anu-ahamevery day. Every day, the great Indra worshiped that Supreme Lord with heavenly opulence, regarding the Lord as his brother, his master, and his shelter. Commentary: Offering the special gifts of heaven
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like amta and the prijta flower, Indra worshiped Lord Vmana, whom he treated as his brother with intense affection, as his Lord with great reverence, and as his shelter with heartfelt gratitude. TEXTS 2021

manasy akarava caitad aho dhanya atakratu yo hi r-viun datta sdhayitv nirkulam trai-lokyaivaryam sdya bhagavantam ima mud upahra-cayair divyair ghyamai svaya yajet
manasi akaravamI thought; caand; etatthis; aho oh; dhanyafortunate; atakratuIndra; yawho; hiindeed; r-viunby r Viu; dattamgiven; sdhayitvgaining; nirkulamwithout anxiety; trai-lokyaof the three worlds; aivaryamthe opulences; sdyasecuring; bhagavantamSupreme Lord; imamthis; mudwith joy; upahra-cayaiwith many offerings; divyaiheavenly; ghyamaibeing accepted; svayampersonally; yajethe worships. I thought to myself, Oh, how fortunate is Indra! He has gained the opulences of the three worlds promised him by r Viu and enjoys them without anxiety. And he has gained the Supreme Lord Himself, whom he now worships with many kinds of heavenly offerings, which the Lord graciously accepts. Commentary: The Lord had a secret plan to give Gopa-kumra a special role in Indras kingdom, and to attract him toward this the Lord arranged for Gopa-kumra to become appreciative of Indras opulence. Lord Viu had helped Indra subdue the demons and take hold of sovereignty. With the demons defeated, no serious threats to Indras rule remained. Indra enjoys the liberty to worship Lord
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Viu with all the riches at his disposal, and the Lord accepts Indras offerings with His own hands. TEXT 22

eva mampi bhagavn aya ki kpayiyati iti tatrvasa kurvan sva-sakalpa nija japam
evamthus; mamato me; apialso; bhagavn Personality of Godhead; ayamthis; kimwhether; kpayiyatiwill show His mercy; itithus; tatra there; avasamI resided; kurvanperforming; svasakalpammaintaining the desire; nijammy; japam chanting of the mantra. I thought, Will this Personality of Godhead show me the same mercy? Maintaining that desire, I resided there and chanted my japa. Commentary: Without a clue as to how he could worship Lord Viu with the same standard of opulence as Indra, Gopa-kumra still hoped against hope to be allowed to do so. He thought that since the Lord is bhagavn, the possessor of inconceivable powers, and also the most merciful person, somehow the Lord could make it possible. With this meditation Gopa-kumra focused even more intensely on his japa. TEXT 23

athaikasya munndrasya dayitv priy balt lajjay pa-bhty ca akra kutrpy alyata
athathen; ekasyaof one; muni-indrasyapowerful sage; dayitvviolating the chastity; priymof the dear wife; baltforcibly; lajjayout of shame; paof being cursed; bhtyout of fear; caand; akraIndra; kutra apisomewhere; alyata hid. Then it once happened that Indra forcibly violated the dear wife of an exalted sage. And out of shame
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and fear of being cursed, Indra hid somewhere. Commentary: Gopa-kumra soon achieved his desire. As Indra had previously abused the wives of Devaarm and Gautama i, now he kidnapped the wife of another sage and forced himself upon her. And as under similar circumstances he had hidden himself in the filaments of a lotus flower in the Mnasa-sarovara, he again found a hiding place that no one would discover. TEXT 24

daivair anviya bahudh sa na prpto yad tata arjakatvt trai-lokyam abhibhtam upadravai
daivaiby the demigods; anviyabeing searched for; bahudhby many means; sahe; nanot; prptafound; yadwhen; tatathen; arjakatvt because of there being no ruler; trai-lokyamthe three worlds; abhibhtamoverwhelmed; upadravaiby disturbances. The demigods searched for him everywhere, but were unable to find him by any means. And with no one ruling heaven, disturbances overwhelmed the three worlds. Commentary: With Indra in hiding, the Daityas, whom he had subdued, again felt bold enough to harass the demigods. TEXT 25

r-vior jay devair guru preritair atha aindre pade bhiikto ham adity-dy-anumodita
r-vioof r Viu; jayon the order; devaiby the demigods; guruby their spiritual master; preritaiurged; athathen; aindreof Indra; padein the position; abhiiktaanointed; ahamI; aditi-diby Aditi and others; anumodita approved.
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Then the demigods, so ordered by r Viu and advised by their spiritual master, installed me in the position of Indra. Aditi and the others approved. Commentary: Indras mother, Aditi, assented to having Indras throne granted to this newcomer because Lord Viu desired it. And because she approved, so also did Indras wife, ac, and all of Indras well-wishers. TEXT 26

tato diti ac jva brhman api mnayan trai-lokye vaiav bhakti pr prvartaya sad
tatathereupon; aditimto Aditi (Indras mother); acmac (Indras wife); jvamBhaspati (Indras guru); brhmanto the brhmaas; apialso; mnayanshowing respect; trai-lokyein the three worlds; vaiavmto Lord Viu; bhaktimdevotional service; prmfull; prvartayamI promoted; sad always. Thereupon, with proper respect for ac, Aditi, Bhaspati, and the brhmaas, I started constantly promoting full devotional service to Lord Viu throughout the three worlds. Commentary: Gopa-kumra properly honored Indras guru, Bhaspati (also called Jva), and honored the brhmaas who visited heaven, such as Agastya and Gautama. Gaining control over the three worlds did not inflate Gopa-kumras pride or lead him to offend others, as it had led to pride and offensiveness in Nahua, who also once took the role of substitute for Indra. Rather, Gopa-kumra used the resources of Indras position to spread Ka consciousness throughout the planets within his domain. This implies that the real Indra, son of Aditi, was not as much interested in preaching pure Ka consciousness. What is specified here is pra-bhakti, full devotional service. Devotional
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service in full consists of nine methods, culminating in unconditional self-surrender. In another sense, bhakti is considered pra, or full, when untainted by material motives. Later in this chapter we shall read about Gopakumras residing on Brahmaloka and witnessing the partial destruction of the universe at the end of Brahmas day. Taking this into account, we can understand that Gopa-kumras adventure on Indras planet must have occurred not in the era of the current Manu (the Vaivasvata-manvantara of the Varha-kalpa) but at the end of a previous kalpa or day of Brahm. Even so, there is nothing inconsistent in the history of Gopa-kumra, since many times in each kalpa various persons take up the posts of Indra and the other demigods and sages, with powers and entourages similar to those the posts conferred before. As r Viu Pura (1.15.86) explains: yuge yuge bhavanty et edakdy muni-sattama puna caiva nirudhyante vidvs tatra na muhyati In each and every age, O best of sages, persons like Daka come into being and later disappear. This does not bewilder one who is learned. And in the words of r Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya: sarva-kalpeu cpy eva si-pui-vinaaya Thus in every day of Brahm there is creation, maintenance, and destruction. TEXT 27

svaya tasy prabhvea svrjye pi yath pur sadkicana-rpe ha nyavasa nandane vane
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svayammyself; tasyof it (devotional service); prabhveaby the potency; svrjyein a position of absolute authority; apialthough; yathas; purearlier; sadalways; akicanaof someone who possesses nothing; rpein the form; ahamI; nyavasamdwelled; nandane vanein the Nandana forest. Even while I ruled with complete authority, by the potency of that devotional service I dwelled in the Nandana forest in the same humble style in which I had always lived. Commentary: Despite wielding such absolute power and spiritual influence, Gopa-kumra did not become arrogant. Remaining as simple-hearted as ever, he preferred to live away from the city rather than in Indras palace or the Sudharm assembly hall. TEXT 28

atyaja ca japa svyam aktajatva-akay vismartu naiva aknomi vraja-bhmim im kvacit

atyajannot giving up; caand; japamchanting; svyammy own; akta-jatvaof being ungrateful; akayout of fear; vismartumto forget; nanot; evaindeed; aknomiI was able; vraja-bhmimVrajabhmi; immthis; kvacitever. For fear of being ungrateful, I never gave up my japa, nor for a moment was I able to forget this Vraja-bhmi. Commentary: From Gopa-kumras point of view, the life of tending cows in Vndvana was more attractive than any other circumstance, including residence in the Nandana-vana. As long as he continued chanting his mantra, this attitude could not be covered by illusion, because the natural effect of r Madana-goplas mantra was to attract the heart to the Lords sports in Vndvana. Wanting to avoid being ungrateful, Gopa-kumra
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never stopped chanting. He might justify abandoning the mantra only after attaining its final goal. If he were to stop chanting before then, he would not discover the mantras full benefits. Thus, to stop the chanting prematurely would amount to ingratitude, for without having bothered to receive all the mantras benefits, how could he properly acknowledge them? TEXT 29

tac-choka-dukhair anutapyamna uknano ha jagad-varea salakya toyeya muhu karbjasparena citrair vacanmtai ca
tatthat; okaby the sorrow; dukhaiand pain; anutapyamnabeing tormented; ukadried up; nanamy face; ahamI; jagat-vareaby the Lord of the universe; salakyabeing noticed; toyeyaI would be placated; muhuagain and again; karaabjaof His lotus hands; sparenaby the touch; citraifascinating; vacanaby His words; amtai nectarean; caand. I was tormented by the pain of separation from Vraja, my face drying up. But when the Lord of the universe noticed this, He consoled me again and again with His fascinating nectarean words and the touch of His lotus hands. Commentary: Gopa-kumra was unable to forget Vndvana, but this constant remembrance was painful for him. TEXT 30

jyeha-sodara-sambandham iva playat svayam mat-toaya mad-datta bhogyam dya bhujyate

jyehaolder; sodaraof a brother; sambandhamthe relationship; ivaas if; playatobserving; svayampersonally; mat-toayafor my satisfaction; mat-dattamgiven by me; bhogyamfood;
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dyaaccepting; bhujyateHe would eat. As if obliged to keep the etiquette for dealing with an elder brother, the Lord would directly accept and eat the food I gave Him, just to please me. Commentary: Gopa-kumra was sitting on Indras throne only temporarily, and Lord Vmana was not his real brother. Nonetheless, the Lord was happy to accept Gopa-kumras offerings in a brotherly mood. TEXT 31

tena vismtya tad dukha pjayprva-vttay prayan sneha-bhvtta llayeya kaniha-vat

tenathus; vismtyaforgetting; tatthat; dukham distress; pjaywith worship; aprva unprecedented; vttayof a style; prayanshowing my affection; snehaloving; bhvawith a mood; ttamfilled; llayeyamI would pamper; kanihavatlike a younger brother. And so I would forget my distress. I would then show my affection by worshiping Him lovingly in an unprecedented style, pampering Him like my younger brother. Commentary: Lord Vmana, accepting offerings from His substitute brother, would sometimes touch Gopakumras hands or show affection in other ways. In return, Gopa-kumra would touch the hands of Lord Vmana, the Lord of the universe, and embrace Him. This was not improper, because both their hearts were overflowing with ecstasy. TEXT 32

eva m svsthyam pdya sva-sthne kutracid gata upendro vasati rmn na labhyeta sadekitum
evamthus; mmme; svsthyamto a normal condition;
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pdyarestoring; sva-sthneto His own place; kutracitsomewhere; gatawent; upendraLord Upendra; vasatilived; r-mnthe husband of the goddess of fortune; na labhyetawas not available; sadalways; kitumto be seen. After restoring me to normal in this way, He would go back to His own place somewhere else. Thus although I lived with rmn Upendra, I was not always able to see Him. Commentary: Since Gopa-kumra was destined to enjoy even more of the Lords mercy elsewhere, circumstances changed so that he became less interested in staying in Svargaloka. Lord Vmana had shown him various kinds of affection, protected him from false pride, allowed him to worship in grand opulence with all the riches of the three worlds, and empowered him to preach pure devotional service throughout those worlds. Thus Lord Vmana had eased Gopa-kumras distress. But after making Gopa-kumra happy and peaceful in these ways, the Lord went elsewhere, perhaps to vetadvpa or Dhruvalokaexactly where, Gopa-kumra never knew. As the word rmn here indicates, the Lords consort Lakm accompanied Him, and so Gopa-kumra was unable see her either. Even though the Supreme Lord is all-pervading, when He was away from Svargaloka Gopa-kumra could no longer see Him. The Lord would return occasionally, but for Gopa-kumra that was not enough. TEXT 33

tato yo jyate okas tena nlcala-prabhum acalrita-vtsalya draum iccheyam etya tam
tatatherefore; yawhich; jyatewould arise; okaunhappiness; tenaby that; nlcalaof Pur; prabhumthe Lord, Jaganntha; acalaunwavering; ritato those who take shelter; vtsalyamwhose affection; draumto see; iccheyamwould want;
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etyagoing; tamHim. And so the distress I felt would make me want to go back to see the Lord of Nlcala, whose affection for those who take shelter of Him never wavers. Commentary: Gopa-kumra naturally wanted to lessen the pain he was feeling. And he thought that Lord Jagannthas love for His devotees was more certain than Lord Vius in Svarga because in Nlcala Lord Jaganntha is always visible. Jagannthas mercy is as firm as Mount Meru. TEXT 34

prdurbhtasya vios tu tasya tdk-kp-bharai dhi sarvo vilyeta pctyo pi tad-ay

prdurbhtasyabecoming visible; vioof Viu; tubut; tasyaHis; tdksuch; kpof mercy; bharaiby the abundance; dhimental distress; sarvaall; vilyetawould dissolve; pctya later; apieven; tatof Him; ayby the thought. Still, when Viu would again become visible, His unique mercy in many forms would fill my heart with thoughts of Him and dissolve all my mental pain, even the pain I might feel later when I could no longer see Him. Commentary: Gopa-kumra could not simply leave heaven to come down to earth and Puruottamaketra, because in Svarga he had special exchanges of love with Lord Viu that with Lord Jaganntha he had never known. Lord Viu, as Vmanadeva, accepted with His own hands what Gopa-kumra offered in worship. And the Lord displayed exceptional sweetness, enacted various charming pastimes, and spoke nectarean words to console His devotees. All this vanquished the mental pain Gopakumra felt within from not seeing the Lord and from remembering Vraja-bhmi. Even the pain he might feel later at the inevitable departure of
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Lord Viu would be overshadowed by the joy from the association he was having now. Gopa-kumra also hoped that although Lord Viu might go away for a while, He would always return. TEXT 35

eva nivasat tatra akratvam adhikurvat brahman savatsaro divyo mayaiko gamita sukham
evamthus; nivasatwho was residing; tatrathere; akratvamthe post of Indra; adhikurvat administering; brahmanO brhmaa; savatsara year; divyaof the demigods; mayby me; ekaone; gamitaspent; sukhamhappily. O brhmaa, thus I lived in Svarga, ruling in the post of Indra, and happily spent one celestial year. Commentary: Indras duties include the dispensing of rain, the propagation of sacrifices and other Vedic rituals, and the maintenance and protection of the three planetary systems. For one year in the measurement of Svargalokaequal to 360 years on earthGopa-kumra carried out these responsibilities. TEXT 36

akasmd gats tatra bhgu-mukhy maharaya padbhy pvayitu yntas trthi kpay bhuvi
akasmtunexpectedly; gatcame; tatrathere; bhgu-mukhyheaded by Bhgu; mah-ayagreat sages; padbhymwith their feet; pvayitumto purify; yntagoing; trthithe holy places; kpayout of mercy; bhuvion the earth. Once some great sages arrived unexpectedly, headed by Bhgu. Out of mercy they were on their way to purify with their feet the holy places on earth. Commentary: It was difficult to tell why these
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sages, headed by Bhgu, Atri, Marci, Agir, Pulaha, and Pulastya, stopped at Svargaloka on their way to earth. Moreover, before they arrived Gopa-kumra had not even known that such sages exist. Although Marci, not Bhgu, is the eldest of the seven sons born from the mind of Brahm, here Gopa-kumra gives the first honor to Bhgu because Bhgu is a great Vaiava and sometimes the father of the goddess Lakm. Bhgu is often considered an empowered representative of the Supreme Lord, and he is mentioned as such by r Ka Himself in the Bhagavad-gt (10.25). Mahar bhgur aham: Among the principal sages I am Bhgu. In the Third Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (3.11.30), Maitreya Muni also mentions Bhgu as the first of sages: tri-loky dahyamny akty sakaragnin ynty ma mahar-lokj jana bhgv-dayo rdit When devastation takes place due to the fire emanating from the mouth of Sakaraa, the great sages, headed by Bhgu, transport themselves from Maharloka to Janaloka, being distressed by the heat of the blazing fire that rages through the three worlds below. Why had these residents of a region higher than Svargaloka now descended to heaven? They were traveling to earth to purify the Gag and other holy places from the contamination brought about by contact with sinful visitors. The sages wanted to sanctify the holy places on earth with the touch of their own feet. Even though the sages, by the power of their influential words, could have sanctified the earth without leaving Maharloka, the sight and touch of their feet would further benefit all the inhabitants of the earth. TEXT 37

sa-sambhrama surai sarvair

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ibhir guru svayam viun crcyamns te may d sa-vismayam

sa-sambhramamreverently; suraiby the demigods; sarvaiall; ibhiby the sages; guruby their spiritual master; svayamHimself; viunby Lord Viu; caand; arcyamnbeing worshiped; tethey; mayby me; dseen; sa-vismayamwith amazement. With amazement I looked on as all the demigods and celestial sages, and even their spiritual master and Lord Viu Himself, worshiped those sages reverently. Commentary: The chief among the sages who offered respect was Nrada. He of course showed respect to his elder brother Bhgu. Lord Viu also honored the great sages led by Bhgu because Lord Viu is brahmaya-deva, the Lord who always serves the brhmaas. TEXT 38

aha cbhinavo viusevnanda-htntara na jne tn atha svyai preritas tair apjayam

ahamI; caand; abhinavaa new resident; viusevof serving Lord Viu; nandaby the bliss; htaswept away; antarawhose heart; na jneI did not recognize; tnthem (the sages); athathen; svyaiby my companions; preritaurged; taiby them (my companions); apjayamI worshiped them. I was a new resident of Svarga, my heart distracted by the bliss of serving Lord Viu, so I failed to recognize the sages. But at the urging of my companions I too worshiped them. Commentary: Despite occupying the post of Indra, Gopa-kumra at first neglected to come forward to worship his venerable guests, because he did not know who they were. He wondered whether they were
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some demigods or devaris of Svargaloka he had not seen before, or visitors from some other world. Gopa-kumra explains his own ignorance by calling himself a newcomer. Though he had already been living in Svarga for a year of the demigods, he had been too much absorbed in the joy of devotional service to Lord Viu to become interested in learning about anything else. Normally, devotional service bestows knowledge automatically, even upon devotees not inquisitive, but Gopa-kumras case was special. As r Nrada will explain at the end of the fifth chapter, Gopa-kumra, thanks to a special blessing from his spiritual master, remained forever naive about the ways of the world. TEXT 39

abhinandya ubhrbhir m te gacchan yath-sukham tirobhavad upendro pi may ps tadmar

abhinandyagreeting; ubhaauspicious; rbhi with blessings; mmme; tethey; agacchanwent; yath-sukhamaccording to their pleasure; tiraabhavatdisappeared; upendraLord Vmana; api also; mayby me; pasked; tadthen; amar the immortals of Svarga-loka. The sages greeted me with auspicious blessings and happily went on their way. And at that moment Lord Upendra also disappeared. I then inquired from the immortals of heaven. Commentary: Apparently the sages visiting Maharloka felt no offense at being neglected by the cowherd Indra, since they happily offered him their blessings. But they moved on, and at the same time Lord Vmana also disappeared. This was necessary for Gopa-kumras benefit. In front of the Lord he would have been unable to inquire about the sages, for in the Lords presence devotional etiquette forbids conversations that do not involve Him. And as long as Lord Vmana was to be seen, Gopa-kumra,
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distracted by ecstasy, would have been unable to think about leaving Svargaloka. TEXT 40

pjy dev n pjy devnm apy am tu ke ki-mhtmy mah-tejomay kutra vasanti v

pjyto be worshiped; devthe demigods; nm by men; pjyto be worshiped; devnmby the demigods; apieven; amthese; tubut; kewho; kim what; mhtmytheir greatness; mah-tejawith great effulgence; mayfilled; kutrawhere; vasantido they live; vor. The demigods are worshiped by men, but who were those persons worshiped even by the demigods? What makes them so great? Where do those effulgent persons live? Commentary: Gopa-kumra knew from his limited experience that a father, though honored by his sons, still honors his own father. Thus he surmised that there must be some natural reason for the sages who had visited to be treated as superiors. Simply from their glowing appearance he could understand that they must have come from somewhere above Svargaloka. He wondered where they came from and whom they worshiped. He became curious to visit that place and to see their Lord. TEXT 41

mahbhimnibhir devair matsarkrnta-mnasai lajjayeva na tad-vttam ukta gurur athbravt

mah-abhimnibhivery proud; devaiby the demigods; matsaraby jealousy; krntaaffected; mnasaiwhose minds; lajjayout of shame; ivaas if; nanot; tatabout them; vttaminformation; uktamspoken; guruour spiritual master, Bhaspati; athathen; abravtsaid.
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Jealous and proud, the demigods were embarrassed to tell me. But our guru then spoke. Commentary: Matsara (jealousy) means intolerance of another persons excellence. The demigods were jealous of the great sages and proud of their own positions, and in response to Gopa-kumras questions these two emotions gave rise to embarrassment and silence. The exact words used here are lajjay iva, as if ashamed, because these negative feelings were only a shadow of the gross envy and other such emotions felt on lower planets. Bhaspati, however, was more sober than the demigods. And his duty as Gopa-kumras guru was to answer the reasonable questions of the disciple. TEXT 42

r-bhaspatir uvca ata rdhva mahar-loko rjate karmabhi ubhai prpyo mahadbhir yo nayet trai-lokya-pralaye pi na
r-bhaspati uvcar Bhaspati said; atathan this place; rdhvamhigher; maha-lokaMaharloka; rjateshines; karmabhiby activities; ubhai auspicious; prpyaattainable; mahadbhithe best; yawhich; nayetis destroyed; trai-lokyaof the three worlds; pralayeduring the annihilation; api even; nanot. r Bhaspati said: Above this realm shines the world called Maharloka, attainable through the best of pious works. Even when the three worlds are annihilated, that world is not destroyed. Commentary: As difficult as it is for ordinary mortals to enter heaven, the requirements for entering Maharloka are even more stringent. An aspirant must complete ritual sacrifices and yoga meditation of a lofty standard, uncorrupted by lower motives. Only then might he be accepted for elevation to Maharloka, which survives the
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dissolution of the three worlds Bhr, Bhuvar, and Svar. Because most of the residents of Maharloka are candidates for liberation, the planet exists as long as that of Lord Brahm. TEXT 43

yath hi koi-guita smrjyt sukham aindrikam tat-koi-guita tatra prjpatya sukha matam
yathas; hicertainly; koi-guitammillions of times greater; smrjytthan that of a ruler of the earth; sukhamthe happiness; aindrikamof Indra; tatcompared with that; koi-guitam millions of times greater; tatrathere; prjpatyamof the Prajpatis; sukhamthe happiness; matamconsidered. As the happiness of Indra is considered millions of times greater than that of a ruler on earth, the happiness of a Prajpati is millions of times greater than Indras. Commentary: The sages living on Maharloka are the Prajpatis, the original forefathers of the population of the universe. They are the first authorities on the Vedic path of karma. TEXT 44

tenm sevits tatra nivasanti mah-sukhai yajevara prabhu skt pjayanta pade pade
tenaby that (happiness); amthese persons; sevitserved; tatrathere; nivasantilive; mahsukhaiwith great facilities for happiness; yajavaramthe Lord of sacrifice; prabhumtheir master; sktdirectly; pjayantaworshiping; pade padein various places. Endowed with such happiness, the Prajpatis live on Maharloka enjoying the greatest pleasures and directly worshiping in various places the Lord of
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sacrifice, who is there in person as their master. Commentary: The Prajpatis leave Maharloka only occasionally, when they have a specific reason to visit other planets. For worshiping the Supreme Lord with wonderful sacrifices, the Prajpatis have much better resources than even those available on Svargaloka. TEXT 45

r-gopa-kumra uvca tac chrutvaindra-pade sadyo nirvidyaiccha tam kitum pjya-pjyair mahadbhis tai pjyamna mah-prabhum
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; tat that; rutvhearing; aindraof Indra; padein the position; sadyaimmediately; nirvidyalosing interest; aicchamI wanted; tamHim; kitumto see; pjyafor the worshipable; pjyaiwho are worshipable; mahadbhiby the great souls; tai them; pjyamnambeing worshiped; mah-prabhumthe Supreme Lord. r Gopa-kumra said: Upon hearing this, I at once lost my attachment to the post of Indra and wanted to go see that Supreme Lord being worshiped by the great souls who are worshiped by those who are worshiped. Commentary: Gopa-kumra had seen that compared to the worship of the Supreme Lord on earth, the worship on Svargaloka is much more charming and opulent. And if Maharloka is worshipable by the residents of Svarga, the worship of the Lord on Maharloka must be still more glorious. To see Lord Viu being worshiped on Maharloka was certainly worth a trip. TEXT 46

tat sakalpya japa kurvann acird rdhvam utthita vyoma-ynena ta prpto

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loka tatra vyalokayam

tatthat; sakalpyamaking the conscious intention; japamthe chanting of my mantra; kurvandoing; acirtsoon; rdhvamupward; utthitalifted; vyoma-ynenaby a celestial airplane; tamthat; prptaobtained; lokamplanet; tatrathere; vyalokayamI saw. I made this my intention and chanted my mantra. And soon a celestial airplane picked me up, and I found myself transported to Maharloka. Commentary: Chanting his japa with the conscious desire I want to see the Lord of sacrifice on Maharloka soon brought Gopa-kumra to i Bhgus abode on the Mahar planet, where the sages had returned after finishing their short excursion. TEXT 47

trai-lokye yat sukha nsti vaibhava bhajana tath nirdoa tatra tat sarvam asty anirvcyam u tat
trai-lokyein the three worlds; yatwhich; sukham happiness; na astithere is not; vaibhavam opulence; bhajanamworship; tathsuch; nirdoam faultless; tatrathere; tatthat; sarvamall; asti there is; anirvcyamindescribable; ueasily; tatthat. Such happiness, opulence, and worship of the Lord as found nowhere in the three worldsits all there perfectly, indescribable in words. Commentary: The residents of Maharloka never quarrel among themselves, never suffer mundane miseries, and never fear the annihilation at the nightfall of Brahm. On Maharloka, rivalry and quarrel are nonexistent because everyone worships the Supreme Lord without selfish motives and therefore material assets are always on hand without deficiency or surplus. The conditions of such a subtle, exclusive environment can hardly be
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described in wordsthey can be understood only by direct experience. Nonetheless, rla Santana Gosvm kindly gives us a rare glimpse into a world we otherwise know little about. TEXT 48

vityamneu mah-makheu tair maharibhir bhakti-parai sahasraa makhgni-madhye prabhur utthita sphuran makhevara krati yaja-bhga-bhuk
vityamneubeing performed in all detail; mahmakheugrand sacrifices; taiby those; mahibhigreat sages; bhakti-paraiendowed with pure devotion; sahasraaby the thousands; makhaagniof the oblation fires; madhyefrom the midst; prabhuthe Lord; utthitarisen; sphuranglowing; makhaof sacrifices; varathe supreme controller; kratiplayed; yaja-bhgaof sacrificial offerings; bhukthe enjoyer. While the great sages, endowed with pure devotion, offered thousands of grand sacrifices, I saw the Lord of sacrifice, the supreme controller, stand up brilliantly from amidst the fires of oblation and delight in His pastimes as the enjoyer of sacrificial offerings. Commentary: The form of Lord Viu appearing from the sacrificial fires made an especially vivid impression on Gopa-kumras mind, so he briefly describes that form in this and the following two verses. Bhgu and his brothers are nikma Vaiavas who have no other master than Lord Viu. Therefore the Lord reciprocated their worship by appearing in person on the sacrificial altar. He was sphuran, glowing even more brilliantly than the ritual fires. TEXT 49

sa yaja-mrt ravi-koi-tej jagan-manohri-mah-pratka prasrya hast carum dadno

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varn priyn yacchati yjakebhya

saHe; yaja-mrtithe personification of sacrifice; ravi-koilike millions of suns; tej whose radiance; jagatof the world; mana-hri enchanting; mahmighty; pratkawhose form; prasryareaching out; hastnHis hands; carumthe caru offering; dadnaaccepting; varn benedictions; priyndesirable; yacchatigranted; yjakebhyato the sacrificers. That Lord, sacrifice personified, radiant as millions of suns, His mighty form enchanting to the world, reached out His hands, accepted the caru offering, and granted the sacrificers pleasing benedictions. Commentary: This verse paints an even more vivid picture of the Lord of sacrifice. He is called the Lord of sacrifice because it is He who through sacrifice receives worship. And the Vedic sacrifices, or yajas, including their physical ingredients and the mantras and rules for their performance, emanate from Him. Holding in His hands the implements of sacrificeincluding the sruk and sruva ladlesHe appears as sacrifice personified. As we find in rmad-Bhgavatam (3.13.3536) in the description of Yaja-varha, the boar incarnation of the Lord, the various parts of the Lords divine body symbolize all the aspects of yaja: rpa tavaitan nanu dukttman durdarana deva yad adhvartmakam chandsi yasya tvaci barhi-romasv jya di tv aghriu ctur-hotram O Lord, Your form is to be worshiped by performance of sacrifice, but souls who are simply miscreants are unable to see that form. All the Vedic hymns, Gyatr and others, are in the touch of Your skin. In Your bodily hairs is the kua grass, in Your eyes is the clarified butter, and in
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Your four legs are the four kinds of fruitive acts. sruk tua st sruva a nsayor iodare camas kara-randhre pritram sye grasane grahs tu te yac carvaa te bhagavann agni-hotram O Lord, in Your tongue is the sruk, in Your nostril the sruva, and in Your abdomen the plate for eating. In the holes of Your ears is the cup called camasa. In Your mouth is the Brahm plate, in Your throat are the soma vessels, and in whatever You chew is the oblation to the fire. When Lord Viu appears on Maharloka as Yajevara, all the parts of His body are universally attractiveHis head, mouth, neck, chest, arms, legs, and so on. As Gopa-kumra watched, the Lord playfully accepted the offering of caru, a standard oblation of rice, barley, dl, and butter, mixed and boiled in milk. Not even Lord Vmana on Svargaloka was this attractive. TEXT 50

tad-daranojjmbhita-sambhramya harn namaskra-parya mahyam datto nijocchia-mah-prasdas tena sva-hastena dayrdra-vc

tatof Him; daranaby the sight; ujjmbhita inspired; sambhramyawhose awe; hartout of joy; nama-krabowing down; paryaintent on; mahyamto me; dattagiven; nijaHis own; ucchiaof the remnants; mah-prasdathe especially sanctified prasda; tenaby Him; sva-hastenawith His own hand; daywith compassion; rdradrenched; vc with words. With words drenched in compassion, He gave me with His own hand the mah-prasda of His remnants. Awestruck by the sight of Him, out of sheer joy I felt compelled to bow down. Commentary: Seeing the Lord of sacrifice made Gopa204

kumra more eager than ever to discover how he could serve the Lord in some personal way. In response to this enthusiasm, Lord Yajevara encouraged him even more by saying such things as My dear Gopa-kumra, please come here and accept My hospitality. TEXT 51

aprva-labdham nanda parama prpnuvas tata kruytiayt tasya sasiddhea-vchita

aprvanever before; labdhamobtained; nandam bliss; paramamsupreme; prpnuvanreceiving; tata from that; kruyaof mercy; atiaytexcess; tasyaHis; sasiddhaattained; aeaall; vchitadesires. By that Lords abundant mercy, I attained an exceptional bliss I had never known before, and all my desires were fulfilled. Commentary: On earth and in heaven, Gopa-kumra had felt bliss in devotional service, but nothing like what he was relishing on Maharloka. Now, as never before, he was satisfying his deepest desires to see the Lord of the universe and share personal exchanges with Him. TEXT 52

dayln mahar sagatyetas tato bhraman praty-vsa tathaivham adrka jagad-varam

daylnmcompassionate; mah-mof the great sages; sagatyin the company; ita tatahere and there; bhramanwandering; prati-vsamin each residence; tath evaappearing in the same way; ahamI; adrkamsaw; jagat-varamthe Lord of the universe. I wandered here and there in the company of the great compassionate sages, and in every dwelling I
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saw the Lord of the universe present in the same way. Commentary: No matter where Gopa-kumra went on Maharloka, he found everyone performing Vedic sacrifices, and the Lord of sacrifice appearing in order to eat the offerings. TEXT 53

tata ktrthat-nih manvna svasya sarvath snanda nivasas tatra prokto ha tair maharibhi
tatathen; kta-arthatof full success; nihm the stage; manvnaconsidering; svasyaof myself; sarvathin all regards; sa-nandamhappily; nivasanresiding; tatrathere; proktaaddressed; ahamI; taiby those; mah-ibhigreat sages. Thinking myself in every respect fully successful, I happily took up residence on Maharloka. Once, the great sages spoke to me as follows. Commentary: On Maharloka, not only was Lord Yajevara visible in every residence, but in each place His features were different. Now that Gopakumra was obtaining to his satisfaction the darana of the Lord, along with a generous amount of His mercy, Gopa-kumra felt that his life in general and his mantra-japa in particular had reached fruition. TEXT 54

r-maharaya cu bho gopa-vaiya-putra tvam etal-loka-svabhva-jam pradyamnam asmbhir vipratva sv-kuru drutam
r-mah-aya cuthe great sages said; bhoO; gopa-vaiyaof a cowherd vaiya; putrason; tvam you; etatthis; lokafor the planet; svabhva-jam natural; pradyamnambeing offered; asmbhiby us; vipratvamthe status of a brhmaa; sv-kuru
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please accept; drutamright now. The great sages said: O son of a cowherd vaiya, we are offering you the brahminical status natural for a resident of this planet. Please accept it at once. Commentary: Some vaiyas farm and tend cows, and others do business, but according to the Dharmastras they all belong to a twice-born class. In other words, vaiyas, along with brhmaas and katriyas, receive Vedic initiation and education. But in Gopa-kumras simple Govardhana village, the vaiyas didnt maintain these Vedic standards, and so he remained illiterate and uninitiated into the Brahma-gyatr. How then, when even as a vaiya he wasnt properly initiated, could he become a brhmaa? It was possible because the powerful sages were offering him that status and emphatically asking him to accept it. They wanted him to change his external dress and behavior to conform with the way of life on Maharloka. TEXT 55

maharm ekatamo bhtv tvam api pjaya jagad-am ima yajai ciram tma-didkitam
mah-mof the great sages; ekatamaone; bhtvbecoming; tvamyou; apialso; pjayashould worship; jagat-amLord of the universe; imam this; yajaiwith sacrifices; ciramfor a long time; tmaof your heart; didkitamthe desired goal of sight. Become one of the exalted sages, so that you too may worship with sacrifice this Lord of the universe, who for so long has been the desired goal of your heart. TEXT 56

r-gopa-kumra uvca tac chrutvcintaya brahman

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vaiyatve syt sukha mahat prabhor e ca vipr tad-bhaktnm upsant

r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; tat this; rutvhearing; acintayamI thought; brahman O brhmaa; vaiyatvein being a vaiya; sytthere would be; sukhamhappiness; mahatgreater; prabho of the Lord; emof these; caand; viprm brhmaas; tatHis; bhaktnmdevotees; upsantby worshiping. r Gopa-kumra said: Hearing this, O brhmaa, I thought I would be much happier staying a vaiya, for then I could keep worshiping both the Supreme Lord and those brhmaas, His devotees. Commentary: Gopa-kumra thought, If I become a brhmaa I will lose the fortune of being a simple servant. Then I will be unable to humbly assist the brhmaa sages. But if I stay a vaiya, to my hearts content I can keep serving these Vaiavas and their worshipable Lord Yajevara. TEXT 57

e yajaika-nihnm aikyenvayake nije jape ca sad-gurddie mndya syd da-sat-phale

emof them; yajathe performance of sacrifice; ekaonly; nihnmwith whose interest in life; aikyenadue to oneness; vayakeobligatory; nije my own; japein the chanting of the mantra; caand; sat-guruby my divine guru; uddietaught; mndyamlaxness; sytthere would be; daseen already; satgood; phaleits results. For these brhmaas, I thought, performing sacrifice is the only interest in life. If I were to become one of them, surely I would become lax in the chanting I am duty-bound to continue. My divine guru taught me to worship this mantra, and besides, I have already seen its good results.
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Commentary: The ten-syllable Gopla mantra had already proven its efficacy by elevating Gopakumra to the positions of a king on earth, Indra on Svargaloka, and a resident of Maharloka. TEXT 58

tatas tn anumnyham anag-ktya vipratm tatrvasa svato jtaprjpatya-mah-sukhai

tatatherefore; tnto them; anumnyashowing respect; ahamI; anag-ktyadeclining; vipratm brahmanhood; tatrathere; avasamI lived; svata automatically; jtamanifest; prjpatyaof the Prajpatis; mah-sukhaiwith the varieties of exalted happiness. Therefore, while showing respect to the sages, I declined the status of a brhmaa. But I stayed on Maharloka, enjoying the exalted pleasures that automatically appear in the world of the Prajpatis. TEXT 59

na dos tatra oko v ak v kpi vidyate nnyac ca kicid yajeaprtyai yajotsavn te

nano; dodefects; tatrathere; okasorrow; vor; akapprehension; vor; k apiany; vidyateexists; nanot; anyatother; caand; kicitanything; yaja-aof the Lord of sacrifice; prtyaifor the pleasure; yaja-utsavn festivals of sacrifice; tebeside. On Maharloka there were no faults, nor was there sorrow, nor apprehensiveness. There was nothing but festivals of sacrifice for the pleasure of the Lord of sacrifice. Commentary: On Svargaloka Gopa-kumra detected subtle signs of lust, envy, anger, rivalry, and false pride. But on Maharloka these faults were
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nonexistent. There was no sorrow from defeat by opponents or from any other cause. There was no fear of the destruction of the world or fear of individual degradation. Without these distractions, the residents of Maharloka gave themselves fully to worshiping the Supreme Lord with festive Vedic sacrifices. The residents were completely uninterested in mundane sense gratification. TEXT 60

kintu yaja-samptau syd dukham antarhite prabhau vtte yajntare csya prdurbhvt puna sukham
kintuhowever; yajaof a sacrifice; samptauat the end; sytthere would be; dukhamunhappiness; antarhitewhen He disappeared; prabhauthe Lord; vttewhen it was started; yaja-antareanother sacrifice; caand; asyaHis; prdurbhvtby the appearance; punaagain; sukhamhappiness. But at the end of each sacrifice, unhappiness would arise when the Lord disappeared; and when the Lord reappeared at the start of another sacrifice, happiness would begin again. Commentary: At the end of a sacrifice Lord Yajevara would disappear, but because He was controlled by the love shown by His servants, He would not stay invisible for long. Still, this brief cause of discontent was enough to plant in Gopa-kumras heart a seed of desire to find an even better place. TEXT 61

catur-yuga-sahasrasya tatratyaika-dinasya hi ante trai-lokya-dhena jana-loko dhigamyate

catu-yugacycles of four ages; sahasrasyaof a thousand; tatratyaof that place; eka-dinasyaof one day; hiindeed; anteat the end; trai-lokyaof
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the three worlds; dhenawith the conflagration; jana-lokaJanaloka; adhigamyateis resorted to. At the end of one thousand cycles of agesfor that place, one daythe conflagration of the three worlds forced us to take refuge on Janaloka. Commentary: Maharloka exists for the same duration as the planet of Lord Brahm, but because Maharloka is adjacent to Svarga its inhabitants are forced to evacuate by the heat created during the fire of annihilation that burns the lower worlds. After Maharloka, Janaloka is the next higher planetary system. TEXT 62

rajanym iva jty yajbhvena tatra tu yajedaranena syd dhas tad-dhato dhika
rajanymnighttime; ivaas if; jtymarising; yajaof sacrifices; abhvenawith the nonperformance; tatrathere; tubut; yaja-athe Lord of sacrifice; adaranenabecause of not seeing; sytthere would be; dhaburning; tat that; dhatathan the burning; adhikagreater. On Janaloka, as if it were nighttime, no sacrifices were being performed. And the pain of not seeing the Lord of sacrifice burned more greatly than the burning of the three worlds. Commentary: There is no literal nighttime in selfeffulgent Janaloka; but when Brahm goes to sleep along with Lord Garbhodaka-y Viu the lower planets merge into one vast ocean, and throughout the universe both sacrificial and ordinary activities come to an end. When no sacrifices are performed on the planets of the sages, Lord Yajevara no longer appears there. And for Gopakumra the pain of the Lords absence was worse than the scorching fire of annihilation blasting from the mouth of Lord Sakaraa.
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TEXT 63

tato kaya-vaa-cchye ketre r-puruottame gatya r-jaganntha payeyam iti rocate

tatathen; akayainfallible; vaaof the banyan tree; chyein the shade; ketreto the holy district; r-puruottamer Puruottama; gatya going; r-jagannthamr Jaganntha; payeyamI should see; itithus; rocatewould seem desirable. Then I thought it would be better to go see Lord Jaganntha in r Puruottama-ketra, in the shade of the infallible banyan tree. Commentary: Lord Jagannthas abode, Puruottamaketra, is protected by the shade of an indestructible banyan tree. Even when earth, sky, and heaven are destroyed, Jaganntha-pur remains untouched. TEXT 64

mahar-loke gate py tmajapd rahasi prva-vat sampdyamnc choka syd asy bhmer didkay
maha-loketo Maharloka; gatewhen I would return; apifurthermore; tma-japtfrom the chanting of my mantra; rahasiin private; prva-vatas before; sampdyamntbeing performed; okasorrow; syt there would be; asyof this; bhmeland (Vraja); didkayby the desire to see. When I returned to Maharloka, I chanted my japa in seclusion as before. The chanting made me morose with desire to see again this land of Vraja. Commentary: Gopa-kumra refers to this land of Vraja because he is speaking to the Mathur brhmaa in Vraja itself. The separation from Lord Yajevara that Gopa-kumra suffered during the partial pralaya was relatively short, but his constant remembrance of Vraja-bhmi more seriously
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threatened his happiness in Maharloka. He might have forgotten his urge to go to Lord Jaganntha, but not his attraction to Vraja, which was much greater. TEXT 65

prdurbhto tha bhagavn ijyamno day-nidhi yad mm hvayet prty man-nta llaytti ca
prdurbhtamanifest; athathen; bhagavnthe Supreme Lord; ijyamnathe object of sacrificial worship; dayof mercy; nidhithe ocean; yad when; mmme; hvayetHe would address; prtywith love; matby me; ntambrought; llaysportingly; attiHe would eat; caand. But then the Supreme Lord would appear, the object of sacrificial worship, the ocean of mercy. He would call me with love and sportingly eat what I brought before Him. TEXT 66

tadnyeta sarvrtis tama sryodaye yath rtrv api tad-ekbaddho nee kvacid gatau
tadthen; nyetaHe would take away; sarvaall; rtidistress; tamadarkness; srya-udayethe sunrise; yathas; rtrauduring the night; api and; tatfor Him; ekaone; by the hope; baddhabound; na eI had no desire; kvacit anywhere; gataufor going. He would then dispel all my distress, just as the rising sun drives away darkness. Bound by the one hope of being with Him, I could go nowhere else, even at night. Commentary: To be sure, being unable to see Lord Yajevara during the night was painful; but Gopakumra was so absorbed in thought of the Lord that he was oblivious to that pain. And during the days,
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he forgot the urge to go elsewhere, because of the ecstasies of seeing Lord Yajevara, taking part in the festivals to worship Him, and obtaining His abundant mercy. Even during Lord Brahms night, Gopa-kumras expectationsof soon enjoying this sight, this worship, and this mercycontinued unbroken, binding him with a chain of hopes. TEXT 67

tatraikad mah-tejapuja-rpo dig-ambara pca-bdika-blbha ko py gd rdhva-lokata

tatrathere; ekadone day; mah-tejaof great brilliance; pujalike a mass; rpawhose form; dikthe directions; ambarawhose dress; pca-a five or six; bdikaof years; blaas a boy; bha whose appearance; ka apisomeone; gtarrived; rdhvahigher; lokatafrom a planet. Once, someone arrived from a higher planet. His form surrounded by brilliant light, he was dressed by the directions only. He appeared to be a fiveor six-year-old boy. Commentary: Since the residents of Maharloka frequently travel to Janaloka, the two planets are practically a single system. The one difference between them is that on Janaloka the fire of annihilation from below is far enough away that there is no need to flee. Gopa-kumra knew all this from experience. The next world for him to see was Tapoloka, so now he is being introduced to its greatness. Having never heard of Tapoloka, Gopakumra here refers to it as a higher planet. The unknown person who suddenly arrived from the higher regions looked like a small child and was naked. To go naked is normal for five-year-old children, at least in the natural Vedic culture. TEXT 68

vihya yaja-karmi bhaktyotthya maharibhi

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praamya dhyna-niho sau yajevara-vad arcita

vihyaputting aside; yaja-karmitheir sacrificial rituals; bhaktywith devotion; utthyawho stood up; mah-ibhiby the great sages; praamyabeing bowed down to; dhynain meditation; nihaabsorbed; asauhe; yajavara-vatlike the Lord of sacrifice; arcita worshiped. The great sages put aside their sacrificial rituals, stood up with devotion, bowed down to the boy, who was absorbed in meditation, and worshiped him as if he were the Lord of sacrifice Himself. Commentary: Bhgu and the others honored the little boy, who remained silent. TEXT 69

yath-kma gate tasmin may p maharaya kutratya katamo vya bhavadbhir vrcita katham
yath-kmamby his free will; gatehaving gone; tasminhe; mayby me; pasked; mah-aya the great sages; kutratyawherefrom; katamawhat kind of person; vor; ayamthis; bhavadbhiby your good selves; vand; arcitaworshiped; kathamwhy. After that person, as it pleased him, went away, I inquired from the maharis, Who was that, and where did he come from? Why is it that you great souls worshiped him? Commentary: The boy was so exalted that no force could impede him from going wherever he wanted. By his own sweet will, he left as suddenly as he had come. Seeing this puzzled Gopa-kumra. The sages of Maharloka were worshipable for the demigods. Living in a realm above all other creatures, the sages enjoyed worshiping the Lord of sacrifice in person. Who other than the Lord could command their
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respect? And why had they interrupted their sacrifices to honor that visitor? TEXT 70

r-maharaya cu sanat-kumra-nmya jyeho smka mahat-tama tmrmpta-kmnm dycryo bhad-vrata

r-mah-aya cuthe great sages said; sanatkumraSanat-kumra; nmof the name; ayamhe; jyehathe eldest; asmkamof us; mahat-tamathe greatest; tma-rmaof self-contented sages; ptakmnmwhose desires are always fulfilled; dya the first; cryapreceptor; bhat-vrataa lifelong celibate. The maharis said: That person is Sanat-kumra, the eldest among us, and the greatest. He is the first preceptor of the self-contented sages, whose desires are always fulfilled, and he is a lifelong celibate. Commentary: The chief residents of Maharloka are sons of Brahm, and Sanat-kumra is their brother, the eldest of Brahms sons. He is better than the other sages because unlike them he never entered f.aily life, even on Brahms request. This answers the question Who was that? TEXT 71

ita rdhva-tare loke tapa-saje vasaty asau bhrtbhis tribhir anyai ca yogndrai sva-samai saha
itathan this place; rdhva-taremuch higher; lokein the world; tapa-sajeknown as Tapas; vasatilives; asauhe; bhrtbhiwith his brothers; tribhithree; anyaiother; caand; yog-indraiwith master yogs; sva-samaiequal to himself; sahatogether. He lives in the world above ours, called Tapoloka,
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with his three brothers and with other great mystics who, like him, are masters of yoga. Commentary: Here the sages answer the question Where did he come from? He is not the only one of his kind, for he has three brothers just as great as heSanaka, Sanandana, and Santana. These four brothers live on Tapoloka, along with other great mystics, including Kavi, Havis, Antarika, Prabuddha, and Pippalyana. TEXT 72

bhad-vrataika-labhyo ya kema yasmin sad sukham prjpatyt sukht koiguita cordhva-retasam

bhat-vrataby unbroken celibacy; ekaonly; labhyaobtainable; yawhich; kemamsecurity; yasminwhere; sadconstant; sukhamhappiness; prjpatytof the progenitors of the universe; sukhtthan the happiness; koi-guitammillions of times greater; caand; rdhva-retasamof those whose semen moves upward. That world is attainable only by unbroken celibacy. Its residents, their semen retained flowing upward, feel a constant peace and happiness millions of times greater than that enjoyed by the progenitors of the universe. Commentary: Bhad-vrata is the great vow of lifelong restraint from sex. One may begin observing celibacy after years of indulgence, or one may practice strict celibacy as a brahmacr for the years of ones studies and then enter regulated married life. Both kinds of celibacy are very beneficial, but only the rare person with exceptional determination to refrain from all forms of sex for his entire life is allowed to become a resident of Tapoloka. Life on Tapoloka is all-auspicious. There is no trouble from the heat of periodic annihilations and no need to migrate to a higher region. On Tapoloka
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the cataclysms at the annihilation of the three worlds go unnoticed. The yogevaras on Tapoloka enjoy undisturbed peace and satisfaction. TEXT 73

yath yajevara pjyas tathya ca vieata gha-sthnm ivsmka sva-ktya-tygato pi ca

yathas; yaja-varathe Lord of sacrifice; pjyaworshipable; tathso; ayamhe; caalso; vieataespecially; gha-sthnmfor family men; ivalike; asmkamus; sva-ktyaprescribed ritual duties; tygatabecause of his renunciation; api indeed; caand. Especially for householders like us, that person is worthy of worship, as much as the Lord of sacrifice Himself, for he has renounced all material duties. Commentary: Here the sages answer the question Why did you great souls worship him? Sanat-kumra is honored throughout the universe because he is a direct representative of the Personality of Godhead. Learned authorities consider him an empowered incarnation of the Lord, and he is also a preeminent Vaiava. The Prajpatis of Maharloka especially revered him because he was their honored guest and a renounced brahmacr. The position of one who adheres to strict celibacy is generally considered superior to that of ghasthas. But as the word iva in this verse implies, the sages of Maharloka are not ordinary householders. They have very little attachment to home, property, or other material things. TEXT 74

r-gopa-kumra uvca tato karam aha citte tatrho kda sukham d kati vnye syur e pjya ca kda
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r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa``-kumra said; tatathen; akarampondered; ahamI; cittein my mind; tatrathere (on Tapoloka); ahooh; kdam what kind of; sukhamhappiness; dsuch persons; katihow many; vand; anyeothers; syu there must be; emby them; pjyaworshiped; ca and; kdawhat kind of person. r Gopa-kumra said: I then wondered, Indeed, what kind of happiness do they enjoy on Tapoloka? How many more are there like him? And what kind of Lord do they worship? Commentary: Hearing the answers of the sages was enough to inspire Gopa-kumra to go to Tapoloka. Even though his main interest in life was to see the Lord of the universe, he did not consider such a journey inappropriate. He reasoned that if this wonderful person and the others on his planet like him possess opulences like those of God, whatever form of God they worship must be even more wonderful and opulent than they. TEXT 75

eva t ca didku san samhita-man japan bhtv parama-tejasv ta loka vegato gamam
evamthus; tnall of them; caand; didkueager to see; sanbeing; samhitaconcentrated; man with mind; japanchanting; bhtvbecoming; parama very; tejasvpowerful; tamto that; lokamworld; vegataswiftly; agamamI went. Eager to see all those persons for myself, I chanted my mantra with fixed attention. Thus gaining great potency, I quickly traveled to that world. Commentary: Gopa-kumra wanted to see Sanat and his brothers on their own planet and see their worshipable Lord. He focused his mind intensely on this single aim, turning his attention inward in
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imitation of Sanat-kumra, whom he had seen absorbed in deep meditation. By the power of the mantra, he soon became infused with the same subtle strength as the Kumra brothers and was quickly able to rise to their exalted planet. TEXT 76

tatra do may rmn sanako tha sanandana asau sanat-kumro pi caturtha ca santana
tatrathere; daseen; mayby me; rmn sanakathe blessed Sanaka; athaand; sanandana Sanandana; asauthat same; sanat-kumraSanatkumra; apialso; caturthathe fourth; caand; santanaSantana. There I saw that same Sanat-kumra, and the blessed Sanaka, and Sanandana, and the fourth brother, Santana. TEXT 77

sammanyamns tdair eva sukha-goh santy agamy

tatratyais te mitha vitanvn hi mdai

sammanyamnbeing honored with reverence; tatratyaiby the residents of that place; tdaiwho were similar to them; evaindeed; te they; mithaamong one another; sukha-gohman enjoyable discussion; vitanvnconducting; santi they were; agamymincomprehensible; hicertainly; mdaito persons like me. The residents of Tapoloka, who appeared similar to the Kumras, were honoring the four brothers. The Kumras were enjoying among themselves a long discussion incomprehensible to persons like me. Commentary: The other residents of Tapoloka are also worshipable, simply because they resemble, in bodily appearance as well as character, the four Kumras, who are directly empowered avatras of the
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Supreme Lord. When Gopa-kumra first saw these four brothers, they were elaborately discussing among themselves matters such as those narrated in Chapter 87 of rmad-Bhgavatam, Tenth Canto, Prayers by the Personified Vedas. Gopa-kumra understood little of what they were talking about because he was uneducated about liberation and devotional service. TEXT 78

bhagaval-lakaa teu td nsti tathpy abht te sandarant tatra mahn modo mama svata
bhagavatof the Personality of Godhead; lakaam the marks; teuin them; tdksuch; na astithere were not; tath apibut nevertheless; abhtthere arose; temof them; sandarantfrom seeing; tatrathere (on Tapoloka); mahngreat; modajoy; mamamy; svataspontaneously. Though they did not have the distinguishing attributes of God, from seeing those brothers on Tapoloka I felt an intense spontaneous joy. Commentary: Gopa-kumra usually derived his happiness only from seeing the Lord of the universe, but he was delighted to see the Kumras because of their intimate connection with the Lord, even though they did not have four arms like Lord Viu or display His infinite powers. Because of the greatness of Tapoloka, seeing Sanat-kumra and his brothers there was more blissful for Gopakumra than seeing Sanat on Maharloka. In general, a situation is glorious when the place and time are glorious, as well as the persons involved. TEXT 79

yath-sthna prayteu dhyna-niheu tev atha drau bhrammi sambhvya prva-vaj jagad-varam
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yath-sthnameach to his own place; prayteu having gone away; dhynain meditation; niheu absorbed; teuthey; athathen; draumto see; bhrammiI began to wander; sambhvyasearching for; prva-vatas before; jagat-varamthe Lord of the universe. When they went off to their respective places to absorb themselves in meditation, I started wandering, searching as always for the Lord of the universe. Commentary: The assembly finished, the Kumras and their associates disappeared from the spot and returned to their individual places of meditation. Gopa-kumra, left to himself, turned his mind to his favorite topic, the Lord of universe. He conjectured that since the Lord was visible on Svargaloka and Maharloka, the Lord must be visible here as well. With that idea in mind, Gopa-kumra began searching. Why didnt he just ask someone where to find the Lord? He had no time to ask anything, because at first the four Kumras had been receiving the worship of a large crowd of sages and immediately afterwards everyone reverted into trance. TEXT 80

itas tato na dv tam apccha tn mah-munn na te stuvanta mm agre namanta lokayanty api
ita tatahere and there; na dvnot seeing; tamHim; apcchamI asked; tnthem; mah-munnthe great sages; nanot; tethey; stuvantamwho was offering praise; mmme; agrein front of them; namantambowing down; lokayantithey looked at; apieven. Not seeing Him anywhere, I tried to inquire of the great sages, but as I stood before them offering prayers and obeisances they did not even look at
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me. TEXT 81

prya sarve samdhi-sth naihik rdhva-retasa svtmrm pra-km sevyamn ca siddhibhi

pryavirtually; sarveeveryone; samdhi-sth fixed in trance; naihiklifelong celibates; rdhva-retasawhose semen flowed upward; sva-tma in their own selves only; rmtaking pleasure; pra-kmfull with achievement of all desires; sevyamnserved; caand; siddhibhiby mystic perfections. Virtually everyone there was fixed in samdhi. They were all self-satisfied lifelong celibates, full in the achievement of all desires and served by mystic perfections. Commentary: Occasionally the residents of Tapoloka have philosophical meetings or worship the Supreme, but otherwise they remain externally disengaged. Nothing in the outside world attracts them. TEXT 82

bhagavad-daran ca mahat phalit na me utbhd viramantva te saga-svabhvata

bhagavatthe Supreme Lord; daranato see; desire; caand; mahatgreat; phalitgratified; nanot; memy; utaindeed; abhtbecame; viramant ceasing; ivaas if; temtheir; sagaof the association; svabhvataby the influence. This time my constant desire to see the Supreme Lord was ungratified,and indeed by the influence of the company of the sages it seemed to dwindle almost to nil. TEXT 83

tatrthpy avasa te
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prabhva-bhara-darant guru-vg-gauravd daphalatvc ctyajan japam

tatrathere; atha apistill; avasamI remained; temtheir; prabhvaof power; bharathe abundance; darantdue to seeing; guruof my spiritual master; vkfor the words; gauravtout of respect; dahaving seen; phalatvtthe effectiveness; caand; atyajannot abandoning; japamthe chanting of my mantra. Nonetheless, I stayed there for some time, attracted by the display of great power. Out of respect for my gurus order, and because I had seen how effective my mantra was, I kept on chanting. Commentary: The atmosphere of Tapoloka weakened Gopa-kumras resolve to see the Lord, but still he persevered in chanting his japa. His guru had ordered him never to stop chanting, and Gopa-kumra did not want to be ungrateful by disobeying. TEXT 84

sthna-svabhva-jc cittaprasdnandato dhikam tena sampadyamnena s didk vivardhit

sthnaof that place; svabhva-jtnatural to; citta-prasdaof my peaceful heart; nandata because of the bliss; adhikameven more; tenathus; sampadyamnenabeing realized; sthat; didkthe desire to see; vivardhitincreased. Thanks to the peaceful bliss in my heart that the nature of that place inspired, I chanted my mantra even more attentively than before. Thus my desire to see the Lord actually increased. Commentary: At first the refined atmosphere of Tapoloka seemed to affect Gopa-kumra negatively. The pervasive mood of self-satisfaction seemed to reduce his desire to have the company of the Supreme Lord. But that same peace of mind
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characteristic of Tapoloka gradually helped him improve his chanting, and then the mantra exerted its own influence. As ghee poured on a fire seems momentarily to extinguish the fire but then gives it new life, the atmosphere of Tapoloka only briefly decreased Gopa-kumras desire to see the Lord of the universe. TEXT 85

sad nlcale rjajjaganntha-didkay yiysu tatra salakybravn m pippalyana

sadalways; nlcalein Nlcala; rjat resplendent; jagannthaLord Jaganntha; didkay with eagerness to see; yiysumwanting to go; tatrathere; salakyanoticing; abravtspoke; mmto me; pippalyanathe sage Pippalyana. The sage Pippalyana noticed that I eagerly desired to go to Nlcala to see Lord Jaganntha, who lives there always resplendent. The sage then spoke to me. Commentary: The thought of returning to Jaganntha Pur kept resurfacing in Gopa-kumras heart, first in Svarga, then on Maharloka, and now here on Tapoloka, for Lord Jaganntha did not manifest Himself on the planets of the demigods and sages. Pippalyana i, the middle son of nine selfrealized sons of Lord abhadeva, observed Gopakumra wandering aimlessly, a sad, discouraged look on his face. r Pippalyana was practically omniscient, so he could easily understand the symptoms of Gopa-kumras distraction. TEXT 86

r-pippalyana uvca ida mahat pada hitv katham anyad yiysasi katha v bhramasi drau dgbhy ta paramevaram
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r-pippalyana uvcar Pippalyana said; idam this; mahatexalted; padamplace; hitvleaving; kathamwhy; anyatto another; yiysasiyou want to go; kathamwhy; vand; bhramasiyou are wandering; draumto see; dgbhymwith your two eyes; tam Him; parama-varamthe Supreme Lord. r Pippalyana said: Why do you want to leave this exalted place for another? And why are you wandering around to see the Supreme Lord with your eyes? Commentary: In Pippalyanas opinion, the attempt to see the Supreme with ones eyes is useless, because the Lord is imperceptible to the material senses. Tapoloka is the planet of the greatest masters of yoga, who have completely controlled their sex urge. And the happiness enjoyed on Tapoloka is millions of times greater than that of the Prajpatis. Where else could Gopa-kumra want to go? TEXT 87

samdhatsva mana svya tato drakyasi ta svata sarvatra bahir anta ca sad skd iva sthitam
samdhatsvayou should concentrate; manamind; svyamyour; tatathen; drakyasiyou will see; tamHim; svataautomatically; sarvatraeverywhere; bahioutside; antainside; caand; sadalways; sktin person; ivaas if; sthitamsituated. You should concentrate your mind in meditation. Then you will automatically see the Lord everywhere, within and without, as if always before you in person. Commentary: Gopa-kumra might ask why he shouldnt go where he can directly see the Supreme Lord. But Pippalyana advises him instead to focus his attention within. When one fully cultivates meditation and reaches the stage of samdhi, the
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form of the Lord will manifest itself on its own strength, without ones separate endeavor, just as a persons face appears in a clean mirror. If Gopakumra follows the recommended yoga process, he will see the Supreme within and without, or at least seemingly so (skd iva), since in fact the Supreme cannot be viewed with the external eyes. There is no use wandering around to find Him. TEXT 88

paramtm vsudeva sac-cid-nanda-vigraha nitnta odhite citte sphuraty ea na cnyata

parama-tmthe Supreme Soul; vsudevaLord Vsudeva; sat-cit-nandaof eternity, knowledge, and bliss; vigrahathe embodiment; nitntam completely; odhitepurified; cittein a heart; sphuratimanifests; eaHe; nanot; caand; anyataotherwise. Lord Vsudeva, the Supreme Soul, the embodiment of eternity, knowledge, and bliss, reveals Himself in a thoroughly purified heart, and nowhere else. Commentary: r Vsudeva, the presiding Lord of consciousness, reveals Himself only within citta, the heart, the subtle seat of awareness, more subtle than the mind. That is mentioned by Lord iva in the Fourth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (4.3.23): sattva viuddha vasudeva-abdita yad yate tatra pumn apvta sattve ca tasmin bhagavn vsudevo hy adhokajo me namas vidhyate The state of pure consciousness, Ka consciousness, in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead is revealed with no covering, is called vasudeva. In that pure state, I always offer obeisances to Him, the Supreme Godhead, known as
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Vsudeva, who is beyond the material senses. When ones consciousness is completely pure, meaning that it reflects nothing but the Supreme, then and only then does Lord Vsudeva reveal Himself within the heart. Because He is the personal essence of the Supreme Truth, selfmanifesting and indivisible, the external senses cannot perceive Him. TEXT 89

tadn ca mano-vtty-antarbhvt su-sidhyati cetas khalu yat skc caku darana hare
tadnmat that time; caand; mana-vtti activities of the mind; antaraother; abhvt because of there not being; su-sidhyatibecomes fully realized; cetasin the heart; khaluindeed; yatwhich; sktdirect; cakuwith the eyes; daranamvision; hareof Lord Hari. Then, with nothing else going in the mind, direct vision of Lord Hari with ones eyes takes place in the heart. Commentary: Here Pippalyana anticipates Gopakumras doubt: Is the meditation Pippalyana is describing as valid as direct perception with ones eyes? Pippalyana argues here that when one seems to be seeing Lord Hari with ones eyes, the source of that perception is actually ones heart. Only after the mind puts aside all other objects of perception does the Lord reveal Himself in the heart. It is the mind that then performs the work of visualizing the Lord, though the perceiver does not consciously analyze, I am seeing the Personality of Godhead not with my eyes but my mind. According to Pippalyana, ones realization of the Supreme Lord becomes vividly concrete (susidhyati) by the power of the mind, not the eyes, which with their limited scope can neither comprehend the limbs of the Lord all at once nor
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fully recognize His enchanting beauty. TEXT 90

mana-sukhe ntar bhavati sarvendriya-sukha svata tad-vttiv api vk-cakuruty-dndriya-vttaya

manaof the mind; sukhein the happiness; anta within; bhavatiis; sarva-indriyaof all the senses; sukhamthe happiness; svatanaturally; tatof it (the mind); vttiuwithin the functions; apiand; vkof speech; cakuvision; ruti hearing; diand so on; indriyasenses; vttaya the functions. When the mind is happy, all the senses are automatically happy, for the functions of speech, vision, hearing, and the other senses are included within the functions of the mind. Commentary: Gopa-kumra might prefer the tangible pleasure of seeing with his eyes to the abstract enjoyment of the mind. But here Pippalyana tells him that happiness of mind extends not only to the eyes but to all ones senses. Indeed, when the mind is distressed the senses will surely not perceive happiness, because the senses will not even be invoked to contact their objects. The correlation between happiness of mind and happiness for the senses is natural and automatic, since all the senses are rooted in the mind. Just as the branches and leaves of a tree are nourished when the tree is watered at the root, when the mind is satisfied so too are senses, with no need for them to make separate efforts. Still, Gopa-kumra might say that what the mind does when one remembers falls short of what the organs like those of speech and vision do when, for example, one chants and sees. In other words, dont the senses, being many and varied, enjoy greater pleasure than the mind? Pippalyana answers that the functions of all the senses are included in the
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functions of the mind. Chanting the Lords names, seeing His Deity, and all other sensory activities are made possible by the action of the mind. TEXT 91

mano-vtti vin sarvendriy vttayo phal ktphkteva syd tmany anupalabdhita

mana-vttimthe functioning of the mind; vin without; sarva-indriymof all the senses; vttayathe functions; aphaluseless; kt made; apieven; han endeavor; aktnot done; ivaas if; sytwill be; tmaniin the self; anupalabdhitabecause of not being perceived. Without the functions of the mind, the functions of all the senses are useless, for even if one acts, ones deeds will be as if never performed, because the self will be unable to perceive them. Commentary: The same point is reargued here, but by negative logic. When the mind is inattentive, the senses may be active, but they cannot establish real contact with their objects. Each sense has its own proper objectform for the sense of sight, texture for touch, and so on. The purpose of the senses is achieved when they contact their objects and perception occurs. Perception, however, requires the active participation of two other agents as wellthe mind and the living soul. If the mind is not focused on a sense receiving input from an object, no sensation will reach the self, and no conscious perception will arise. This explanation from everyday life, anyone can understand. By extension, Pippalyana argues, ones seeing the Personality of Godhead is in reality the Lords manifesting Himself through the functions of ones purified consciousness. It is not direct perception through the eyes, because the Supreme Lord stands outside the scope of the activity of the senses.
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TEXT 92

kadcid bhakta-vtsalyd yti ced dyat do jna-dyaiva taj jtam abhimna para do
kadcitsometimes; bhaktafor His devotees; vtsalytout of His compassion; ytiHe becomes; cetif; dyatmvisible; doto the eyes; jna of knowledge; dyby the vision; evaonly; tat this; jtamoccurs; abhimnafalse identification; paramonly; doof the eyes. If the Lord, out of compassion for His devotees, sometimes reveals Himself to their eyes, that vision actually occurs by the power of the mind; one only imagines the eyes to be the seers. Commentary: But didnt devotees like Dhruva and Prahlda see the Supreme Lord directly with their eyes? Arent those devotees famous for having seen the Lord in person? Yes, the Lord made Himself visible to those great devotees out of fatherly affection, to fulfill the purpose of their eyes. But in fact, Pippalyana says, the devotees beheld those revelations through pure consciousness, not through the physical eyes. Because the scope of our physical sight is narrow, with our eyes we are unable to perceive an object that has no limits. Why then are Dhruva, Prahlda, and others famous for having had the Lords darana? And why is He famous as bhakta-vatsala, He who shows affection for His devotees? It is because in each case the devotee, the jva soul, identifying with his own senses, presumed, I am seeing the Lord directly with my eyes. That those devotees thought that way is evidence that the Personality of Godhead was kind to them. And that the sense of sight fails to perceive what is beyond its scope does not mean that the eyes are utterly useless. TEXT 93

tasya kruya-akty v
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dyo stv api bahir-do tathpi darannanda sva-yonau jyate hdi

tasyaHis; kruyaof mercy; aktyby the potency; vor; dyavisible; astuHe may be; apialso; bahi-doto the external eyes; tath api nonetheless; daranaof seeing; nandathe bliss; sva-yonauin its source; jyateis generated; hdi in the heart. And even if by the power of His mercy He becomes visible to external eyes, the bliss that arises from seeing Him has its natural source in the heart. Commentary: But isnt the Supreme Lord, by His personal energies, free to do anything He wants? Yes, but miracles are for the ultimate benefit of the conscious soul, rather than for the souls inert senses. The power of the Lords compassion could indeed make the physical eyes able to perceive Him, if He so desired; but the fruit of that perception, the pleasure felt from it, would still come from where pleasure, pain, and anxiety are always bornthe mind. TEXT 94

anantara ca tatraiva vilasan paryavasyati mana eva mah-ptra tat-sukha-grahaocitam

anantaramsubsequently; caand; tatra evain that very place; vilasansporting; paryavasyati continues; manathe mind; evaonly; mah-ptram the worthy recipient; tatfrom Him; sukhaof happiness; grahaafor taking; ucitamfit. That bliss later continues in the heart even after the Lord is no longer visible to the eyes. Thus the worthy receiver of that bliss is the mind alone. Commentary: After an audience with the Lord, when He is no longer visible to the eyes, the pleasure
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of having seen Him lingers in the heart: Oh, with my own eyes I saw the Personality of Godhead! I saw Him right before me! That the ecstasy of seeing the Lord continues in the heart after the eyes can no longer perceive Him indicates that the ecstasy resided only in the heart all along. Why, then, presume the eyes to be the seers? On the other hand, sight is one of the knowledgeacquiring senses. So why should it be unable to generate and sustain pleasure? The answer, according to self-realized authorities, is that the most suitable agent to receive the pleasure of seeing the Supreme Lord is the mind. The mind is analogous to the most reliable minister of a king, a minister who alone in the kings entourage can be entrusted with the care of a most precious object. TEXT 95

tat-prasdodayd yvat sukha vardheta mnasam tvad vardhitum ta na cnyad bhyam indriyam
tatin that mind; prasdaof calmness; udaytfrom the appearance; yvatas much as; sukhampleasure; vardhetaincreases; mnasammental; tvatto that extent; vardhitumto increase; tais capable; nanot; caand; anyatother; bhyamexternal; indriyamsense. As much as the mind becomes peaceful, to that extent its pleasure grows. No external sense can feel such expanding pleasure. Commentary It may be argued that the mind is limited in scope, like the other senses. That is true, but when the mind becomes cleared of contamination, the Lord, being satisfied, is prepared to bestow His full mercy. The souls pure consciousness, reflected in the mind, is then able to sustain the image of the Supreme Lord. The external senses are unable to do this. TEXT 96
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antar-dhynena do pi skd da iva prabhu kp-viea tanute prama tatra padmaja

antawithin; dhynenaby meditation; daseen; apiindeed; sktbefore ones eyes; daseen; ivaas if; prabhuthe Lord; kpHis mercy; vieamspecial; tanuteexpands; pramamevidence; tatraof this; padma-jalotus-born Brahm. When the Lord expands His special mercy, one sees the Lord within by meditation as if directly with the eyes. This we can understand from what happened to lotus-born Brahm. Commentary: Out of respect for the sage Pippalyana, we may theoretically accept that one derives more happiness from meditating on the Supreme than from trying to see Him with ones physical eyes. But isnt it also well known that by seeing the Lord directly one gains the special happiness of receiving benedictions from Him, speaking with Him, and having other personal interactions? That may be true, the sage answers, but when the Lord is seen within He mercifully provides all those same benefits. He reveals Himself within the heart so that He can give boons, speak with His devotee, touch him, and so on. He can do this from within the heart because He is the almighty Lord (prabhu), who has special energies that easily arrange for Him all these wonderful things. As a concrete historical example, Pippalyana cites the case of Lord Brahm. The epithet lotus-born (padma-ja) implies that when Brahm was first born he found himself sitting on a lotus. As described in the Second Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam, Brahm, surrounded by the darkness of annihilation, did not know how to proceed in re-creating the universe. A mysterious voice then told him to meditate, and when he did, the Supreme revealed Himself and His
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abode: tasmai sva-loka bhagavn sabhjita sandaraym sa para na yat-param vyapeta-saklea-vimoha-sdhvasa sva-davadbhir puruair abhiutam Very much satisfied with the penance of Lord Brahm, the Personality of Godhead was pleased to manifest His personal abode, Vaikuha, the supreme planet above all others. That transcendental abode of the Lord is adored by the self-realized persons freed from all miseries and all fear of illusory existence. (Bhgavatam 2.9.9) In Vaikuha, Brahm saw the Personality of Godhead Nryaa: dadara tatrkhila-stvat pati riya pati yaja-pati jagat-patim sunanda-nanda-prabalrhadibhi sva-pradgrai parisevita vibhum bhtya-prasdbhimukha dg-sava prasanna-hsrua-locannanam kirina kualina catur-bhuja ptuka vakasi lakita riy Lord Brahm saw in the Vaikuha planets the Personality of Godhead, who is the Lord of the entire devotee community, the Lord of the goddess of fortune, the Lord of all sacrifices, and the Lord of the universe. The Lord was being served by His foremost immediate associates, His loving servitors like Nanda, Sunanda, Prabala, and Arhaa. He was leaning favorably towards them, His very sight intoxicating and attractive, His smiling face decorated with an enchanting reddish hue, and He appeared very much satisfied. He was dressed in yellow robes and wore earrings and a helmet on His head. He had four hands, and His chest was marked
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with the lines of the goddess of fortune. (Bhgavatam 2.9.1516) Brahm not only saw the amazing form of the Lord but also had an intimate personal exchange with Him: tad-daranhlda-pariplutntaro hyat-tanu prema-bharru-locana nanma pdmbujam asya viva-sg yat pramahasyena pathdhigamyate ta pryama samupasthita kavi praj-visarge nija-sanrhaam babha at-smita-oci gir priya priya prta-man kare span Lord Brahm, thus seeing the Personality of Godhead in His fullness, was overwhelmed with joy within his heart, and in full transcendental love and ecstasy his eyes filled with tears. He thus bowed down before the Lord. That is the way of the highest perfection for the living being. And the Lord, seeing Brahm present before Him, accepted him as worthy to create living beings to be controlled as the Lord desired. Thus being very much satisfied with Brahm, the Lord shook hands with him and, slightly smiling, addressed him. (Bhgavatam 2.9.1819) When Lord Nryaa spoke to Brahm in a way that encouraged him to ask a boon, Brahm asked for instructions on how to create the universe for the conditioned living entities, and the Lord responded by imparting to him the four-verse encapsulation of rmad-Bhgavatam. Then Lord Nryaa disappeared from Brahms sight: sampradiyaivam ajano jann paramehinam payatas tasya tad rpam tmano nyaruad dhari

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After the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, seen in His transcendental form, instructed Brahmj, the leader of the living entities, the Lord disappeared. (Bhgavatam 2.9.38) As these passages clearly show, Brahm meditated on the Supreme Lord in his heart, and then the Lord mercifully appeared, offered him boons, spoke with him, and touched him. These events arose out of Brahms inner meditation. The Third Canto gives a similar description: klena so ja puruyubhipravtta-yogena virha-bodha svaya tad antar-hdaye vabhtam apayatpayata yan na prvam mla-gauryata-ea-bhogaparyaka eka purua aynam phatapatryuta-mrdha-ratnadyubhir hata-dhvnta-yugnta-toye At the end of Brahms one hundred years, when his meditation was complete, he developed the required knowledge, and as a result he could see the Supreme within himself, whom he could not see before with the greatest endeavor. Brahm saw on the water a gigantic lotuslike white bedstead, the body of ea Nga, on which the Personality of Godhead was lying alone. The whole atmosphere was illuminated by the rays of the jewels bedecking the hood of ea Nga, dissipating all the darkness of those regions. (Bhgavatam 3.8.2223) sa karma-bja rajasoparakta praj siskann iyad eva dv astaud visargbhimukhas tam yam avyakta-vartmany abhiveittm Lord Brahm, thus surcharged with the mode of passion, became inclined to create, and after seeing the five causes of creation indicated by the
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Personality of Godhead, he offered respectful prayers on the path of the creative mentality. (Bhgavatam 3.8.33) After Brahm offered his prayers, Lord Nryaa responded: m veda-garbha gs tandr sarga udyamam vaha tan maypdita hy agre yan m prrthayate bhavn O Brahm, O depth of Vedic wisdom, be neither depressed nor anxious about undertaking the creation. What you are begging from Me has already been granted. (Bhgavatam 3.9.29) prto ham astu bhadra te lokn vijayecchay yad astaur gua-maya nirgua mnuvarayan I am very much pleased by your description of Me in terms of My transcendental qualities, which appear mundane to the mundaners. I grant you all benedictions in your desire to glorify the planets by your acts. (Bhgavatam 3.9.39) TEXT 97

skd daranam apy asya bhaktnm eva hara-dam kasa-duryodhandn bhaya-dodinocyate

sktdirect; daranamvision; apiindeed; asya His; bhaktnmfor the devotees; evaonly; haradamgiving joy; kasa-duryodhana-dnmfor Kasa, Duryodhana, and others; bhayain terms of fear; doaother faulty emotions; dinand so on; ucyateis described. It is said that seeing the Lord in person gives joy to His devotees but causes fear and other hard emotions for others, like Duryodhana and Kasa.
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Commentary: Isnt seeing the Lord in person the most ecstatic form of His mercy, and isnt it the perfection of devotional meditation? Yes, but only for the Lords surrendered devotees, not for His enemies. As the historical accounts of scripture tell us, when demons saw Him they felt only troublesome emotions like anger, envy, remorse, and sorrow. TEXTS 9899

parnanda-ghana rmat sarvendriya-gujanam nryaasya rpa tat skt sampayatm api madhu-kaiabha-mukhynm asur durtmanm na lno dua-bhvo pi sarva-p-karo hi ya
para-nandaof supreme ecstasy; ghanamthe concentrated essence; rmatendowed with all splendor and opulence; sarva-indriyaof all the senses; guafor the functions; ajanama medicinal ointment; nryaasyaof Lord Nryaa; rpam personal form; tatthat; sktdirectly; sampayatmwho were seeing; apieven; madhukaiabhaMadhu and Kaiabha; mukhynmthe chief of whom; asurmof demons; durtmanmevil-minded; nanot; lnadissolved; duaevil; bhvathe disposition; apieven; sarvato all persons; p distress; karacausing; hiindeed; yawhich. The beautiful, all-opulent form of Lord Nryaa, the concentrated essence of supreme bliss, refines the functions of all the senses. Yet demons like Madhu and Kaiabha, even after seeing the Lord in person, did not lose their evil disposition, distressing to all. Commentary: Kasa and Duryodhana were mentioned by name in the previous verse, and other enemies of the Supreme Lord were indicated by the word di
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(and so on). Here Kasa and Duryodhana are left out, and instead the names of two other demons, Madhu and Kaiabha, are cited. As Gopa-kumra narrates his own history, he does not want to introduce the glories of r Ka until his student is properly prepared to hear them. Therefore he does not follow up the mention of Kasa and Duryodhana with further details of Kas pastimes; that will come later. In the ancient past, millions of years before Kas appearance, great demons like Madhu, Kaiabha, Maya, Traka, and Klanemi had ample opportunities to see the Personality of Godhead in person and without obstruction. Yet those demons did not achieve bliss from seeing the Lord, and their wicked mentality never changed. They were durtms, meaning that their intelligence (tm) remained always impure, either because they had no devotion for the Supreme Lord or because, by their demonic nature (tm), they were inimical rivals of the Lord. The Lords beauty is the concentrated essence of all divine ecstasy (parnanda-ghanam). It is endowed with all splendor and opulence (rmat), and therefore by manifesting His charm, sweetness, and other unique characteristics, it gives pleasure to all the senses (sarvendriya-gujanam). His beauty also pleases the senses by encouraging them to indulge in transcendental gratification. Yet despite the all-attractive qualities of His beautiful form, demons continue to hate the Lord even after they see Him. Gopa-kumra does not elaborate here on what Kasa and Duryodhana felt when they saw Ka, but we do have information about this from rmad-Bhgavatam and other sources. When r Nanda-nandana was present in the tournament arena in Mathur, His moonlike face increased the love of His dear devotees, headed by Nanda Mahrja, to the size of a vast ocean. But King Kasa, although born in the
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same Yadu dynasty as the cowherds of Vraja, did not become joyful when he saw Ka in the arena; rather, as his heart filled with fear, anger, and other painful emotions, it burned with agony. Again, in the assembly of the Kurus, when r Kas devotees like Vidura and Bhma heard Kas nectarean words they were delighted. But although Duryodhana and his friends of the Pru dynasty were all relatives of Ka who talked and sat with Him and had connections with Him by marriage, they felt no pleasure from His presence; in fact, they were unable to give up their offensive hatred of Kas dear devotees. In the minds of those demons, there was a conflagration of anguish, kindled by perpetual anger, envy, pride, and hundreds of other faults, and not for an instant did that fire cease to burn. TEXT 100

nandaka-svabhvo pi bhakti-mhtmya-darant bhaktn harayitu kuryd durghaa ca sa vara

nandakabestowing ecstasy; svabhvawhose nature; apialso; bhaktiof devotional service; mhtmya the greatness; darantby showing; bhaktnHis devotees; harayitumto delight; kurytHe would create; durghaamunlikely situations; caand; sa He; varathe Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord, by nature the bestower of ecstasy, creates such unlikely situations to delight His devotees by showing them the greatness of devotional service. Commentary: When the finite self has been perceived in its true form, someone may argue, there remains no opportunity for mistakes and suffering. So when the concentrated embodiment of the Supreme Truth, the infinite Personality of Godhead, has been perceived, how can faults and unhappiness possibly continue unabated? In the current verse the sage
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Pippalyana clears this doubt. The Supreme Lord Nryaa can do what is supposed to be impossible. Just as He can perform such a miracle as causing fire to give up its nature of emanating heat, He can hide His nature of giving joy to the entire universe. His reason for doing this is to demonstrate a particular feature of the glories of devotional service: Although bhakti, like the Lord Himself, naturally emanates ecstasy without fail, only the Lords devotees relish bliss; the nondevotees taste the opposite feelings. When the Lord reveals this aspect of the glory of devotional service, those who are dedicated to Him become enlivened, because they know that such examples will ultimately attract everyone to the bhakti process. How can the Lord make the essential character of His devotional service disappear? After all, fire can never stop giving heat. That may be true, but the Personality of Godhead has manifold, inconceivable energies. And by their arrangement, even when the Supreme Lord becomes visible, only persons endowed with pure devotion taste ecstasy. Others cannot perceive it. Thus we find that sometimes very advanced devotees express their approval of the fear, pain, and other such emotions suffered by nondevotees. As r Yudhihira said in connection with iupla and Dantavakra: apator asakd viu yad brahma param avyayam vitro na jto jihvy nndha viviatus tama Although these two men repeatedly blasphemed the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viu [Ka], the Supreme Brahman, they were quite healthy. Indeed, their tongues were not attacked by white leprosy, nor did these men enter the darkest region of hellish life. We are certainly most surprised by
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this. (Bhgavatam 7.1.19) Devotees like Yudhihira approve of severe punishment for enemies of the Lord who indulge in criticizing and abusing the Lord, because the terrible fear and agony the offenders suffer in reaction serve as effective counteraction (pryacitta) for their egregious sins and in the end the offenders gain the highest benefit by becoming devotees. TEXT 101

bhaktau nava-vidhy ca mukhya smaraam eva hi tat samagrendriya-rehamano-vtti-samarpaam

bhaktauin devotional service; nava-vidhymof nine kinds; caand; mukhyamthe principal; smaraamremembrance; evaonly; hiindeed; tat that; samagraall; indriyaof the senses; reha which is the most important; mana-vttiof the activity of the mind; samarpaamthe offering. Of the nine kinds of devotional service, remembrance is the chief. It is an offering of the activity of the mind, the most important of all the senses. Commentary: The sages idea is that remembrance (smaraa) is superior to other devotional processes, like hearing and chanting (ravaa and krtana), because remembrance involves absorbing the mind in thoughts of the Personality of Godhead whereas hearing and chanting engage only the senses of hearing and speech, which are subordinate to the mind and therefore less important. TEXT 102

antar-agntar-ag tu prema-bhakti yath-ruci dtum arhaty avirma mana eva samhitam

anta-agaof everything confidential; anta-agm the most confidential; tuand; prema-bhaktimloving
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devotional service; yath-ruciaccording to ones taste; dtumto give; arhatiis able; avirmam without cessation; manathe mind; evaonly; samhitamfixed in meditation. Only the mind fixed in meditation can unceasingly offer the Lord that offering which is the most confidential: loving devotional service that follows ones natural taste. Commentary: The sage Pippalyana reasons that although jna and vairgya bring one close to the Absolute Truth, only devotional service in prema brings one into the most intimate proximity. And prema can develop only by full concentration of the mind. Since only the mind, the superintendent of all the senses, can properly engage each sense with its objects, devotional service rendered with the mind is secure, for it is unlikely to become disrupted. TEXTS 103105

aea-sdhanai sdhya samastrthdhikdhika yo va-karae ghopyo bhagavato dvaya tat-prasdaika-labhyo yas tad-bhaktaika-mah-nidhi vicitra-paramnandamdhurya-bhara-prita mah-nirvcya-mhtmya padrtha prema-sajaka parima-viee hi ceto-vtter udeti sa
aeaall; sdhanaiby disciplines; sdhyathe goal to be aimed at; samasta-arthaof all achievements; adhika-adhikathe topmost; ya which; va-karaefor bringing under control; ghathe potent; upyameans; bhagavataof the
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Supreme Lord; advayawithout a second; tatHis; prasdaby the mercy; ekaonly; labhyaobtainable; yawhich; tatHis; bhaktaof the devotees; eka only; mah-nidhirare treasure; vicitraof various kinds; parama-nandaof transcendental ecstasy; mdhuryaand of sweetness; bharawith an abundance; pritaendowed; mahvery much; nirvcya indescribable; mhtmyawhose glories; padaarthaobject; prema-sajakacalled prema; parimain transformations; vieespecial; hi indeed; cetaof the mind; vttefrom the functions; udetiarises; sait. There is one goal of all disciplines, one highest attainment of all, the one potent means to bring the Supreme Lord under ones control. Only by the mercy of the Lord can it be gained. It is the rare, exclusive treasure of His devotees, a treasure rich with every sort of transcendental ecstasy and sweetness. Its wonderful glories are beyond the power to describe. That attainment is called prema. It arises from special transformations of the functions of the mind. Commentary: To uphold and further explain the statement of the previous verse, texts 103 through 105 describe seven characteristics of love of God. First, prema is the goal of all such disciplines as karma, jna, and vairgya. It is the ultimate goal of existence. So even though worship of the Supreme Lord is superior to religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation, prema is superior to formal worship. Prema, in fact, is the very goal of worship. Second, prema is the only sure means to bring the absolutely independent Lord under control. It is the chain with which the Lords dearest devotees bind His lotus feet to subdue Him, as one would subdue a mad elephant. Third, prema is attained only by the favor of the Supreme Person, never by ones own strength. Fourth, prema is the greatest treasure of the Lords devoteesindeed, their only treasurefor
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it easily fulfills all their desires. Fifth, it is full to overflowing with varieties of transcendental bliss so attractive that they ridicule the so-called ecstasy found in impersonal realization of the Supreme. And therefore, sixth, its infinite glories are beyond description. Finally, seventh, prema arises from the activity of the mind. From the sixth of these traits of prema we can deduce another, too confidential for Pippalyana i to mention: Devotees established in prema join the Supreme Lord in His pleasure pastimes. We will hear about this from the Lords personal associates in later chapters, but on Tapoloka, where meditation is predominant, the topic is not befitting to discuss. TEXTS 106107

manaso hi samdhna manyase dukara yadi caku-sphalya-kmo v bhagavanta didkase tad gaccha bhrata vara tatra no tratyam varam nryaa nara-sakha paydrau gandhamdane
manasaof the mind; hicertainly; samdhnamthe concentration; manyaseyou think; dukaram difficult to do; yadiif; cakuof the eyes; sphalyafulfilling the purpose; kmadesiring; vor; bhagavantamthe Personality of Godhead; didkaseyou are eager to see; tatthen; gaccha go; bhratam-varamto the earth; tatrathere; na our; atratyamwho resides there; varamthe Supreme Lord; nryaamNryaa; nara-sakhamthe friend of Nara; payago see; adrauat the mountain; gandhamdaneGandhamdana. If you think that focusing the mind in meditation
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is too difficult, or if you are eager to see the Personality of Godhead to fulfill the purpose of your eyes, then go to Bhrata-vara. There you will find our Lord residing on Gandhamdana Mountain as Nryaa, the friend of Nara. Commentary: Perhaps Gopa-kumra feels himself unfit to achieve samdhi by yoga meditation. Or perhaps he thinks that although samdhi may be easily available by the natural influence of Tapoloka or by the power of his mantra, that samdhi will satisfy only his mind and not his eyes. In that case, he can gratify his eyes by going to see Lord Nara-Nryaa on the earth. TEXT 108

antar bahi ca paymas ta samdhi-parya nto viccheda-dukha syd ity agt tatra sa prabhu
antainside; bahioutside; caand; paymawe see; tamHim; samdhiin meditative trance; paryabeing fixed; nanot; atafrom Him; vicchedabecause of separation; dukhamsuffering; sytthere can be; itithus; agtwent; tatra there; saHe; prabhuthe Lord. We devotees of yoga-samdhi see Lord Nara-Nryaa both within ourselves and without. And so, there being no danger of our suffering pain due to separation from the Lord, He went to Gandhamdana. Commentary: The sages on Tapoloka need go nowhere else to see the forms of the Lord they worship. They see the Lord within their hearts on the strength of their meditation, and that inner vision presents itself externally wherever they look. TEXT 109

loka-ik-hitrtha tu kurvann ste mahat tapa dhanur-vidy-gurur brahmacri-veo ja-dhara

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lokaof the world; ikby instruction; hitaof benefit; arthamfor the sake; tuand; kurvan performing; steHe is present; mahatgreat; tapa austerities; dhanu-vidyof the science of weaponry; gurua teacher; brahmacri-veadressed as a brahmacr; ja-dharawearing matted locks. Living there as a guru in the science of weaponry, He dresses as a brahmacr, His hair in matted locks, and performs severe austerities as an instruction for the benefit of the world. Commentary: Lord Nara-Nryaa teaches the world how to perform austerities for spiritual advancement. He carries a bow and is expert in its use. TEXT 110

r-gopa-kumra uvca tatraiva gantu-kma m catvra sanakdaya paytraiva tam ity uktv bahu-rpy adarayan
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra`2 said; tatrathere; evaindeed; gantu-kmameager to go; mmto me; catvrathe four; sanaka-dayaSanaka and the others; payajust see; atra evaright here; tamHim; itithus; uktvsaying; bahumany; rpiforms; adarayanthey showed. r Gopa-kumra said: Observing that I was eager to go there, the four brothers headed by Sanaka told me, Just see, He is right here! and showed me many forms of the Lord. TEXT 111

eko nryao vtto viu-rpo paro bhavat anyo yajea-rpo bht paro vividha-rpavn
ekaone of them; nryaaNryaa; vtta became; viu-rpain the form of Viu; apara

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another; abhavatbecame; anyaother; yaja-arpain the form of the Lord of sacrifice; abht became; parathe other; vividha-rpa-vnassuming various forms. One brother assumed the form of Nryaa, another Viu, another the Lord of sacrifice, and the last assumed several different forms. Commentary: The first brother, Sanaka, turned himself into the form of Lord Nara-Nryaa. His other brothers showed Lord Vius forms as Vmanadeva, as Lord Nsiha, as Lord Yajevara (who appears on Maharloka), and as several other avatras of Viu. TEXT 112

bhayena vepamnas tn avoca sjalir naman aparddha may bha kamadhva dna-vatsal
bhayenawith fear; vepamnatrembling; tnto them; avocamI said; sa-ajaliwith palms joined; namanbowing down; aparddhamoffense has been committed; mayby me; bhamcertainly; kamadhvamplease excuse me; dna-vatsalO friends of the fallen. Trembling with fear, I joined my palms, bowed down and said, I have surely offended you. O kind friends of the fallen, please forgive me! TEXT 113

spo ha tair mrdhni labdhv samdhi dni prk tni rpy apayam vyutthne pi dhyna-vegt kadcit pratyakvnupayeyam rt
spatouched; ahamI; taiby them; mrdhnion the head; labdhvattaining; samdhimmeditative trance; dniseen; prkdirectly; tnithose; rpiforms; apayamI saw; vyutthneafter I got up; apiand; dhynaof my meditation; vegtfrom the momentum; kadcitsometimes; pratyaki
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directly visible; ivaas if; anupayeyamI continued to see; rtnearby. They touched my head, and I attained a meditative trance, in which I directly saw those various forms of the Lord. And even after I got up from meditating, by the momentum of my trance I would sometimes behold, as if nearby, those same forms of God. Commentary: Gopa-kumra, his mind nearly perfect in concentration, needed only this additional blessing from the Kumras to behold the fruit of samdhi. Although the japa meditation he had performed in various places had been naive and without scientific understanding of yoga practice, it was equivalent to many years of strict practice of meditation in the elevated atmosphere of Tapoloka. TEXT 114

tato jape pi me nihm avindata sukha svata kintv asy mdhur bhmer vykul-kurute mana
tatathen; japein the chanting of my mantra; api also; memy; nihmdetermination; avindata achieved; sukhamjoyful; svataspontaneously; kintubut; asyof this; mdhurthe sweetness; bhmeof the land (Vraja); vykul-kurutewould be agitated; manamy mind. Then my japa easily improved in quality and became more joyful. But my mind was still agitated by thoughts of this sweet land of Vraja. Commentary: Again the time came for Gopa-kumra to move on. Texts 114 through 117 describe the circumstances under which he lost his attachment for remaining in Tapoloka. He was chanting his mantra better thanks to his concentration of mind and his visions of the Supreme Lord, but the more intensely he chanted the more he remembered r
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Vndvana forest and his other favorite places in Vraja-bhmi. And these thoughts in separation from Vraja were painful. TEXT 115

suuptir iva kcin me kadcij jyate da tay jape ntarya syt tat-tad-rpekae tath
suuptideep sleep; ivaas if; kcitsome; mein me; kadcitsometimes; jyatemanifest; daa state; tayby this; japein my chanting; antaryainterruption; sytthere would be; tattatvarious; rpaof the Lords forms; kaeand in my seeing; tathalso. Sometimes my chanting and my visualizing of the Lords various forms would be disrupted when I fell into a state resembling deep sleep. Commentary: As a secondary effect of samdhi, all mental and sensory activity may temporarily cease, and one may enter a kind of void state similar to the deep sleep everyone goes through at night. In that state, Gopa-kumra was unable to chant his mantra or see the Lords personal forms. TEXT 116

vilapmi tato nlcala jigamimi ca tatratyais tais tu tad-vtta pccheyha sa-sntvanam

vilapmiI would lament; tatathen; nlcalamto Jaganntha Pur; jigamimiI would desire to go; caand; tatratyaiby the residents of that place; taithem; tubut; tatof that (lamentation); vttamthe experience; pccheyawould be asked; ahamI; sa-sntvanamalong with consolation. I would lament over this and consider going to Nlcala. The residents of Tapoloka would console me and ask what I was going through. Commentary: After passing through these voidlike
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states, Gopa-kumra would say to himself, How unfortunate I am! What is this unexpected disturbance? He would then want to go see Lord Jaganntha in Nlcala, where he had never had to deal with such obstacles to his service. Pippalyana and the other Tapoloka-vss tried to pacify him with sweet words and asked him what was going on in his mind. TEXT 117

sa-oka kathyamn s rutvmbhi praasyate may tath na budhyeta dukham evnumanyate

sa-okamlamentfully; kathyamnbeing describing; sthat; rutvhearing; ambhiby them; praasyatewould be praised; mayby me; tathand; na budhyetawas not understood; dukham troublesome; evaonly; anumanyateI considered it. Hearing my lamentful description, the sages would praise my state. I could not understand their praise, because I thought what I was going through was troublesome. Commentary: Hearing Gopa-kumra describe his predicament, the sages were impressed that he had very quickly attained a rare state of pure trance. But either out of ignorance or because of his natural devotional attitude, he was unable to understand what was so wonderful about his lapses of consciousness. TEXT 118

athbhysa-balenntar bahi ca jagad-varam tat-tad-rpea paymi pratyakam iva sarvata

athathen; abhysaof practice; balenaby the strength; antawithin; bahiwithout; caand; jagat-varamthe Lord of the universe; tat-tatrpeain His various forms; paymiI would see;
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pratyakampresent before my eyes; ivaas if; sarvataeverywhere. By the power of yoga practice I would then see the Lord of the universe all around me. I saw Him within and without in His various forms, as if He were present everywhere before my eyes. TEXT 119

kadcit sanakd ca dhyna-nih-vaa gatn vindatas tni rpi dvpnomi par mudam
kadcitsometimes; sanaka-dnSanaka and the others; caand; dhynain meditation; nih-vaa gatnabsorbed; vindataassuming; tnithose; rpiforms; dvseeing; pnomiI would relish; parmextreme; mudampleasure. Sometimes when Sanaka and his brothers were absorbed in meditation they would assume those forms of the Lord. Seeing this, I would relish extreme pleasure. Commentary: The Kumra brothers would often be so absorbed in meditating on particular forms of Lord Viu that their own bodies would take on the appearance of those forms of the Lord. This was the special quality of meditation on Tapoloka; it resembled the intense meditation of the small insect that is attacked and killed by a peaskt bee and in the next life becomes a bee. TEXT 120

tat-tad-rahita-kle pi na sdmi tad-ay ittha cira-dina tatra sukhenevvasa sad

tat-tatof such realizations; rahitabereft; kle at the times; apieven; na sdmiI would not lament; tatof Him; ayby thought; itthamin this way; cira-dinamfor many days; tatrathere; sukhenahappily; ivafor the most part; avasamI
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resided; sadalways. Even when bereft of such encounters, I remained conscious of the Lords personal forms and so had no reason to lament. In this way I lived there a long time, for the most part always happy. Commentary: Gopa-kumra says that he resided on Tapoloka happily (sukhena), but he qualifies this with the word iva. Sometimes he was less than completely satisfied, as when he remembered Vraja. TEXT 121

kadcit pukara-dvpe sva-bhaktn kpayekitum prasthito hasam rhas tatryta catur-mukha

kadcitonce; pukara-dvpeon Pukara-dvpa; svabhaktnhis devotees; kpaymercifully; kitumto see; prasthitaon a trip; hasamon his swan; rhamounted; tatrathere; ytacame; catumukhafour-headed Brahm. Once, four-headed Brahm came to Tapoloka, riding on his swan. He was on his way to Pukara-dvpa to grace his devotees with a visit. Commentary: In texts 121 through 128 Gopa-kumra relates how he was convinced to go to Satyaloka. He tells how he first got an idea of the glories of Satyaloka by seeing in person that planets ruler, Lord Brahm. On Pukara-dvpa, within the Bhmaala system, Lord Brahm is worshiped as a representative of the Personality of Godhead. Gopakumra, who knew nothing about Lord Brahms existence, simply describes what he physically saw. TEXT 122

paramaivarya-sampanna sa vddha sanakdibhi sa-sambhrama praamybhipjito bhakti-namritai

parama-aivaryawith supreme opulences; sampanna endowed; sahe; vddhathe venerable personage;
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sanaka-dibhiby Sanaka and his brothers; sasambhramamreverently; praamyabeing bowed down to; abhipjitaworshiped; bhaktidue to pure devotion; namritaiwho were feeling humble. That venerable personage, endowed with supreme opulences, was reverently worshiped by Sanaka and his brothers. Feeling humble, they bowed down to him in pure devotion. Commentary: Caturmukha Brahm is the most exalted person in this material universe. His possessions and entourage are superior to those of everyone else. The word vddha here means venerable, not overcome by old age. Because Brahm is an empowered incarnation of the Supreme Lord, his body is a spiritual product of pure existence, knowledge, and bliss. He never grows old. He is the eldest in the sense that he is the most reliable of all authorities, and as a sign of his seniority he wears a long white beard on each of his faces. TEXT 123

rbhir vardhayitv tn snehenghrya mrdhasu kicit samanuiysau ta dvpa vegato gamat

rbhiwith blessings; vardhayitvencouraging; tnthem; snehenawith affection; ghryasmelling them; mrdhasuon the heads; kicitsomething; samanuiyainstructing; asauhe; tamthat; dvpam to the dvpa; vegataquickly; agamatwent. He increased the good fortune of the Kumras by his blessings and affectionately smelled their heads. Then, after giving them some good instructions, he quickly went off to the dvpa he was on his way to visit. Commentary: Unable to understand what Brahm had told the four brothers, Gopa-kumra only mentioned the conversation but did not describe the details. We can presume that Brahm told Sanaka and his
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brothers something about the intimate aspects of devotional service to the Supreme Lord. The word anuiya indicates that Brahm repeated his instructions a few times to ensure that the Kumras would assimilate them. Then he continued on to Pukara-dvpa. TEXT 124

tat-tattva-vtta samp mayvocan vihasya te atrgatydhunpma gopa-blaka vetsi na

tatof Him; tattvaabout the identity; vttamfor an explanation; sampasked; mayby me; avocansaid; vihasyalaughing; tethey; atrahere; gatyahaving come; adhunnow; apieven; imamthis person; gopa-blakaO cowherd boy; vetsi nayou do not know. When I asked the Kumras to explain who he was, they laughed and said, Dear cowherd boy, even after reaching this planet you still dont know who this person is? Commentary: Laughing at Gopa-kumra, Sanaka and the others reminded him that he was just a simple cowherd. Even after Gopa-kumra had been residing for so long on Tapoloka, where everyone is virtually omniscient, could he still know nothing about the universally famous Lord Brahm? TEXT 125

prajpati-patir brahm sra vivasya na pit svayam-bh parame-hy ea jagat pty anusty api
prajpatiof the progenitors of the universal population; patithe lord; brahmBrahm; sra the creator; vivasyaof the universe; naour; pitfather; svayam-bhself-born; parame-h seated as the highest authority; eathis person; jagatthe universe; ptihe maintains; anustihe
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guides; apialso. That was Brahm, the lord of all lords of the living beings. He is our father, the creator of the universe. Self-born, he sits on the highest seat of authority. He maintains and guides the created world. Commentary: There are many Prajpatis like Bhgu who populate the universe and then engage their progeny in prescribed Vedic duties. Brahm is the master and protector of those Prajpatis. Since the Prajpatis are brothers of the Kumras, when the Kumras refer to Brahm as our father this implies that Brahm is the father of them all. Brahms father, however, is not of this world. Brahm is born from the lotus growing from the navel of the Supreme Lord and is therefore called Svayambh, or one who is born without father and mother. He occupies the highest post of authority, maintains the living entities of the universe by giving them their occupational duties, and guides them by initiating the study of the Vedas, which teach the principles of progressive civilized life. TEXT 126

asya lokas tu satykhya sarvopari virjate ata-janma-ktai uddhai sva-dharmair labhyate hi ya

asyahis; lokaplanet; tuand; satya-khyacalled Satya; sarva-upariabove all; virjatestands; ata-janmafor one hundred lifetimes; ktai executed; uddhaipure; sva-dharmaiby prescribed duties; labhyateis achieved; hiindeed; yawhich. His planet, called Satyaloka, stands above all others. It is achieved by persons who have done their prescribed duties purely for one hundred lifetimes. Commentary: As Lord iva states in rmadBhgavatam (4.24.29), sva-dharma-niha ata257

janmabhi pumn/ viricatm eti: By remaining fixed in ones prescribed dharma, in a hundred lifetimes one can become Brahm or else achieve his planet. TEXT 127

tatra vaikuha-loko sti yasmin r-jagad-vara sahasra-r varteta sa mah-purua sad

tatrathere; vaikuha-lokaa Vaikuha planet; astiis; yasminwhere; r-jagat-varathe divine Lord of the universe; sahasra-rwith thousands of heads; vartetais present; saHe; mah-purua the Mahpurua; sadalways. Within Satyaloka is a Vaikuha planet where the thousand-headed divine Lord of the universe is always present as the Mahpurua. Commentary: Within the realm of Satyaloka is a spiritual planet, named Vaikuha, which is actually an enclave of Vaikuha the spiritual world. That the inconceivable Mahpurua lives there should interest Gopa-kumra because that is where Gopa-kumra can expect to fulfill his desires. TEXT 128

tasya putra iva brahm ryate na ca bhidyate brahmaiva llay tatra mrtibhy bhti no matam
tasyaHis; putrason; ivaas if; brahmBrahm; ryateis said to be; nanot; caand; bhidyateis different; brahmathe Absolute Truth; evathus; llayas His pastime; tatrathere; mrtibhymin both forms; bhtiis visible; naour; matam opinion. Although said to be the son of the Mahpurua, Brahm is nondifferent from Him. In our opinion, the one Absolute Truth assumes both these forms as
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a pastime. Commentary: How can Lord Brahm be considered the master of his own planet, and the highest authority in the universe, if the Supreme Lord of the universe also lives on the same planet? The Kumras here explain that Brahm is the highest authority of the material world because he is the son of the Supreme Lord. As implied by the word iva (as if), Brahm is not a son in exactly the same way as normally understood in material life; still, he is the first-born of all created beings. This relationship between Brahm and Viu can be understood only by hearing from the Vedas, not by empirical perception, because everyone in the universe is born from Brahm, and thus all his descendants are too young to have seen Brahms birth. If Brahm is Lord Vius son, then like most sons he must be inferior in quality to his father; and thus the basic difference between Brahm and Viu that one is the worshiper and the other the worshipedmust be true. Nevertheless, the Kumras offer their opinion that four-headed Brahm and the thousand-headed Mahpurua are not completely different persons; on Satyaloka the same Absolute Truth manifests Himself as both of them. The Kumras see Brahm and the Mahpurua to be nondifferent in the sense that Brahm shares many of the personal qualities of the Lord of the universe. TEXT 129

r-gopa-kumra uvca tac chrutv tatra gatv ta mah-puruam kitum japa kurvas tapo-loke nivio nta-samdhin
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; tat that; rutvhearing; tatrathere; gatvintending to go; tamHim; mah-puruamthe Mahpurua; kitumto see; japammy japa; kurvandoing; tapa259

lokeon Tapoloka; niviasituated; anta internal; samdhinby trance. r Gopa-kumra said: Hearing this, I wanted to go to that planet and see the Mahpurua. Seated on Tapoloka, I chanted my mantra and focused my attention in samdhi. TEXT 130

muhrtnantara d samunmlya vyalokayam brahma-lokptam tmna ta ca r-jagad-varam

muhrta-anantaramafter a moment; dmy eyes; samunmlyaopening; vyalokayamI saw; brahma-loka Brahmaloka; ptamhaving reached; tmnammyself; tamHim; caand; r-jagat-varamthe blessed Lord of the universe. After a moment, I opened my eyes to find that I had reached Brahmaloka. And before me was the blessed Lord of the universe. TEXT 131

rmat-sahasra-bhuja-ra-pada mahnta nlmbudbham anurpa-vibhahyam tejo-nidhi kamala-nbham ananta-bhogatalpe aynam akhilki-mano-bhirmam

rmatdivine; sahasrathousands; bhujawhose arms; raheads; padamand feet; mahntamhuge; nla blue; ambudaa cloud; bhamresembling; anurpa suitable; vibhaawith ornaments; hyamrichly adorned; tejaof brilliant effulgence; nidhimlike a treasure chest; kamalalike a lotus; nbhamwhose navel; ananta-bhogaof the serpent Ananta; talpeon the bed; aynamlying; akhilaof all; akithe eyes; manaand minds; abhirmamenchanting. He was huge, with thousands of divine arms, heads, and feet. He resembled a dark-blue cloud and was richly adorned with suitable ornaments. He was an ocean of brilliant effulgence. His navel was
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beautiful like a lotus. Lying on the bed of Ananta ea, He enchanted everyones eyes and minds. Commentary: It is said that Lord Mahpurua has thousands of arms, heads, and feet; but that is just a figurative way of saying that He has an uncountable number of limbs. And although He is huge and formidable, His beauty is supremely attractive. TEXT 132

savhyamna-caraa ramay supare baddhjalau kta-da vidhinrcyamnam bhyo vibhtibhir amu bahu llayanta r-nrada-praaya-bhaktiu datta-cittam
savhyamnabeing massaged; caraamHis feet; ramayby the goddess of fortune; suparetoward Garua; baddhajoined; ajalauwhose palms; kta directed; damHis sight; vidhinby Brahm; arcyamnambeing worshiped; bhyaprofuse; vibhtibhiwith opulences; amumhim; bahuamply; llayantamgratifying; r-nradaof r Nrada; praaya-bhaktiuto the displays of loving devotion; dattagiven; cittamHis attention. As the goddess of fortune, Lakm, massaged His feet, He glanced at Garua, who stood before Him with joined palms. Lord Brahm worshiped the Lord with opulent offerings, and in turn the Lord amply gratified him. Lord Mahpurua was also attentive to r Nradas displays of loving devotion. Commentary: The Lord responded to Brahms worship by touching him with His hand and showing other signs of affection. The Lord also acknowledged Nradas offerings of devotional songs and music. TEXT 133

mah-rahasya nigamrtha-tattva sva-bhakti-mrga kamalsanya anair vivtyopadiantam antar nijlayendrasya virjamnam

mah-rahasyamvery confidential; nigamaof the
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revealed scriptures; artha-tattvamthe essential truth; svato Himself; bhaktiof devotional service; mrgamthe path; kamala-sanyato Brahm, whose seat was a lotus; anaipatiently; vivtya explaining; upadiantaminstructing; antainside; nijaHis own; laya-indrasyaking of residences; virjamnamshining forth. The resplendent Lord Mahpurua, within His own most excellent residence, instructed Brahm, who sat on the lotus beside Him. The Lord patiently explained to Brahm, step by step, the greatest of mysteries, the essential truth of the revealed scriptures, the path of devotional service to Himself. Commentary: After the Supreme Lord received worship from His servants, He went to His splendid palace on the Vaikuha planet within Satyaloka. There Brahm joined him and sat next to Him on the lotus that had sprouted from the navel of the Lord in His form as Garbhodaka-y Viu. In that intimate setting, Lord Mahpurua spoke directly into Brahms ears about the path of pure devotion. The details of this science should be spoken only to persons ready to appreciate them. TEXT 134

atho tad karya catur-mukha ca pramoda-sampad-viva-bhavantam andya ncair anumodamna muhus tad-aghrn abhivandamnam
atha uthen; tatthat; karyahearing; catumukhamfour-headed Brahm; caand; pramodaof joy; sampatby the vast treasure; vivaoverwhelmed; bhavantambecoming; andyarepeating; ncai quietly; anumodamnamagreeing; muhurepeatedly; tatHis; aghrnto the feet; abhivandamnam offering respects. Hearing these matters, four-headed Brahm, overwhelmed by a vast treasure of transcendental
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joy, quietly repeated and agreed with each point he was taught, and then offered his respects again and again at the feet of the Lord. Commentary: After relishing the wonder of the Supreme Lord speaking intimate instructions to His devotee, Gopa-kumra turned his attention to Brahm, whom he saw was receiving the lesson with great ecstasy. To show understanding of the Lords words, Brahm dutifully repeated each point, and confirmed that he agreed completely, before the Lord continued with the next. When the lesson was over, Brahm profusely thanked the Lord. For Brahm to bow down while sitting on his lotus seat would have been difficult, but at least he showed his respects with his words and joined palms. TEXT 135

pramoda-vegt patita visaja vilokya s mm abhigamya lakm ninya saj bahu llayitv sva-bla-vat prvam uta sva-bhartu
pramodaof joy; vegtby the force; patitamfallen down; visajamunconscious; vilokyaobserving; s she; mmme; abhigamyacoming toward; lakmthe goddess Lakm; ninyabringing back; sajmto consciousness; bahumuch; llayitvcoddling; svabla-vatlike her own child; prvamto the side; utaindeed; sva-bhartuof her husband. Lakm saw that by the force of ecstasy I had fallen into a swoon. So she coddled me like her own son to restore me to consciousness and then brought me to the side of her husband. Commentary: Now Gopa-kumra speaks of himself. When the Supreme Lords devoted wife noticed him, she knew he had fainted in ecstatic devotion for her husband, so she treated him like a son. She touched him with her cooling hand and sprinkled him with water to bring him back to consciousness. TEXT 136

bhagavanta muhu payan

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praamann avada mana nijepsitntam adyg nicala tva muda bhaja

bhagavantamat the Supreme Lord; muhurepeatedly; payanlooking; praamanbowing down; avadamI told; manamy mind; nijayour; psitaof the desires; antamthe ultimate fulfillment; adya today; agyou have attained; nicalambeing steady; tvamyou; mudamjoy; bhajaplease experience. Gazing at the Supreme Lord and repeatedly bowing down before Him, I told my mind: Today you have attained the ultimate fulfillment of all your desires! Be steady and joyful. Commentary: In texts 136 through 140, while offering repeated obeisances, Gopa-kumra preaches to his own mind. TEXT 137

aea-oka-santrsadukha-hnam ida padam paramarddhi-parnandanicita jagad-arcitam

aeaall; okaof sorrow; santrsafear; dukha and pain; hnamdevoid; idamthis; padamabode; paramasupreme; ddhiwith riches; paraand supreme; nandawith bliss; nicitamfilled; jagat by the entire world; arcitamworshiped. This abode, free from all sorrow, fear, and pain, is worshiped by the entire world. It is filled with the greatest opulence and bliss. Commentary: Satyaloka is the highest material abode, filled with inconceivable wealth and a happiness unequaled by any other sensory experience in this universe. Greater than any other place in the universe, Satyaloka is honored everywhere. TEXT 138

yda sambhaved bhrtar

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jagad-a ca tda bhty aea-mahatty par kh gata sphuam

ydaas; sambhavetis; bhrtadear brother; jagat-athe Lord of the universe; caand; tdaso; bhtiit is manifest; aeaall; mahattyof excellence; parmextreme; khmto the limit; gatagone; sphuamvisibly. Dear brother, this planet shines forth with as much perfection as the Lord of the universe Himself. It displays the final limit of complete excellence. Commentary: In the material world, persons and things have varieties of relative excellence. One person has a well-proportioned body, another is charming, another virtuous, another powerful. But the world of Satyaloka manifests all kinds of excellence to the greatest degree possible in the material universe. No other place is in any way as great. TEXT 139

sneham anvabhavo lakmy dgbhy paydhun prabhum mthura-vraja-bh-oka yiys cnyato jahi
snehamaffection; anvabhavayou have experienced; lakmyof the goddess Lakm; dgbhymwith your two eyes; payasee; adhunnow; prabhumthe Lord; mthurain the district of Mathur; vraja-bh because of the land of Vraja; okamyour lamentation; yiysmyour desire to go; caand; anyatasomewhere else; jahiplease give up. You have felt the affection of Lakm. Now see with your eyes her Lord. Give up your thoughts of going away from here and give up your grieving over the cow pastures of Vraja in Mathur. TEXT 140

jagad-d vidhteva
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llana ced abhpsasi tan mah-purudiamantra-akty phaliyati

jagat-tfrom the Lord of the universe; vidht Brahm; ivalike; llanampampering; cetif; abhpsasiyou desire; tatthat; mah-puruaby the great soul; diataught; mantraof the mantra; aktyby the power; phaliyatiwill be achieved. If you want to be pampered like Brahm by the Lord of the universe, that also you can achieve by the power of the mantra taught to you by the great soul. Commentary: The Personality of Godhead is present in Brahmaloka as Lord Mahpurua, but in Govardhana Gopa-kumra had met another mah-purua, the great devotee who had initiated him into the chanting of the Gopla mantra. For Gopa-kumra to be as familiar as Brahm with Lord Mahpurua will be difficult, but we shall see how an arrangement is made for him. TEXT 141

nidr-ll prabhur bheje loka-padme sya nbhi-je si-rti vidhir vkya sva-ktyybhavad bahi
nidrof sleep; llmHis pastime; prabhuthe Supreme Lord; bhejetook to; loka-padmein the universal lotus; asyaHis; nbhi-jeborn from the navel; siof creation; rtimthe business; vidhiBrahm; vkyanoting; sva-ktyyafor doing his duties; abhavat bahicame outside. The Supreme Lord turned to His pastime of sleep. And Brahm, sitting on the universal lotus born from the Lords navel, realized what he had to do to re-create the universe, and so came outside to do his work. Commentary: The transcendental Lord never sleeps, but He enjoys His pastime of pretending to sleep.
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Brahms seat is the lotus that grows from the navel of Garbhodaka-y Viu and bears the original subtle forms of the fourteen created worlds. While sitting on that lotus, Brahm could see within it the entire plan for creating the universe. Without wasting time, he studied it thoroughly and then came out to discharge his responsibility. He got down from the lotus, left Lord Mahpuruas residence, and went to his own. TEXT 142

payan prabho rpam ado mahdbhuta tan-nbhi-padme yugapat tath jagat ghopadea-ravac catur-mukhaprema-pravha ca sukha tato vasam
payanseeing; prabhoof the Lord; rpamform; adathat; mah-adbhutamvery wonderful; tatHis; nbhifrom the navel; padmewithin the lotus; yugapatat the same time; tathalso; jagatthe universe; ghaconfidential; upadeainstructions; ravatdue to hearing; catu-mukhaof Brahm; premaof love; pravhamthe flood; caand; sukham happily; tatathen; avasamI lived. I lived there happily for some time, seeing the very wonderful form of the Lord, observing the universe within the lotus grown from His navel, and witnessing the waves of love flowing over Brahm as he heard confidential instructions from the Lord. Commentary: Gopa-kumra was even more satisfied on Satyaloka than on Svargaloka and the planets of the sages. TEXT 143

ktsne loka-traye nae rtrv ekrave sati eopari sukha ete bhagavn brahma samam
ktsneentire; loka-trayethe three worlds; nae when they are destroyed; rtrauduring the night; eka-aravea single ocean; satibeing; ea-upari
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on ea Nga; sukhamcomfortably; etelies; bhagavnthe Personality of Godhead; brahmawith Brahm; samamtogether. During the dark of night, when the three worlds are totally destroyed and the universe becomes a single ocean, the Personality of Godhead lies comfortably on ea Nga, together with Brahm. Commentary: After each cycle of a thousand yugas, Brahms day ends, and Brahm joins the thousandheaded Mahpurua in going to sleep. TEXT 144

styate citra-vkyai sa jana-lokdi-vsibhi tan mah-kautuka vkye brahma-loka-prabhvata

styateis praised; citrachoice; vkyaiwith words; saHe; jana-loka-diof Janaloka and other planets; vsibhiby the residents; tatthose; mah-kautukammost curious events; vkyeI saw; brahma-lokaof Brahmaloka; prabhvataby the influence. The residents of Janaloka and other higher planets praise the Personality of Godhead with choice words. I saw these fascinating events by the powerful influence of Brahmaloka. Commentary: While Lord Mahpurua sleeps, sages from Janaloka, Tapoloka, and Satyaloka come to recite His glories. Gopa-kumras previous encounters with the nighttimes of Brahm on the planets Mahar, Jana, and Tapas had been less pleasant than this; he had been unaware of how Lord Mahpurua and Brahm enjoy their sleep. TEXT 145

antardhya kadcic cet kutrpi bhagavn vrajet oka syd gate csmin sa-mla kyate sa na
antardhyadisappearing; kadcitsometimes; cetif;
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kutra apisomewhere; bhagavnthe Lord; vrajet would go; okaunhappiness; sytthere would be; gateupon returning; caand; asminHe; sa-mlato the root; kyatewould be cut; sathat; naour. When the Lord sometimes went elsewhere, He would disappear, and I would be unhappy. But that painful feeling would be cut to the root as soon as He returned. Commentary: Unaware of where the Lord was going, Gopa-kumra was distressed by the Lords absence. But when the Lord would return after a short while, Gopa-kumra would at once forget his distress, and even forget that the Lord had left him. Thus his feelings of unhappiness on Satyaloka were of little account. The one small reason for unhappiness that sometimes arose was short-lived and so did not affect his overall mood. TEXT 146

ittham ahn katipaye prayte prtar ekad kautukd brahma spa phea-pujo suro bhavat
itthamin this way; ahnmdays; katipayeseveral; praytebeing spent; prtain the morning; ekad one day; kautuktout of curiosity; brahmaby Brahm; spatouched; pheaof foam; pujaa mass; asuraa demon; abhavatbecame. After I had spent some days in this way, early one morning, out of curiosity, Brahm touched a mass of foam, and it turned into a demon. Commentary: Gopa-kumra was harboring the desire to become Brahm so that he could enjoy Brahms special relationship with the Lord of the universe. He thought of this desire while chanting his japa, and thus, after only a few of Brahms days, Gopakumra was given what he wanted. A large residue of foam was left from the previous ocean of devastation, and Brahm touched it, unmindful of
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any serious consequence. The foam turned into a terrible demon, huge and extremely strong due to being born from the vast water of devastation. TEXT 147

tad-bhtylyata brahm daityo bhagavat hata bhaykrnto vidhir naiti tat-pade yukta m prabhu
tatof him; bhtyout of fear; alyatafled; brahmBrahm; daityathe demon; bhagavatby the Personality of Godhead; hatawas killed; bhayaby fear; krntaovercome; vidhiBrahm; na etidid not come back; tathis; padein the post; ayukta appointed; mmme; prabhuthe Supreme Lord. Terrified of him, Brahm fled. The Personality Godhead killed the demon, but Brahm, overcome fear, did not come back, and the Lord assigned to his post. Commentary: Brahm hid in a place where no one could find him. His fear prevented him from returning, even after Lord Nryaa had killed demon. TEXT 148 of by me

the

aha tu vaiavn eva sjas tad-bhakti-vddhaye nyayujam adhikreu vaiavn eva sarvata
ahamI; tuand; vaiavnVaiavas; evaindeed; sjansending forth; tatHis; bhaktithe devotional service; vddhayefor increasing; nyayujamI engaged; adhikreuin various positions of responsibility; vaiavnVaiavas; evaonly; sarvataeverywhere. I sent Vaiavas into the creation to increase devotional service to the Lord. Indeed, I engaged only Vaiavas everywhere, in all responsibilities. Commentary: Material creation is called si because the world and the living entities, rather
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than being created from nothing, are sent forth (sjan) in each new creation. When Gopa-kumra took up the position of creator, he brought many advanced Vaiavas into his universe and assigned them to the posts of Indra, Srya, Candra, the Prajpatis, and other demigods. TEXT 149

itas tato mah-yajair avamedhdibhir vibhum sampjayan mud prair brahma samaprayam
ita tatahere and there; mah-yajaiwith great sacrifices; avamedha-dibhithe Avamedha and others; vibhumthe almighty Lord; sampjayan worshiping; mudmof joy; praiwith floods; brahmamthe universe; samaprayamI filled. Arranging for the almighty Lord to be worshiped in all directions with great sacrifices like the Avamedha, I flooded the universe with joy. Commentary: Lord Brahm is responsible for creating the worlds and the bodies of all the species of life and for teaching the living beings in each class their proper work according to the injunctions of the Vedas. Gopa-kumra enthusiastically promoted Vedic sacrifices for the pleasure of the Personality of Godhead. TEXTS 150151

pramehyena saruddho vedair mrti-dharair makhai purair itihsai cgamais trthair maharibhi brahmaribhi ca bahudh styamno mah-madai grasyamno pi mucmi na smkicanat nijm
pramehyenawith the supreme position of authority; saruddhaencumbered; vedaiby the
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Vedas; mrti-dharaiin their personal forms; makhaiby the sacrifices; puraithe Puras; itihsaithe Itihsa epics; caand; gamaithe gamas (Pacartras); trthaithe pilgrimage places; mah-ibhithe great sages; brahmaibhithe sages among the brhmaas; caand; bahudhin various ways; styamnabeing glorified; mah-madaiby great delights; grasyamnabeing seized; apialthough; mucmi na smaI did not give up; akicanatmmy simplicity; nijmnatural. Even though I was encumbered with the post of the supreme authority in the universe, even though I was glorified in various ways by the maharis, the brahmaris, and the personified Vedas, gamas, Puras, Itihsas, sacrifices, and pilgrimage sites, and even though I was surrounded by great sources of delight, I did not give up my natural simplicity. Commentary: Without the strong spiritual qualifications of true humility and devotion to the Supreme, no one could avoid becoming intoxicated by the material power and facility for enjoyment given to Gopa-kumra. He now had the highest position in the universe, with seemingly unlimited opulences. The greatest sages and the revealed scriptures and the sacrifices personified all attended him in his court, singing his praises and presenting themselves for service at his pleasure. Nonetheless, he did not think of himself as someone special, as anything other than a humble devotee of the Lord of the universe, r Madana-gopla. TEXT 152

tathpi brhmya-ktybdhibhaga-magno na prva-vat lebhe bhagavato bhaktisukha cintturntara

tath apinonetheless; brhmyaof Brahm; ktyaof the duties; abdhiof an ocean; bhagain the waves;
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magnaimmersed; nanot; prva-vatas before; lebheI obtained; bhagavataof the Lord; bhaktiof the devotional service; sukhamthe enjoyment; cintwith anxieties; turadisturbed; antaramy mind. Even so, I was immersed in the waves of the ocean of Brahms duties, and therefore unable to enjoy devotional service to the Lord as I had before. My mind was too disturbed by anxious concerns. Commentary: Once again Gopa-kumra encountered circumstances that awakened within him a desire to go to an even better place. With so much responsibility on his shoulders, life on Satyaloka was troublesome. Brahms unavoidable duties were unlimited and deep like an ocean, and Gopa-kumra felt himself drowning in the churning waves. TEXT 153

dvi-parrdhyui svasya ryame pi klata bhaya syt kriyame ca jape bhr iyam rti-d
dvi-parrdhaconsisting of two very long periods of time; yuithe life span; svasyamy; ryame being heard of; apiand; klataof time; bhayam fear; sytthere would be; kriyamewhile being done; caand; japethe chanting of my mantra; bh Vraja-bhmi; iyamthis; rti-dgiving distress. Hearing that I would die at the end of a life span of two parrdhas, I was afraid. And as I chanted my mantra, remembrance of this Vraja-bhmi gave me more distress. Commentary: To avoid being frightened by thinking about his imminent death, Gopa-kumra Brahm relied on his mantra. But chanting only stirred memories of Vraja, giving him a different kind of distress. TEXT 154

jagad-varata putrallana tu mah-sukham

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mamnubhavata cittavaikalya tad vinayati

jagat-varataby the Lord of the universe; putra like a son; llananbeing pampered; tuhowever; mah-sukhama source of great happiness; mamaof me; anubhavatawho was experiencing; cittaof the mind; vaikalyamthe agitation; tatthat; vinayati would be destroyed. But I would derive great happiness from being pampered like a son by the Lord of the universe, and thus the mental agitation I was going through would be dispelled. Commentary: Satyaloka is such a pure place that unhappiness cannot persist for long. Lord Mahpurua Himself would see to this; by showering affection on His devotee, He would wash away distress in a flood of bliss. TEXT 155

atyanta-sannikarea pit-buddhy ca sevay kadpy gsi jtni myante prabhu mama

atyantatoo much; sannikareabecause of proximity; pitlike a father; buddhybecause of considering Him; caand; sevayby serving; kad apisometimes; gsioffenses; jtnicame about; myantethey were tolerated; prabhuby the Lord; mamamy. Because of being too close to the Lord and serving Him as if He were my father, I would sometimes commit offenses against Him, but He tolerated all those offenses. Commentary: Staying close to a great person for an extended time can be dangerous. As the saying goes, Familiarity breeds contempt. For Gopa-kumra in the role of Brahm, this danger was compounded by his thinking himself the son of Lord Viu. Often a son has no fear of dissatisfying his father,
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because he knows that his father loves him too much to reject him. Indeed, Lord Mahpurua acted like a doting father, tolerating the childish offenses of Gopa-kumra. TEXT 156

tathpy antar-mahodvega syt tato vyajite riy snehe mtreva ha sym eva tatrvasa ciram
tath apistill; antawithin; mah-udvegagreat distress; sytthere would be; tatathen; vyajitebeing manifest; riyby the goddess of fortune; sneheaffection; mtrby a mother; ivaas if; hajoyful; symI would become; evamthus; tatrathere; avasamI lived; ciramfor a long time. Still, at times I felt great distress in my mind. But when the goddess Lakm showed me motherly affection, I would again become joyful. Thus I lived there a long time. Commentary: Although the Lord showed no sign of taking offense, Gopa-kumra, realizing that he was not serving with the proper attitude, sometimes became disturbed. Embarrassed by his own behavior toward his father, he would be consoled by his mother, Lakm. Thus he lived happily in Satyaloka, even when facing causes of distress. TEXT 157

ekad muktim atrptam eka tal-loka-vsibhi salghyamnam karya tn apccha tad adbhutam
ekadonce; muktimliberation; atrahere; ptam obtained; ekamsomeone; tat-lokaof that planet; vsibhiby the residents; salghyamnambeing praised; karyahearing; tnfrom them; apcchamI inquired; tatabout that; adbhutamamazing thing. Once, hearing the residents of Brahmaloka glorify someone who had attained liberation here on earth,
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I asked them about that amazing event. Commentary: In texts 157 through 230, Gopa-kumra describes in depth the immediate cause for his leaving Satyaloka. The sages on Satyaloka were talking about someone who had achieved mokamukti, or liberationwhile living in Bhrata-vara. As they were praising that person, and the process of devotional service by which he had gained moka, Gopa-kumra, who had never heard of moka, asked the sages, What is this moka? Why are you glorifying someone so much for attaining it? TEXT 158

mukte paramam utkara daurlabhya ca niamya tn sarva-jn punar aprka tad-upya tad-psay
mukteof liberation; paramamsupreme; utkaramthe excellence; daurlabhyamthe difficulty of obtaining; caand; niamyahearing; tnthem; sarva-jnknowers of everything; punaagain; aprkamI asked; tatof that; upyamthe means of achieving; tatfor that; psaywith the desire. I heard from those all-knowing sages about the superexcellence and rareness of liberation, and so I desired it myself. I then asked them how liberation could be attained. Commentary: Among the sages from whom Gopa-kumra was inquiring were the personified Vedas, who surely were capable of giving him authoritative answers. And Gopa-kumras newly acquired eagerness to become liberated qualified him as a fit candidate to hear from the Vedas about the means of attaining liberation. TEXT 159

bahulopaniad-devya ruti-smtibhir anvit cur ekena sdhyo sau moko jnena nnyath
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bahulamany; upaniatof the Upaniads; devya the goddesses; ruti-smtibhiby rutis and smtis; anvitjoined; cusaid; ekenaonly; sdhyaachievable; asauthis; mokaliberation; jnenaby knowledge; nanot; anyathby other means. Many of the presiding goddesses of the Upaniads answered, joined by rutis and smtis. They said that only by knowledge is liberation achieved, and by no other means. Commentary: The Upaniads are the essential philosophical portion of the rutis, or Vedas. They are described here as devya, which means both presiding deities and brilliantly effulgent. Thus the Upaniads were present in person in Brahms assembly along with other revealed scriptures. The rutis mentioned separately here are other sections of the Vedas, particularly the Sahits, Brhmaas, and rayakas. The smtis are the Dharma-stras, Puras, gamas, and so on. The majority of Upaniads, rutis, and smtis declared that moka, the most excellent and rarely obtained goal, can be achieved only by knowledge. In the words of the vetvatara Upaniad (3.8): tam eva viditvti mtyum eti nnya panth vidyate yanya Knowing Him, one transcends death. There is no other path for attaining this goal. Gopa-kumras narration will later reveal that the knowledge leading to liberation arises only from devotional service; in fact, the cultivation of knowledge of the Supreme Person and His energies is itself a kind of devotional service. As long as knowledge remains impersonal, it cannot lead to true liberation. TEXT 160

kaicid ukta sa-gmbhrya purair gamair api

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janyate bhagavad-bhakty sukha jna su-durghaam

kaicitby some; uktamsaid; sa-gmbhryamwith gravity; puraiby Puras; gamaiand gamas; apialso; janyateit is generated; bhagavatto the Personality of Godhead; bhaktyby devotional service; sukhameasily; jnamknowledge; sudurghaamdifficult to obtain. But some Puras and gamas said gravely that this knowledge, difficult to obtain, is easily acquired by devotional service to the Personality of Godhead. Commentary: The gamas are tantras, textbooks on the methods of devotional worship. Prominent among them are the Pacartras. Some of the gamas and Puras teach the methods of pure devotional service very effectively, and these are the scriptures who at this juncture spoke up with unshaking conviction. TEXT 161

ki vnuhitay samyak tayaiva su-labho sti sa ruti-smtn kscit sammatis tatra lakit
kim vor else; anuhitaybeing executed; samyak properly; tayby it (devotional service); eva only; su-labhaeasily achieved; astiis; sait (liberation, and not merely knowledge); rutismtnmof the rutis and smtis; kscitsome; sammatiagreement; tatrawith that idea; lakit indirectly indicated. Some other rutis and smtis indirectly showed agreement among themselves that by devotional service alone, properly done, liberation is easy to attain. Commentary: In the opinion of the Vaiava Puras and gamas, liberation is attained with special ease by devotional service that is free from
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material desires and properly executed in all essential details. Such pure devotional service by itself (tayaiva) leads to liberation, without help from anything else. As stated in the Bhan-nradya Pura (32.6, 4.30): bhaktir dh bhaved yasya deva-deve janrdane reysi tasya sidhyanti bhakti-manto dhiks tata By one whose devotion is steadfast in Janrdana, the Lord of lords, all superior benefits are gained. Such is the excellence of the Lords devotees. jvanti jantava sarve yath mtaram rit tath bhakti samritya sarv jvanti siddhaya Just as all living beings live under the shelter of their mothers, all perfections live under the complete shelter of devotional service. The benefits and perfections mentioned in these verses include liberation; though the verses do not specify this, it is implied. r Ka also says in the Bhagavad-gt (11.54): bhakty tv anyay akya aham eva-vidho rjuna jtu drau ca tattvena praveu ca parantapa My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into My existence. Entering into the existence of the Personality of Godheadthat is, entering His associationby its very nature includes liberation.
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The theistic rutis and smtis (among them some of the Dharma-stras) are in agreement about this understanding, and they indicated this by movements of their heads and by other subtle signs. These scriptures do not promote pure devotional service explicitly, but one may discover the importance of bhakti in their purports. Thus we read in the Padma Pura (Ptla-khaa 92.26): apatya dravia dr hr harmya hay gaj sukhni svarga-mokau ca na dre hari-bhaktita Wife, children, precious necklaces and wealth, home, horses, elephantsall happiness, and moreover the attainment of heaven and liberation when devotional service to Lord Hari is present, none of these are difficult to obtain. TEXT 162

vyakta ts vaco rutv kruddh svair gamdibhi mahopaniada kcid anvamodanta tat sphuam
vyaktamopenly; tsmfrom those rutis and smtis; vacastatements; arutvnot hearing; kruddh becoming angry; svaithat are related to them (the great Upaniads); gama-dibhiwith the Pacartras and other scriptures; mah-upaniada great Upaniads; kcitsome; anvamodantadeclared approval; tatof that opinion; sphuamopenly. Angry at not hearing those rutis and smtis speak up, some of the great Upaniadsand scriptures like the gamas who follow in their footstepsopenly affirmed that devotional service is an independent cause of liberation. Commentary: The more devotional of the Upaniads were angry at the other devotional scriptures who
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werent bold enough to say what they knew, and so were certain Vaiava gamas and Puras who took shelter of those Upaniads. Together, therefore, these Upaniads, gamas, and Puras declared in no uncertain terms that liberation is effortlessly achieved by unalloyed devotional service to the Supreme Lord. As stated in the Bhan-nradya Pura (1.79): dharmrtha-kma-mokkhy pururth dvijottam hari-bhakti-par vai sampadyante na saaya O best of brhmaas, there is no doubt that those who are dedicated to Lord Haris devotional service achieve all the goals of life, known as religiosity, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation. And in a prayer to the Personality of Godhead, we read in r Viu Pura (1.20.27): dharmrtha-kmai ki tasya muktis tasya kare sthit samasta-jagat mle yasya bhakti sthir tvayi What is the value of religiosity, economic development, and sense gratification to one who has firm devotion for You, the root of all the worlds? Liberation sits in the palm of his hand. TEXT 163

ghopaniada kcit kaicid ghair mahgamai sama mah-purai ca tm san kta-smit

ghaconfidential; upaniadaUpaniads; kcit some; kaicitwith some; ghaiconfidential; mah-gamaimajor gamas; samamtogether; mahpuraiwith major Puras; caand; tmsilent;
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sanwere; kta-smitsmiling. A few confidential Upaniads smiled and kept silent, along with some confidential major gamas and Puras. Commentary: The little-known most confidential Upaniads, like the Gopla-tpan, smiled but said nothing, and so did certain Vaiava gamas, like the Stvata-siddhnta, and a few Puras, like rmad-Bhgavatam. Some were thinking, Just see the power of the Supreme Lords illusory energy, which makes the essential meaning of scripture, which should be obvious, incomprehensible to vastly learned authorities. Others were thinking scornfully, Who are these stras to presume that merely bestowing liberation is the true glory of bhakti? This second group saw no purpose in arguing with scriptures whose outlook was so dissimilar from their own, and even thought it improper that these intimate topics be discussed in public. Granted, these scriptures thought, karma, jna, and moka make up the ladder ascending to bhakti, devotional service, and so the glories of Vedic rituals, knowledge, and liberation culminate in the glories of bhakti. Nonetheless, when the main focus of discussion is on lesser spiritual methods, the importance of bhakti can only be hinted at; in such contexts, its superexcellence cannot be properly revealed. With these thoughts in mind, the Bhgavatam and a few other scriptures, following the lead of the confidential Upaniads, kept quiet. TEXTS 164165

moko nu bhagavan-mantrajapa-mtrt su-sidhyati na veti kaicid mnyapurdibhir ulbaa gamn vivdo bht tam asohv bahir gat
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te purgam karau pidhyopaniad-yut

mokaliberation; anusubsequently; bhagavatof the Personality of Godhead; mantra-japaby chanting the mantra; mtrtmerely; su-sidhyatiis easily achieved; na vor not; itithus; kaicitby some; mnyawith rutis; pura-dibhiand Puras and other scriptures; ulbaafierce; gamnmby the gamas; vivdaa debate; abhtbegan; tamthat; asohvnot tolerating; bahioutside; gatwent; tethose; pura-gamPuras and gamas; karau their ears; pidhyacovering; upaniat-yut together with Upaniads. A fierce debate then arosebetween the gamas on one side and scriptures like certain rutis and Puras on the otherabout whether or not liberation is achieved merely by chanting mantras that worship the Personality of Godhead. Unable to tolerate the debate, the Puras, gamas, and Upaniads who had been silent covered their ears and left. Commentary: mnya means the original Vedic texts, or rutis, and in the phrase mnya-purdibhi the suffix -dibhi (and so on) indicates scriptures such as the Dharma-stras and epic histories. As the previous discussions were left behind and a debate began on a new topic, the stras who were unable to tolerate hearing it, or the doubt on which it was based, left the assembly in disgust. They covered their ears to avoid the offense of even hearing doubts that the Supreme Lords mantras have the power to give liberation. These stras, in their own pages, never entertain even a hint of doubts of this sort. Moments before, the confidential Upaniads had taken the lead in keeping quiet, followed by the Bhgavatam and other confidential Mah-puras. Now, in boycotting the debate, the Bhgavatam and its colleagues took the lead.
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TEXT 166

tato mah-purn mahopaniad tath mdhya-sthyd gamn tu jayo jto mama priya
tatathen; mah-purnmthe major Puras; mahupaniadmthe major Upaniads; tathand; mdhyasthytbecause of their being arbitrators; gamnmof the gamas; tubut; jayavictory; jtaensued; mamato me; priyapleasing. Then the major Puras and Upaniads became arbitrators, and so victory went to the gamas. That pleased me very much. Commentary: Now that the most advanced Puras, Upaniads, and gamas had walked out on the debate, they were able to give impartial consideration to both sides. And they deemed correct the claim made by the gamasthat liberation is easily achieved simply by chanting mantras worshiping the Personality of Godhead. As stated in r Viu Pura (1.6.40): gatv gatv nivartante candra-srydayo grah adypi na nivartante dvdakara-cintak Even the moon, sun, and other planets are created and destroyed again and again. But persons who have meditated on the twelve-syllable viu-mantra have never had to return, even till the present day. And r Padma Pura gives this opinion: japena devat nitya styamn prasdati prasann vipuln bhogn dadyn mukti ca vatm The Supreme Lord is always satisfied when praised by the chanting of His mantras. And so He awards
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abundant enjoyment, as well as eternal liberation. Because Gopa-kumra was absorbed in chanting a mantra addressed to the Supreme Lord and had no interest in other spiritual practices, he was extremely pleased by the conclusion of the debate. TEXT 167

maybhipretya tad-bhva te purgamdaya anunya sabh-madhyam nt stuti-pavai

mayby me; abhipretyabeing discerned; tattheir; bhvammood; tethey; pura-gama-dayaof the Puras, gamas, and other scriptures; anunya being placated; sabh-madhyaminside the assembly; ntbrought back; stutiin offering praise; pavaiby expertise. Discerning the inner mood of the Puras, gamas, and other scriptures who had left the debate, I pacified them with tactful praise and brought them back to the assembly. Commentary: Gopa-kumra had noted the grave smiles on the faces of the Bhgavatam, Stvata-siddhnta, and other scriptures who left the assembly. Those signs led him to believe that these few stras, among all the others, best understood the truth. With humility and adroit praise he managed to bring them back. TEXT 168

tat tattva sdara ps te r-bhgavatdaya cu stvata-siddhntdygam ruti-maulibhi

tatabout that (liberation); tattvamthe truth; sadaramrespectfully; pquestioned; tethey; r-bhgavata-dayarmad-Bhgavatam and the other scriptures; cusaid; stvata-siddhnta-di the Stvata-siddhnta and others; gamgamas; ruti-maulibhialong with the foremost rutis.
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From those scripturesthe rmad-Bhgavatam, the Stvata-siddhnta and other gamas, and the foremost rutisI respectfully asked about the truth of the matter, and they replied. Commentary: With great respect, Gopa-kumra asked the Bhgavatam and other devotional scriptures about the true nature of liberation. He also inquired why they had responded to the discussion the way they hadfirst by smiling silently, then by covering their ears and leaving the assembly. TEXT 169

r-bhakti-stry cu labdha-brahmdhikreda mah-gopya nidher api bhavat-sad-gua-sandohair khymo mukhar-kt

r-bhakti-stri cuthe devotional scriptures said; labdhaO you who have achieved; brahmaadhikrathe position of Brahm; idamthis; mahgopyammore secret; nidhethan a rare treasure; apieven; bhavatof your good self; sat-guaof good qualities; sandohaibecause of the multitude; khymawe shall explain; mukhar-ktinduced to speak freely. The devotional scriptures said: O dear one who have achieved the post of Brahm, this topic is more secret than a rare treasure. But we shall explain it to you, because your abundant good qualities inspire us to speak freely. Commentary: In texts 169 through 230, the bhaktistras answer. Since Gopa-kumra holds the post of Lord Brahm, he is worthy of the privilege to hear such elevated topics. One might argue that the secrets of devotional service should not be freely divulged to anyone, not even the lord of an entire universe, unless he is fully surrendered to the Supreme Lord and His devotees. But then Gopakumras personal qualifications should be taken into account, especially his eagerness to engage in
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the Supreme Lords service. TEXT 170

kvacit prastyate smbhir bhagavad-bhakti-tatparai mokas tyjayitu samyag vinindya sa-paricchada

kvacitsometimes; prastyateis discussed; asmbhiby us; bhagavat-bhaktito the Supreme Lords devotional service; tat-paraiwho are dedicated; mokaliberation; tyjayitumin order to encourage its rejection; samyakcompletely; vinindyacondemning; sa-paricchadaalong with everything associated with it. We who are dedicated to the Personality of Godheads devotional service may sometimes discuss liberation, but only to encourage people to reject it completely. When we speak of liberation we condemn it, and everything that goes with it. Commentary: The bhakti-stras have no business promoting liberation. But sometimes they do describe it, because people generally cannot give up attachment to something unless scientifically taught why it is undesirable. When the bhaktistras speak of liberation, they criticize attachment to liberation for its own sake, and attachment to jna and the other impersonal means of striving for liberation. TEXT 171

nirvaktu bhakti-mhtmya kathyate sypi tat kvacit na tu sdhya-phalatvena sukha-gandho pi nsti yat
nirvaktumto describe; bhaktiof devotional service; mhtmyamthe glories; kathyateare described; asyaof it (liberation); apialso; tat those; kvacitsometimes; nanot; tubut; sdhyaof the goal; phalatvenaas the perfection; sukhaof happiness; gandhaa trace; apieven; na astithere
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is not; yatwhich. To describe the ultimate glories of devotional service, we may sometimes speak highly of moka, liberation. But we do not intend to acclaim moka the final goal of spiritual discipline, because in moka there is not even a trace of real happiness. Commentary: In some passages of the bhakti-stras, the joy found in liberation is described as being greater than any happiness in material life. The stras provide this information to contrast the joy of liberation with the joy of pure devotional service, which is billions of times more intense. Other than the joy of liberation, nothing can be meaningfully compared with the joy of bhakti. Properly speaking, however, the concept of joy in liberation is only a theoretical creation of the impersonalists. As the bhakti-stras declare in this verse, in liberation there is not even a trace of real happiness. TEXT 172

yathrogye suuptau ca sukha moke pi kalpyate para tv ajna-sajo yam anabhija-prarocaka

yathas; rogyein not being sick; suuptauin deep sleep; caand; sukhamhappiness; mokein liberation; apialso; kalpyateis imagined; param only; tubut; ajnaof illusion; sajaa designation; ayamthis; anabhijato ignorant people; prarocakaappealing. The so-called happiness of liberation may be compared to the happiness of not being sick or the enjoyment of deep sleep. In fact, the very term liberation is a misnomer created by illusion, and it appeals only to the ignorant. Commentary: As the scriptures like to do, they here support their proposition with analogies. Simply being free from the pain of disease is not positive
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happiness. Nor is there happiness in deep sleep, which is nothing but a condition of ignorance. One only imagines that in deep sleep one is happy because in that sleep one is free for a while from the minds flights of fancy, and from dreams and other agitations. One thinks, I slept happily, unaware of anything. In the same way, one only imagines that there is happiness in liberation, a state of apparent voidness in which birth, death, and the other pains of material existence are not perceived. People praise liberation only because they are unaware of the facts. The very term liberation is a misnomer, as Lord Brahm states in the Tenth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (10.14.26): ajna-sajau bhava-bandha-mokau dvau nma nnyau sta ta-ja-bhvt ajasra-city tmani kevale pare vicryame tarav ivhan The conception of material bondage and that of liberation are both signs of ignorance. They lie outside the scope of true knowledge. They cease to exist when one correctly knows that the pure spirit soul is distinct from matter and always fully conscious. Bondage and liberation then no longer have any meaning, just as day and night mean nothing for the sun. TEXT 173

kathacid bhagavan-nmbhsasypi sa sidhyati sakd uccra-mtrea ki v kara-praveata

kathacitsomehow; bhagavat-nmaof the names of the Supreme Lord; bhsasyafrom a shadow; api even; sait (liberation); sidhyatiis attained; saktonce; uccra-mtreamerely by uttering; kim vor else; karathe ears; praveataby entering.

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From even a shadow of the Lords namesif one somehow chants them but once, or merely if they enter the earsliberation is easily attained. Commentary: If even after hearing how the previous verse defines liberation one still wants to know the means to attain it, from the present statement one can learn that devotees of the Personality of Godhead achieve liberation without separate endeavor, as a mere by-product of the practice of bhakti. Furthermore, ones service to the holy names of the Lord need not even be pure; simply nmbhsa, the shadow of chanting the Lords names, earns one liberation. Nmbhsa resembles the shadow of a real object in the world. It is the unintentional utteringin jest, contempt, or other moods of neglectof sounds that contain the same syllables as Lord Vius names. Chanting or hearing nmbhsa even once results in liberation. This is stated in the Sixth Canto of rmadBhgavatam (6.3.24): etvatlam agha-nirharaya pus sakrtana bhagavato gua-karma-nmnm vikruya putram aghavn yad ajmilo pi nryaeti mriyama iyya muktim It should therefore be understood that one is easily relieved from all sinful reactions by chanting the holy name of the Lord and chanting of His qualities and activities. This is the only process recommended for relief from sinful reactions. Even if one chants the holy name of the Lord with improper pronunciation, he will achieve relief from material bondage if he chants without offenses. Ajmila, for example, was extremely sinful, but while dying he merely chanted the holy name, and although calling his son, he achieved complete liberation because he remembered the name of Nryaa. Also, at the beginning of the history of Satyatap, r Varha Pura (38.20) tells of a tiger that once approached a brhmaa who was busy
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chanting japa while standing in water. The tiger wanted to eat the brhmaa, but at that very moment the tiger was killed by a hunter. And because of hearing the names of the Supreme Lord from the mouth of the brhmaa, the tiger was liberated. TEXT 174

vicrctur-ramyo moko yam avadhryatm te veda-purdistr hi yath-matam

vicrain discriminating reason; acturto those who are not competent; ramyaattractive; moka liberation; ayamthis; avadhryatmplease understand; temof these; veda-pura-diVedas, Puras, and so on; strmscriptures; hi certainly; yath-matamaccording to the opinions. Liberation, please understand, is attractive to those whose discrimination is poor. This is evident even from the opinions of the same Vedas, Puras, and other scriptures that the proponents of liberation accept as authorities. Commentary: In philosophical debates, opposing sides from different schools of thought unavoidably base their opinions on their own assumptions. Buddhists, for example, assume that everything is but momentary and thus unreal, while the logicians of the Gautama school assume that whatever has perceivable qualities is real. A debate is effective when each side, rather than fight over these assumptions, accepts for the sake of argument the assumptions of the other side and works out their own arguments from that starting point. It is in this sense that the bhakti-stras accept the scriptural statements yogs cite in support of their conviction that impersonal liberation is the final goal of life. TEXT 175

so ea-dukha-dhvaso vvidy-karma-kayo tha v

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my-ktnyath-rpatygt svnubhavo pi v
sait (moka); aea-dukhaof all misery; dhvasathe elimination; vor; avidyin ignorance; karmaof material activity; kayathe destruction; atha vor else; my-ktacreated by My; anyath-rpaof false identity; tygtby abandoning; sva-anubhavarealization of ones real nature; api vor else. Moka, liberation, is the removal of all misery, or the stopping of illusory activities, or the selfrealization that comes from abandoning the false identities created by My. Commentary: These three alternative definitions of moka, taken from various stras, are adhered to by those who strive for liberation. The logicians of Gautamas Nyya school hold that liberation is the removal of all kinds of misery, which they count as twenty-one. As the followers of Gautama say, tyantik dukha-nivttir mukti: Liberation is the complete stoppage of suffering. A section of the Vednta school says that liberation is the ceasing of illusion and thus of activity. And another party of impersonal Vedntists, the illusionists (Vivarta-vds), define liberation as rejecting the false identity produced by the power of illusion and thus realizing oneself to be one with Brahman. The Vivarta-vds further describe the false identity of the illusioned soul in terms of dualities and the cycle of life and death. These impersonalists sometimes cite rmadBhgavatam (2.10.6) as the source of their definition. Muktir hitvnyath-rpa svarpea vyavasthiti: Liberation means to give up other identities and assume ones true essential identity. TEXT 176

jva-svarpa-bhtasya sac-cid-nanda-vastuna
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skd-anubhavenpi syt tdk sukham alpakam

jvaof the finite individual soul; svar``pabhtasyawhich is his true identity; sat-citnandaeternally full of knowledge and bliss; vastunawho is an entity; sktdirect; anubhavenaby experience; apieven; sytcan be; tdksuch; sukhamthe happiness; alpakamonly meager. The happiness that arises from directly perceiving the true identity of the jva soulthe entity composed of eternity, knowledge, and blissis actually meager. Commentary: The moka, or liberation, conceived in the first two ideas cited abovemoka as the end of misery or as the end of the causes of misery affords no positive happiness. This was not difficult to show. Furthermore, the happiness of self-realization presumed in the third theory of moka, that of vivarta, is actually meager, as the bhakti-stras, in texts 176 through 196, now set out to prove. Compared to the bliss of performing pure devotional service and realizing the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, who embodies all the perfections of Brahman, realizing the identity of the jva soul brings very little happiness. In fact, this so-called happiness of self-realization is nothing more than the negation of suffering; the scriptures refer to it as happiness only as a concession to the foolish. But at least the happiness of perceiving the jva soul serves as a standard of comparison by which to think of the joy of pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord. TEXT 177

uddhtma-tattva yad vastu tad eva brahma kathyate nirgua tac ca nisaga nirvikra nirhitam
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uddha-tmaof the pure self; tattvamthe reality; yatwhich; vastuentity; tatthat; evaindeed; brahmaBrahman; kathyateis called; nirguamdevoid of qualities; tatthat; caand; nisagamfree from attachment; nirvikramunchanging; nirhitam inactive. That entitythe reality of pure selfis called Brahman. It is devoid of qualities, free from attachment, unchanging, and inactive. Commentary: The impersonalists might now suggest that, in contrast to the small happiness of realizing the minute jva, the relish of perceiving the impersonal Supreme in liberation is unlimited. However, the bhakti-stras here point out that the Vivarta-vds own definition of the Supreme leaves little room in Brahman realization for happiness. According to them, Brahman is devoid of qualities such as compassion. It has no attachment to anything or anyone, including the pure Vaiavas. It undergoes no changes, such as the transformations of a heart melting in the ecstasy of love, and displays none of the dynamic varieties of opulence and sweetness shown by the Supreme Lord in His personal form. It is also inactive, which implies that it has no wonderful all-attractive pastimes. Thus the happiness of realizing Brahman cannot transcend the limits of impersonalism. TEXT 178

bhagavs tu para brahma partm paramevara su-sndra-sac-cid-nandavigraho mahimrava

bhagavnthe Personality of Godhead; tuhowever; param brahmathe Supreme Brahman; para-tmthe Supersoul; parama-varathe absolute controller of everything; su-sndravery concentrated; satcit-nandaof eternity, knowledge and bliss; vigrahawhose personal form; mahimof greatness; aravaocean.
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But the Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Brahman, the Supersoul, the absolute controller of everything. His body is the concentrated essence of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. He is an ocean of superlative qualities. Commentary: Substantial happiness is not to be found in the impersonal conception of the Supreme, but rather in pure devotional service to the Personality of Godhead. He is the complete Absolute Truth, para brahma. He is also the Supreme Soul, the indwelling controller who regulates everyones consciousness. As such, He is the ultimate controller of everything, the ruler of even Brahm and all the other demigods. And as the Lord of Vaikuha He is the most concentrated manifestation of eternity, knowledge, and bliss, which constitute His transcendental body. He is an oceansteady, deep, and infinitely wideof countless inconceivable and amazing perfections. When the bhakti-stras refer to the full personal concept of the Absolute Truth, the term normally used is Para-brahman or para brahma, as in Bhagavad-gt (10.12): para brahma para dhma pavitra parama bhavn (You are the Supreme Brahman, the supreme abode, the supreme purifier). When the spiritual reality is indicated in a more generic sense, it is usually called simply Brahman, as again in Bhagavad-gt (14.27): brahmao hi pratiho ham (I am the foundation of the Absolute). rmad-Bhgavatam (10.87.1) also says: brahman brahmay anirdeye nirgue gua-vttaya katha caranti rutaya skt sad-asata pare How can the Vedas directly describe the Supreme Absolute Truth, who cannot be described in words? O brhmaa, the Vedas are limited to describing the qualities of material nature, but the Supreme is
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devoid of those qualities, being transcendental to all material manifestations and their causes. When the adjective param is seen with the term brahma, it may occasionally be intended to distinguish brahma the Supreme Truth from Vedic sound, which is also called brahma. TEXT 179

saguatvguatvdivirodh pravianti tam mah-vibhtir brahmsya prasiddhettha tayor bhid

saguatvahaving qualities; aguatvahaving no qualities; diand so on; virodhcontrary natures; praviantienter; tamHim; mah-vibhti infinite opulence; brahmathe impersonal aspect of the Supreme; asyaof Him; prasiddhwell established; itthamthus; tayoof them; bhidthe difference. Contrary natures, like having qualities and having no qualities, conjoin in Him. Since impersonal Brahman is an infinite opulence of the Personality of Godhead, the difference between Him and Brahman is well established. Commentary: As rivers merge into an ocean, many opposite qualities converge in the Supreme Person. The word di after saguatva and aguatva indicates more oppositesdetachment and association, changelessness and change, inactivity and endeavor, oneness and multiplicity, nonduality and specific qualities. Conceived as impersonal Brahman, the Supreme is devoid of qualities and other dualities. Conceived as Paramtm and Paramevara, the Supreme displays characteristics such as having relationships with other living beings, possessing wonderful qualities, and so on. Thus in truth the Supreme is full of qualities, many of them apparently contradictory. stra may sometimes say that the Supreme cannot be described in words and that He has no name, but the literal construction
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of these statements is refuted by the Vsudevdhytma: aprasiddhes tad-gunm anmsau prakrtita aprktatvd rpasypy arpo ya pracakate Because His qualities are not well known, He is said to have no name. And because His form is not material, He is said to have no form. Myvds argue that the Personality of Godhead may have qualities but as products of My those qualities are illusory. Thus they want to reconcile His having qualities with their idea of reality, that the Supreme actually has no qualities. In fact, however, the supreme powers of the Absolute Truth are eternal and real, not illusory like the material creation. And therefore when the personal feature of the Supreme, Bhagavn, is said to be nirgua, like Brahman, the sense is different, namely that Bhagavn transcends all material qualities. At the same time, like the material world, He has many different qualities, and so He is also said to be sagua. This seems contradictory, but it is possible by His inconceivable, amazing potencies. The Supreme Person is indeed mahimrava, the ocean in which all perfections converge. This is confirmed in many stras. In the words of the Moka-dharma (Mahbhrata, nti-parva 335.1011): yat kicid iha loke vai deha-bandha vim-pate sarva pacabhir via bhtair vara-buddhi-jai varo hi mahad bhta prabhur nryao vi bhtntar-tm vijeya saguo nirguo pi sa
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O ruler of the people, whatever you see in this world in connection with the material bodies of the living entities, whatever you see composed of the five elements born from the intelligence of the Supreme Lordknow all that to be the Supreme Lord Himself. Both possessing qualities and having none, He is the ultimate element of all creation, the supreme master, the body of the universe, Lord Nryaa. Try to understand Him to be the inner Self of all creatures. In the Krma Pura: asthla cnau caiva sthlo u caiva sarvata avara sarvata prokta ymo raktnta-locana aivarya-yogd bhagavn viruddhrtho bhidhyate tathpi do parame naivhry kathacana gu viruddh api tu samhry ca sarvata He is neither large nor infinitesimal; yet He is larger and smaller than everything else. He is said to be devoid of color; yet He is dark blue, and the corners of His eyes are reddish. By the play of His personal powers, the Supreme Lord is known by contradictory designations. Yet He is the Supreme, and faults should never be ascribed to Him. In Him all contrary qualities combine. And in the Viudharmottara Pura: gu sarve pi yujyante hy aivaryt puruottame do kathacin naivtra yujyante paramo hi sa gua-doau myayaiva kecid hur apait
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na tatra my my v tadyau tau kuto hy ata tasmn na myay sarva sarvaivaryasya sambhavam amyo hvaro yasmt tasmt ta parama vidu All qualities join together in the Supreme Person by virtue of His transcendental powers. Yet no faults ever enter Him, for He is the Absolute. Some persons who are not truly learned say that good qualities and faults exist in the Supreme Lord by the force of My. But in Him there is no My, nor any agent who could possess My. How then could He have illusory good qualities and faults that My could produce? The opulences of the Supreme Lord are not, therefore, generated by the force of illusion. The Lord transcends My, and so He is known as the Supreme. All this will be more elaborately explained later on. Although impersonal Brahman and the Personality of Godhead are but different conceptions of the same Absolute Truth, some think otherwise; they think that Brahman, the Lords formless aspect, worshiped by yogs, is one entity, and that His form, possessing personal qualities and worshiped by His devotees, is a different entity. But although the Myvds think that sagua Brahman is not as real as nirgua Brahman, they still have to admit that the sagua aspect of the Supreme is the concentrated eternal essence of pure existence (uddha-sattva). Therefore, even in their opinion the sagua form of the Lord is superior to everything else that has form. That personal form is realized by the Lords unalloyed devotees, but remains invisible to persons striving to realize impersonal Brahman. In addition, the personal aspect of the Supreme has special unique excellences, such as His distributing the topmost ecstasy of prema. This is
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shown in a narrative in the r Nryaya of the Moka-dharma where Uparicara Vasu performs a sacrifice in which hebut not Bhaspati and others is able to see the Personality of Godhead accepting His share of the offerings. Another vivid example appears in the history of Brahms sons Ekata, Dvita, and Trita, all great yogs, who went to vetadvpa to see the Supreme Lord. Even after intense endeavor they were unable to have His audience. But when r Sanaka and his brothers, who constantly perceived Brahman and were the most elevated of self-contented sages, visited r Vaikuha, they did see the Personality of Godhead, and the ecstasy they felt was so powerful that various transformations became manifest in them. This same incident is described in the Third Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (3.15.43): tasyravinda-nayanasya padravindakijalka-mira-tulas-makaranda-vyu antar-gata sva-vivarea cakra te sakobham akara-jum api citta-tanvo When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulas leaves from the toes of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead entered the nostrils of those sages, they experienced a change both in body and in mind, even though they were attached to the impersonal Brahman understanding. The conclusion is that the Supremes features of Brahman and the jva soul are two of the Personality of Godheads opulent expansions, as many authoritative sources confirm. For example, according to one saying by saintly devotees, part-para brahma ca te vibhtaya: The Supreme Truth, Brahman, is also one of Your vibhtis, O Lord. In Bhagavad-gt (10.20) r Ka includes the soul as one of His vibhtis. Aham tm gukea/ sarva-bhtaya-sthita: O conqueror of sleep, I am the soul situated in the hearts of all living beings. r Brahma-sahit
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(5.40) also states: yasya prabh prabhavato jagad-aa-koikoiv aea-vasudhdi-vibhti-bhinnam tad brahma nikalam anantam aea-bhta govindam di-purua tam aha bhajmi I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is endowed with great power. The glowing effulgence of His transcendental form is the impersonal Brahman, which is absolute, complete, and unlimited and which displays the varieties of countless planets, with their different opulences, in millions and millions of universes. In other words, Brahman is the Supreme Persons partial expansion. And as stated elsewhere: anrambha tamo ynti paramtma-vinindant pardhna ca baddha ca svalpa-jna-sukhe sthita alpa-akti sa-doa ca jvtm neda para vadat tu tayor aikya ki tair na dukta ktam Those who blaspheme the Supreme Soul go to darkness that has no beginning or end. The jva soul is subordinate, bound, weak, full of faults, and absorbed in very insignificant awareness and enjoyment; but the Supreme has just the opposite qualities. What wickedness does one not commit by saying that the jva soul and the Supreme Soul are the same? antarymy-aikya-vcni vacannha yni hi tni dv bhramantha durtmno lpa-cetasa

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asy asmi tvam aha svtmety abhidh gocaro yata sarvntaratvt puruas tv antar-ym bhidm ayan When fools and rascals read the scriptural statements that describe the oneness of the soul and the Supersoul, they become bewildered. These statements inspire them to tell one another, I am you, and you are me, my own self. But actually the Supreme Person is the indwelling regulator, the Soul within everyone, and so He is different from the individual soul. ato bhramanti vacanair asur moha-tatparai tan-mohane par prtir devn paramasya ca ato mahndha-tamasi narake ynty abhedata In this way, demons are bewildered by statements intended to confuse them. And that bewilderment is pleasing to the demigods and to the Supreme Lord Himself. For thinking that the soul and Supersoul are one and the same, the demons go to the hell called Mahndha-tamas. TEXT 180

ata sndra-sukha tasya rmat-pdmbuja-dvayam bhaktynubhavat sndra sukha sampadyate dhruvam

atatherefore; sndraconcentrated; sukhamthe essence of happiness; tasyaHis; rmatbeautiful; pda-ambujaof lotus feet; dvayamthe pair; bhaktywith pure devotion; anubhavatmfor those who are realizing; sndramconcentrated; sukham happiness; sampadyateis obtained; dhruvam certainly. His two beautiful lotus feet, therefore, embody the
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concentrated essence of happiness. Those who realize Him through pure devotion surely attain that intense bliss. Commentary: The happiness of the devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is much greater than the happiness of persons who meditate on impersonal Brahman. The two lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead are rmat, endowed with all splendor. As the sage Parara explains in the Viu Pura (1.22.53): eka-dea-sthitasygner jyotsn vistri yath parasya brahmaa aktis tathedam akhila jagat Just as the light of a fire situated in one place spreads in every direction, the energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Para-brahman, spread all over the universe. And r Ka says in the Bhagavad-gt (14.27), brahmao hi pratihham/ amtasyvyayasya ca: I am the foundation of Brahman, the immortal and infallible. The Supreme Lords lotus feet are pure spirit, perfect in eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Their effulgence is like the combined radiance of the sun and moon, and the worshipers of those feet naturally relish intense pleasure. In contrast, the pleasure of realizing the Brahman feature of the Supreme is minuscule. The jvas are of the nature of this Brahman, and even though the individual effulgence of each of them is small, because the jvas are found everywhere their combined effulgence pervades the entire universe. The pleasure of realizing Brahman and the jva is not material, but it is inferior to the bliss gained by realizing the lotus feet of the Lord. The individual jvas may be compared to solar and lunar rays. The atomic quanta of light shining forth from the sun and moon are expansions of the sun and moon
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and nondifferent from them, but although the rays of the sun and moon have many sunlike and moonlike qualities, such as brilliance, the rays each bear but a small part of solar and lunar power. All this notwithstanding, when we compare both Brahman and the jvas with the material cosmos, we find that matter is not sac-cid-nanda; and so, properly speaking, matter is not an aa (nondifferent part) of Para-brahman but is one of His aktis (energies). TEXT 181

sukha-rpa sukhdhra arkar-pia-van matam r-ka-caraa-dvandva sukha brahma tu kevalam

sukhaof joy; rpamthe manifestation; sukhaof joy; dhrathe source; arkarof sugar; piavatlike a piece; matamconsidered; r-kaof r Ka; caraa-dvandvamthe two feet; sukham joyful; brahmaBrahman; tubut; kevalamonly. The two feet of r Ka are considered like a piece of sugar because they are joyful and are a source of all joy. Brahman, however, is only joyful. Commentary: Lord Kas lotus feet are sukha-rpa, the essence of joy itself, and sukha-dhra, the object of love in which His devotees taste countless varieties of joy. His feet are like a sugar lump, which is in essence nothing but sweetness but is also a particular object that supplies sweetness. Brahman, in its essence, is bliss, but Brahman cannot be considered a source of bliss, because that would involve a duality, a difference between Brahman and its bliss. By definition, after all, Brahman is supposed to be free of duality. The concept of the Personality of Godhead, however, is not limited in that way; He is the fathomless reservoir of wonders, deeper than millions of oceans. Just as various rivers enter an
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ocean, many contrary qualities like oneness and duality enter and mingle within Him. TEXT 182

jva-svarpa yad vastu para brahma tad eva cet tad eva sac-cid-nandaghana r-bhagav ca tat
jvaof the finite self; svarpamthe identity; yatwhich; vastuentity; param brahmathe Supreme Brahman; tatthat; evaonly; cetif; tatthat; eva only; sat-cit-nandaof eternity, knowledge and bliss; ghanamthe embodiment; r-bhagavnthe divine Personality of Godhead; caand; tatthat. If the identity of the jva, the individual self, were the same as that of the Supreme Brahman, then the jva would be the full embodiment of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. He would be the Personality of Godhead Himself. Commentary: Some philosophers think that God is nothing else than impersonal Brahman, which pervades the creation with consciousness like the moon illuminating the sky with its rays. These philosophers may even take support for their idea from rmad-Bhgavatam (1.2.11), in which it is said, brahmeti paramtmeti bhagavn iti abdyate: The same one Absolute is called Brahman, Paramtm, and Bhagavn. But this impersonal view does not allow the conscious self, the jva, any real individual existence apart from Brahman. And as the bhakti-stras explain in texts 182 through 188, not much happiness can be derived from the socalled liberation of identifying the jva with Brahman, the Supreme. TEXT 183

tathpi jva-tattvni tasy eva sammat ghana-teja-samhasya tejo-jla yath rave

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tath apinonetheless; jva-tattvnithe individual souls; tasyaof Him; apartial expansions; eva simply; sammatrecognized; ghanadense; tejaof light; samhasyaof a mass; teja-jlamthe network of effulgence; yathas; raveof the sun. But the jvas are recognized as integral parts of the Personality of Godhead. They are like the network of light that shines forth from the dense mass of light called the sun. Commentary: Parara and other saintly authorities are of the opinion that the jvas are small, partial expansions of the Supreme Person. He is the ghana-tejas, the dense source of light, and they are small particles of light spreading out from Him. Because there are so many jvas, they pervade the entire universe, just as the rays from the sun provide light and heat for the entire universe, even though the sun globe is in one place, far away. TEXT 184

nitya-siddhs tato jv bhinn eva yath rave aavo visphulig ca vahner bhag ca vridhe
nitya-siddheternally existing; tatatherefore; jvthe finite living beings; bhinndifferent; evaindeed; yathlike; raveof the sun; aava the rays; visphuligthe sparks; caand; vahne of a fire; bhagthe waves; caand; vri-dheof the ocean. In relation to the Supreme Lord, the eternally existing jvas are distinct, like the rays of the sun, the sparks of a fire, or the waves of an ocean. Commentary: Someone may propose that the jvas appear distinct and many by the power of illusion, an illusion dispelled when liberation is achieved and only pure nondifference remains. This idea is
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refuted in this verse and the next. Those who acknowledge that all the Lords energies are real look upon the jvas not as illusions created by My but as separated expansions of the Supreme Brahman,. each with its own autonomous existence. TEXT 185

andi-siddhay akty cid-vilsa-svarpay mah-yogkhyay tasya sad te bhedits tata

andisince time immemorial; siddhayexisting; aktyby the potency; cit-vilsaof the Lords spiritual enjoyment; svarpaywhose essential being; mah-yog-khyaycalled Mahyog; tasya His; sadalways; tethey; bheditseparated; tatathus. By the Supreme Lords eternally existing potency called Mahyog, who is an aspect of His spiritual splendor, these jvas always stand separate from Him. Commentary: If the illusory My does not create duality, then from where does it arise? It arises from the Supreme Lords personal energy, who has always been acting on His behalf. By that energy the jvas have their separate existence, not as an illusion but in fact. Furthermore, since the power that maintains the separate identities of the jvas is an eternal energy of the Lord, the jvas themselves are also eternal. That energy is called Mahyog or Yogamy, meaning that she can make the impossible possible, as she does when she manifests the distinction between the whole and the parts of the indivisible Supreme. She is an expansion of the Lords internal energy, and thus she is not a creator of unreality. r Ka describes her in the Bhagavad-gt (7.25). Nha praka sarvasya / yogamy-samvta: I am not manifest to everyone, for I am covered by My Yogamy. TEXT 186
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atas tasmd abhinns te bhinn api sat mat muktau satym api pryo bhedas tihed ato hi sa
atatherefore; tasmtfrom Him; abhinn nondifferent; tethey; bhinndifferent; api although; satmby spiritual authorities; mat considered; muktauwhen liberation; satymoccurs; apieven; pryaas a rule; bhedadifference; tihetremains; atatherefore; hicertainly; sa it. Therefore saintly authorities consider the jvas both different and nondifferent from the Supreme. As a rule, even when the jvas are liberated the difference endures. Commentary: The jvas are nondifferent from Brahman in that they share with Him the nature of being pure spiriteternal, conscious, and blissful. Simultaneously, being parts of Him and having other distinct qualities, they are different from Him. As illustrated in the examples given in Text 184, the parts of a whole, such asthe rays of the sun, the sparks of fire, and the waves of an ocean, are nondifferent from the whole because they partake of the qualities of the whole; yet they differ from the whole by virtue of being separate, many, and diminutive. The parts and the whole always remain separate. Thus even r akarcrya has said, mukt api llay vigraha ktv bhagavanta bhajanti: Even the liberated accept new bodies as their pastime to worship the Supreme Lord. This idea is also consistent with statements of the Mah-puras and other scriptures. For example, rmad-Bhgavatam (6.14.5) states: muktnm api siddhn nryaa-paryaa su-durlabha pranttm koiv api mah-mune
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O great sage, among many millions who are liberated and perfect in knowledge of liberation, one may be a devotee of Lord Nryaa, or Ka. Such devotees, who are fully peaceful, are extremely rare. If upon attaining liberation a person were to merge as one with Brahman, who would remain to take on a new body for pastimes? Or what liberated soul would engage in bhakti as a devotee of Lord Nryaa? Having no individual existence separate from Brahman would disallow the liberated tm from doing any of this. Nor can we explain away the cited statements by saying that they refer to persons who are jvan-mukta, who have earned liberation but are still living in material bodies. Such persons already have bodies and therefore need not assume bodies for pastimes. The Sixth Canto verse cited above states that some liberated souls worship Nryaa. The Krttikamhtmya section of the Padma Pura tells of an advanced sage in a human body who merged into the Supreme Lord and then later obtained a form similar in appearance to that of Lord Nryaa. Similarly, in a discourse about fasting on Nsiha-caturda, the Bhan-nsiha Pura relates how a fallen brhmaa and a prostitute merged into the Supreme and then again took birth as Prahlda Mahrja and his wife. Many histories like these serve as evidence that the jva continues its individual existence after liberation. Only as a concession does the current verse use the word prya (as a general rule) to indicate that in certain cases the Lord may, by His sweet will, allow someone to attain syujya, the nirva of entering His body. TEXT 187

sac-cid-nanda-rp jvn ka-myay andy-avidyay tattvavismty sastir bhrama

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sat-cit-nandacomposed of eternity, knowledge, and bliss; rpmwhose real forms; jvnmof the individual living beings; ka-myayby Kas material energy; andibeginningless; avidyayby illusion; tattvaof their true identity; vismty by forgetting; sastithe cycle of birth and death; bhramadelusion. The original forms of the jvas are made of eternity, knowledge, and bliss, but by the beginningless illusion of Kas My the jvas forget their true identities and wander deluded in the cycle of birth and death. Commentary: This verse and the next answer the following doubt: If the separate individual existence of the jva continues even in the liberated state, what do the many lifetimes of effort for liberation actually accomplish? As explained here, the material energy of the Personality of Godhead Ka creates for the jvas an illusion that for all practical purposes is without beginning, an illusion that makes them forget their essential identity as parts of Him and begin wandering in material life. It is this deluded, aimless life that is unreal, because in truth the jvas do not belong to the world of birth and death. TEXT 188

muktau sva-tattva-jnena mypagamato hi sa nivartate ghannandabrahmnubhavo bhavet

muktauin liberation; sva-tattvaof ones true identity; jnenaby knowledge; myof illusion; apagamataby the cessation; hiindeed; sathat (delusion); nivartateis eradicated; ghana-nanda full of bliss; brahmaof the Supreme; aaas a portion; anubhavarealization; bhavetthere is. When a jva is liberated by knowledge of his true
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self, My ceases to act on him, and his wandering comes to an end. He then perceives himself to be full of bliss as a small portion of the Supreme. Commentary: The jva is liberated when he attains knowledge of his own real identity as pure spirit. The spiritual self-knowledge one gains in the preliminary stage gives only partial spiritual happiness, but that stage of liberation can then lead to the full self-realization of Ka consciousness, in which one finds full ecstasy. Devotees of the Personality of Godhead are superior to persons who are merely liberated, for though the devotees and the merely liberated share the same spiritual identity as jvas, the devotees enjoy the special happiness of bhakti in their worship of the Lord and their realization of His lotus feet. TEXT 189

sva-sdhannurpa hi phala sarvatra sidhyati ata svarpa-jnena sdhye moke lpaka phalam
sva-sdhanathe discipline one has performed; anurpamaccording to; hicertainly; phalamresult; sarvatraeverywhere; sidhyatiis achieved; ata thus; svarpaof ones true identity; jnenaby knowledge; sdhyein the perfection; moke liberation; alpakaminsignificant; phalamthe result. In all spheres of activity, the results one achieves match the discipline one has practiced. Thus in the liberation attained by knowledge of ones own self the result is meager. Commentary: To clarify their point, the bhaktistras here introduce the general principle that results come according to the means one employs. This rule applies to both ordinary and transcendental life. Scissors cannot do the job of an ax. Nor can methods aimed merely at realizing the jva soul yield the same result as methods for
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realizing the Supreme Soul. The sdhana of acquiring knowledge of the jva soul, who is but a small part of Brahman, gives but a partial, insignificant result in liberation because the sdhana itself is only partial. TEXT 190

sasra-ytanodvignai rasa-hnair mumukubhi bahudh styate moko yath dyau svarga-kmibhi

sasrain the cycle of birth and death; ytanby the torments; udvignaiwho are disturbed; rasa spiritual taste; hnaiwho lack; mumukubhiby those who aspire for liberation; bahudh elaborately; styateis praised; mokaliberation; yathas; dyauheaven; svarga-kmibhiby those who want to go to heaven. Suffering the torments of material existence, and lacking the taste for loving exchanges in true spiritual life, seekers of liberation profusely glorify liberation, just as persons aspiring for heaven praise heaven. Commentary: Why do some transcendentalists describe the happiness of liberation as supreme? Because they are frustrated with material life and they misunderstand real spiritual life. Their minds are disturbed by the pains of birth, death, and the other torments of this world, and so they cannot taste rasa, that special heart-melting spiritual nectar of love that pure devotees have for the Supreme Lord. In that deprived condition, such frustrated nondevotees develop the desire to attain liberation. They glorify liberation in many ways, but their words do nothing to make liberation more than it actually is. The example given here is that of persons unaware of the faults of Svargaloka, heaven, and therefore eager to achieve it. They praise heaven profusely, citing such words as these:
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yan na dukhena sambhinna na ca grastam anantaram abhilopanta ca sukha tat svarga-vsinm The happiness of the residents of heaven comes just as desired, stays untainted by misery, and is not overtaken by misery at the end. (Vdrtha of Gaddhara Bhaa) Sense enjoyers are unmindful that the residents of Svargaloka quarrel, that they fear losing their positions, and that their enjoyment of heaven is temporary and tarnished by various kinds of discomfort. TEXT 191

sukhasya tu par kh bhaktv eva svato bhavet tan-maya-r-padmbhojasevin sdhanocit

sukhasyaof happiness; tuhowever; par khthe highest degree; bhaktauin devotional service; eva only; svataautomatically; bhavetarises; tatmayafull of that (happiness); r-pada-ambhojathe blessed lotus feet; sevinmfor those who serve; sdhanato the discipline; ucitsuitably corresponding. But only in devotional service does the highest degree of happiness naturally arise. That happiness is the right reward for those who practice serving the Supreme Lords all-blissful lotus feet. TEXT 192

paramtiaya-prptamahatt-bodhanya hi par kheti abdyeta tasynantasya nvadhi

paramaultimate; atiayathe peak; prptathat has reached; mahattgreatness; bodhanyato make known; hiindeed; par khthe highest degree;
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itithus; abdyetais termed; tasyaof it; anantasyaendless; nathere is no; avadhilimit. The highest degree indicates greatness that has reached its ultimate peak. But in fact that endless happiness has no limit. Commentary: The glories of devotional service are difficult to describe without straining the capacity of words. The phrase par kh (highest degree) implies that no higher degree exists. But the happiness of pure devotional service never reaches a final peak. It keeps on increasing forever. Calling it the par kh of happiness is only a poetic attempt to do it justice with words available in human language. TEXT 193

tat sukha vardhate bhkam ananta parama mahat na tu brahma-sukha muktau vardhate smavad yata
tatthat; sukhamhappiness; vardhateincreases; abhkamconstantly; anantamendless; paramam mahatsupremely great; nanot; tubut; brahmasukhamthe happiness of impersonal Brahman realization; muktauin liberation; vardhate increases; sma-vatlimited; yatabecause. That happiness increases endlessly. It is limitless and supremely great. In contrast, the happiness of Brahman found in liberation never increases, because it is limited. Commentary: The bhakti-stras here explicitly confirm that the happiness of bhakti increases constantly, and to dispel any misconception that this increase may eventually come to an end, they further qualify it as ananta, endless. At every moment, pure devotees experience bhakti-rasa as newer and newer, sweeter and sweeter, and more and more intense. Because Brahman cannot develop or transform in any way, the happiness of realizing
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Brahman is static. When impersonalists call their brahma-sukha the par kh of happiness, they mean that it has virtually reached a peak, beyond which it can progress no further. TEXT 194

paramtm para-brahma sa eva paramevara ity evam em aikyena sajtya-bhid hat

parama-tmthe Supreme Soul; para-brahmathe Supreme Brahman; saHe; evaalone; parama-vara the Supreme Lord; iti evamthis being so; em among them; aikyenabecause of the oneness; sajtya-bhiddifference of things belonging to the same category; hatrefuted. The Supreme Lord is also the Supreme Soul and the Supreme Brahman. That these three are one leaves no chance of sajtya difference in the Supreme. Commentary: The Vedas are accepted as perfect authority both by impersonalists and by devotees of the Supreme Lord. But when the Vedic Upaniads declare that there is no duality in the Supreme, the personalists and the impersonalists understand this in opposite ways. For the Advaita-vd impersonalists, the oneness of Brahman means that all form and variety are illusion. For the Vaiavas, however, the Supreme, although one, is full of variety. How this can be so, the Vedas now begin to explain to Gopa-kumra, starting with two verses discussing the absence of difference in the Supreme. Differences can be analyzed as being of two kindssajtya and vijtya. Similar things, like two men, will differ as individuals. This is called sajtya-bheda, the difference between members of the same category. Dissimilar things, like a man and a cow, differ by vijtya-bheda, the difference between members of separate categories. Now, because the jvas are manifestations of Brahman, and because in earlier verses we heard
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that the jvas are always distinct as individuals, someone may object that we here find ourselves facing a Brahman in which there are sajtya differences. That is, Brahman now seems to consist of members of one category who differ from one another. But this makes no sense, because it would contradict the very nature of Brahman, which by the definition of the authoritative Upaniads is ekam (absolutely one) and advayam (allowing of no differences whatsoever). Point taken. But how, as expressed by the formula ekam advayam, the Supreme is free of all dualities sajtya and vijtyais shown in a different way, in this verse and the next. Despite our being surrounded by a world full of apparent variety, the impersonalists construe ekam advayam in its most strictly literal sense, saying that there are absolutely no dualities at all. But what the Vedas actually mean by these words fits much more sensibly with our common experience. How Brahman is ekamthat is, free from sajtya differencesis best understood in the following way. The impersonal Absolute (para-brahma), the indwelling controller of the jvas (paramtm), and the Supreme Personality of Godhead (paramevara) are one Absolute Truth. There is no difference between the three. When that Supreme Absolute, as the Personality of Godhead, further expands into countless formsgua-avatras, ll-avatras, and so onthese avatras may seem different from one another, but in reality they are one and the same person. In all His plenary manifestations, He never becomes any less than His full self, in spite of external appearances. Thus any attempt to analyze the plenary expansions of Godhead as different members of one category is doomed to fail. Brahman does, however, have expansions of His energy in the form of the finite living beings, as discussed in the next verse. TEXT 195
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sad vaijtyam ptn jvnm api tattvata aatvenpy abhinnatvd vijtya-bhid mt

sadalways; vaijtyamnonmembership in the same category; ptnmwho achieve; jvnmof the finite souls; apihowever; tattvatafactually; aatvenabecause of being minute parts of the Supreme; apialthough; abhinnatvtdue to their nondifference; vijtyaof members of different categories; bhidthe difference; mtis eliminated. The jvas always have their own identities, different from that of the Supreme. But they are parts of the Supreme and cannot exist separate from Him, and this rules out the difference called vijtya. Commentary: This verse establishes the actual way that Brahman is advayam, free from all dualities. The jvas, it is true, belong to categories other than Brahman, such as the category of things that have finite size. In that sense they are different from Brahman. But in other respects they are nondifferent from Him: They are expansions of the same creative living force of which Brahmans own supreme personality consists, and they are His integral parts, naturally sharing many of His qualities. Thus although they are individuals and eternally remain so, they are not entirely separate from the Absolute, Brahman, the Supreme Person. TEXT 196

asmin hi bhedbhedkhye siddhnte smat-su-sammate yuktyvatrite sarva niravadya dhruva bhavet

asminin this; hiindeed; bheda-abheda-khyecalled bhedbheda, difference and nondifference; siddhntephilosophical doctrine; asmatby us; su317

sammatecompletely approved; yuktyby logical argument; avatriteintroduced; sarvameverything; niravadyamirrefutable; dhruvamcertain; bhavet becomes. We fully approve of this philosophical doctrine, called bhedbheda. Indeed, when it is presented with logical argument, everything about it is certain and irrefutable. Commentary: The scriptures dedicated solely to propounding pure devotional service agree with the concept of bhedbheda and with its logical supporting arguments. With the help of this philosophical framework for understanding the identities, relationships, and purposes of all things that exist, the bhakti-stras faultlessly explain the path of devotional service and reconcile all possible doubts and contradictions, both spoken and unspoken. Thus the presentation of the bhakti-stras is definitive (dhruvam). The impersonalists say that since the jvas come into being from Brahman and are again absorbed back into Brahman they are altogether nondifferent from Brahman. But even according to this theory the happiness of impersonal liberation is meager, because that liberation rules out perception of the totality of Brahman. Waves do arise in one part of an ocean and dissolve in another, on the oceans shore, and since the waves and the ocean consist of the same water they are nondifferent. Yet even though the waves, when they dissolve, again become one with the ocean in the sense that their separate existence is no longer visible, the waves dont have the same depth as the ocean, nor can they generate precious jewels, so the waves and the ocean are also different. Applying the metaphor of the ocean and the waves, one formulation of impersonalist theory would have it that when jvas attain liberation by merging back into the individual portions of Brahman from which they originated they again become one with
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Brahman. But the bhakti-stras respond that because the jvas are by their very nature separate and finite they cannot become the undivided Supreme and enjoy all of His unlimited bliss. On the contrary, even according to the theory, they continue to exist separately in liberation, retaining their individuality even in union with the Supreme. This implies that although they are nondifferent from Brahman they are also in some ways different from Him. The scriptures accordingly describe that sometimes, by the Supreme Lords special mercy, a liberated soul merged into oneness with Brahman becomes eager for the joys of bhakti and once again assumes his distinct identity so that he can have a spiritual body with which to serve the Lord. On this point r akarcrya-pda has said: saty api bhedpagame ntha tavha na mmaknas tvam smudro hi taraga kvaca na samudras traga My Lord, even when all difference is gone, I am still Yours, though You are not mine. A wave belongs to the ocean, but surely the ocean does not belong to the wave. (Prrthan-apad 3) This statement by crya akara, expressing the basic idea of the bhedbheda philosophy, is very much to the point. Even after the jvas illusory difference from the Lord is destroyed his real difference of belonging to the Lord remains. If this were not so, there would be no meaning to the words ntha tavham (Lord, I am Yours). The separate river waters cannot literally become the ocean, which has qualities the rivers do not possess, like the ability to produce gems. The rivers are only said to become one with the ocean because after they flow into the ocean their separate existence is no longer visible. But in fact that oneness is unreal. In the same way,
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liberation as impersonally conceived is unreal, for it implies that liberation equals nonexistence, like that of an extinguished flame. Again, if the liberated self has become completely one with Brahman, he has no scope for happiness, since the liberated self is not supposed to keep the mind and the other faculties of individual consciousness with which happiness could be tasted. Even when liberated, the soul remains individual. Thus when the standard scriptures consider the four kinds of annihilationthe constant degradation of matter, the partial destruction of the universe at the end of Brahms day, the total destruction of the universe at the end of Brahms life, and the liberation of individual soulsthe scriptures distinguish between liberation and total annihilation. TEXT 197

sad prama-bhtnm asmka mahat tath vkyni vyavahr ca prama khalu sarvath
sadalways; prama-bhtnmwho are authoritative; asmkamof us; mahatmgreat souls; tathalso; vkynithe statements; vyavahrthe behavior; caand; pramamstandard evidence; khalucertainly; sarvathin all situations. We scriptures are always accepted as authoritative. Our words, and the words and behavior of great souls, are standard evidence in all circumstances. Commentary: In the opinion of some transcendentalists, the Absolute Truth, eternally one without a second, becomes differentiated only by the superficial covering of illusion, which makes the one Absolute falsely appear as many jvas. And when, by knowledge of reality, that false appearance is stripped away, only the Absolute Truth remains, manifest alone. Thus when illusion is dispelledthe illusion that arises when
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circumstantial designations make the jvas seem to separately existone attains mukti, in which one perceives, as before, the intense bliss of ones true identity as Brahman. And so, by this reasoning, Brahman realization does constitute substantial happiness. In mukti, furthermore, according to this view, there is no longer attraction to the false ego, even in its most subtle forms. Indeed, eventhe very person who once relished false happiness from false ego no longer exists. Thus in mukti real happiness is known, the happiness that comes from realizing the true identity of the self. The proponents of devotion to the Personality of Godhead may believe that when the personal identity of r Bhagavn, the embodiment of sac-cid-nanda, is constantly revealed they can enjoy the most sublime and concentrated bliss, greater than that of liberation, and so they may claim that bhakti is greater than mukti. But these beliefs are incorrect; the bliss of Brahman is perfect and complete. Such are the views of impersonalists. And in texts 197 through 204 the bhakti-stras refute such views. rmad-Bhgavatam and other bhakti-stras offer many statements in refutation of the impersonalistic outlook. Here are but a few examples: tmrm ca munayo nirgranth apy urukrame kurvanty ahaituk bhaktim ittham-bhta-guo hari Even those who are self-satisfied and unattracted by external, material desires are attracted to the loving service of r Ka, whose qualities are transcendental and whose activities are wonderful. Hari, the Personality of Godhead, is called Ka because He has such transcendentally attractive
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features. (Bhgavatam 1.7.10) devn gua-lignm nuravika-karmam sattva evaika-manaso vtti svbhvik tu y animitt bhgavat bhakti siddher garyas The senses, being symbolic representations of the demigods, are naturally inclined to work as directed by the Vedic injunctions. And as the senses represent the demigods, so the mind represents the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The minds natural duty is to serve. When that service spirit is engaged in service to the Personality of Godhead, without any motive, that devotional service is far better even than salvation [siddhi]. (Bhgavatam 3.25.32) nryaa-par sarve na kutacana bibhyati svargpavarga-narakev api tulyrtha-darina Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nryaa, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation, and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord. (Bhgavatam 6.17.28) duravagamtma-tattva-nigamya tavtta-tano carita-mahmtbdhi-parivarta-parirama na parilaanti kecid apavargam apvara te caraa-saroja-hasa-kula-saga-visa-gh My Lord, some fortunate souls have gotten relief from the fatigue of material life by diving into the vast nectar ocean of Your pastimes, which You
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enact when You manifest Your personal forms to make known the unfathomable science of the self. These rare souls, indifferent even to liberation, renounce the happiness of home and family because of association with devotees who are like flocks of swans enjoying at the lotus of Your feet. (Bhgavatam 10.87.21) mahat madhudvi-sevnurakta-manasm abhavo pi phalgu Indeed, even liberation is insignificant for those whose minds are attracted to the loving service of Lord Madhudvi. (Bhgavatam 5.14.44) These authoritative statements of the Bhgavatam and other bhakti-stras are supported by thousands and thousands of recorded statements by great saintly persons. Vaiavas like r Nrada, Prahlda, and Hanumn have expressed themselves unequivocally on this topic. For example, in r Bhakti-rasmta-sindhu (1.2.49) rla Rpa Gosvm refers to this well-known statement by Hanumn: bhava-bandha-cchide tasmai sphaymi na muktaye bhavn prabhur aha dsa iti yatra vilupyate Even though liberation destroys the bondage of material existence, I have no desire for liberation in which I would forget that You are the master and I am Your servant. Recent authorities have spoken the same way. For example, the all-knowing commentator on the important rutis the paramahasa r akarcrya Bhagavatpda has said, mukt api llay vigraha ktv bhagavanta bhajanti: For pastimes, even those who are liberated accept new bodies to worship the Supreme Lord. This accords with the Vednta-stra (1.3.2), which says that Brahman is approached for shelter by persons who are
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liberated (muktopaspya-vyapadet). r ukadeva, the four Kumras, and others like them were attracted to narrations of the pastimes of the Personality of Godhead. And Prahlda, Hanumn, and others refused to accept moka, even from the Lord Himself. This evidence from scripture and the words and behavior of saintly persons is authoritative in all circumstances (sarvath) and at all times (sad). It should never be dismissed as what in Vedic terms is called artha-vda, mere sectarian verve. The statements of the bhakti-stras like rmadBhgavatam and of great devotees like Nrada, Hanumn, and ukadeva need no authentication from other evidence; they are always perfect. TEXT 198

tathaitad-anuklni pur-vttni santi ca naiva sagacchate tasmd artha-vdatva-kalpan

tathfurthermore; etatthese; anuklnisupporting faithfully; pur-vttniaccounts of past history; santithere are; caand; nanot; evaindeed; sagacchateis reasonable; tasmttherefore; arthavdatvaof being exaggerated praise; kalpanthe presumption. And many historical accounts support these statements we have made. To presume, therefore, that our words are merely overstated praise is certainly unreasonable. Commentary: That devotional service is vastly superior to mere liberation is not an idea one should dismiss as artha-vda, exaggeration, for it has been factually established by ancient histories recorded in the Puras and other scriptures. The consensus indicated by thousands of accounts from varied sources is too strong to disregard. One such account concerns a brhmaa resident of Dvrak whose sons had all died at birth. Unaware
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that in fact they had been taken away by Lord Mahviu to the abode of liberation, the brhmaa complained to Ka, and Arjuna offered to protect the son born next. But in spite of Arjunas utmost efforts, that infant mysteriously disappeared soon after birth. Bitterly reviled by the brhmaa for this failure, Arjuna was about to kill himself in shame, but Ka brought him to the abode of liberation where they found the sons, whom they then brought to Dvrak, the abode of devotional service. In another incident, the three sages Ekata, Dvita, and Trita went to vetadvpa and made a great effort to achieve darana of the Personality of Godhead. But even though they were fixed in a level of Brahman realization virtually equal to that of the four Kumras, they were unable to see the Lord. They were qualified for mukti but not bhakti. The Fourth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam describes how Lord Viu visited King Pthu, the incarnation of the Lords power of rulership. When the Lord urged the king to choose the best benediction, Pthu Mahrja extolled the Lord with excellent prayers and then said:

tvan-myayddh jana a khaito yad anyad sta ttmano budha yath cared bla-hita pit svaya tath tvam evrhasi na samhitum
My Lord, due to Your illusory energy, all living beings in this material world have forgotten their real constitutional position, and out of ignorance they always desire the material happiness of society, friendship, and love. Therefore, please do not ask me to take some material benefits from You. Rather, as a father, not waiting for the sons demand, does everything for the benefit of the son, please bestow upon me whatever You think best. The narration continues:
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ity di-rjena nuta sa viva-dk tam ha rjan mayi bhaktir astu te diyed dhr mayi te kt yay my mady tarati sma dustyajm After hearing Pthu Mahrjas prayer, the Lord, the seer of the universe, said to the king: My dear king, may you always be blessed by engaging in My devotional service. As you yourself very intelligently express, only by such purity of purpose can one cross over the insurmountable illusory energy of My. (Bhgavatam 4.20.3132) TEXT 199

athpy caryam s nstikatva vitanvat kipet kalpayitra ta dustare narakotkare

atha apinonetheless; caryambeing carried out in action; sthat (presumption); nstikatvam faithlessness; vitanvatexpanding; kipetwill cast; kalpayitramthe theorizer; tamhim; dustare insurmountable; narakaof hells; utkareinto a long series. If a theory-maker acts with such a presumption nonetheless, it will fill him with atheistic delusions and cast him into hells, one after another, from which he will not be able to escape. Commentary: If one refuses to take seriously the words and behavior of elevated persons and one acts as if the glories of devotional service were mere exaggerations, he will become an atheist. He will lose faith in the authority of the Vedic stras, become more and more proud of his own scholarship, and concoct theories about artha-vda that will earn him hellish punishments from which he will long be unable to escape. As the Nrada Pura warns:

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pureu dvija-reh sarva-dharma-pravaktu pravadanty artha-vdatva ye te naraka-bhjan O best of brhmaas, the Puras authoritatively teach all aspects of religious life. Those who say that these Puric teachings are mere artha-vda are sure to suffer in hell. Such statements are meant to tell proud logicians they must give up their groundless, arrogant theories and accept that devotional service to the Supreme Lord is even greater than liberation. Speculators who refuse will fall into the punishments of hell. The philosophy they should accept has been set forth above, in texts 178 through 181. To attain liberation by the practices set forth in Vedic scriptures may take many lifetimes. Most socalled transcendentalists who aim at liberation encounter nothing but frustration. Therefore, one should understand the endeavor for impersonal liberation to be fruitlessness and put it aside. TEXT 200

aho lghya katha moko daitynm api dyate tair eva strair nindyante ye go-viprdi-ghtina
ahooh; lghyapraiseworthy; kathamwhy; moka liberation; daitynmof demons; apieven; dyate it is seen; taiby those; evasame; strai scriptures; nindyanteare condemned; yewho; govipra-diof cows, brhmaas and others; ghtina killers. Indeed, how can the scriptures glorify liberation, the liberation outright demons are seen to achieve, demons those same scriptures condemn, killers even of cows and brhmaas? Commentary: Here is another easily understood
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argument. Since we see from scriptural histories that demons like Kasa and Aghsura achieved liberation, persons of the opposite nature should not aspire for it. Even scriptures that promote liberation condemn demons who kill cows and brhmaas and who blaspheme the Vedas and Vedic sacrifices. rmad-Bhgavatam (10.4.40) portrays this demonic mentality in the advice of King Kasas ministers: tasmt sarvtman rjan brhman brahma-vdina tapasvino yaja-ln g ca hanmo havir-dugh O king, we your adherents in all respects shall therefore kill the Vedic brhmaas, the persons engaged in offering sacrifices and austerities, and the cows that supply milk, which gives clarified butter for sacrifice. Demons perform many such atrocities. Therefore the destination they attain should also be considered abominable. TEXT 201

sarvath pratiyogitva yat sdhutvsuratvayo tat sdhaneu sdhye ca vaipartya kilocitam

sarvathin all respects; pratiyogitvam contrariness; yatwhich; sdhutvaof being saintly; asuratvayoand of being a demon; tatthat; sdhaneuin the disciplines; sdhyein the goal; caand; vaipartyamopposite nature; kilaindeed; ucitamappropriate. Saints and demons are in all respects opposite in nature. It is therefore only fitting that they be opposite in their disciplines and goals. Commentary: In personal character and behavior, devotees of the Supreme Lord completely differ from
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His enemies. And so the goal of their lives and the disciplines they practice to achieve that goal also completely differ. Devotees practice worshiping the Personality of Godhead and meditating on His lotus feet, and demons practice just the oppositethey cultivate the understanding that their own self is one with the Supreme. The goal of the devotees is prema-bhakti; the goal of the demons, mukti. Granted, the bhakti-stras sometimes equate devotional service and hatred of the Lord because they both give spiritual results. For example, we find in the Tenth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (10.87.23): nibhta-marun-mano-ka-dha-yoga-yujo hdi yan munaya upsate tad arayo pi yayu smarat striya uragendra-bhoga-bhuja-daa-viakta-dhiyo vayam api te sam sama-do ghri-saroja-sudh Simply by always thinking of the Lord, His enemies attained the same Supreme Truth whom sages worship, fixed in yoga, by controlling their breath, mind, and senses. Similarly, we rutis, who generally see You as all-pervading, will achieve from Your lotus feet the same nectar Your consorts relish by their loving attraction to Your mighty serpentine arms, for You look upon us and Your consorts in the same way. And in the Seventh Canto (7.1.30) Nrada Muni says: kmd dved bhayt snehd % yath bhaktyevare mana veya tad-agha hitv % bahavas tad-gati gat Whether by lust, enmity, fear, affection, or devotional service, many, many persons have attained liberation simply by thinking of Ka with great attention and giving up sinful acts. The real message of these verses, however, is that loving the Supreme Lord and hating Him are equal only in the sense that they both release one
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from the material cycle of birth and death and they both demonstrate the potency of remembering the Supreme Lord, seeing Him, and receiving His mercy. At one point in the Seventh Canto (7.1.27) Nrada even seems to glorify hatred of the Lord: yath vairnubandhenar martyas tan-mayatm iytna tath bhakti-yogena iti me nicit mati By devotional service one cannot achieve such intense absorption in thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as one can through enmity toward Him. That is my opinion. According to Santana Gosvm, however, this is just Nradas clever way of expressing the natural satisfaction he feels in the devotional service of the Lord and the depth and boldness of his pure love for the Lord. Otherwise how could he have spoken thus in the royal assembly of a great Vaiava like Yudhihira Mahrja and in the presence of r Kadeva, the supreme teacher and eager connoisseur of the rasas of devotional service? Another explanation of Nradas peculiar praise of hatred toward the Supreme Lord is that he is subtly ridiculing the impersonal liberation of syujya, merging into the existence of the Supreme. What he is actually saying, then, is that by being inimical to the Lord one achieves only the worthless state of becoming one with the Lord (tan-mayat). TEXT 202

ka-bhaktyaiva sdhutva sdhana parama hi s tay sdhya tad-aghry-abjayugala parama phalam

ka-bhaktyby devotion to Ka; evaonly; sdhutvamsainthood; sdhanamthe discipline; paramamhighest; hicertainly; sit; tayby it;
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sdhyamthe goal; tatHis; aghri-abjaof lotus feet; yugalamthe pair; paramamthe highest; phalamgoal. One becomes saintly only by devotion to Ka. That is the highest means of spiritual attainment, and it brings one to the highest goalLord Kas lotus feet. Commentary: Persons who adhere to prescribed ritual duties and those who cultivate Vedic knowledge may be considered serious spiritual practitioners by the general public, but confidential devotees know that only devotional service to r Ka is fully spiritual and that all other practices are only of relative value. Thus the real sdhus are Kas pure devotees. In rmad-Bhgavatam (9.4.63, 68), after Durvs Muni suffers embarrassment in his encounter with the great devotee Ambara Mahrja, Lord Viu Himself says to Durvs: aha bhakta-pardhnor hy asvatantra iva dvija sdhubhir grasta-hdayor bhaktair bhakta-jana-priya I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent. Because My devotees are completely devoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of their hearts. What to speak of My devotees, even the devotees of My devotees are very dear to Me. sdhavo hdaya mahya sdhn hdaya tv aham mad-anyat te na jnanti nha tebhyo mang api The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart, and I am always in the heart of the pure devotee. My devotees do not know anyone but Me, and I do not know anyone but them.
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Devotional service to Ka is the best spiritual practice because it leads to the attainment of Kas lotus feet. Other practices, like karma, jna, and vairgya, are of value only when they play a subordinate role by helping one develop pure bhakti. Kas lotus feet are the supreme goal of life, unequaled by any other achievement, including realization of Brahman. TEXT 203

tad-bhakti-rasikn tu mahat tattva-vedinm sdhy tac-carambhojamakarandtmikaiva s

tatHis; bhaktifor the pure devotional service; rasiknmof those who have a real taste; tubut; mahatmwho are great souls; tattva-vedinmand who have systematic knowledge of the truth; sdhythe goal; tatHis; caraa-ambhojaat the lotus feet; makarandathe nectar; tmikconsisting of; eva only; sit (bhakti). And for those great souls who know the truth and have a taste for the nectar of pure devotional service, that nectar of serving at Lord Kas lotus feet is itself the goal. Commentary: Although one may easily understand that devotional service is greater than impersonal liberation and is therefore the ultimate goal of life, one might still ask how it can also be the means (sdhana) to attain that goal. This verse points out that the intimate devotees of Ka enjoy the taste of transcendental rasas, loving exchanges, which are described as fragrant, cool honey exuding from His lotus feet. The rare souls who are greedy to taste such rasas know a pleasure far superior to any other. Even the ecstasy derived from seeing the Supreme Lord in person seems pale compared to the ecstasy of serving Him in ones eternal relationship with Him. This will be explained more elaborately later on in r Bhad332

bhgavatmta. Those who aspire to realize the impersonal Brahman may achieve realization in various ways. They may become tmrma (joyful in the self) and jvanmukta (liberated even within this life). Nonetheless, even the most perfect impersonalist actually knows only the cessation of material pain. But Vaiava devotees, whether they have attained Vaikuha or still live in material bodies, by the mercy of the Lord enjoy the most intense and positive spiritual happiness. TEXT 204

s karma-jna-vairgypekakasya na sidhyati para r-ka-kpay tan-mtrpekakasya hi

sthat (goal of life); karmaon fruitive work; jnaknowledge; vairgyaand renunciation; apekakasyafor one who depends; na sidhyatiis not achieved; paramonly; r-kaof r Ka; kpayby the mercy; taton that (devotional service); mtraonly; apekakasyafor one who depends; hiindeed. By one who cares for knowledge, renunciation, or material success, that goal cannot be achieved. It is only for one who by r Kas mercy depends on Kas devotional service and nothing else. Commentary: To further clarify how to achieve pure devotional service, in this verse the bhaktistras say that devotees of the Lord are uninterested in karma, jna, vairgya, and other methods of advancement. Karma here means acting according to ones prescribed duty, jna means understanding the difference between spirit and matter (tm and antm), and vairgya means aloofness from sense gratification and other material attractions. A person who relies on karma, jna, vairgya, or any other such method cannot achieve bhakti, because bhakti is achieved only by
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r Kas mercy. But then, since r Ka is naturally compassionate to every soul, why doesnt everyone obtain pure devotional service? The bhakti-stras answer that the special mercy of devotional service acts only when a candidate has no interest in karma, jna, or anything other than bhakti. Only such a person will be receptive to Kas special mercy. As Lord Brahm says in the Tenth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (10.14.8): tat te nukamp su-samkamo bhujna evtma-kta vipkam hd-vg-vapurbhir vidadhan namas te jveta yo mukti-pade sa dya-bhk My dear Lord, one who earnestly waits for You to bestow Your causeless mercy upon him, and all the while patiently suffers the reactions of his past misdeeds, offering You respectful obeisances with his body, words, and heart, is surely eligible for liberation, for it has become his rightful claim. In this verse the phrase mukti-pade, which tells the goal for which one is eligible, should be correctly understood. The phrase can be explained in several ways. In one sense it indicates the place (pada) where the highest ecstasy is manifest, namely r Vaikuha. In another sense pada means fruit, so mukti-pada means the ultimate fruit of liberationin other words, pure devotional service. In yet another sense, pada means feet, so muktipada means that which has liberation at its feetagain, the path of devotional practice, because bhakti conquers and subjugates mukti. And in still another sense, according to an established convention, the idea of mukti, cessation of material existence, should be understood to refer directly to bhakti itself. Following this last meaning, the word apavargasynonymous with muktiis used as follows in the Fifth Canto of the Bhgavatam (5.19.1920):
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apavarga ca bhavati. yo sau bhagavati sarvabhttmany antmye nirukte nilayane paramtmani vsudeve nanya-nimitta-bhakti-yoga-lakao nngati-nimittvidy-granthi-randhana-dvrea yad hi mah-purua-purua-prasaga. One may also achieve apavarga. After many, many births, when the results of ones pious activities mature, one gets an opportunity to associate with pure devotees. Then one is able to cut the knot of bondage to ignorance, which bound him because of varied fruitive activities. As a result of associating with devotees, one gradually renders service to Lord Vsudeva, who is transcendental, free from attachment to the material world, beyond the mind and words, and independent of everything else. That devotional service to Lord Vsudeva (bhakti-yoga) is the real path of liberation. Lord Vsudeva is antmya (devoid of the attachment and other faults that arise in the conditioned self). He is also anirukta (beyond the scope of words) and anilayana (independent of any other shelter). Pure devotion for Him without ulterior motives is true mukti. In rmad-Bhgavatam (11.20.35) Lord Ka confirms in His own words that renunciation of material motives is a prerequisite for bhakti: nairapekya para prhur nireyasam analpakam tasmn nirio bhaktir nirapekasya me bhavet Complete detachment, it is said, is the highest stage of liberation. Therefore, one who is detached and does not pursue personal rewards can achieve loving devotional service unto Me. Here Ka indicates that the highest goal, or the only real goal of life, is indifference to sense gratification and everything else material. Or, to
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put it another way, the highest good can be achieved by the person who becomes indifferent to material things. That highest good is called liberation. But a person who is completely detached is indifferent even to liberation and the means of achieving itknowledge, detachment, and so on. Therefore, such a person can achieve pure devotional service to Ka. In r Viu Pura (3.8.9), Aurva i tells King Sagara: varramcra-vatr puruea para pumn viur rdhyate panthr nnyat tat-toa-kraam The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viu, is worshiped by the proper execution of prescribed duties in the system of vara and rama. There is no other way to satisfy the Lord. One who adheres to this varrama-dharma does not cease from all activity, thinking his lifes work complete. Yet he does nothing else (nnyat) than worship Lord Viu. This statement from the Viu Pura clearly implies that worship of Lord Viu is the summit of all varrama duties. Other than worship of Lord Viu, no path (panth)neither karma, nor jna, nor any other processis a cause of the Lords satisfaction (tat-toa-kraam). These other methods have no independent power to satisfy Lord Viu. Therefore unless they are engaged in the service of bhakti they are useless. Nevertheless, the Lord enjoins that varrama duties should not be given up: ruti-smt mamaivjer yas te ullaghya vartate j-cched mama drohr mad-bhakto pi na vaiava The ruti and smti comprise My orders. If someone
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violates these scriptures, he breaks My commands and thus becomes My opponent. Even if he professes to be My devotee he is not a Vaiava. The Lord says this because performing varrama duties can help one progress toward the path of devotional service. At least in the lower stages of spiritual development, one should not abandon ones prescribed duties. The duties of varrama must be maintained, especially by persons who are on the pravtti-mrga, the path of material development, and who lack faith in the transcendental process of bhakti. The Supreme Lord makes statements like these to encourage people to adhere strictly to their prescribed religious duties. However, many other statements throughout the revealed scriptures also say that the scope of obligatory material duties is limited. Such duties, limited also in their benefits, may be ignored without harm when they conflict with more important spiritual responsibilities. Thus devotees dedicated to the path of bhakti are not considered fallen if they fail to carry out some of their karmic commitments. As declared by the Personality of Godhead in r Padma Pura: mat-karma kurvat pus kriy-lopo bhaved yadi te karmi kurvanti tisra koyo maharaya If persons doing My work fail to execute some other karmic duties, thirty million exalted sages carry out those commitments on their behalf. Similarly, in the same Pura, Devadyuti prays: yasmin jte na kurvanti karma caiva rutritam nirea jagan-mitr uddha brahma nammi tam

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Persons who know this pure Supreme cease performing the duties enjoined by the rutis, lose all ambitions, and become friends of the whole world. To Him I bow down. If devotees abandon their karmic duties merely by learning theoretically about the Supreme Lord, what then of those who take full shelter of Him and engage in His personal service? Thus Lord Ka says in the Eleventh Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (11.20.9): tvat karmi kurvta na nirvidyeta yvat mat-kath-ravadau v raddh yvan na jyate As long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened his taste for the methods of devotional service, such as hearing topics about Me, one has to act according to the regulative principles of the Vedic injunctions. This implies that one who does develop a taste for devotional service is no longer bound to the Vedic regulations for mundane karmic life. As expressed here by the emphatic word v, devotees attracted to hearing and chanting about the Supreme Lord are not interested in anything else. mahntas te sama-citt prant suhda sdhavo ye vimanyava

The mahtms are equipoised. They see no difference between one living entity and another. They are very peaceful, fully engaged in devotional service, devoid of anger, and friendly to all. They do not behave in any abominable way. ye v maye kta-sauhdrth janeu dehambhara-vrtikeu gheu jytmaja-rti-matsu na prti-yukt yvad-arth ca loke

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Concerned only with reviving Ka consciousness and increasing their love of Godhead, they do not like to do anything unrelated to Ka. They are not interested in mingling with people who are busy maintaining their bodies, eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. They are not attached to their homes, although they may be householders. Nor are they attached to wives, children, friends, or wealth. Yet they are not indifferent to the execution of their duties. Such people collect only enough money to keep the body and soul together. (Bhgavatam 5.5.23) Vaiavas are free from the good and bad karmic reactions to obeying or violating the Vedic injunctions: na mayy eknta-bhaktn gua-doodbhav gu sdhn sama-cittn buddhe param upeyum Material piety and sin, which arise from the good and evil of this world, cannot exist within My unalloyed devotees. Such devotees, free from material hankering, maintain steady spiritual consciousness in all circumstances, for they have achieved Me, the Supreme Lord, who am beyond anything that can be conceived by material intelligence. (Bhgavatam 11.20.36) In the Padma Pura (Uttara 71.100), Lord iva has summed up the essence of all Vedic duties in these famous words: smartavya satata viur vismartavyo na jtu cit sarve vidhi-niedh syur etayor api kikar Lord Viu should always be remembered and never forgotten. All injunctions and prohibitions are servants of these two rules. When one remembers
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Lord Viu one has fulfilled all Vedic injunctions, because remembering Him awakens all auspiciousness. And when one forgets Him one has violated all prohibitions, because all sins are born from that forgetfulness. Thus, rather than strive for anything else, everyone should endeavor to follow these two rules. TEXT 205

karma vikepaka tasy vairgya rasa-oakam jna hni-kara tat tac chodhita tv anuyti tm
karmaritual duties; vikepakama distraction; tasyto that (devotional service); vairgyam renunciation; rasathe transcendental taste; oakamcausing to dry up; jnamknowledge; hnikaramharmful; tat tateach of these; odhitam rectified; tubut; anuytifaithfully serves; tm her. Ritual duties distract one from devotional service, renunciation dries up ones transcendental taste for her, and knowledge can do her harm. But these three, when purified, faithfully serve her. Commentary: Serious Vaiavas should give up whatever does not serve the purpose of pure devotional service. The karma-ka injunctions of the Vedas obscure the path of devotion with hundreds of obligatory rituals, and practicing detachment from all worldly things dries up the attractive taste of devotional practice. The indifference recommended in devotional service, however, is distinct from the renunciation undertaken by impersonalists, because devotional renunciation selectively turns away only those things that cannot be used in the Lords service. This is described in rmad-Bhgavatam (11.2.42). Bhakti parenubhavo viraktir/ anyatra caia trika eka-kla: Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other things
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these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The pursuit of knowledge weakens bhakti because realizing such truths as the divine nature of the self gives one a feeling of selfsatisfaction that quells the strong urge needed to enter the Supreme Lords service. Thus the transcendental Lord has said in rmadBhgavatam (10.20.3133): tasmn mad-bhakti-yuktasya yogino vai mad-tmana na jna na ca vairgya prya reyo bhaved iha yat karmabhir yat tapas jna-vairgyata ca yat yogena dna-dharmea reyobhir itarair api sarva mad-bhakti-yogena mad-bhakto labhate jas svargpavarga mad-dhma kathacid yadi vchati And so, for a devotee engaged in My loving service, with mind fixed on Me, the cultivation of knowledge and renunciation is generally not the means of achieving the highest perfection within this world. Whatever can be achieved by fruitive activities, or penance, or knowledge, or detachment, mystic yoga, charity, religious duties, or other means of perfecting lifeall this My devotee easily achieves through loving service unto Me. If somehow My devotee desires promotion to heaven, or liberation, or residence in My abode, he easily achieves such blessings. In the first of these verses from the Eleventh Canto, the word prya (for the most part) indicates that duties, knowledge, and detachment may sometimes help to some extent. Thus the bhakti341

stras here state that karma, jna, and vairgya may be useful if subordinate to the purpose of bhakti. Purified of their faults, they can serve devotional service, especially as initial aids to devotional practice. As stated in the Yogavsiha-rmyaa: janmntara-sahasreu tapo-dna-samdhibhi nar ka-ppn ke bhakti prajyate Devotion to Ka arises in persons whose sinful reactions have been diminished by austerities, charity, and meditation performed in thousands of consecutive births. When karma, vairgya, and jna are suitably purified, they can each assist in preparing a spiritual aspirant for the practice of bhakti. Thus karma purified of desire for the fruits of endeavor becomes work done only for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord; vairgya, developed to the stage of indifference to liberation, becomes a stimulant for the eagerness to serve the Lord; and jna, freed from the conception of total oneness, becomes transformed into contemplation of oneself as belonging to the Lord and into meditation on the glories of devotional service. TEXT 206

tmrm ca bhagavatkpay bhakta-sagata santyajya brahma-nihatva bhakti-mrga vianty ata

tma-rmself-satisfied sages; caand; bhagavat of the Personality of Godhead; kpayby the mercy; bhaktaof His devotees; sagataby the association; santyajyagiving up; brahmato impersonalism; nihatvamattachment; bhaktiof devotional service; mrgamthe path; viantithey enter; atathen.

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By the mercy of the Personality of Godhead and by company with His devotees, sages who take pleasure in the self can give up their attachment to the impersonal Supreme and enter the path of devotional service. Commentary: Because bhakti is vastly superior to mukti, impersonalists who have actually realized the Lords Brahman feature sometimes give up their meditation on the formless to engage in devotional service. In a prayer to Lord Ka in rmadBhgavatam (11.29.3) r Uddhava confirms that the swanlike men who are already liberated can make further progress by entering the path of devotional service: athta nanda-dugha padmbuja has rayerann aravinda-locana sukha nu vivevara yoga-karmabhis tvan-myaym vihat na mnina Therefore, O lotus-eyed Lord of the universe, swanlike men happily take shelter of Your lotus feet, the source of all transcendental ecstasy. But men who take pride in their accomplishments in yoga and karma fail to take shelter of You and are defeated by Your illusory energy. How can impersonalists be elevated to the Lords devotional service? Only by the mercy of the Lord. Because the Personality of Godhead is eager to display the greatness of His devotees and His devotional service, He sometimes blesses selfcontented impersonalists by arranging opportunities for them to associate favorably with His devotees. Then the impersonalists, their discrimination refined by the influence of the devotees, can recognize just how insignificant is liberation. They then give up their hopes for liberation, give up all the trouble it entails, become attracted to the Supreme Lords glories, and enter the path of bhakti to serve the Lord in various ways. TEXT 207
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mukt csya tay akty sac-cid-nanda-dehitm prpits te bhajante ta tdai karaair harim
muktliberated souls; caand; asyaHis; tayby that; aktypotency; sat-cit-nandaof eternity, knowledge and bliss; dehitmpossession of bodies; prpitattaining; tethey; bhajanteworship; tam Him; tdaiwith such; karaaisenses; harim Lord Hari. The Lords personal energy grants those liberated souls spiritual bodies of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. And with the spiritual senses thus acquired, those souls worship Lord Hari. Commentary: Impersonalists who are jvan-mukta, liberated even in this life, can be elevated to devotional service because they are still living in material bodies. But what of those who have attained complete liberation and no longer have material bodies? Without a body and senses, how is it possible to serve the Supreme Lord by the devotional methods like hearing, chanting, worshiping, and offering prayers? To clear this doubt, the bhakti-stras here indicate that even the liberated souls who have merged into Brahman continue to exist as individual persons, even though they may be called mukta and siddha. Using these two words, Mahrja Parkit states in the Sixth Canto of rmadBhgavatam (6.14.5): muktnm api siddhn nryaa-paryaa su-durlabha pranttm koiv api mah-mune O great sage, among many millions who are liberated and perfect in knowledge of liberation, one may be a devotee of Lord Nryaa, or Ka.
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Such devotees, who are fully peaceful, are extremely rare. Impersonalists generally imagine themselves perfect and liberated, and among them a very few may actually attain impersonal liberation. But those rare souls, like all others, are eternal servants of Hari, the all-attractive Lord. Out of millions of such rare liberated impersonalists, one very fortunate soul may realize this natural fact. Since intelligence is dormant in the merged soul, it can be reawakened. Even the liberated souls who have merged into the formless divine light of the spiritual sky retain their eternal spiritual bodies, complete with spiritual mind and senses. Nothing, even liberation, can ever deprive a jva of these assets. Thus when a liberated soul gains the favor of the Supreme Lords personal energy, his spiritual body and senses are reawakened for hearing and chanting the glories of Lord Hari and acting in other ways for the Lords pleasure. TEXT 208

svrmat tv ahakratyga-mtrea sidhyati su-karo tva tat-tygo matas tat-tattva-vedibhi

sva-rmatthe state of satisfaction in the self; tubut; ahakraof false ego; tygaby the abandonment; mtreamerely; sidhyatiis achieved; su-karaeasy to do; atvavery; tatof that (false ego); tygaabandonment; matais considered; tat about Him; tattvathe scientific truth; vedibhiby those who understand. One can attain the state of satisfaction in the self merely by abandoning false ego. Those who understand the Supreme Lord in scientific truth think this very easy to do. Commentary: According to the impersonalists, the satisfaction found in realizing ones identity with the Supreme is the final goal of existence. Vaiavas are naive, the impersonalists think, to
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insist that devotion to the personal aspect of the Supreme is a higher goal than the perfect satisfaction of the self. The impersonalists, therefore, criticize the Vaiavas as follows: You devotees of Bhagavn believe that one cannot achieve anything of spiritual worth unless one has performed at least a little devotional service to the Supreme Lord. In your view, unless one first earns some devotional credits one cannot obtain even the material opulences found on the various planets up to Brahmaloka, what to speak of ultimately realizing Brahman and becoming fully satisfied in the self. How, then, can one possibly attain the satisfaction of the self? If you say By having first performed some devotional service, you contradict yourselves, because that would render meaningless the scriptural statement you have citedEven liberated sages become devotees and perform devotional service. One cannot start in the future something one has already begun. One feasible explanation of that statement is that even if by performing some devotional service one has achieved the ultimate goal of lifethe satisfaction of the selfattraction to devotional service may still persist, just as subtle remnants of desire for sense gratification may persist for some time even after one has earned liberation. Even though a liberated person has nothing more to achieve, he may still like to continue doing devotional service simply because he is attracted to the Supreme Lords personal qualities. The persistent urge for reciprocation with a personal Lord is the only reason for such behavior. Eventually this devotional conditioning will also subside, and the fully matured soul will finally realize himself to be absolutely one with the Supreme. You Vaiavas certainly place great faith in the attractive power of a personal God and His
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qualities. According to your Vaiava doctrine, liberation is only a minor by-product of devotional service, whose main result is the attainment of love for the Supreme Lords lotus feet. So you imagine that by the supposed mercy of the Personality of Godhead and the good association of His devotees, even after one has achieved the final goal of lifesatisfaction in the selfone will decide that this goal is of little value and reject it in favor of devotional service. But for you to acknowledge that devotional service leads to satisfaction in the self is logically inconsistent. In this way you are negating the real importance of lifes goal. In texts 208 through 211 the bhakti-stras dispel these doubts. First they point out that one can easily achieve satisfaction in the self merely by giving up false ego; no engagement in devotional service is required. But how can one give up false ego without having performed any devotional service? The bhakti-stras cite the opinions of authorities like r Vasiha, who know the nature of false ego. According to such authorities, abandoning false ego is easy. The Yoga-vsiharmyaa states: api pupvadaland api netra-nimlant su-karo hakti-tygo matas tat-tattva-vedibhi In the opinion of those who factually understand false ego, giving it up is easier than picking a flower or closing ones eyes. A nondevotee may ask, Since devotional service is a type of activity and all activities are driven by ego, how can devotional service develop after ego has been left aside? This question comes from a misunderstanding of the Supreme Lords personal energies. Just as one of His special energies provides liberated Vaiavas with spiritual bodies,
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another gives them a transcendental ego, the attitude that I am His servant. With this spiritual ego, pure devotional service is easily obtained. TEXT 209

avntara-phala bhakter eva mokdi yady api tathpi ntmrmatva grhya prema-virodhi yat
avntaraintermediate; phalamfruits; bhakteof devotional service; evaindeed; moka-di liberation and so on; yadi apieven though; tath apistill; nanot; tma-rmatvamselfsatisfaction; grhyamworth accepting; premapure love of God; virodhiobstructing; yatwhich. Even though liberation and its effects are natural by-products of devotional service, devotees do not regard satisfaction in the self as worth taking, for it obstructs pure love of God. Commentary: Arent Vaiavas also joyful in the self? Dont they also have full knowledge and the mystic perfections of yoga? Yes, their practices of hearing and chanting about the Lord and serving Him bring them these benefits automatically as intermediate results, just as a fire lit for cooking will first dispel darkness and cold. The self-delight of impersonal liberation, however, is not recommended for devotees of the Lord; they should avoid it even though they have it easily available. Devotees should reject anything that obstructs or slows their progress toward pure love of God. TEXT 210

bhakte phala para prema tpty-abhva-svabhvakam avntara-phalev etad ati-heya sat matam
bhakteof devotional service; phalamthe fruit;
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paramultimate; premapure love; tptiof satiation; abhvalack; svabhvakamwhose characteristic; avntaraintermediate; phaleu among the fruits; etatthis (self-satisfaction); ati-heyamvery undesirable; satmby saintly authorities; matamconsidered. The final fruit of devotional service is prema, in which, by its nature, one will never be satiated. Saintly authorities deem self-satisfaction the most unwanted secondary fruit of prema. Commentary: A devotee who relishes prema is never satisfied with himself but always wants to surrender more and more for the satisfaction of his Lord. Thus experts in the science of devotional ecstasies condemn self-satisfaction as the most harmful impediment to bhakti. Of all the secondary fruits available to advancing Vaiavas, selfsatisfaction is the one they should most carefully avoid. There is room for only very few exceptions. For example, satisfaction in the self may be all right for some time for a person trying to take shelter of the Supreme Lord but unable to give up hankering for liberation. Or the offerings of selfsatisfaction and other perfections that come with the attainment of Brahman may entice an ignorant nondevotee to begin devotional service. These perfections are in fact opulences of the Supreme Person, and so they can attract certain kinds of persons toward Him. TEXT 211

bhakti vinpi tat-siddhv asantoo bhaven na tat rmad-bhgavatendr mate sa hi guo mahn
bhaktimdevotion; vinwithout; apieven; tatof that (self-satisfaction); siddhauin the achievement; asantoadissatisfaction; bhavet na there need not be; tatthat; rmat-bhgavataof the blessed Vaiavas; indrmof the leaders;
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matein the opinion; sathat; hiindeed; guaa good quality; mahnconsiderable. There is no reason to be unhappy if someone attains self-satisfaction without devotion to the Supreme Lord. The leaders of the saintly Vaiavas consider such an occurrence very good. Commentary: What is wrong if something so useless and contemptible as tmrmat, satisfaction in the self, arises when devotional service has not been performed? Bhakti is a precious jewel, tmrmat but a piece of straw. Wise devotees, therefore, are not bothered if satisfaction in the self is achieved without devotional service. Compared to the magic touchstone of devotion for the Personality of Godheads lotus feet, impersonal satisfaction in the self is abominable, a cause of misery only, like life in hell. The great authorities in the science of devotional service are pleased to see this contrast between the rare treasure of bhakti and the worthless attainment of tmrmat because it highlights the superexcellence of pure devotion. And if someone foolishly strives for mukti but fails, that also is very good. TEXT 212

tad-dhetu citta-uddhir v sva-dharmcra-bhaktita bhyys tv alpaka bhakter ntary su-mahat phala

tatof that (self-satisfaction); hetuthe cause; cittaof the heart; uddhipurification; vor; sva-dharmaones prescribed duties; craof executing; bhaktitafrom the devotional service; bhyyexternal; tubut; alpakaminsignificant; bhaktefrom devotional service; ntaryfrom the internal; su-mahatgreatest; phalamthe result. Or, from another point of view: Purity of heart, which is the cause of satisfaction in the self, may
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come about from performing ones prescribed duties and this, after all, is a kind of devotional service. Thus, the result that comes from the external form of devotional service is paltry, and from the internal form sublime. Commentary: After all this discussion, some Vaiavas may still insist on the principle that nothing at all can be achieved without at least a touch of bhakti. To satisfy them, the bhaktistras here look at the topic from another angle, as indicated by the word v (or else). The selfsatisfaction aspired for by impersonalists arises from purified consciousness, which one may achieve by fulfilling ones duties within the varrama system. And since performing such duties is a type of devotional service mixed with karma, it is true that even for an impersonalist success depends on bhakti. In case someone objects that the fruit of devotional service cannot be satisfaction in the self but only love of God and nothing else, the bhakti-stras further say that following ones Vedic obligations is only devotional service in an external form. As such it results in mere selfsatisfaction, whereas the essential form of devotional servicethrough hearing and chanting about the Lord, remembering Him, and so onbears the most desirable fruit, that of prema. TEXT 213

nijtmrmat-pacd bhajat tat-padmbujam nirvighnam acirt sidhyed bhakti-nih-mah-sukham

nijaones own; tma-rmatself-satisfaction; pactafter; bhajatmfor those who worship; tat His; pada-ambujamlotus feet; nirvighnamwithout obstacles; acirtquickly; sidhyetcan be obtained; bhaktiin pure devotional service; nihof firm conviction; mah-sukhamthe great happiness.

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After achieving impersonal self-satisfaction, some begin worshiping the Lords lotus feet, and without hardship they quickly obtain the abundant happiness of being fixed in devotional service. Commentary: Of those who achieve satisfaction in the self, a rare few somehow particularly favored by the Supreme Lord give up their self-satisfaction to worship Him. They quickly reach the highest perfection. Ordinary people, entangled in various miseries of material life, cannot at once succeed in devotional practice. But self-satisfied impersonalists have already transcended the smallminded miserable existence of material life, so they can progress to joyful bhakti without delay. They quickly comprehend that what they knew before as the unnameable essence of liberated lifethe reality of full eternity, knowledge, and blissis actually the all-attractive Personality of Godhead. Some philosophers even hold that self-contented impersonalists are excellent candidates (uttamaadhikrs) for bhakti. Indeed, no one is disallowed from entering devotional service. As the saying goes, gag-snna iva bhagavad-bhaktau sarve py adhikria: Just as for bathing in the Gag, everyone is a fit candidate for the Supreme Lords devotional service. Nonetheless, in the opinion of rla Santana Gosvm and his sampradya, no material opulence, such as the ability to follow all the rules of varrama, can qualify one for beginning the process of pure bhakti. In rmad-Bhgavatam (10.14.8) Lord Brahm confirms that pure devotion is easily attained simply by depending on the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (tat te nukamp su-samkama). There is no other means to attain it. By the Supreme Lords mercy, one who practices bhakti, depending only on Him will surely achieve complete happiness. Devotion in practice gives birth to devotion in perfection. TEXT 214
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tatrnubhavit so nubhavanyo nubhtaya vttaya karan ca bahudh prasphuranti hi

tatrain that (happiness); anubhavitthe one who is perceiving; sahe; anubhavanyathe one who is being perceived; anubhtayathe perceptions; vttayathe functions; karanmof the senses; caand; bahudhin various ways; prasphurantithey manifest themselves; hicertainly. In that devotional happiness, the person who is perceiving, the person perceived, the varied perceptions, and the sensory functions that serve in those perceptions all manifest themselves in various ways. Commentary: The bhakti-stras have already proven that the bliss of devotional service to the Supreme Lord is much greater and much more sublime than the shadow of happiness found in the meditation of self-contented impersonalists. Now the stras reconfirm this conclusion with yet another logical argument. In the bliss of devotional service all components of personal experience are vividly manifestthe devotee who is perceiving the joy of devotional service, the Personality of Godhead who is the object of this perception, the particular exchanges involving the two of them, and the sensory activities that foster the perceptions. The devotee realizes, I am the Lords servant, and more specifically he identifies himself with particular services like massaging the Lords lotus feet. The Lord who engages the devotees attention displays many wonderfully attractive characteristics of bodily beauty, charming behavior, and so on. The devotees sensory functions manifest themselves variously through hearing, chanting, and other modes of service. And all these contributors to the devotional experience display infinite varieties and sub-varieties. Thus
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the happiness of pure devotion includes limitless variety; no other taste can equal it. It is a poor argument to say that a devotees awareness of himself and his own senses impedes his blissful awareness of the Lords lotus feet. A pure devotees self-awareness is an integral part of his awareness of the Lord. He sees himself not as a separate being but as a person having an intimate relationship with the Lord. There is no natural law against simultaneously knowing the Supreme Lord and oneself, nor is self-awareness obscured by awareness of the Supreme. Consciousness of ones subordinate role as the Lords servant is perfectly consistent with awareness of the Lord and His allattractive qualities. If a person in God consciousness were oblivious of his own existence, he might as well no longer exist at all, just as a jewel one has completely forgotten might as well not be on ones neck. Therefore, in describing self-realization, the authorized scriptures the authorized scriptures constantly use such words as anubhti (perception), as in rmad-Bhgavatam (10.12.11): ittha sat brahma-sukhnubhty. TEXT 215

para samdhau sukham ekam asphua vtter abhvn manaso na ctatam vttau sphurad vastu tad eva bhsate dhika yathaiva sphaikcale maha
paramplain; samdhauin samdhi; sukhamthe happiness; ekamisolated; asphuamvague; vtteof the functions; abhvtbecause of the absence; manasaof the mind; nanot; caand; tatam extensive; vttauin the active functions; sphurat manifest; vastuobject; tatthat; evaindeed; bhsateappears; adhikammore; yathlike; eva indeed; sphaikaof crystal glass; acalein a mountain; mahabrilliant light. The happiness felt in impersonal samdhi is plain, isolated, vague, and limited because in that
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samdhi the functions of the mind have ceased. But when the object of meditation appears in the active mind, that object is more vividly manifest, like sunlight reflected on a crystal mountain. Commentary: While the impersonalists are in meditative trance, their egos and their external senses no longer act. Since the personality then ceases to function, real perception can no longer take place. The supposed happiness of impersonal samdhi is therefore devoid of content. We are told that in samdhi the mind stops functioning, which implies that all the external and internal senses stop also, because all the senses depend on the mind. Thus if in impersonal samdhi any happiness is tasted, that happiness must be monotonous and undeveloped, so vague as to be virtually nonexistent. Considering this, in rmad-Bhgavatam (10.87.29) the personified Vedas praise the Supreme Person as the original Brahman in this way: na hi paramasya kacid aparo na para ca bhaved viyata ivpadasya tava nya-tul dadhata You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, see no one as an intimate friend and no one as a stranger, just as the ethereal sky has no connection with perceptible qualities. In this sense You resemble a void. Impersonalists may respond to this by saying that in samdhi the experience of Brahman is hardly void, because Brahman is self-manifest as the fountainhead of all existence, always and everywhere. Although this defense may be true, in samdhi the meditators senses no longer function, so what he goes through is as good as nothing. And although the impersonal Brahman is present always and everywhere, for all practical purposes it is nothing because the living beings are unable to perceive it; otherwise, since Brahman is present always and everywhere, why hasnt everyone perceived it and become liberated? Vaiavas
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therefore claim the right to question the value of impersonal self-realization:

sad sarvatrste nanu vimalam dya tava pada tathpy eka stoka na hi bhava-taro patram abhinat kaa jihv-grasta tava tu bhagavan nma nikhila sa-mla sasra kaati katarat sevyam anayo
Your original pure existence is eternally allpervading, yet that all-pervading existence does not break off even a small piece of one leaf of the tree of material illusion. But if Your name, O almighty Lord, is seized by ones tongue for even a moment, the tree of material life is destroyed down to its roots. So which deserves our attentionYour all-pervading existence or Your holy name? In impersonal samdhi one is unable to free oneself from the illusion of material existence because while absorbed in that samdhi one has no power to act. But serving the Supreme Lord through methods like the devotional meditation of chanting His names is performed with the voice and other active senses. In that superior, devotional samdhi the inner and outer senses enjoy varieties of reciprocation with the Supreme Lord that constantly increase, with wonderful ecstasies arising one after another. Thus the same object of meditation that is unclear to the consciousness of the impersonalist is vividly clear to the meditating devotee. Here the bhakti-stras introduce an analogy: When the light of the sun and other luminaries shines on a mountain of crystal glass, the reflected radiance is more brilliant than the light in the sky itself. Similarly, when the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord
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appear in the meditation of a reflective devotee, the ever-fresh varieties the devotee experiences at every moment, through all his internal and external senses, provides infinitely more pleasure than the void of impersonal samdhi. When a Vaiava has attained pure love of God, we may observe that his entire body may sometimes cease to function, or some of the limbs or one or more of the senses may stop working. His senses may seem unable to make contact with their objects. We should then understand that the functions of his senses have merged into his inner consciousness. Or his external senses may have merged into their inner counterparts, or into the mind, or else into the intelligence or ego. Or the functions of some of his external senses may have merged into one another; that is, his hearing, sight, taste, speech, and touch may have merged into one, two, three, or more of his external senses or may have crossed over from one sense to another. In this intricate situation the functions of his senses may seem intermixed. This is possible because internally the living being has a spiritual mind and a full set of senses, which underlie the material mind. From within the material mind these spiritual faculties, when awakened, can subtly perform all the functions of the external senses. TEXT 216

ittha samdhi-jn mokt sukha bhaktau para mahat tad bhakta-vatsalasysya kp-mdhurya-jmbhitam
itthamthus; samdhi-jtborn out of samdhi; moktthan liberation; sukhamthe happiness; bhaktauin devotional service; parammuch; mahat greater; tatthat; bhakta-vatsalasyawho is very affectionate to His devotees; asyaof Him; kpby the mercy; mdhuryaand sweetness; jmbhitam expanded.

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Thus in devotional service the happiness found is much greater than in the liberation born of samdhi. And by the mercy and sweetness of the Lord, affectionate to His devotees, that devotional happiness expands. Commentary: The Personality of Godhead is always enjoying His infinitely varied pastimes, and He likes to share His enjoyment as much as possible. Because the Lord is very kind, and so exceedingly attractive, His devotee feels transcendental ecstasy. The spiritual potency of the soul is limited. Although he is sac-cid-nanda (eternal, conscious, and blissful), simply to realize those qualities provides merely a static, monotonous kind of spiritual existence. But when the soul goes beyond mere self-realization to realize his relationship with the all-compassionate Lord, the Lords divine energies bestow upon him incomparable happiness. TEXT 217

sadaika-rpa bahu-rpam adbhuta vimukti-saukhyt pratiyogi tat sukham harer mah-bhakti-vilsa-mdhurbhartmaka tarkyam atad-vid na hi
sadalways; eka-rpamin one and the same form; bahu-rpamin many forms; adbhutamwonderful; vimuktiof liberation; saukhytto the happiness; pratiyogistanding in contrast; tatthat; sukham happiness; hareof Lord Hari; mahgreat; bhakti in pure devotion; vilsaof the sporting pastimes; mdhurof sweetness; bharaan abundance; tmakam consisting of; tarkyamconceivable; atat-vidmby those who are ignorant of it; nanot; hiindeed. That extraordinary happiness is always one, yet it assumes many features. It stands in contrast to the happiness of impersonal liberation. Devotional happiness is made of the intense sweetness of sporting pastimes in the highest devotional service to the Lord. Persons unfamiliar with this pleasure
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cannot even imagine what it is like. Commentary: The experience of bhakti includes Brahman realization, so the bhakti experience shares the nondual nature of sac-cid-nanda. But because bhakti is also a special opulence of the Personality of Godhead, it is blissful in a way that merging into the Supreme can never be. In the happiness of impersonal liberation, one and unchanging, the liberated soul attains a limit, in which he thinks himself fully satisfied. The ecstasies of devotional service, however, in their many different features, never reach a point beyond which they cannot further increase, and so they destroy the limited feeling of self-satisfaction. In an apparently contradictory way, the bliss of devotion is uniformly sac-cid-nanda yet always increasing in manifold varieties, newer and newer, sweeter and sweeter at every moment. Such is the glory of the Lords devotional service: It is irrepressibly attractive and therefore has the power to do what seems impossible. These contradictions coexisting in the bliss of bhakti that it is always one yet full of variety, limitless yet constantly growingcan never be understood by those who have not tasted it for themselves. TEXT 218

sadaika-rpo pi sa viur tmanas tath sva-bhakter janayaty anu-kaam vicitra-mdhurya-ata nava nava tay sva-aktyetara-durvitarkyay
sadalways; eka-rpain one and the same form; apialthough; saHe; viuLord Viu; tmanaof Himself; tathand; sva-bhakteof His devotional service; janayatigenerates; anu-kaamat every moment; vicitraof various kinds; mdhuryacharms; atamby the hundreds; navam navamnewer and newer; tayby this; sva-aktyHis personal energy; itarato other persons; durvitarkyay inconceivable.
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Although Lord Viu is always one and unchanging, at every moment He brings forth hundreds of newer and newer varieties of transcendental charm, both in Himself and in His devotional service. He does this by His personal energy, inconceivable to everyone else. Commentary: Texts 218 through 220 establish beyond a doubt that although the Supreme Lord, as the personal embodiment of the Absolute Truth, is unchanging in His sac-cid-nanda existence, He and His activities (and His devotees and theirs) are full of variety that is real, not created by illusion. Nondevotees can never discover this sublime truth by conjecture. They can never understand the Lords pastimes with His devotees. TEXT 219

pra-brhmya madhura-madhura prameya ca tad vai bhaktev ea pravara-karu-prnta-smpraka te cai nivia-madhurnanda-prnubhter antyvasth praktir udit dhik-ktabrhma-saukhy
pra-brhmyamthe supremacy of the Absolute Truth; madhura-madhuramsweeter than the sweetest; pramaaiyamHis absolute authority; caand; tatthat; vaicertainly; bhakteuamong His devotees; ea this; pravaramost excellent; karuof compassion; prnta-smof the extreme limit; prakathe display; temof them (the devotees); caand; e this; niviaintense; madhuraof charm; nandaand bliss; praof floods; anubhteof experience; antya-avasththe ultimate stage; praktiHis nature; uditmanifested; dhik-ktaridiculing; brhma-saukhythe pleasure of Brahman realization. This manifold charm, sweeter than the sweetest, is found in r Vius supremacy as Para-brahman and His Lordship over all that be. His charm displays the very limit of His most excellent compassion
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toward His devotees. For them His charm lifts to the highest stage their experience of deep oceans of sweet ecstasy, ecstasy that ridicules the pleasure derived from realization of impersonal Brahman. Commentary: This is the difference between the impersonal Supreme and the Personality of Godhead, between liberated impersonalists and pure devotees of the Lord, between liberation and devotional service. Lord Viu is the original Brahman, the one without a second, but His attractive qualities are evolving constantly with ever-new freshness. He is the Supreme Person, the controller of everything that exists. His personal beauty and wonderful playful activities are universally attractive. TEXT 220

sva-bhaktn tat-tad-vividha-madhurnandalaharsad-sampatty-artha bahutara-viea vitanute yath svasmis tat-tat-prakti-rahite pi dhruva-tara tath te citrkhila-karaa-vtty-divibhavam
sva-bhaktnmof His devotees; tat-tatvarious; vividhaof many kinds; madhura-nandaof sweet ecstasy; laharof the waves; sadalways; sampatti-arthamfor the sake of the enrichment; bahu-taramanifold; vieamvariety; vitanuteHe expands; yathas; svasminin Himself; tat-tat these various kinds; praktiof nature; rahitewho is devoid; apialthough; dhruva-taramsolidly established; tathso; temof them (the devotees); citrawonderful; akhilaof all; karaa senses; vttiof the functions; diand so on; vibhavamgreat strength. The Lord expands abundant variety to enrich His devotees forever with enjoyment in these exuberant
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waves of sweet ecstasy. And just as, even though He is devoid of every kind of material quality, there is firm and constant variety in Him, so in His devotees there is a strong and varied and wonderful experience in all the functions of the senses. Commentary: Why does the Supreme Lord expand the diverseness of His personality? He does so for the pleasure of His devotees. The Lords attractive qualities expand infinitely, giving the devotees, who are equally spiritual beings, many different kinds of opportunities to serve Him by activities like hearing and chanting. This spiritual variety in devotional service expands perpetually, with no beginning or end. It manifests itself in the Lord and also in His devotees, enhancing their beauty, effulgence, and enjoyment and enlivening and empowering their senses. Because fire is always hot, it can never become cold. So how can the supreme spiritual truth, eternally and changelessly one, paradoxically exhibit so much diversity? The second half of this verse answers that doubt. Although the Supreme Lord is untouched by material dualities, His transcendental nature creates in Him profuse diversity, which constantly expands, unlimited by time or space. Although the Lord, the Supreme Brahman, is nirviea, free from duality, He displays infinite variety by appearing as innumerable avatras, as the Supersoul in every heart, and also in His limited expansionsthe jvas and the material energy. He also expands the countless forms of devotional servicehearing and chanting about Him, seeing Him, conversing with Him, embracing Himand these completely enchant His devotees with endless varieties of pleasure, newer and newer at every moment. By employing His personal energies, the Lord expands Himself with ever-fresh variety to give His devotees special happiness far exceeding the happiness of realizing the self as one with Him. He
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similarly offers an infinite variety of engagement for the external and internal senses of His devotees, to add spice to their transcendental pleasure. Thus in spiritual life there is nondifference within difference, and difference within nondifference. Without a doubt, the happiness of liberation is paltry compared to the supreme happiness of devotional service. We need not elaborate on this point any further. TEXT 221

nityaivaryo nitya-nn-vieo nitya-rko nitya-bhtya-prasaga nityopstir nitya-loke vatu tv nitydvaita-brahma-rpo pi ka

nityaeternal; aivaryawhose opulent power; nityaeternal; nnmanifold; vieawhose variety; nityaeternal; rkawhose beauty; nitya eternal; bhtyawith His servants; prasagawhose association; nityaeternal; upstiwhose worship; nityaeternal; lokein the world; avatumay He protect; tvmyou; nityaeternal; advaitaone without a second; brahmaof the Absolute; rpathe personal form; apialso; kaKa. May Ka protect you. His opulent power is eternal, and eternal are His infinite varieties, and His beauty, and His worship, and His companionship with His servants. He is the personal form of the eternal Absolute, the one without a second, who lives in the eternal world. Commentary: In response to Gopa-kumras inquiry, the bhakti-stras have described the glories of the Personality of Godheads devotional service. They now conclude their instructions by ecstatically offering Gopa-kumra their blessings. The impersonal, undifferentiated Brahman is actually a feature of the Supreme Lord. Because the Personality of Godhead manifests an all-attractive form, He is the concentrated essence of the Supreme. His body is the Supreme Brahman. Thus,
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although He is the eternal, unchanging Supreme, He also has eternal opulences, wonderful qualities that never fail Him. Since He is the eternal and infallible Godhead, His many varieties of beauty, splendor, and charm are eternal, and His qualities and activities are eternal as well. His consort Lakm is also eternal, because she always resides on His chest. And as one further aspect of His eternal opulences, He always enjoys the sublime association of His devoted servants. This means that not only the Lords attendants in Vaikuha but even His aspiring devotees in the material world are eternal. Eternally graced by His mercy, they have no reason ever to fear destruction. This is affirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gt (9.31). Kaunteya pratijnhi na me bhakta praayati: O son of Kunt, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes. The Lords worship, the process of devotional service, is also eternal. The activities in the practice of bhaktihearing, chanting, and so onare not merely functions of the material senses, but are manifestations of the Lords direct mercy upon each sensory function. This will be explained more fully later on. The bhakti-stras offer Gopa-kumra their blessing that Ka, whose abode in the spiritual world is eternal, may protect him, especially from obstacles to devotional service such as distraction by the desire to be liberated. TEXT 222

mah-rase smin na budhai prayujyate su-komale karkaa-tarka-kaakam tathpi nirva-rata-pravttaye navna-bhakta-pramude pradaritam
mahsupreme; rasein the nectar of spiritual reciprocations; asminthis; nanot; budhaiby intelligent persons; prayujyateis used; su-komale which is very gentle; karkaaharsh; tarkaof logic; kaakamthe thorn; tath apinonetheless; nirvato impersonal liberation; ratathose who
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are attached; pravttayein order to motivate; navnanew; bhaktadevotees; pramudefor the pleasure; pradaritamexhibited. In this very gentle, supreme nectar of devotional service, the intelligent find no use for harsh and thornlike logic. Still, we have spoken this discourse to induce those who are attached to impersonal liberation to begin devotional service, and we have spoken to give pleasure to the neophyte devotees of the Lord. Commentary: Using the four standard forms of evidencedirect perception, logic, the opinions of reputable authorities, and analogythe bhaktistras could give many more proofs of the superiority of bhakti over moka, but here they present only a small sample of those arguments. The bhakti-stras refrain from giving more, because cold-hearted critical philosophy disturbs like a thorn ones relishing the sublime rasas of devotional service. Intelligent devotees avoid overindulgence in philosophical debates. But for the benefit of impersonalists and neophyte devotees, the bhakti-stras have taken the trouble to demonstrate by logic the superiority of bhakti. They have presented their arguments to induce persons attracted to the self-annihilation of merging into the Supreme to turn instead to the process of bhakti. Without strong logical proofs, impersonalists will never be convinced to give up aspiring for liberation. Thus, following the logic given in rmad-Bhgavatam (1.15.34) of removing one thorn with another (kaaka kaakeneva), the bhaktistras have used the sharp thorn of logic to remove the thorn of the desire for liberation, which pierces the hearts of the impersonalists. This discourse also helps neophyte Vaiavas, whose faith is not fixed. By hearing how much greater than moka is bhakti, their hearts become filled with joy. And with their hearts thus freed from
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thorns of doubt, they become fit to receive the eternal treasure of pure devotion. The dualistic textbooks of the Nyya school of philosophy give many hard-headed arguments based on the four types of evidence. In contrast, the monistic school of Vednta philosophy presents fewer complex philosophical arguments, relying more on the one evidence of personal experience. In other words, the Nyya presentation is harsh (karkaa), and the Vednta presentation soft (komala). And the presentation of the scriptures that teach bhakti is even softer (su-komala). The bhakti scriptures seldom digress into philosophical argument. Such digression tends to agitate the mind and delay the maturing of pure bhakti-rasa, so intelligent devotees use logical argument sparingly. TEXTS 223224

bhavs tu yadi mokasya tucchatvnubhavena hi viuddha-bhagavad-bhaktinih-sampattim icchati tad nija mah-mantra tam eva bhajat param atrpda mah-gha otu hdaya-gamam
bhavnyour good self; tubut; yadiif; mokasyaof liberation; tucchatvathe pettiness; anubhavenaby realizing; hiindeed; viuddhapure; bhagavatbhaktiin devotional service; nihof firm faith; sampattimthe treasure; icchatiwants; tadthen; nijamyour; mah-mantramtranscendental mantra; tamit; evaindeed; bhajatmyou should worship; paramsupreme; atrain this regard; apialso; idam this; mah-ghamgreat secret; otuplease hear; hdayam-gamampleasing to the heart. If you have indeed realized the pettiness of
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liberation and want to attain the treasure of firm faith in pure devotional service to the Lord, then simply worship your transcendental mantra. And please hear this great secret, which is pleasing to the heart: Commentary: With the help of the bhakti-stras, Gopa-kumra, like many before him, has now realized the insignificance of impersonal liberation. He is now ready to dedicate himself exclusively to pure devotional service and has set as his goal the highest ideals of bhakti. For this purpose, the bhakti-stras advise that he need only continue serving the mantra given him by his exalted spiritual master. That mantra will surely fulfill whatever desires he may have, including the desire for pure devotion. It may be true that the words and conduct of great spiritual persons should be accepted as authoritative, but without direct perception one will be unable to realize the truths that great souls represent. Without first developing tattvajna, scientific knowledge, one cannot acquire this experience; nor without tattva-jna can one who aspires for prema-bhakti gain the strength to give up inferior attachments. Therefore Gopa-kumra should faithfully chant his mantra so that first he may achieve liberation (moka) and then reach the final perfection. As the bhakti-stras are about to reveal, the liberation Gopa-kumra achieves will be personal. Thus he should not be repelled by the word moka. TEXT 225

brahmt koi-pacadyojana-pramitd bahi yathottara daa-guny av varani hi

brahma-atof the egg of the universe; koipacatfive hundred million; yojanayojanas; pramittwhose extent; bahioutside; yathuttaramone after the other; daa-guniten times
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larger; aaueight; varanicovering shells; hi indeed. Outside the egg of the universe, which extends for five hundred million yojanas, are eight covering shells, each ten times thicker than the one before. Commentary: The eight shells covering the universe consist of earth, water, fire, air, ether, ego, mahat, and pradhna. These layers form the stock of subtle causal ingredients from which all things in material existence are produced. Some philosophers consider the covering of earth to be part of the internal structure of the universe and so recognize only seven shells. That idea, however, conflicts with the measurement for the diameter of the universe as five hundred million yojanas, and it also leaves the transformations of earth within the universe with no identifiable primary source. TEXT 226

tny atikramya labhyeta tan nirva-padam dhruvam mah-kla-purkhya yat krya-kraa-klant

tnithese; atikramyacrossing; labhyetais reached; tatthat; nirva-padamabode where material existence ceases; dhruvampermanent; mahklaof Lord Mahkla; purathe city; khyamnamed; yatwhich; kryaof causes; kraaand effects; klantbecause of the eradication. By crossing beyond those shells one reaches the abode of Lord Mahkla, the imperishable abode where material existence disappears. It is called Mahkla-pura because there all material causes and effects are nonexistent. Commentary: Mahkla-pura, famous as the place to which Ka and Arjuna made their way to retrieve the sons of the Dvrak brhmaa, is the location and the essential identity of nirva, or syujya, the liberation of becoming one with the Supreme. Of
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course, from the absolute point of view, liberation is not confined to some specific location. Nonetheless, in spatial terms it is conceived as being outside the coverings of the material cosmos. This same conception should be applied to the various spiritual locations Gopa-kumra will visit later. The material creation consists of gross and subtle causes (kryas)such as the five basic elementsand gross and subtle products (kraas), like the bodies and senses of the living entities. In the realm of Mahkla-pura these kryas and kraas are not to be found. TEXT 227

tat-svarpam anirvcya kathacid varyate budhai skra ca nirkra yath-maty-anusrata

tatHis; svarpamtrue nature; anirvcyam indescribable; kathacitsomehow; varyateis described; budhaiby wise men; sa-kramwith form; caand; nirkramwithout form; yath-mati various mentalities; anusrataaccording to. Lord Mahklas personality cannot be described, but wise sages somehow describe Him. He appears with form or without, in accord with the various mentalities of His worshipers. Commentary: The real identity of Lord Mahkla is beyond the power of words to describe, but transcendental scholars somehow attempt to describe Him. Na ta na coa suvarvadta / prasanna sadnanda-savit-svarpam: He is neither cold nor hot, but is brilliant like gold. He is the perfectly satisfied Self of perpetual bliss and awareness. Those who have no better evidence to depend on than theoretical knowledge perceive Him as best they can, some seeing Him with personal form and others as formless. In r Hari-vaa (2.113.25), Arjuna tells how, according to his
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ability, he saw Lord Mahkla: tatas teja prajvalitam apaya tat tadmbare sarva-loka samviya sthita purua-vigraham Then I saw in the ether a brilliant light. It pervaded the entire cosmos yet was situated in one place in a personal form. The Supreme Lord is always a person, but those attached to dry knowledge think of Him as formless and impersonal. Be that as it may, the devotees of the Lord can always discern His personal form. TEXT 228

bhagavat-sevakais tatra gatai ca svecchay param hdy kra ghan-bhta brahma-rpa tad kyate
bhagavatof the Personality of Godhead; sevakaiby the servants; tatrathere; gataiwho have gone; caand; sva-icchayby their own desire; paramthe Supreme; hdiin their hearts; kramin personal form; ghan-bhtamconcentrated; brahma-rpamthe Absolute Truth; tatthat; kyateis seen. The Lords servants whose desires bring them to Mahkla-pura see Him there in their hearts as the concentrated form of the Absolute Truth. Commentary: Liberated Vaiavas are free in all their movements. If they travel to Mahkla-pura it is only because they want to see the Lord there as Brahman in person. TEXT 229

atas tatrpi bhavato drgha-vch-mah-phalam skt sampatsyate svyamah-mantra-prabhvata

atatherefore; tatrathere; apiindeed; bhavata your; drghalong-cherished; vchof the desire;
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mah-phalamthe complete fulfillment; skt tangibly; sampatsyateyou will achieve; svyayour own; mah-mantraof the transcendental mantra; prabhvataby the power. And so, by the potency of your transcendental mantra, there you will directly achieve the complete fulfillment of your long-cherished desires. Commentary: Though Gopa-kumra has long hankered to see the Lord he has been worshiping by his mantra, he doubts his own qualification to achieve this, because he knows that to see the Lord in person one must be His fully surrendered servant. But the bhakti-stras remind him that his ten-syllable mantra to r Madana-gopla is all-powerful. TEXT 230

bahu-kla-vilamba ca bhavn npekate tra cet tad r-mathurys t vraja-bhmi nij vraja
bahu-klalasting a long time; vilambamdelay; ca and; bhavnyour good self; na apekatedoes not desire; atrahere (in Brahmaloka); cetif; tad then; r-mathuryof Mathur District; tmthat; vraja-bhmimto Vraja-bhmi; nijmyour; vrajago. If you do not wish to spend a long time here, then just go to your Vraja-bhmi in r Mathur. Commentary: Some residents of Lord Brahms planet are completely free from material desires, and some are not. At the end of Brahms life, those who still have material desires return to lower planets, and those who are desireless attain liberation along with Brahm. Brahms life, however, lasts for two parrdhasthe very lifetime of the universeand Gopa-kumra may not want to wait that long to graduate from the material world. The supreme material powers and enjoyment available on Brahmaloka delay the attainment of the Supreme
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Lords kingdom. But if Gopa-kumra descends from Brahmaloka to the places on earth where r Ka sportsr Vndvana, Govardhana, and so onall his desires will be quickly fulfilled. TEXT 231

r-gopa-kumra uvca tem etair vacobhir me bhaktir vddhi gat prabhau vicra caia hdaye jani mthura-bhsura
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; tem their; etaithese; vacobhiby the words; memy; bhaktidevotion; vddhim gatincreased; prabhau for the Supreme Lord; vicrathought; caand; eathis; hdayein my heart; ajaniwas born; mthuraof Mathur; bh-suraO brhmaa. r Gopa-kumra said: O Mathur brhmaa, these words of the scriptures greatly strengthened my devotion for the Supreme Lord, and this thought was born in my heart: TEXT 232

bhaktir yasyed so tra skt prpto may pit ta parityajya gantavyam anyatra bata ki-kte
bhaktidevotion; yasyafor whom; dsuch; sa He; atrahere; sktin person; prptaobtained; mayby me; pitfather; tamHim; parityajya abandoning; gantavyamI should go; anyatra elsewhere; bataindeed; kim-ktewhy. Here I have gained in person, as my own father, the Lord whose devotional service is so great. Why, indeed, should I abandon Him to go elsewhere? Commentary: Gopa-kumra now understands that mukti is bhaktis maidservant and that bhakti offers inconceivable bliss. On Brahmaloka, Lord Mahpurua, the object of devotional service, has

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been caring for Gopa-kumra as a father indulges a son. Thus it is difficult for Gopa-kumra to leave Him. TEXT 233

ittham udvigna-citta m bhagavn sa kpkara sarvntar-tma-vtti-ja samdiad ida svayam

itthamthus; udvigna-cittamwho was disturbed in my mind; mmto me; bhagavnthe Supreme Lord; saHe; kpof mercy; karathe reservoir; sarvaof everyone; anta-tmaof the hearts; vttithe movements; jathe knower; samdiatinstructed; idamthis; svayamHimself. When my mind was thus perturbed, that Supreme Lord Himself, the reservoir of mercy, who knows what takes place in everyones heart, visited me and spoke. Commentary: Lord Mahpurua, the ruling Deity of Brahmaloka, knows everything that takes place in every creatures heart, so He knew of Gopa-kumras conflict over wanting to go to Vraja-bhmi and not wanting to leave Him. To settle Gopa-kumras mind, the Lord came to speak words from His own divine mouth to comfort him. TEXT 234

r-bhagavn uvca nija-priya-tam yhi mthur t vraja-kitim tat-tan-mat-parama-krsthaly-vali-vibhitm

r-bhagavn uvcathe Supreme Lord said; nijayour own; priya-tammmost dear; yhigo; mthurmof Mathur; tmto those; vraja-kitimthe pasturing grounds; tat-tatvarious; matMy; paramasupreme; krof the pastimes; sthalof places; valiwith many; vibhitmdecorated. The blessed Lord said: Go to Mathur, to your
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dearest pasturing grounds, to the land adorned with many places of My varied supreme pastimes. Commentary: The rsa dance and the other pastimes r Ka performs in Vraja are the most exalted of the Supreme Lords activities. Those pastimes take place in Vraja on earth, and therefore Vraja is much greater than Brahmaloka. TEXT 235

yasy r-brahmapy tmata-janmbhiycyate parivtte pi y drghakle rjati td

yasymin which place; r-brahmaby r Brahm; apieven; tmafor himself; taas a blade of grass; janmaa birth; abhiycyatewas prayed for; parivttepassed; apialthough; ywhich (Vraja); drgha-klea long time; rjatiappears; tdthe same. Though a long time has passed since Lord Brahm himself prayed for birth as a blade of grass in Vraja, that land now appears the same as then. Commentary: Gopa-kumra may doubt whether he should leave Lord Mahpurua after having attained Him in Brahmaloka, the highest destination in this world. The Lord answers that to gain the unique ecstasy of meeting Him in a special place, going elsewhere is right. Brahm himself prayed to be born in Vraja, even as a blade of grass. Residing in Vraja is therefore even better than holding the position of Brahm, the highest seat of universal authority. But Gopa-kumra may have a further doubt: In the time he has been living on the higher planets, where one year equals many lifetimes on earth, Vraja may have changed so much that it may no longer be attractive. The Lord assures him, however, that Vraja is the same as when he saw it last. Being unaffected by the decaying power of time is another way that Vraja is greater than Brahmaloka.
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TEXT 236

tatra mat-parama-preha lapsyase sva-guru puna sarva tasyaiva kpay nitar jsyasi svayam
tatrathere; matto Me; parama-prehammost beloved; lapsyaseyou will meet; sva-gurumyour guru; punaagain; sarvameverything; tasyahis; evaindeed; kpayby the mercy; nitarm completely; jsyasiwill be able to understand; svayamyourself. There you will again meet your guru, most dear to Me. And by his mercy you will be empowered to understand everything in full. Commentary: Gopa-kumra may object that in Vrajabhmi there will be no one to advise him whereas here on Brahmaloka Lord Mahpurua is at his side to mercifully inform him of everything he should do. But the Lord assures him that in Vraja he will meet again the great Vaiava who initiated him into the chanting of his mantra. Because that guru is a very dear devotee of the Lord, Gopa-kumra can expect to learn from the guru even more about devotional service than from the Lord Himself. Thus Lord Mahpurua emphatically uses the words sarvam (everything), nitarm (completely), and svayam (by your own power). TEXT 237

mah-kla-pure samyag mm eva drakyasi drutam tatrpi paramnanda prpsyasi sva-manoramam

mah-kla-purein the city of Lord Mahkla; samyakproperly; mmMe; evaindeed; drakyasiyou will see; drutamsoon; tatrathere; apialso; parama-nandamsupreme bliss; prpsyasiyou will attain; svayour; mana-ramampleasing to the heart.
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Indeed, you will soon come see Me in person in Mahkla-pura. There you will attain extreme bliss that will enchant your heart. Commentary: Mahkla-pura, the abode of mukti, is also the residence of Lord Mahkla. But Lord Mahpurua on Brahmaloka is nondifferent from Lord Mahkla. Why, then, even bother to go? Why not just stay on Brahmaloka? The answer given here is that in Mahkla-pura Gopa-kumra will realize his Lord even more fully and his heart will be filled with even greater ecstasy. TEXT 238

mat-prasda-prabhvea yath-kmam itas tata bhramitv paramcaryaatny anubhaviyasi

mat-prasdaof My favor; prabhveaby the power; yath-kmamas you desire; ita tatahere and there; bhramitvwandering; parama-caryamost amazing things; atnihundreds; anubhaviyasiyou will experience. By the power of My mercy, you will wander about freely and enter into hundreds of amazing wonders. Commentary: Gopa-kumra wants simply to enjoy with his Lord in r Vndvana. But as Lord Mahpurua is about to explain, that will happen in due course. Meanwhile, after a brief visit to Vraja, Gopa-kumra will continue his journey through the eight coverings of the universe, to the abode of liberation, and to r Vaikuha, and beyond, fulfilling his various desires. TEXT 239

klena kiyat putra pariprkhilrthaka vndvane may srdha kriyasi nijecchay

klenaafter time; kiyatsome; putraMy dear son; pariprafulfilled; akhilaall; arthakayour
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desires; vndvanein Vndvana; may srdhamalong with Me; kriyasiyou will play; nija-icchay according to your desire. After some time, dear son, all your ambitions will be satisfied, and you will play with Me as you like in Vndvana. Commentary: Gopa-kumra need not worry that these wanderings will continue for long. Soon enough he will reach his final destination. As expressed by the word putra (dear son), the Lord is affectionate to him and will ensure that everything promised comes true. Gopa-kumra will at last achieve the association of r Madana-gopla-deva in Goloka Vndvana, both on earth and in the spiritual world. TEXT 240

r-gopa-kumra uvca eva tad-jay haraokvio ham gata etad vndvana rmat tat-kan manaseva hi
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; evam thus; tatHis; jayby the order; harawith joy; okaand sorrow; viaovercome; ahamI; gata came; etatthis; vndvanamto Vndvana; rmat beautiful; tat-katimmediately; manasby my mind; ivaas if; hiindeed. r Gopa-kumra said: Thus, overcome with both joy and sorrow at the Lords command, by the power of my mind I at once came to this beautiful Vndvana. Commentary: Gopa-kumra uses the phrase etad vndvanam (this Vndvana) because r Vndvana is where he is speaking to his student, the Mathur brhmaa. Gopa-kumra reached that most beautiful place quickly, traveling at the speed of the mind. He felt joyful that eventually he would play with His Lord in r Vndvana, but also unhappy that for some time he would have to keep tolerating the
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pain of separation from Him. Thus ends the Second Chapter of Part Two of rla Santana Gosvms Bhad-bhgavatmta, entitled Jna: Knowledge.

3. Bhajana: Worship
TEXT 1

r-gopa-kumra uvca brahma-lokd im pthvm gacchan davn aham prva yatra yadst tadgandho py asti na kutracit
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; brahma-loktfrom Brahmaloka; immthis; pthvmto earth; gacchancoming; davnsaw; ahamI; prvambefore; yatrawhere; yadwhen; stwas; tatof that; gandhaa small fragrance; apieven; asti nathere was not; kutracitanywhere. r Gopa-kumra said: When I came from Brahmaloka to this earth, I saw that nowhere was there even a hint of the way things had been before. Commentary: In this third chapter, Gopa-kumra crosses the eight coverings of the universe and enters the abode of mukti, liberation. There, in the presence of Lord iva, servants of the Lord of Vaikuha explain to him the characteristics of pure devotional service. Gopa-kumra first returns to Mathur-maala, where the truth of the Supreme Lords words is shown to
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him. The Lord had declared that r Mathur is never disturbed by the influence of time, and now Gopa-kumra sees this for himself. While he had been away on the higher planets, the rest of the earth had completely changed, and not a trace remained of the demigods, humans, and other creatures who had been there before. TEXT 2

para r-mathur tdgvandri-sarid-anvit virjate yath-prva tdair jagamair vt

paramonly; r-mathurthe district of r Mathur; tdkthe same way; vanaforests; adri mountains; saritrivers; anvitendowed with; virjateappeared; yathas; prvampreviously; tdaiwith the same; jagamaimoving creatures; vtfilled. Only r Mathur District looked just as it had, with the same forests, mountains, and rivers, filled with the same moving creatures. Commentary: The forests of Mathur appeared as always, with the same kinds of trees, bushes and creepers, the same mountains, such as r Govardhana, the same rivers, like r Klind, and the same kinds of moving creaturesbirds, animals, and humans beings. TEXT 3

j bhagavata smtv bhraman vndvanntare anviya kuje trpaya sva-guru prema-mrchitam

jmthe order; bhagavataof the Supreme Lord; smtvremembering; bhramanwandering; vndvanaantarewithin Vndvana; anviyaentering; kujein the grove; atrahere; apayamI saw; sva-gurummy spiritual master; premafrom ecstatic love; mrchitamunconscious.
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Remembering the Supreme Lords order, I wandered throughout Vndvana. When I entered this very same grove, I saw my spiritual master, unconscious in a trance of ecstatic love. Commentary: Gopa-kumra remembered what the Personality of Godhead had told him: Go to Vndvana. There you will find your beloved spiritual master. TEXT 4

praysair bahubhi svsthya nto sau vkya m natam parirebhe tha sarva-jo bubudhe man-manoratham
praysaiwith efforts; bahubhigreat; svsthyam to a normal condition; ntabrought; asauhe; vkyaseeing; mmme; natambowed down; parirebhe embraced; athathen; sarva-jaknowing everything; bubudhehe understood; matmy; mana-rathamdesire. With great endeavor I brought that all-knowing sage back to normal, and when he saw me bowing down before him he embraced me, at once understanding the desire in my heart. Commentary: By such means as sprinkling him with water, Gopa-kumra brought his spiritual master out of trance. The spiritual master understood, without being told, that Gopa-kumra wanted to know how to reach the abode of liberation. TEXT 5

sntv sva-datta-mantrasya dhyndi-vidhim uddian kicin mukhena kicic ca saketenbhyavedayat

sntvbathing; sva-dattagiven by him; mantrasya of the mantra; dhyna-diof the meditation and so on; vidhimthe rules; uddianinstructing; kicit some; mukhenaverbally; kicitsome; caand; saketenaby gesture; abhyavedayathe informed. He bathed, and then taught me various rules for
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worshiping and meditating on the mantra he had given. Some of these instructions he spoke, and others he gave me through gestures. Commentary: Because the guru had been in a deep trance of overflowing prema, his face was soiled with saliva, mucus, and tears. He therefore went to the Yamun to purify himself. Then he gave Gopakumra instructions on how to worship the mantra,teachings for which there had not been time in their previous meetings. Besides the basic method for meditating, the guru also taught Gopakumra how to apply the syllables of the mantra to the parts of ones body by touching the body and chanting, how to use appropriate hand gestures, and other details of worship. Certain methods he taught verbally, such as touching the body while chanting. Other methods, such as how to meditate on the Lords personal form, he taught by pointing and giving indications. He gave some of the lessons nonverbally because giving explicit descriptions might have evoked a remembrance of the Lords form so vivid as to again ignite his own prema, thus overwhelming his composure. TEXT 6

jagda ca nija sarvam ida prehya te dadm sarvam etat-prabhvea svaya jsyasi lapsyase
jagdahe said; caand; nijammy own; sarvam everything; idamthis; preyawho are very dear; teto you; adadmI have given; sarvam everything; etatof this; prabhveaby the power; svayamon your own; jsyasiyou will understand; lapsyase you will attain. He then said, Because you are very dear to me, I have now given you everything I possess. By the power of this mantra, you will understand and attain everything on your own. Commentary: We should not doubt that the guru,
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simply by a few words and gestures, could teach Gopa-kumra everything there was to know. Though true spiritual knowledge cannot be achieved merely by collecting information, it can be gained by the mercy of ones spiritual master, which awakens transcendental knowledge naturally in ones heart. As the guru indicates here, Gopa-kumra, by the power of the mantra, will comprehend everythingnot only what he has just learned but also things yet to be learned. TEXT 7

harea mahat tasya pdayo patite mayi so ntarhita ivgacchad yatra kutrpy alakitam
hareawith joy; mahatgreat; tasyahis; pdayo at the feet; patitefalling; mayiI; sahe; antarhitavanished; ivaas if; agacchatwent; yatra kutra apisomewhere; alakitamunnoticed. With great joy I fell at his feet, and then all at once he was gone. He had gone elsewhere, unnoticed. TEXT 8

aha ca tad-viyogrta mano viabhya yatnata yathdea sva-mantra ta pravtto japtum dart
ahamI; caand; tatfrom him; viyogadue to the separation; rtampained; manamy mind; viabhya calming; yatnatawith difficulty; yath-deamas I had been instructed; sva-mantrammy mantra; tam that; pravttabegan; japtumto chant; dartwith reverence. I tried hard to calm my mind, which was pained by his departure, and I reverently began to chant my mantra as instructed. Commentary: Chanting of a mantra that worships the Supreme Lord should result in liberation even if the chanting is done irregularly. Still, if one
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wants to reach liberation easily, without delay, one should chant according to the rules and regulations given by the spiritual master. TEXT 9

pca-bhautikattta sva-deha kalayan rave nirbhidya maala gacchann rdhva lokn vyalokayam
pca-bhautikatbeing made of the five material elements; attambeyond; sva-dehammy own body; kalayanobserving; raveof the sun; nirbhidya breaking through; maalamthe sphere; gacchan going; rdhvamupward; loknplanetary systems; vyalokayamI saw. I then saw my body change into a form transcendental to the five material elements. And as I traveled upward, breaking through the sphere of the sun, I saw all the planetary systems. Commentary: Gopa-kumra saw his own body change from a product of the material elements into a transcendental body. To achieve this perfection, he was not forced to die, to give up one body in exchange for another. Rather, his body became refined so that he was able to travel through the coverings of the universe and enter the abode of liberation. The doorway to liberation is the sun, which accomplished celibates and Vaiavas pass through on their way out of the material world. Gopa-kumra broke through the sphere of the sun and traveled upward, seeing all fourteen worlds as he passed beyond them. TEXT 10

ditn bahu-doea sukhbhsena bhitn my-mayn mano-rjyasvapna-drtha-sammitn

ditntainted; bahumany; doeawith faults;
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sukhaof happiness; bhsenawith a shadow; bhitndecorated; my-maynproducts of illusion; mana-rjyain flights of fancy; svapna and dreams; dato what is seen; arthain significance; sammitnequal. I saw that these planets, tainted by many faults, adorned with mere reflections of happiness, were but products of illusion, no better than what one sees in a flight of fancy or a dream. Commentary: The attractions one sees in a day dream or night dream exist only in ones own mind, and even that private existence is brief. And the reality one sees while awake is shared and persistent. Yet within the material universe, all the worlds are dreamlike shadows of spiritual reality, their happiness but a shadow of real happiness. TEXT 11

prva ye bahu-klena samprpt kramao dhun sarve nimeata krnt yugapan manaseva te
prvamearlier; yewhich; bahu-klenaover a long time; samprptachieved; kramaaone by one; adhunnow; sarveall; nimeatain the blink of an eye; krntpassed; yugapatat once; manasby the mind; ivaas if; tethey. The planets I had earlier attained one by one, over a long period of time, I now crossed in the blink of an eye, as if by the power of my mind alone. Commentary: Gopa-kumra had visited Svarga, Mahar, Tapas, and Satya and stayed for a while on each of these planets. Now he was passing over these same planets at the speed of the mind. It might be said that since these planets are nothing more substantial than assemblages of the guas of material nature, they no longer appear independently real to someone who has subdued his
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mind; and so, in this sense, passing out of this universe is but an effort of the mind. But since Gopa-kumra physically broke through the sphere the sun, he did have to exert himself. Therefore the qualification iva (as if) is here added to the word manas (by the mind). TEXT 12

brahma-lokt sukhai koiguitair uttarottaram vaibhavai ca mahihni prpto smy varany atha
brahma-loktthan Brahmaloka; sukhaiwith enjoyments; koi-guitaimillions of times; uttara-uttaramgreater and greater; vaibhavaiwith opulences; caand; mahihnimagnificent; prpta asmiI reached; varanicoverings; athathen. Next I reached the coverings of the universe. Each of them, more so than the one before, was rich with enjoyments and opulences millions of times greater than on Brahmaloka. Commentary: Each covering of the universe is ten times greater than the one before it and millions of times greater in enjoyment and opulence. TEXTS 1314

kryopdhim atikrntai prptavya-krama-muktikai ligkhya kraopdhim atikramitum tmabhi praviya tat-tad-rpea bhujyamnni kmata tat-tad-udbhava-nieasukha-sra-mayni hi
kryaof created things; updhimthe false attributes; atikrntaiwho have passed beyond; prptavyato be attained by whom; krama-muktikai gradual liberation; liga-khyamknown as the subtle body; kraaof the elements which are the
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causes of creation; updhimthe designations; atikramitumto pass beyond; tmabhiby finite souls; praviyaentering; tat-tatof each (element); rpeain a form; bhujyamnniwhich are enjoyed; kmataas one desires; tat-tatin each; udbhavagenerated; nieaentire; sukha-sra essence of pleasure; maynicomprising; hi certainly. Souls who have transcended the false attributes of created things and who aspire for gradual liberation strive also to go beyond the causative elements of creation, elements found again as false attributes, in what is known as the subtle body. To do this they enter the shell formed of each element. They enter in a body composed of that element and enjoy to their full desire the essence of the pleasure to be had there. Commentary: When a jva on his way out of the material universe passes through its coverings (varaas), he is provided a body made of the subtle element he is passing through. Otherwise, mere proximity to these concentrated masses of elemental energy would destroy his body at once. In each successive covering the jva finds wonderful opportunities for more refined material enjoyment. Since the material creation exists mainly for the jvas enjoyment, these original reservoirs of the material elements brim with resources for pleasure. The grosser objects produced from the causal elementsearth, water, fire, and so onare great sources of sense gratification for conditioned living beings, and the superior, subtle forms of matter afford even better sense enjoyment. In the covering formed of each element, pleasures from combinations of all the elements are available, just as inside the universe, but in the covering formed of a particular element that element predominates. In each of the coverings more happiness is found than on Brahmaloka, and each consecutive covering offers more happiness than the
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one before. TEXTS 1516

pthivy-varaa teu prathama gatavn aham tad-aivarydhikriy dharay pjita prabhum brahma-durlabhair dravyair mah-kara-rpiam apaya prati-romntabhramad-brahma-vaibhavam
pthivof earth; varaamthe covering; teuamong them; prathamamthe first; gatavnreached; ahamI; tatof that (covering); aivaryaof the opulences; adhikriyby the presiding deity; dharaythe goddess Earth (Bhmi); pjitamworshiped; prabhum the Lord; brahmain the material universe; durlabhaiunobtainable; dravyaiwith items; mahkara-rpiamin the form of a great boar; apayamI saw; prati-romaeach pore; antawithin; bhramatrotating; brahmaof the universe; vaibhavamthe opulences. The first covering I entered was that of earth. There I saw the Supreme Lord in the form of a great boar being worshiped by the goddess Earth, the deity presiding over that covering and its wealth. She worshiped Him with riches not to be obtained within the universe itself, while all the opulences of the universe whirled within every pore on His body. Commentary: Even when seeing Lord Mahpurua on Brahmaloka, Gopa-kumra did not see all the opulences of the fourteen worlds in every pore of the Lords body, as he was seeing them now. Each higher world is closer to spiritual perfection, so in each successive world the Lord reveals more of His infinite glories. The presiding ruler of each higher planet is more elevated than the ruler of
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the planet below, and still more elevated are the presiding deities of the subtle coverings, so the goddess Earth in the subtle covering of earth stands above Lord Brahm. TEXT 17

tasy kraa-rpy krya-rpam ida jagat tad-updnaka sarva sphrita ca vyalokayam

tasymwithin her; kraa-rpymwho embodies the subtle causes of creation; krya-rpamwhich embodies the created products; idamthis; jagat world; tatof it; updnakamthe ingredients; sarvamall; sphritammanifested; caand; vyalokayamI saw. Within the goddess Earth, who embodies the subtle causes of creation, I saw the creation itself, with all its ingredients. Commentary: As clay is the ingredient cause of a pot, the elements presided over by the deities of the varaas are the ingredient causes of the universe. Since earth is the most prominent ingredient within the material universe, the goddess Bhmi appears to be the source of all creation. TEXT 18

vidhya bhagavat-pj taytithyena sat-kta dinni katicit tatra bhogrtham aham arthita
vidhyahaving been performed; bhagavat-pjm worship of the Supreme Lord; tayby her; tithyenaas a guest; sat-ktahonored; dinnifor days; katicitsome; tatrathere; bhoga-arthamto enjoy; ahamI; arthitawas asked. After she finished worshiping the Lord, the goddess honored me as her guest and begged me to remain there to enjoy for a few days.
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TEXT 19

tm anujpya kenpy kyama ivu tat attyvaraa prpta pary varani a

tmfrom her; anujpyataking leave; kena apiby something; kyamabeing pulled; ivaas if; uquickly; tatthat; attyacrossing; varaam covering; prptareached; pariother; varani coverings; asix. Taking her leave, I quickly crossed beyond that covering, as if pulled by some force, and reached the other six. Commentary: Although the goddess Bhmi, a firstclass Vaiava, encouraged Gopa-kumra to stay longer in her domain, he couldnt tarry, because the force of his sdhana was impelling him toward the abode of mukti. TEXTS 2021

mah-rpa-dharair vritejo-vyv-ambarais tath ahakra-mahadbhy ca sva-svvaraato rcitam kramea matsya srya ca pradyumnam aniruddhakam sakaraa vsudeva bhagavantam alokayam
mah-rpaexpansive forms; dharaiassuming; vri by water; tejafire; vyuair; ambaraiand ether; tathalso; ahakraby false ego; mahadbhymand the mahat; caand; sva-svaeach their own; varaatausing the covering; arcitamworshiped; krameaone after another; matsyamMatsya; sryam Srya; caand; pradyumnamPradyumna; aniruddhakam Aniruddha; sakaraamSakaraa; vsudevam Vsudeva; bhagavantamthe Supreme Lord; alokayamI saw.
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One after another, I saw Lords Matsya, Srya, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Sakaraa, and Vsudeva, each with one of the great manifested deities of those coverings woshiping Him with the element over which that deity presidedwater, fire, air, ether, ego, or mahat. Commentary: Gopa-kumra discovered Lord Matsya in the covering of water, Lord Srya-nryaa in the covering of fire, and so on. TEXT 22

sva-kryt prva-prvasmt kraa cottarottaram pjya-pjaka-bhoga-rmahattvendhikdhikam

sva-krytthan its own product; prva-prvasmt one before another; kraamcause; caand; uttarauttaramone after another; pjyaof the object of worship; pjakaworshiper; bhogaenjoyment; r opulence; mahattvenaand importance; adhikaadhikamgreater and greater. Each covering was the subtle cause of the one before it, and had a greater object of worship, a greater worshiper, and greater sense gratification, opulence, and importance. Commentary: Because the covering made of water is closer to spiritual existence than the previous covering, that of earth, in the watery covering the Supreme Lord manifests Himself more fully, in the form of Matsya-deva. Thus the demigod presiding over the watery covering is greater than the demigoddess of earth, and the watery enjoyments and opulences surpass the earthly ones. This hierarchy holds true for all the coverings, one after another. TEXT 23

prva-vat tny atikramya prakty-varaa gata mah-tamo-maya sndra390

ymikki-manoharam
prva-vatas before; tnithese; atikramyacrossing over; praktiof material nature; varaamthe covering; gatareaching; mah-tama-maya consisting of primordial ignorance; sndra-ymika dark blue; aki-mana-haramattractive to the eyes and mind. As before, I crossed over each of these coverings, and finally came to the covering made of primordial nature. Composed of the most subtle form of ignorance, it was dark blue, and attractive to the eyes and mind. Commentary: As before implies that at each stage of his journey Gopa-kumra was greeted as a welcome guest by the presiding deity, who requested him to stay and partake of the pleasures of that realm, which Gopa-kumra politely declined, taking his hosts permission to travel on. Finally he arrived at the covering of prakti, the source from which all the other coverings evolve. This covering, the original reservoir of tamo-gua, appears dark and yet attractive. As described by Arjuna in r Harivaa (2.113.2122): paka-bhta hi timira spard vijyate ghan I perceived a darkness as dense as mud, so concentrated that I could feel its touch. atha parvata-bhta tu timira samapadyata Then I reached a darkness that was dense like a mountain. And again in the Tenth Canto of rmadBhgavatam (10.89.4749): sapta dvpn sa-sindh ca sapta sapta girn atha lokloka tathttya
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vivea su-mahat tama tatrv aibya-sugrvameghapupa-balhak tamasi bhraa-gatayo babhvur bharatarabha tn dv bhagavn ko mah-yogevarevara sahasrditya-saka sva-cakra prhiot pura The Lords chariot passed over the seven islands of the middle universe, each with its ocean and its seven principal mountains. Then it crossed the Lokloka boundary and entered the vast region of total darkness. In that darkness the chariots horsesaibya, Sugrva, Meghapupa, and Balhaka lost their way. O best of the Bhratas, when Lord Ka, the supreme master of all masters of yoga, saw the horses in this condition, He sent His Sudarana disc before the chariot. That disc shone like thousands of suns. TEXT 24

tasmin nijea-devasya vara-sdyam tate dvha nitar ho naiccha gantu tato grata
tasminin this; nijamy own; ia-devasyaof the worshipable Lord; varato the color; sdyam similarity; tatespread; dvseeing; ahamI; nitarmextremely; hadelighted; na aicchamdid not want; gantumto go; tatafrom there; agrata further. Seeing spread everywhere a color like that of my worshipable Lord, I was very much delighted. I had no desire to go further. Commentary: The beautiful yma color of the prakti region seemed just like the color of Gopa392

kumras Deity, r Madana-gopla. Since the total dimensions of prakti cannot be measured by any material means, this attractive effulgence seemed to extend infinitely. Gopa-kumra was so charmed by that color that he felt no impulse to move on. TEXT 25

r-mohin-mrti-dharasya tatra vibhrjamnasya nijevarasya pj sampya prakti prakamrti sapady eva samabhyayn mm
r-mohinof r Mohin; mrtithe form; dharasya who was assuming; tatrathere; vibhrjamnasya effulgent; nija-varasyaof her worshipable Lord; pjmworship; sampyahaving finished; prakti the goddess Prakti; prakaexcellent; mrtiin her form; sapadi evaat once; samabhyayt approached; mmme. As I arrived, the goddess Prakti had just finished the worship of her Lord, the Lord of that region, the effulgent r Mohin-mrti. The goddess at once approached me in her own superlative form. Commentary: My, material nature, was worshiping the Supreme Lord in His female disguise as Mohinmrti, which implies that r Mohin-mrti is much more attractive than My herself. TEXT 26

upnayan mah-siddhr aimdy mamgrata yayce ca pthivy-divat tatra mad-avasthitim

upnayatshe offered as gifts; mah-siddhyogic powers; aima-dyperfections such as aim; mamame; agratabefore; yaycerequested; caand; pthivthe goddess Earth; diand the others; vat like; tatrathere; matmy; avasthitimstaying. She offered me gifts such as aim-siddhi and other great yogic powers. And like the goddess Earth and the other deities, she asked me to stay.
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TEXT 27

sa-sneha ca jagdeda yadi tva muktim icchasi tadpy anughem m tasy pratihrim
sa-snehamsweetly; caand; jagdashe said; idam this; yadiif; tvamyou; muktimliberation; icchasiwant; tad apithen; anughaplease favor; immthis person; mmme; tasyof it (liberation); pratihrimthe bestower. She sweetly told me, If you want to achieve your goal of liberation, then please be kind to me, because I am the bestower of liberation. Commentary: One would normally think that to attain liberation one must reject material nature; but in fact one achieves liberation when material nature chooses to release one. TEXT 28

bhaktim icchasi v vios tathpy etasya ceikm bhagin akti-rp m kpay bhaja bhakti-dm
bhaktimdevotion; icchasiyou want; vor; vio to Lord Viu; tath apiall the same; etasyaHis; ceikmmaidservant; bhaginmsister; akti-rpm and personified energy; mmme; kpayplease; bhajaworship; bhakti-dmthe giver of devotion. Or if you want devotion to Viu, still you should be kind and worship me, the giver of devotion, for I am His maidservant, His sister, and the embodiment of His energy. Commentary: Pure Vaiavas do not care for liberation, but still they respect Prakti for other reasons. She is Lords Vius humble servant and sister, born as Subhadr from the womb of Yaod, and she helps Lord Vius devotees make progress in devotional service. Although My is not identical with Lord Vius internal energy
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(antaraga-akti), she is the expansion of that energy, embodied in the external elements. Thus she is nondifferent from the original energy, just as a persons shadow is nondifferent from the person. TEXT 29

r-gopa-kumra uvca tad aeam andtya viu-akti-dhiy param t natvvaraa ramyavara tad draum abhramam
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; tat that; aeamaltogether; andtyadeclining; viuaktias the potency of Lord Viu; dhiy considering; paramsimply; tmto her; natvbowing down; varaamthe covering; ramya-varam beautiful-colored; tatthat; draumto see; abhramamI wandered. r Gopa-kumra said: Declining all these enticements, understanding them to be the potency of Lord Viu, I bowed down to the goddess and then wandered for a while to see that beautiful-colored region. Commentary: Gopa-kumra had the discretion to reject the gifts offered by Prakti, and her proposal that he stay in her domain, but the atmosphere of that place was pleasing to his mind and senses, so he wanted to stay a little longer to examine its wonders more closely. TEXT 30

prdhnikair jva-saghair bhujyamna mano-ramam sarvata sarva-mhtmydhikyena vilasat svayam

prdhnikaimade of primordial matter; jvasaghaiby many living entities; bhujyamnambeing enjoyed; mana-ramamattractive; sarvatasuperior to everything else; sarvaall; mhtmyaexcellence; dhikyenawith the most; vilasatradiant; svayamby
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its own power. Splendid with the most excellent wonders, that place was delightful, shining on its own, multitudes of living entities enjoying it, their bodies made of primodrial matter. Commentary: Pradhna is the most subtle material energy, from which all other subtle and gross manifestations evolve. The beings Gopa-kumra saw had bodies of pradhna, transcendental to the limited names and forms of manifest creation. Pradhna hides the spiritual reality from conditioned souls, but still she is described here as self-luminous (vilasat svayam) because when the conditioned souls are enlightened by transcendental knowledge her darkness dissolves into spiritual effulgence. TEXT 31

bahu-rpa durvibhvya mah-mohana-vaibhavam krya-kraa-saghtai sevyamna jagan-mayam

bahu-rpamhaving many forms; durvibhvyam inconceivable; mah-mohanacompletely enchanting; vaibhavamwhose opulence; kryaof gross constituents; kraaand subtle causes; saghtai by the totality; sevyamnambeing served; jagatmayamcomprising the entire material creation. It was inconceivable, utterly enchanting in opulence, and many in its forms all at once. The whole of material creation dwelt within it, with all the elements of creation, subtle and gross. Commentary: Being the root cause of all material transformations, pradhna naturally displays countless forms within herself, producing wonders powerfully attractive to the conditioned souls. How she works cannot be described in words or comprehended by the material mind. She comprises the entire created world, with its perceivable
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objects and their unseen causes. The most subtle of these causes of material existence are the five tan-mtras, the abstract forms of raw perception. Though these are not explicitly mentioned here, we can assume that during Gopa-kumras travels in the covering region of prakti, he passed through the sub-regions of each tan-mtra, for without having crossed them he could not have become fully eligible for liberation. TEXT 32

athevarecchayttya duranta tad ghana tama teja-pujam apayanta d-nimlana-krakam

athathen; varaof the Supreme Lord; icchayby the desire; attyacrossing beyond; durantamvast; tatthat; ghanamdense; tamaignorance; tejapujama flood of light; apayannot seeing; tam that; dkof the eyes; nimlanathe closing; krakamcausing. By the desire of the Lord, I then crossed beyond that vast region of dense ignorance and came to a place flooded with a light so brilliant, so unbearably beyond seeing, that it forced me to close my eyes. Commentary: Attracted by the beauty of the covering formed of prakti, Gopa-kumra had no desire to leave, but the Personality of Godhead, wanting him to reach the abode of liberation, inspired Gopakumra to journey on. TEXT 33

bhakty paramay yatnd agre d prasrayan srya-koi-pratkam apaya paramevaram

bhaktywith devotion; paramayutmost; yatntwith effort; agreforward; dmy sight; prasrayan stretching; sryalike suns; koimillions;
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pratkamwhose effulgence; apayamI saw; paramavaramthe Supreme Lord. With utmost devotion I struggled to look ahead. And then I saw the Supreme Lord, effulgent like millions of suns. TEXT 34

mano-dg-nanda-vivardhana vibhu vicitra-mdhurya-vibhacitam samagra-sat-purua-lakanvita sphurat-para-brahma-maya mahdbhutam

manaof the mind; dkand eyes; nandathe ecstasy; vivardhanamincreasing; vibhumallpowerful; vicitravaried; mdhuryawith charming features; vibhaaand ornaments; citam decorated; samagrafully; sat-puruaof an exalted person; lakaathe symptoms; anvitambearing; sphuratvisible; para-brahmathe Supreme Truth; mayamcomprising; mah-adbhutammost amazing. Ever increasing the ecstasy of my mind and eyes, that all-powerful Lord, adorned with many ornaments and sweet features and bearing all the signs of an exalted person, revealed Himself as the most wondrous form of the Supreme Truth. Commentary: Even though the Supreme Lords effulgence shone brighter than millions of suns, this appearance of the Lord was delightful to Gopakumras mind and eyes. A most exalted person should have thirty-two special marks of perfection on his bodyred palms, red soles, and so onand Gop-kumra could see all of these in the body of the Lord. Now that Gopa-kumra had left behind the covering darkness of prakti, the Supreme Lord revealed Himself in all His glory, more completely and vividly than Gopa-kumra had ever seen. TEXT 35

sad guttam aea-sad-gua nirkti loka-manoramktim praktydhihttay vilsina

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tadya-sambandha-vihnam acyutam
sadalways; gua-attambeyond material qualities; aeawith all; sat-guamspiritual qualities; nirktimhaving no form; lokato all people; mana-ramaattractive; ktimwhose form; prakty with material nature; adhihttayas her Lord; vilsinamperforming pastimes; tadyawith her; sambandhaconnection; vihnamnot having; acyutam the infallible Supreme Person. Though always beyond material qualities, in spiritual qualities He is full; though formless, in form attractive to all. Though never directly connected with Prakti, that infallible Lord appears resplendent in her company as she performs her pastimes under His shelter. Commentary: In the paradoxical ways mentioned here, the Personality of Godhead is unique. Untouched by the qualities of matter, He has His own countless transcendental qualities, beginning with His affectionate concern for His devotees. He is said to have no form because He never assumes material forms; all material forms, after all, derive from dualities (this and not that), with which the Absolute Truth never has any connection. In the previous chapter Lord Mahpurua was described as Praktis ruler, but the form of the Lord whom Gopa-kumra is seeing now is not her ruler but only the shelter in which she acts out her playful pastimes. He is the Supreme Brahman, the presiding Deity of the abode of liberation, and has no contact with material nature. Thus He is called Acyuta, the Lord whose spiritual glory is never diminished. TEXT 36

mah-sambhrama-santrsapramoda-bhara-vihvala tad ki karavti jtu nee kathacana

mahgreat; sambhramaof reverence; santrsafear;
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pramodaand joy; bharaby an excess; vihvala overcome; tadthen; kimwhat; karaviI should do; itithus; jtumto know; na eI was not able; kathacanain any way. A flood of reverence, fear, and joy overwhelmed me. At that moment I simply didnt know what to do. TEXT 37

yady api sva-prako sv attendriya-vttika tat-kruya-prabhvea para skt samkyate

yadi apialthough; sva-prakaself-manifest; asauHe; attabeyond; indriyaof the senses; vttikathe functions; tatHis; kruyaof the mercy; prabhveaby the power; paramonly; skt directly; samkyateHe is seen. That self-manifest Lord is beyond the scope of the senses, but one can see Him directly by the power of His mercy. There is no other way. Commentary: Only the Lords grace can empower one to perceive His beauty and the features of His personality. TEXT 38

naitan nicetum e ya dgbhy cittena vekyate ki vtikramya tat sarvam tma-bhvena kenacit
nanot; etatthis; nicetumto understand; eI was able; ayamHe; dgbhymwith my eyes; cittena with my mind; vor; kyatewas being seen; kim vor else; atikramyatranscending; tatthat; sarvamall; tma-bhvenaby a power of the soul; kenacitcertain. I was unable to understand whether I was seeing Him with my eyes, with my mind, or with a power of the soul that transcended both. TEXT 39
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kan nirkram ivvalokayan smarmi nldri-pater anugraham kac ca skram udkya prva-van mah-maha-pujam amu labhe mudam katat one moment; nirkramformless; ivaas if; avalokayanseeing; smarmiI remembered; nldri-pateof the Lord of Nldri (Jaganntha); anugrahamthe mercy; katat one moment; caand; sa-kramwith personal form; udkyaseeing; prva-vatas before; mahvast; mahaof effulgence; pujammass; amumHim; labheI obtained; mudamjoy. Although at one moment I saw Him as formless, I remembered the mercy of the Lord of Nldri, and at the next moment I saw Him again in His personal form, vastly effulgent, and I was full of joy. Commentary: The Supreme Lord whom Gopa-kumra was perceiving did not actually become impersonal, but when His effulgence intensified, Gopa-kumra could see nothing but that effulgence. This is one characteristic of the abode of liberation, that individual distinctions tend to become obscured by the all-pervading divine light from the transcendental body of the Lord. In this instance, however, Gopa-kumra remembered Lord Jaganntha, who was similarly effulgent, like a brilliant darkblue mountain. Remembering Lord Jagannthas compassion, Gopa-kumra thought that no one else could be as merciful as He. Then, when the Lords personal form again became visible past His effulgence, Gopa-kumras ecstasy increased even more. The verbs in the Sanskrit text of this verse and the verses that follow are in the present tense even though the verse describes a past event. This is to indicate that Gopa-kumra spent a long time in Mahkla-pura, the abode of liberation. TEXT 40

kadpi tasminn evha

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lyamno nukampay rakeya nija-pdbjanakhu-sparato mun

kad apisometimes; tasminin that; evaindeed; ahamI; lyamnamerging; anukampayby His mercy; rakeyaI was saved; nijaHis; pda-abjaof the lotus feet; nakhafrom the nails; auby the beams of light; sparatadue to the touch; amunby Him. Sometimes I would begin to merge into the Lords effulgence, but He mercifully saved Me with the touch of the rays from the nails of His lotus feet. Commentary: The reddish nails of Lord Vius toes are like brilliant gems. They are so attractive to His devotees that the devotees never think of giving up their personal relationships with Him to dissolve themselves into oneness. Of course, everything about the Lord is supremely attractive, not only His toes, but Vaiavas generally honor the Lord by beginning their worship from His feet. TEXT 41

bhinnbhinnair mah-siddhai skmai sryam ivubhi vta bhaktair ivlokya kadpi pryate mana
bhinnadifferent; abhinnaiand nondifferent; mahsiddhaiby perfected beings; skmaisubtle; sryamthe sun; ivaas if; aubhiby its rays; vtamsurrounded; bhaktaiby devotees; ivaas if; lokyaseeing; kad apisometimes; pryatefelt satisfaction; manamy mind. Sometimes my mind felt special pleasure in beholding Him surrounded by the great perfected beings who were His devotees, at once different and nondifferent from Him. They surrounded Him in subtle spiritual forms, like beams of light around the sun. Commentary: The Supreme Personality of Godhead always invites His part-and-parcel jvas to share
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loving reciprocations with Him, even in the abode of liberation. He kindly considers the liberated souls who surround Him there His bhaktas, but actually they are hardly interested in personal service. The only bhakti they offer the Lord is to decorate Him as particles of His effulgence. Although they are eternal, indissolvable individuals, their separate personalities are now dormant and invisible. Like all other jvas, they are both different and nondifferent from the Supreme, like the rays of light shining from the sun. In spiritual substance they are one with the Lord, but they have autonomous identities, with their own consciousness, their own bodies, and their own small capacity to control. TEXT 42

ittham nanda-sandoham anuvindan nimagna-dh tmrma ivbhva pra-kma ivtha v

itthamthus; nandaof ecstasy; sandohaman abundance; anuvindanexperiencing; nimagnabeing drowned; dhmy consciousness; tma-rmaa selfsatisfied sage; ivaas if; abhvamI became; pra full; kmain all ambitions; ivaas if; atha v or. The huge treasure of ecstasy I in this way obtained inundated my mind. I became like a self-contented sage or like a man whose ambitions have all been fulfilled. Commentary: Gopa-kumra became like a selfcontented sage or a materialist, not one in fact. Had he actually been contented with himself and his situation, he would no longer have been driven by the urge to seek his worshipable Lord. TEXT 43

tarkrcita-vicraughair idam eva para padam par kh gata caitad

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amasi parama phalam

tarkaby speculative logic; arcitahonored; vicraoghaiby many thoughts; idamthis; evaonly; param padamthe supreme destination; parmto its supreme; khmlimit; gatamgone; caand; etat this; amasiI considered; paramam phalamthe ultimate perfection. A flood of thoughts, upheld by logic, made me conclude I had reached the supreme destination, the highest perfection of life. TEXT 44

pada-svbhviknandataraga-kobha-vihvale citte tad-anya-sva-prpyajnam antardadhv iva

padaof the abode; svbhvikaintrinsic; nandaof ecstasy; taragaof the waves; kobhaby the agitation; vihvalewhich was overwhelmed; cittein my mind; tatthan that; anyaother; svamy own; prpyaof the goal; jnamawareness; antardadhau disappeared; ivaas if. Tossed by the waves of ecstasy intrinsic to that abode, my mind was overwhelmed, as if the awareness of my goal had vanished. Commentary: Having worshiped r Madana-gopla for a long time, in all sorts of places, Gopa-kumra was familiar with Lord Madana-goplas unique beauty. Why did Gopa-kumra now think that Mahkla-pura and its Lord were the final goal of his life? As explained here, the powerful influence of that realm confused him, temporarily diverting to another form of the Lord his determination to worship Madana-gopla. TEXT 45

rman-mah-bhgavatopadeata san-mantra-sev-balato na kevalam ln kadcin nija-pjya-devat404

pdbja-skd-avaloka-llas
rmatdivine; mah-bhgavataof the saintly devotee; upadeataby the instructions; satmantraof my transcendental mantra; sev-balataon the strength of serving; nanot; kevalam completely; lndissolved; kadcitever; nijamy; pjyaworshipable; devatof the Deity; pda-abja the lotus feet; sktdirectly; avalokato see; llashankering. Yet because of following the divine instructions of the great saintly devotee, and because of the strength of my service to the transcendental mantra, my hankering to see with my own eyes the lotus feet of my worshipable Deity never fully disappeared. Commentary: By the mercy of his divine spiritual master, Gopa-kumra never lost his eagerness to see with his own eyes the lotus feet of r Madanagopla. And this eagerness was what impelled him to travel higher and higher in search of his Lord, never wanting to stay in any place where Madanagopla was absent. TEXT 46

utsya tejo-maya-pruasya cirvalokena vivardhito bht nijea-sandarana-drgha-lobha smte sti nta iva prakart
utarather; asyaat Him; teja-mayaeffulgent; pruasyathe Supreme Person; cirafor a long time; avalokenaby looking; vivardhitaincreased; abht was; nija-iamy worshipable Deity; sandaranafor seeing; drghalong maintained; lobhathe greed; smteof remembrance; stimto the path; nta brought; ivaas if; prakartbeing pulled by force. Rather, the more I looked at the effulgent Lord Mahkla, the stronger rose my long-standing greed to see the object of my worship. The Deity I
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worshiped seemed pulled by force onto the path of my remembrance. Commentary: If Gopa-kumra were truly interested only in r Madana-gopla, what was the value of being in a place more exalted than Brahmaloka? The answer given here is that his vivid and extended darana of Lord Mahkla intensified his remembrance of Madana-gopla and his hankering to see the Lord in person, not just in his heart. In other words, Gopa-kumra was not satisfied to worship his Lord only by passive meditation. TEXT 47

tena ta prakaa payann api prye na prva-vat sdmy atha laya svasya akamna svayam-bhavam
tenabecause of that (increased greed); tamHim; prakaamdirectly visible; payanseeing; api although; prye naI did not feel satisfied; prvavatas before; sdmiI felt disturbed; athathen; layamdissolution; svasyaof myself; akamna fearing; svayam-bhavamautomatic. Because of that greed, even though I beheld the Supreme Lord right before me, I could not feel as satisfied as before. I was disturbed by the fear that I might merge into Him, as was likely to happen in that abode. Commentary: Even though the presence of Lord Mahkla greatly intensified Gopa-kumras greed to see Lord Madana-gopla, Gopa-kumra did not feel as happy here as on the other planets he had visited. The various forms of the Supreme Lord he had seen elsewhere had not inspired a remembrance of Madanagopla as intense as in Mahkla-pura, but at least on those other planets Gopa-kumra had been in no danger of merging into the object of his meditation. If he were to merge and forget his separate existence, he would also forget his desire to join r Madana-goplas pastimes.
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TEXT 48

vraja-bhmv ihgatya sdhaye ha sva-vchitam vimann evam araua gta-vdydbhuta-dhvanim

vraja-bhmauto Vraja-bhmi; ihathis; gatya returning; sdhayewill achieve; ahamI; svavchitammy desire; vimanthinking; evamthus; arauamI heard; gtaof song; vdyaand instrumental music; adbhutawonderful; dhvanimthe sound. I was thinking that if I returned to this Vrajabhmi I would fulfill my desires. And then I heard some wonderful singing and music. TEXT 49

ho ha parita payan vrha vyalokayam kam apy rdhva-padt tatrynta sarva-vilakaam

haenlivened; ahamI; paritaaround; payan looking; vaon a bull; rhammounted; vyalokayamI saw; kam apisomeone; rdhva-padt from a higher region; tatrathere; yntam arriving; sarvafrom everyone else; vilakaam different. Enlivened, looking all around, I saw someone riding on a bulla unique person, arriving from a higher region. TEXT 50

karpra-gaura tri-da dig-ambara candrrdha-mauli lalita tri-linam gag-jalmlna-javal-dhara bhasmga-rga rucirsthi-mlinam

karpralike camphor; gauramwhite; tri-dam having three eyes; dik-ambaramdressed by the directions (naked); candra-ardhathe half moon; maulimon his head; lalitamexquisite; tri-linam
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holding a trident; gag-jalawith water of the Gag; amlnabrilliant; ja-valrows of matted locks; dharamwearing; bhasmawith ashes; agaof his body; rgamcoloring; ruciracharming; asthi made from bones; mlinamwearing a garland. Three-eyed, white like camphor, dressed only by the sky, that exquisitely beautiful person carried a trident and bore the half moon on his head, his matted locks brilliantly adorned by the Gag. His body was smeared with ashes and graced by a charming garland of bones. Commentary: Lord ivas garland of bones was in fact auspicious and beautiful because it was made from the bones of departed Vaiavas. TEXT 51

gaury nijkritaynurajita divyti-divyai kalita paricchadai tmnurpai parivra-sacayai sasevyamna rucirkthitai

gauryby a woman of fair complexion; nija-akaon his lap; ritaywho takes shelter; anurajitam delighted; divyathan those of heaven; ati-divyai more heavenly; kalitamprovided; paricchadaiwith paraphernalia; tmafor him; anurpaisuitable; parivraof associates; sacayaiby a multitude; sasevyamnamattended; ruciraattractive; kti whose forms; hitaiand behavior. Sitting on his lap, a woman of fair complexion affectionately served him. Divine regalia surrounded him, more heavenly than the riches of heaven. And many followers attended him, their attractive forms and behavior just fitting for his service. Commentary: Upon first seeing him, Gopa-kumra was unaware of who Lord iva was and so describes him as kam api, someone. And although Gopa-kumra knew nothing about Lord ivas transcendental relationship with his wife, he describes her as
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gaur, since he could see with his own eyes her beautiful golden complexion. At first sight Gopakumra could recognize that the royal umbrella, cmara fans, and other personal accoutrements of Lord iva were more excellent than those of the demigods. And suitably exalted attendants, with great devotion, carried that umbrella, fanned Lord iva with the cmaras, and performed other services for him and his consort. The associates of Lord iva appeared very handsome, including r Gaea, with his large abdomen and elephants head. And they all conducted themselves in an attractive manner. By worship of Gaea or other demigods one may attain a form with, for example, a protuberant belly and an elephants head, can achieve this by worshiping Gaea. But those who worship Lord iva understanding that he is nondifferent from r Ka attain beautiful bodily forms on Lord ivas planet. This is affirmed in the narration of Lord ivas battle with Andhaka in r Vmana Pura, Chapter fifty-nine. TEXT 52

parama vismaya prpto hara caitad acintayam ko nv aya privrhyo bhti mukti-padopari
paramamgreat; vismayamsurprise; prpta obtaining; haramdelight; caand; etatthis; acintayamI thought; kawho; nuindeed; ayamthis; privrawith such an entourage; hyaendowed; bhtishines; mukti-padathe abode of liberation; uparifrom above. Feeling the greatest surprise and delight, I thought, Who is this, accompanied by such an entourage, and appearing from above the abode of liberation? TEXT 53

jagad-vilakaaivaryo
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mukta-vargdhiko pi san lakyate ti-sad-cro mah-viayavn iva

jagatfrom the entire world; vilakaadistinct; aivaryawhose ruling power; mukta-vargaof all groups of liberated persons; adhikathe chief; apialthough; sanbeing; lakyatehe seems to be; ativiolating; sat-crathe rules of civilized behavior; mahgreat; viaya-vna sense-gratifier; ivaas if. He looks more powerful than anyone in the material world, more excellent than all liberated souls, yet he seems to violate the rules of civilized behavior, like a great sense-gratifier. Commentary: It struck Gopa-kumra as strange that even though this unique person appeared to be the supreme ruler of the material world, the defender of religious principles, he was ignoring the rules of proper behaviorby traveling naked, embracing his wife in public, and so onenjoying all kinds of sense gratification even though he seemed a fully liberated transcedentalist. TEXT 54

parnanda-bharkrntacets tad-darand aham naman sa-parivra ta kpaylokito mun

para-nandaof supreme ecstasy; bharaby the weight; krntaovercome; cetmy mind; tathim; darantfrom seeing; ahamI; namanbowing down; sa-parivramwith his associates; tamto him; kpaymercifully; lokitaglanced at; amunby him. My mind was overcome by the weight of the supreme ecstasy I felt from seeing him. I bowed down to him and those who stay with him, and he gave me a compassionate glance. TEXT 55
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hara-vegd upavrajya rman-nandvarhvayam apccha tad-gadhyaka tad-vttnta vieata

haraof joy; vegtimpelled by the force; upavrajyaapproaching; rmat-nandvarar Nandvara; hvayamnamed; apcchamI asked; tat his; gaaof the associates; adhyakamthe chief; tatof him; vttntamabout the activity; vieatain detail. Impelled by joy, I approached the leader of his companions, named r Nandvara, and asked him in detail about this person and what he was doing. Commentary: Altogether unfamiliar with Lord iva, Gopa-kumra asked r Nandvara, Who is this? Where is his residence? Where is he going now? TEXT 56

sa sa-hsam avocan m goplopsan-para gopa-bla na jne r-iva jagad-varam

sahe; sa-hsamwith laughter; avocattold; mm me; gopla-upsanto the worship of Gopla; para who are devoted; gopa-blaO cowherd boy; na jneyou do not recognize; r-ivamr iva; jagat-varamthe lord of the universe. Nandvara laughed and said to me, O cowherd boy, devoted worshiper of Gopla, dont you recognize Lord iva, the lord of the universe? Commentary: Nandvara found it amusing that a devotee of Lord Gopla could be ignorant of the identity of Lord iva. But since Gopa-kumra was a simple cowherd boy, Nandvara thought, He might be so poorly informed. By calling Lord iva the lord of the universe, Nandvara tactfully told Gopa-kumra that since Lord iva is independent he can apparently violate the laws of civilized behavior without blame.
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TEXT 57

bhukter mukte ca dtya bhagavad-bhakti-vardhana muktnm api sampjyo vaiavn ca vallabha

bhukteof enjoyment; mukteof liberation; caand; dtthe giver; ayamhe; bhagavat-bhaktidevotion to the Personality of Godhead; vardhana increasing; muktnmfor the liberated souls; api even; sampjyaworshipable; vaiavnmto the Vaiavas; caand; vallabhavery dear. He is the giver of material enjoyment and liberation, and he expands devotion to the Personality of Godhead. He is worshiped even by the liberated and is dear to the Vaiavas. Commentary: Lord iva is bhagavad-bhakti-vardhana in more than one sense. By showing a loving attitude toward the Supreme Lord, r Ka, Lord iva increases the Supreme Lords reciprocal love for him. And apart from this, Lord iva is himself a great lord (bhagavn) who promotes the process of devotional service to Viu. He teaches his own devotees that bhagavad-bhakti is the supreme goal of life, greater than all others. The essential meaning of Lord ivas being bhagavad-bhaktivardhana is that by his very words and behavior he increases for the inhabitants of the universe their devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And so he is very dear to the devotees of Lord Viu, who aspire for his association. TEXTS 5859

iva-kpthag-dibhakti-labhyt sva-lokata svnurpt kuverasya sakhyur bhakti-va-kta kailsdrim alakartu prvaty priyaynay
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sama parimitair yti priyai parivtair vta

iva-kaof Lord iva and Lord Ka; apthakas nondifferent; diwith the vision; bhaktiby devotional service; labhytwhich is obtainable; sva-lokatafrom his own planet; sva-anurptwhich suits his nature; kuverasyaof Kuvera; sakhyuhis friend; bhaktiby the devotion; va-kta controlled; kailsa-adrimthe mountain Kailsa; alakartumto decorate; prvatyby Prvat; priyayhis beloved; anayher; samamaccompanied; parimitaiwho are gentle; ytihe goes; priyai dear; parivtaiby associates; vtasurrounded. Drawn by the devotion of his friend Kuvera, he is traveling with his beloved Prvat and dear gentle companions to grace Mount Kailsa with his presence. He came from his own planet, as transcendental as he, an abode reached through devotion by those who see him and Lord Ka as nondifferent. Commentary: Here Nandvara explains where Lord iva comes from and where is he is going. Lord ivas own planet, beyond the coverings of the material universe, is attainable by those who worship him and Lord Viu on the same level. That transcendental world is suitable for Lord ivas pleasure, equipped as it is with all kinds of eternal and unlimited opulence. Yet Lord iva gracefully accepts the friendship of the demigod Kuvera, the original proprietor of Mount Kailsa, and submits himself to Kuveras devotion. And so Lord iva is on his way to visit Kailsa in the company of Prvat, his consort. Since Prvat, the mother of the universe, is Lord ivas supreme energy, Gopa-kumra should not be shocked to see her sitting on his lap in public. But why is Lord iva traveling with such a small entourage? Although on his own planet he has many more devotees, for this trip he has chosen only his
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dearmost associates because the Kailsa within the material world can accommodate only some of his opulence and entourage. TEXT 60

r-gopa-kumra uvca tad karya praho ham aiccha tasmn mahevart prasda kam api prptum tmano hdaya-gamam
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; tat that; karyahearing; prahadelighted; ahamI; aicchamwanted; tasmtfrom him; mahevartLord Mahevara; prasdamfavor; kam apia certain; prptumto obtain; tmanamy; hdayam-gamam cherished. r Gopa-kumra said: Delighted to hear this, I was eager to obtain Lord ivas grace and fulfill a long-cherished desire. Commentary: Gopa-kumra was eager to understand how Lord iva is nondifferent from r Madana-gopladeva. Although Gopa-kumras natural inclination was toward the lotus feet of Madana-gopla, he also found himself unavoidably attracted to this amazing person Lord iva, whom he was seeing for the first time. Gopa-kumra would be grateful if Lord iva were to enlighten him about how Lord iva and Lord Ka are nondifferent. TEXT 61

jtv bhagavat tena dydiasya nandina upadeena uddhena svaya me sphurad ajas
jtvbeing understood; bhagavatby the lord; tenahim; dywith a glance; diasyawho was ordered; nandinaof Nandvara; upadeenaby the advice; uddhenapure; svayamautomatically; meto me; asphuratwere revealed; ajaseasily. Lord iva, reading my thoughts, ordered Nandvara
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with a knowing glance, and through Nandvaras pure guidance the facts easily revealed themselves to me. Commentary: Lord iva, the best of mystics, knew at once what Gopa-kumra was thinking and simply by glancing at Nandvara conveyed his desire that Nandvara explain the matter. rla Santana Gosvm says in his commentary to this verse that nandina can refer to Nandvara, the principal attendant of Lord iva, or else to the bull Nand, Lord ivas carrier, who was born from a partial expansion of the Supreme Lord. TEXT 62

rman-madana-gopln nija-prea-daivatt abhinna r-maheo yam uta tad-bhva-vardhana

rmat-madana-gopltfrom rmn Madana-gopla; nijamy; pralike the life air; ia worshipable; daivattthe Deity; abhinna nondifferent; r-mahear iva Mahea; ayamhe; utaindeed; tatfor Him (Madana-gopla); bhva love; vardhanawho increases. This Lord iva, I realized, is nondifferent from Madana-gopla, the Deity I worship, the Lord more dear to me than life itself. Lord iva serves the cause of love for my Lord by promoting it everywhere. Commentary: There is nothing wrong with being attracted to Lord iva. Since he is nondifferent from Lord Ka, devotion offered to him is also devotion to Ka. More precisely, when one satisfies Lord iva by pure devotion to him, Lord iva helps one become more devoted to Ka. TEXT 63

sukha tad-gaa-madhye ha pravia prito khilai aivai r-nandino raua

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vttam etad vilakaam

sukhamhappily; tatof him (Lord iva); gaaof the company of associates; madhyein the midst; ahamI; praviaentered; pritatreated with affection; akhilaiby all; aivaithe devotees of Lord iva; r-nandinafrom r Nandvara; arauamI heard; vttaminformation; etatthis; vilakaamunique. I happily entered among Lord ivas companions and was treated with affection by all his devotees. From r Nandvara I heard these unique facts: TEXT 64

sadaika-rpo bhagavn ivo ya vasan sva-loke prakaa sadaiva vilokyate tatra nivsa-tuais tad-eka-nihai satata nijeai
sadalways; eka-rpain one and the same form; bhagavn ivaLord iva; ayamhe; vasanliving; sva-lokeon his own planet; prakaavisible; sad always; evaindeed; vilokyateis seen; tatrathere; nivsawith residence; tuaiwho are fully satisfied; tatto him; ekaexclusively; nihai dedicated; satatamalways; nija-iaiby his worshipers. The great Lord iva has one eternal transcendental form. Dwelling in his own abode, he is always visible to his exclusive worshipers, who are pleased to live there. Commentary: According to r Nandvara, Lord iva remains always in one form, meaning that he is not like Lord Mahkla, sometimes formless and sometimes having a personal form, nor does he expand himself as Lord Viu does, into the different forms of a fish, a tortoise, and so on. In the pastimes Lord iva performs for the pleasure of his devotees, he sometimes appears disguised as a hunter or a fisherman, but he does not transform into different species of life. Because Lord ivas followers can rest assured he is not going to
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change his appearance, they are always satisfied. He is always visible on his planet, not like Lord Viu, who often leaves His abodes to visit other places. Lord ivas dear devotees can always see their lord, unlike the devotees of r Viu, r Yajevara, and the other incarnations of the Personality of Godhead on Svargaloka, Maharloka, Tapoloka, and Satyaloka. This is the explanation given by r Nandvara, but more precisely Lord iva is always in the same form in the sense that his body is always purely spiritual, sac-cid-nanda, and never subject to change. He is always present in his own abode, beyond the material creation, and so is always visible in that abode for the pleasure of his devotees. TEXT 65

svbhinna-bhagavad-bhaktilmpaya grhayann iva sad ramayati svyn ntya-gtdi-kautukai

svafrom himself; abhinnaas nondifferent; bhagavatto the Supreme Lord; bhaktifor devotional service; lmpayamgreediness; grhayaninducing; ivaas if; sadalways; ramayatihe gives pleasure; svynto his associates; ntyaof dancing; gta singing; diand so on; kautukaiwith festivals. With festivals of singing, dancing, and so on, he always gives pleasure to his companions, as if to make them greedy for the Supreme Lords devotional service, in which they see that he and Lord Viu are nondifferent. Commentary: Lord ivas festivals resound with congregational chanting of Lord Vius names, and his devotees can be heard crying out in great reverence and love for Lord Viu. It appears that Lord iva holds such festivals for the benefit of others, to induce them to take up worship of Lord Viu as nondifferent from himself, but in fact
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Lord iva is himself fully absorbed in viu-bhakti because like Nrada Muni he is a bhaktvatra, an empowered incarnation of the Lord in the role of the Lords devotee. TEXT 66

bhagavanta sahasrsya ea-mrti nija-priyam nityam arcayati prem dsa-vaj jagad-vara

bhagavantamthe Supreme Lord; sahasra-syam thousand-faced; ea-mrtimin the form of ea; nija-priyamhis favorite; nityamconstantly; arcayatihe worships; premwith love; dsa-vat like a servant; jagat-varathe lord of the universe. Although he is the lord of the universe, he always lovingly worships his favorite form of the Supreme Lord, ea, He of a thousand faces, as if a humble servant. Commentary: Lord iva feels a special affinity with the Ananta ea expansion of Lord Sakaraa because both Lord iva and ea are presiding lords of the mode of ignorance. This is depicted in the Fifth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (5.17.16), in the account of how Lord Viu is worshiped on Ilvtavara: bhavn-nthai str-garbuda-sahasrair avarudhyamno bhagavata catur-mrter mahpuruasya tury tmas mrti praktim tmana sakaraa-sajm tma-samdhi-rpea sannidhpyaitad abhigan bhava upadhvati. In Ilvta-vara, Lord iva is always encircled by ten billion maidservants of goddess Durg, who minister to him. The quadruple expansion of the Supreme Lord consists of Vsudeva, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, and Sakaraa. Sakaraa, the fourth expansion, is certainly transcendental, but because
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His activities of destruction in the material world are in the mode of ignorance, He is known as tmas, the Lords form in the mode of ignorance. Lord iva, knowing that the original cause of his own existence is Lord Sakaraa, always meditates upon Sakaraa in trance by chanting the following mantra. As stated by Lord iva in his prayers in the Fifth Canto, the manifestation of Lord Sakaraa as Ananta ea has thousands of hoods. And so this form is different in appearance from the form of Lord Sakaraa worshiped in the covering shell of ahakra, false ego. In Lord ivas abode, the region of ahakra, Lord Sakaraa has four arms, like r Pradyumna and Aniruddha. Lord ivas abode is thus a very special place. TEXT 67

jtvema iva-lokasya viea sarvato dhikam pramoda parama prpto py apra hd alakayam
jtvlearning; imamthis; iva-lokasyaof ivaloka; vieamthe special characteristics; sarvatathan everything else; adhikamgreater; pramodamjoy; paramamutmost; prptaattaining; apialthough; apramnot complete; htmy heart; alakayamI noticed. Learning about this unique excellence of ivaloka, I felt exceedingly happy. Yet my heart, I knew, was not full. Commentary: Hearing all this made Gopa-kumra eager to see ivaloka, but his persistent desire to find r Madana-gopla constrained him. TEXT 68

tan-nidnam ansdya sadyo jsiam man rman-guru-prasdptavastu-sev-prabhvata

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tatof that; nidnamthe cause; ansdyanot discerning; sadyaquickly; ajsiamI understood; manafter reflection; rmat-guruof my divine spiritual master; prasdaby the mercy; pta received; vastuto the object; sevof service; prabhvataby the power. I couldnt discern the cause of that feeling, but by the mercy of my divine spiritual master I had received the transcendental mantra, and by the power of my service to the mantra, after some reflection I quickly understood. Commentary: By virtue of constantly meditating with full sincerity on the ten-syllable gopla-mantra, Gopa-kumra could understand in a moment the essence of his predicament. TEXT 69

rman-madana-gopladeva-pda-sarojayo lldy-anubhavbhvo mm aya bdhate kila

rmat-madana-gopla-devaof rmn Madana-gopladeva; pda-sarojayoof the two lotus feet; lldiof the pastimes and so on; anubhavaof experience; abhvathe absence; mmme; ayamthis; bdhatewas troubling; kilaindeed. I was disturbed because of forgetting the lotus feet of rmn Madana-gopla, and His pastimes and other attractive features. Commentary: In this circumstance Gopa-kumra was unable to focus his mind on r Madana-goplas pastimes, beauty, sweetness, and compassion. TEXT 70

abodhaya mano nena maheenaiva s khalu ll-viea-vaicitr kt mrti-vieata

abodhayamI informed; manamy mind; anenaby him; maheenaLord Mahea; evahimself; sthese; khalu
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indeed; llof pastimes; viea-vaicitrspecial varieties; kthas performed; mrti-vieatain a special form. I told my mind that it is Lord iva himself who performs these wonderfully varied pastimes in the special form of Lord Gopla. TEXT 71

tathpy asvastham lakya sva-cittam idam abruvam yady asmin nnubhyeta s tad-rpdi-mdhur
tath apistill; asva-sthamunsettled; lakya seeing; sva-cittammy mind; idamthis; abruvamI said; yadiif; asminin him (Lord iva); nanot; anubhyetais perceived; sit; tatHis; rpa-di of the beauty and so on; mdhurthe sweetness. But seeing my mind still unsettled, I told it, If you fail to perceive something in Lord iva , it must be the rare sweetness of Goplas beauty and His other such qualities. TEXT 72

tathpi drgha-vch te nugrahd asya setsyati acird iti manyasva sva-prasda-vieata

tath apinonetheless; drghalong-held; vch desire; teyour; anugrahtby the mercy; asyahis (ivas); setsyatiwill be achieved; acirtsoon; itithus; manyasvaplease know; svafor you; prasdaby his favor; vieataspecial. Nonetheless, by Lord ivas mercy your long-held desire will soon be fulfilled. By his special favor toward you, be assured, this will be so. TEXT 73

eva tua-mans tasya tatra kenpi hetun

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virntasya maheasya prve tiha kaa sukham

evamthus; tuapacified; manmy mind; tasyaof him (Lord iva); tatrathere; kena apifor some; hetunreason; virntasyawho was resting; maheasyaof Lord Mahea; prveby the side; atihamI stayed; kaamfor a short time; sukham happily. My mind was thus appeased, and I was happy to stay awhile by the side of Lord iva, who for some reason chose to take rest before going on with his journey. Commentary: Why Lord iva rested in Mahkla-pura before proceeding to Kailsa is disclosed in the next verses. TEXT 74

tarhy eva bhagavan dre kem api mahtmanm sagta-dhvanir atyantamadhura kacid udgata
tarhi evajust then; bhagavanmy lord; drefrom a distance; kem apiof some; mah-tmanmgreat souls; sagtaof singing; dhvanithe sound; atyantaextremely; madhurasweet; kacitcertain; udgataarose. Just then, my lord, I heard from a distance the extremely sweet melodies of the singing of great souls. Commentary: Gopa-kumra calls his disciple bhagavn, showing deep respect, because the disciple is a Mathur brhmaa and is now blessed with the supreme good fortune of being engaged in the worship of Lord Madana-gopla. TEXT 75

ta rutv paramnandasindhau magno mahevara mah-prema-vikrtta

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pravtto nartitu svayam

tamthat; rutvhearing; parama-nandaof great ecstasy; sindhauin an ocean; magnadrowning; mahevaraLord Mahevara; mah-premaof elevated love of God; vikratransformations; tta assuming; pravttabegan; nartitumto dance; svayamhimself. Hearing that sound, Lord iva was swept away in an ocean of great ecstasy. Under the spell of intense love of God, he began to dance, alone. Commentary: Whatever this sound was, it at once caused transcendental symptoms in the body of Lord iva, symptoms of profound transformations in his mindtrembling, perspiration, choking of the voice, standing of the bodily hair on end, falling to the ground, and more. These appeared spontaneously, beyond his conscious control. He then started to dance, though no one around him was dancing. TEXT 76

pati-vratottam s tu dev nandy-dibhi saha prabhum utshaym sa vdya-sakrtandibhi

pati-vratof wives who are faithful to their husbands; uttamthe greatest; sshe; tuand; devDev; nandby Nandvara; dibhiand others; sahajoined; prabhumthe lord; utshaym sa encouraged; vdyawith musical accompaniment; sakrtanachanting of the Supreme Lords names; dibhiand so on. His most faithful wife, Dev, and his companions headed by Nandvara added to the enthusiasm of their lord by playing music, chanting the Supreme Lords names, and so on. Commentary: Far from resenting her husbands losing his composure, the goddess Prvat, the most faithful of chaste wives, encouraged him, following his lead. Even while still sitting on his lap,
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before he stood up to dance, she began to accompany him with music. TEXT 77

sadya evgats tatrdrka cru-catur-bhujn rmat-kaiora-saundaryamdhurya-vibhavcitn

sadya evasuddenly; gatnwho had arrived; tatra there; adrkamI saw; cruattractive; catubhujnpersons with four arms; rmatof good fortune; kaiorayouth; saundaryabeauty; mdhurya and charm; vibhavawith the assets; citnadorned. Then suddenly I saw a group of attractive fourarmed persons arrive, adorned with all the opulences of youth, charm, beauty, and good fortune. Commentary: Some of the attendants who sang at Lord ivas side as he danced had four arms also, but the newly arrived four-armed persons were exceptionally beautiful. TEXT 78

bh-bhaa-gtrucchacchdita-aivakn nijevara-mah-krtignnanda-rasplutn
bhtheir ornaments; bhaaornamenting; gtra of their limbs; auof rays of effulgence; cha by the mass; cchditaobscured; aivaknthe aivites; nija-varaof their Lord; mah-krtithe sublime glories; gnaof singing; nandablissful; rasain the taste; plutnimmersed. Their limbs so effulgent as to decorate their very ornaments and make the aivites seem invisible, those four-armed persons were immersed in the blissful rasa of singing the sublime glories of their Lord. TEXT 79

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anirvcya-tam cetohri-sarva-paricchadn sagatn prva-dais tai caturbhi sanakdibhi

anirvcya-tamnmost indescribable; ceta-hri enchanting; sarvaall; paricchadnwhose paraphernalia; sagatnaccompanied; prvabefore; daiwho had been seen; taiby those; caturbhifour; sanaka-dibhiled by Sanaka. All their ornaments and accoutrements were beautiful beyond words. And in the company of those persons were the four brothers I had seen before, led by Sanaka. Commentary: Although Sanaka and his brothers reside on Tapoloka, where Gopa-kumra had met them before, they are as exalted as residents of Brahmaloka and regions even higher, because they are empowered incarnations of the Supreme Lord. TEXT 80

tad-darana-svabhvotthapraharka-mnasa njsia kim apy antar bahi cnyan nija-priyam

tatthem; daranafrom seeing; svabhva spontaneously; utthaderived; praharaby joy; kaattracted; mnasamy mind; na ajsiamI was not aware; kim apiof anything; anta internally; bahiexternally; caand; anyatother; nijato myself; priyamdear. So attracted was my mind by the spontaneous joy of seeing them that I was aware of nothing but them, internally or externally, not even things most dear to me. TEXT 81

kat svastho py aho te dsatvam api cetas naka ycitu bhty

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lajjay ca su-durghaam
katafter a moment; sva-sthareturned to normal consciousness; apialthough; ahooh; temof them; dsatvamfor becoming a servant; apieven; cetas mentally; na aakamI was not able; ycitumto ask; bhtyout of fear; lajjayout of embarrassment; caand; su-durghaammost improbable. After a moment I came back to normal consciousness. But, oh, I couldnt bring myself to ask them to make me their servant. I felt too afraid and embarrassed to ask such an unlikely blessing, even silently within my mind. Commentary: Gopa-kumra thought it would be offensive for such an insignificant person as he to ask for the exalted position of a servant of the Vaikuha messengers. So he couldnt summon the courage to submit his request. TEXTS 8283

e hi llas nna kpaa mm abdhata sambherann ime ki m ivasya kpay sakt kutraty katame vaite kppgena pntu mm yn ligya bha rudra prema-mrcchm aya vrajet
ethis; hiindeed; llashankering; nnam certainly; kpaamwretched; mmme; abdhata troubled; sambheranmight speak; imethese persons; kimwhether; mmto me; ivasyaof Lord iva; kpayby the mercy; saktone time; kutratysomewhere; katamesome; vor; eteof them; kpof mercy; apgenawith a sidelong glance; pntuthey might save; mmme; ynwhom; ligyaembracing; bhamsuddenly; rudraLord iva; premaof pure love; mrcchminto a swoon; ayamhe; vrajetcould go.
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Simply by embracing them Lord iva could suddenly go into a swoon of prema. And in my wretchedness a certain longing troubled mea longing that just once, by the mercy of Lord iva, these persons might somehow talk to me, or on some pretext might save me by the mercy of their sidelong glance. Commentary: Gopa-kumra thought that only the mercy of these wonderful persons would save him from dying untimely out of frustration. Without even knowing who they were and from where they had come, he was convinced they were great souls. TEXT 84

ity-di-man-mano-vtta jtv devyomayerita iva-cittnuvartiny gaeo kathayac chanai

itithis; diand so on; matmy; manaof the mind; vttamthe activity; jtvunderstanding; devyby the goddess; umayUm; ritamoved; ivaof Lord iva; cittathe heart; anuvartinywho always faithfully follows; gaa-aGaea; akathayat addressed; anaigently. The goddess Um, who always acts in accord with Lord ivas heart, understood what I was thinking. She then had Gaea gently address me. Commentary: Gaea spoke to Gopa-kumra in a quiet voice because what he was about to say was too confidential for all the companions of Lord iva to hear. Lord ivas consort Prvat, or Um, always present in her husbands heart, acts only with his sanction. TEXT 85

r-gaea uvca ete vaikuha-nthasya r-kasya mah-prabho prad prpta-srpy vaikuhd gat kila
r-gaea uvcar Gaea said; etethese;
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vaikuha-nthasyaof the ruler of Vaikuha; rkasyar Ka; mah-prabhothe Supreme Lord; pradassociates; prptawho have attained; srpytranscendental forms similar to the Lords; vaikuhtfrom Vaikuha; gatcome; kilaindeed. r Gaea said: These are associates of the ruler of Vaikuha, the Supreme Lord r Ka. They have attained bodily forms similar to His and have come here from Vaikuha itself. Commentary: Here the word kila means Certainly this is true. You should not doubt that they have come from the spiritual world. TEXTS 8687

payeme py apare ynti brahmao dhikte lpake brahme catur-syasya tathm drata pare am ca-mukhasyaitaddvi-gue ynti vegata am tu oasyasya brahme dvi-gue tata
payajust see; imethese; apialso; apareothers; yntiare going; brahmaaby Brahm; adhikte presided over; alpakesmall; brahmein the universe; catu-syasyawho has four heads; tath also; amthese; dratafurther away; pareothers; amthey; caand; aa-mukhasyaof an eight-headed Brahm; etatthan him; dvi-guein a universe twice bigger; yntiare going; vegataswiftly; am these; tuand; oaa-syasyaof a sixteen-headed Brahm; brahmein the universe; dvi-guetwice bigger; tatathan that. Just see these other Vaikuha companions of the Lord, traveling in this small universe ruled by four-headed Brahm. And further away those others, moving swiftly in the universe of an eight-headed
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Brahm, a world twice as large. And those others in the world of a Brahm with sixteen heads, a world twice as large again. Commentary: To show that these visitors from Vaikuha were indeed extraordinary, r Gaea pointed out more of them entering the other side of the universe, a great distance away, on some other mission. And beyond this relatively small universe of four-headed Brahm, still other Vaikuha messengers were visiting the world of an eightheaded Brahm, which was twice as big as this one, or one billion yojanas in diameter. They were traveling swiftly (vegata) because that universe is so large. Gaea further showed the same thing happening in universes still larger. TEXTS 8889

ity eva koi-kon brahma mahat kramt koi-koi-mukhbjn tdg-brahma-koiu gacchato llay tat-tadanurpa-paricchadn gaeo darayat tn m bahuo d-manoharn
iti evamthus; koi-konmmillions and billions; brahmamof Brahms; mahatmhuge; kramtone after another; koi-koimillions and billions; mukha-abjnmwith lotus faces; tdksuch; brahmain universes; koiumillions; gacchata moving; llayplayfully; tat-tatfor each one; anurpasuitable; paricchadnwhose equipment; gaeaLord Ganea; adarayatshowed; tnthem; mmto me; bahuamany; dkto the eyes; manaand mind; harnattractive. In this way Gaea showed me many Vaikuha companions of the Lord traveling with ease in the millions and billions of universes of multitudes of
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huge Brahms, who had millions and billions of lotus faces. The Vaikuha devotees, attractive to the eyes and mind, all had suitable bodies and were suitably equipped for the universes they were visiting. Commentary: One after another, Gaea pointed out messengers from Vaikuha in the universes of a Brahm with 32 heads, 64 heads, 128 heads, and so on. Gopa-kumra could perceive no end to these countless universes. That there are in fact material universes beyond counting is stated in scriptures such as rmadBhgavatam: kvha tamo-mahad-aha-kha-cargni-vr-bhsaveita-ghaa-sapta-vitasti-kya kvedg-vidhvigaita-paru-caryvtdhva-roma-vivarasya ca te mahitvam What am I, a small creature measuring seven spans of my own hand? I am enclosed in a potlike universe composed of material nature, the total material energy, false ego, ether, air, water, and earth. And what is Your glory? Unlimited universes pass through the pores of Your body just as particles of dust pass through the openings of a screened window. (Bhgavatam 10.14.11) dyu-pataya eva te na yayur antam anantatay tvam api yad-antara-nicay nanu svara kha iva rajsi vnti vayas saha yac chrutayas tvayi hi phalanty atan-nirasanena bhavan-nidhan Because You are unlimited, neither the lords of heaven nor even You Yourself can ever reach the end of Your glories. The countless universes, each enveloped in its shell, are compelled by the wheel of time to wander within You, like particles of dust blowing about in the sky. And the rutis, following their method of eliminating everything
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separate from the Supreme, become successful by revealing You as their final conclusion. (Bhgavatam 10.87.41) kity-dibhir ea kilvta saptabhir daa-guottarair aa-koa yatra pataty au-kalpa saha-koi-koibhis tad ananta Every universe is covered by seven layersearth, water, fire, air, sky, the total energy, and false egoeach ten times greater than the one previous. Besides our universe there are innumerable others, and although unlimitedly large they move about like atoms in You. Therefore You are called unlimited [ananta]. (Bhgavatam 6.16.37) Gopa-kumra could easily see into all the material universes from where he stood in the abode of liberation because that realm is free from any covering of material energy. In each universe, he saw, the Vaikuha messengers had assumed forms with a different size and showed potencies just suitable for that universe. Had the visitors from Vaikuha not made themselves appear similar in size and form to the inhabitants of the universe they were visiting, those inhabitants would not receive them with the respect deserved by representatives of Lord Nryaa. TEXTS 9091

ete hi mtyu-kle pi jihvgre rotra-vartma v kathacit sakd-ptena nmbhsena ca prabho bhaktn ktsna-bhayt pntas tanvanto bhaktim ujjvalm sarvatra vicaranty tmecchay bhakty-eka-vallabh
etethey; hicertainly; mtyuof death; kleat the
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time; apieven; jihvof the tongue; agreon the tip; rotraof the sense of hearing; vartmaon the path; vor; kathacitsomehow; saktonce; ptena obtained; nma-bhsenaby a shadow of the holy name; caand; prabhoof the Lord; bhaktn devotees; ktsnaall; bhaytfrom fear; pnta protecting; tanvantaspreading; bhaktimdevotional service; ujjvalmmost excellent; sarvatra everywhere; vicarantithey travel; tma-icchayas they desire; bhaktito devotional service; eka only; vallabhdedicated. r Gaea continued: These persons cherish only devotional service to the Lord. They travel as they please, spreading pure devotion everywhere. They save the Lords devotees from all fears, even at the time of death, if those devotees have but once had even a reflection of the Lords name on the tip of their tongues or the path to their ears. Commentary: Here r Gaea explains why the messengers of Vaikuha visit all the universes. Acting on their own initiative, they travel everywhere to spread devotional service to the Supreme Lord, eager to distribute fearlessness to the Lords devotees. Even though Vaiavas have nothing to fear from anything material, they still fear obstructions to their bhakti. The Vaikuhavss always endeavor to help Vaiavas everywhere overcome impediments to devotional progress. They protect anyone who has at least once chanted or heard the holy name of Lord Viu, or even a shadow of His name uttered neglectfully or in jest, contempt, or pain. TEXT 92

bhaktvatrs tasyaite catvro naihikottam paribhramanti lokn hitrtha prad iva

bhakta-avatrincarnations as devotees; tasyaof Him; etethese; catvrafour; naihikaof
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lifelong celibates; uttamthe best; paribhramantithey wander; loknmof the worlds; hita-arthamfor the benefit; pradpersonal associates; ivalike. And these four brothers, the best of lifelong celibates, are the Supreme Lords incarnations as devotees. They wander for the benefit of all the worlds, just like the Lords Vaikuha associates. TEXT 93

vasanti ca tapo-loke prabhu nryaa vin anthnm iva kema vahantas tan-nivsinm
vasantithey live; caand; tapa-lokeon Tapoloka; prabhumtheir Lord; nryaamNryaa; vin without; anthnmwho have no master; ivaas if; kemamsecurity; vahantabring; tatthere; nivsinmto those who live. They live on Tapoloka, where they give reassurance and security to the residents, who at times feel as if helpless in the absence of their Lord Nryaa. Commentary: Gopa-kumra might wonder why the selfcontented Kumra sages had accompanied the benevolent visitors from Vaikuha. To answer this doubt, r Gaea speaks texts 92 through 95. The messengers of Vaikuha are servants of Lord Vaikuha-ntha, and the four Kumras are empowered akty-vea avatras of the same Lord. By personal example, therefore, the Kumras promote the cause of Lord Nryaas devotional service wherever they go. They spend most of their time on Tapoloka because the celibate masters of yoga who reside there depend on their guidance. The Kumras teach them the paths of yoga and also create for them the highest good fortune by speaking about the Supreme Lord and engaging them in congregational chanting of His glories. As expressed in this verse by the word iva, when Lord Viu is absent from Tapoloka
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the residents suffer as if they lose contact with Him, but in their meditation they always see Him. TEXTS 9495

gatv samprati vaikuhe sarvkaraka-sad-guam bhagavanta tam lokya moknanda-viambin nirbharnanda-prea sayojytmnam gat pibanto bhakta-sagaty harer bhakty mah-rasam
gatvhaving gone; sampratinow; vaikuheto Vaikuha; sarva-karakaall-attractive; satguamwhose transcendental qualities; bhagavantam the Supreme Lord; tamHim; lokyaseeing; mokaof liberation; nandathe bliss; viambinwhich ridicules; nirbharaextreme; nandaof bliss; preawith a flood; sayojyafilling; tmnam themselves; gathaving come; pibantadrinking; bhaktaof the devotees; sagatyin the association; hareof Lord Hari; bhaktyof devotional service; mah-rasamthe sublime nectar. These brothers have just gone to Vaikuha and seen the Supreme Lord, whose transcendental qualities are all-attractive. They filled themselves with a limitless flood of ecstasy that ridicules the bliss of liberation, and they drank the sublime nectar of pure devotion to Lord Hari in the company of His devotees. Commentary: Sanaka-kumra and his brothers were traveling with the messengers of Vaikuha because the four brothers had just been there themselves and were returning from their visit. They are tmrmas, self-satisfied sages, but the transcendental qualities of Lord Viu attract everyone, even the tmrmas. In Vaikuha the Kumras had seen the Supreme Lord in person and
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felt ecstasy that belittled the happiness of impersonal liberation. They had chanted the Lords glories along with the Vaikuha devotees and enjoyed the wonderful nectar of bhakti-rasa. TEXTS 9697

nityparicchinna-mah-sukhntyakhvatas tda-vaibhavasya skd-ram-ntha-padravindakr-bharjasra-vibhitasya tat-prema-bhaktai su-labhasya vaktu vaikuha-lokasya para kim e advaita-durvsanay mumukviddhtman hdy api durlabhasya
nityaeternal; aparicchinnaunbounded; mah supreme; sukhaof happiness; antyafinal; khvataattaining the limit; tdasuch; vaibhavasyaof the opulence; sktdirectly; ramnthaof the Lord of the goddess of fortune; padaaravindaof the lotus feet; krof the sports; bharawith an abundance; ajasraconstantly; vibhitasyadecorated; tatHis; prema-bhaktaiby the loving devotees; su-labhasyaeasily obtained; vaktumto speak; vaikuha-lokasyaof Vaikuhaloka; parammore; kimwhat; eam I able; advaita of monism; durvsanaywith the misconceptions; mumukby the desire for liberation; viddha infected; tmanmwhose intelligence; hdiin the heart; apieven; durlabhasyadifficult to achieve. What more can I say about Vaikuha-loka? With its opulence it displays the final limit of eternal unlimited joy. It is blessed abundantly by the ever-visible pastimes of the lotus feet of the Lord, the husband of the goddess of fortune. The Lords loving devotees easily gain that Vaikuha, but persons with minds tarnished by the blunder of complete oneness and the yearning for liberation can hardly hope to achieve it even in their dreams.
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Commentary: Returning from his digression about why the four Kumras are present, r Gaea here summarizes his glorification of Vaikuha. He feels he has now said enough, since his words are not capable of adequately describing the greatness of Lord Nryaas abode. Vaiavas who have pure love for the Lord can easily enter Vaikuha, but the impersonalists who prefer the oneness of mukti to the reciprocations of devotional service have little hope of being admitted. Many stras confirm this. For example the Yoga-vsiha-rmyaa states: ajasyrdha-prabuddhasya sarva brahmeti yo vadet mah-naraka-jleu tenaiva viniyojita An ignorant, half-awake person who likes to say Everything is Brahman earns, by this, entanglement in a network of terrible hells. The Brahma-vaivarta Pura also says: viaya-sneha-sayukto brahmham iti yo vadet kalpa-koi-sahasri narake sa tu pacyate A person full of attachment for sense gratification who likes to say I am Brahman will burn in hell for billions of kalpas. And in another Pura: sasra-sukha-sayukta brahmham iti vdinam karma-brahma-paribhraa ta tyajed antyaja yath A person stuck in worldly enjoyment who says I am Brahman has fallen both from Vedic duties and from Brahman realization. He should be rejected like an
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outcaste. Since materialists who identify themselves with Brahman are said to fall into hell, surely those who imagine themselves identical with Para-brahman, the Personality of Godhead, are even more condemned. TEXT 98

yady asya mat-pitu samyak karu syn tad tvay royate mahim tasya gatv cnubhaviyate
yadiif; asyaof him; mat-pitumy father; samyak complete; karuthe mercy; sytthere is; tad then; tvayby you; royatewill be heard; mahim the glories; tasyaof that (Vaikuha); gatv going; caand; anubhaviyateit will be experienced. If you receive the full mercy of my father, you will hear the glories of Vaikuha and go there to see them for yourself. Commentary: Rather than try to present more of the glories of Vaikuha in his own words, Gaea here directs Gopa-kumra to see them for himself. Since Gopa-kumra has already been granted Lord ivas personal audience, Lord ivas complete mercy should not be difficult for him to obtain. Receiving the full mercy of Lord iva results not in attaining ivaloka but in reaching Vaikuha to serve Lord Viu in pure devotional service. TEXT 99

r-gopa-kumra uvca brahmas tat-prptaye jtamah-llasay bham aha cintravprabhaga-rage pranartita

r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; brahmanO brhmaa; tatthat place; prptayeto reach; jtaborn; mahgreat; llasaywith eagerness; bhamquickly; ahamI; cintof anxious
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thoughts; aravaof an ocean; apravast; bhagaof the waves; rageon the stage; pranartitamade to dance wildly. r Gopa-kumra said: O brhmaa, I quickly became ardent to reach that place. And that feeling made me dance wildly on a stage made of waves of a vast ocean of anxiety. Commentary: Gopa-kumras eagerness made him anxious about whether he would reach Vaikuha. TEXT 100

vicra-jtata svasya sambhvya tad-ayogyatm prarudan oka-vegena moha prpypata kat

vicraof thoughts; jtatafrom a multitude; svasyamy; sambhvyaconcluding; tatfor that; ayogyatmunworthiness; prarudancrying profusely; okaof sorrow; vegenaby the force; moham prpya fainting; apatamI fell; katsuddenly. From the many thoughts flashing through my mind I concluded I was unfit to go. I cried profusely, and the force of my sorrow made me faint and suddenly fall to the ground. TEXT 101

mah-daylunnena para-dukhsahiun vaiavaika-priyeham utthpyvsya bhita

mah-daylunmost mercuful; anenaby him (Lord iva); para-dukhathe distress of others; asahiunwho cannot tolerate; vaiavaof the Vaiavas; eka-priyeaby the best friend; ahamI; utthpyabeing picked up; vsyabeing consoled; bhitaspoken to. That most merciful of great souls, the one best friend of the Vaiavas, Lord iva, who cannot tolerate the distress of others, picked me up and
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spoke to console me. Commentary: Lord iva Mahdeva was ready to give his full mercy to Gopa-kumra. TEXT 102

r-mahdeva uvca he r-vaiava prvaty sahham api kmaye tasmin vaikuha-loke tu sad vsa bhavn iva
r-mahdeva uvcar Mahdeva said; heO; rvaiavadear Vaiava; prvaty sahatogether with Prvat; ahamI; apialso; kmayedesire; tasminin that; vaikuha-lokeworld of Vaikuha; tuand; sadperpetual; vsamresidence; bhavnyour good self; ivalike. r Mahdeva said: My dear Vaiava, both Prvat and I, just like you, want to live forever in that Vaikuha-loka. Commentary: Lord iva notes that the same desire harbored by him and his wife has developed in Gopakumra. Because Lord iva and Gopa-kumra share the same interest, it is implied, perhaps Gopa-kumra should come to Lord ivas planet and stay happily with him there for some time. TEXT 103

so tva-durlabho loka prrthyo muktair api dhruvam sdhyo brahma-sutn hi brahmaa ca mampi sa
sathat; atvaextremely; durlabhadifficult to achieve; lokaworld; prrthyais prayed for; muktaiby liberated souls; apieven; dhruvam certainly; sdhyathe object of endeavor; brahmasutnmof the sons of Brahm; hiindeed; brahmaaof Brahm; caand; mamaof me; apialso; sait. But that world is exceedingly difficult to attain.

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Indeed, even liberated souls pray to achieve it. Brahms sons and yet again Brahm himself strive for it, and so even do I. Commentary: For the liberated impersonalists and for demigods such as iva, Brahm, and sons of Brahm like Bhgu, the spiritual world Vaikuha is sdhya, the goal to be attained, but not yet sdhita, actually obtained. TEXT 104

nikmeu viuddheu sva-dharmeu hi ya pumn par nih gatas tasmin y kp r-harer bhavet
nikmeuwithout selfish motives; viuddheu completely pure; sva-dharmeuin his own religious duties; hicertainly; yawhich; pumnman; parm the best; nihmfaith; gataattaining; tasmin for him; ywhich; kpmercy; r-hareof r Hari; bhavetcan be. Only one who has completely perfected his religious duties, who is pure, who is done with selfish motives, can achieve the mercy of r Hari. TEXT 105

tasy ata-gu cet syd brahmatva labhate tad tasy ata-guy ca saty mad-bhvam cchati
tasythan that (mercy); ata-gumultiplied one hundred times; cetif; sytthere is; brahmatvam the position of Brahm; labhateone obtains; tad then; tasythan that; ata-guymone hundred times more; caand; satymbecoming; matmy; bhvamnature; cchatione attains. If that mercy is multiplied a hundred times, one attains the post of Brahm. And if a hundred times again, one can become like me. TEXT 106

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rmad-bhagavatas tasya mayi yvn anugraha tasmc chata-guottne jte vaikuham eti tam
rmat-bhagavataof the divine Personality of Godhead; tasyaHim; mayifor me; yvnas much; anugrahamercy; tasmtthan that; ata-guaone hundred times more; uttnethe extension; jteif it occurs; vaikuhamto Vaikuha; etione goes; tamthat. And if one obtains from the divine Personality of Godhead more mercy than Ia hundred times moreone can go to Vaikuha. Commentary: This is how difficult it is to achieve entrance into Vaikuha. Lord iva also described this in his instructions to the Pracets in the Fourth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (4.24.29): sva-dharma-niha ata-janmabhi pumn viricatm eti tata para hi mm avykta bhgavato tha vaiava pada yathha vibudh kaltyaye A person who executes his occupational duty properly for one hundred births becomes qualified to occupy the post of Brahm, and if he becomes more qualified he can approach me. But a person directly surrendered to Lord Ka, or Viu, in unalloyed devotional service is at once promoted to the spiritual planets. I and other demigods attain those planets after the destruction of this material world. Some demigods, including Lord iva, are qualified for promotion to Vaikuha, but only after they complete their long appointments as universal rulers and after their subtle bodies are dissolved by the attainment of liberation. But pure devotees graced with a sufficient portion of Lord Vius mercy need not serve such long terms as demigods;
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they can achieve Vaikuha much more quickly. We read in the Itihsa-sammucaya, in the narration about Mudgala: brahmaa sadand rdhva tad vio parama padam uddha santana jyoti para-brahmeti yad vidu nirmam nirahakr nirdvandv ye jitendriy dhyna-yoga-par caiva tatra gacchanti sdhava ye rcayanti hari viu ka jiu santanam nryaam aja ka vivaksena catur-bhujam dhyyanti purua divyam acyuta ca smaranti ye labhante te cyuta sthna rutir e santan Above the domain of impersonal Brahman is that supreme abode of Lord Viu. It is the pure, eternal sky known as Para-brahma. Saintly persons who are free from possessiveness and ego, who are beyond dualities, who have controlled their senses, and who are fixed in meditational yoga go to that abode. The eternal unborn Lord Hari, or Ka, is variously known as Viu, Ka, Jiu, Vivaksena, and the four-armed Lord Nryaa. Those who worship that Supreme Lord, meditating on Him as the supreme transcendental person, remembering Him as the infallible Lord, achieve His infallible abode. Such is the eternal proclamation of revealed scripture. In the context of this verse of the Itihsasammucaya, the words brahmaa sadand rdhvam should be understood to refer not to Lord Brahms planet but to Mahkla-pura, the abode of
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liberation. In that mukti-pada, liberated souls merge into syujya in intense meditation on Brahman. Vaikuha is superior both to this muktipada and to Mahea-dhma, the abode of Lord iva. Because Lord iva, though an incarnation of the Supreme Lord, plays the role of a devotee, he humbly compares himself unfavorably with the residents of Vaikuha, but in reality even the personal associates of Lord Nryaa worship Lord iva as an incarnation of Nryaa. Those associates have similar respect for all of Lord Nryaas incarnations, even the jvas who are akty-vea avatras. The apparent hierarchy among these expansions of Godhead rests not on their actual relative superiority but merely on how each avatra shows himself, either as a portion of God or as Gods devotee. This will be explained more clearly later on, in the instructions given by Nrada Muni. TEXT 107

athpi govardhana-gopa-putras tam arhasi tva mathurea-bhakta tad-eka-bhakti-priya-vipra-iyas tadya-tan-mantra-paro nurakta

atha apihowever; govardhanafrom Govardhana; gopaputrathe son of a cowherd; tamthat; arhasi deserve; tvamyou; mathur-aof the Lord of Mathur; bhaktaa devotee; tatfor Him; ekabhaktifor the exclusive devotional service; priya having affinity; vipraof a brhmaa; iya disciple; tadyawhich is addressed to that Lord; tat-mantrato that mantra; paradedicated; anuraktafaithful. But you deserve to go to Vaikuha, O son of a Govardhana cowherd, for you are a devotee of the Lord of Mathur; a disciple of a brhmaa attached only to the Lords devotional service; a soul dedicated to the Lords mantra given you by your guru; and faithful in your service to the Lord.
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Commentary: Although r Vaikuha-loka is extremely difficult to achieve, Gopa-kumra is fit to go there. Lord iva merely mentions the tensyllable gopla-mantra, with great respect, as tadya-tan-mantra (that mantra of His) because further words could not adequately express the glories of the mantra and the extent of its potency. For Gopa-kumra, chanting this mantra is not a mechanical exercise but the means for awakening his intimate loving reciprocation with Lord Madana-gopla. TEXTS 108110

catur-vidheu mokeu syujyasya pada tv idam prpya yatnm advaitabhvan-bhvittmanm mah-sasra-dukhgnijvl-sauka-cetasm asra-grhim antasrsrvivekinm mayaiva kasydet patitn bhramrave nija-pdmbuja-premabhakti-sagopakasya hi
catu-vidheuof the four kinds; mokeuof liberation; syujyasyaof merging into the existence of the Supreme; padamthe abode; tu indeed; idamthis; prpyamobtainable; yatnmby renunciants; advaita-bhvanwith the concept of absolute oneness; bhvitaimbued; tmanmwhose minds; mahvast; sasraof material existence; dukhaof miseries; agniof the fire; jvlby the flames; saukadried up; cetasmwhose hearts; asrawhat is nonessential; grhimwho pursue; antawithin themselves; srasubstance; asraand nonsubstance; avivekinmwho cannot discriminate;
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mayby me; evaindeed; kasyaof Ka; det by the order; patitnmof those who have fallen; bhramaof delusion; araveinto the ocean; nijaHis own; pda-ambujaof the lotus feet; prema-bhakti pure loving devotional service; sagopakasyawho wanted to hide; hiindeed. Here is the abode of syujya, one of the four kinds of liberation. Here indeed is the goal of renunciants whose minds are fixed on the thought of absolute oneness, whose hearts have dried up in the blazing fire of material miseries, who pursue the worthless as if it were real, unable within themselves to discriminate between what has value and what does not. I make them fall into the ocean of bewilderment by the order of Ka, who wants to hide from them the secret of prema-bhakti to His lotus feet. TEXT 111

bhagavad-bhajannandarasaikpekakair janai upekitam ida viddhi pada vighna-sama tyaja

bhagavatthe Supreme Lord; bhajanaof worshiping; nandaof the ecstasy; rasafor the taste; eka only; apekakaiwho aspire; janaiby people; upekitamneglected; idamthis; viddhiyou should know; padamplace; vighnaan obstacle; samam equivalent to; tyajaplease leave. Devotees who care only for the ecstasy of worshiping the Supreme Lord neglect this impersonal abode. Knowing this, you too should reject it as an obstacle to your progress. Commentary: The abode of liberation is a fitting place for impersonalists keen on syujya-mukti but not for a cowherd worshiper of Madana-gopla. In r Hari-vaa (Viu-parva 114.912), Lord Ka describes Mahkla-pura to Arjuna as follows:

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brahma-tejo-maya divya mahad yad davn asi aha sa bharata-reha mat-tejas tat santanam prakti s mama par vyaktvyakt santan t praviya bhavantha mukt yoga-vid-uttam s skhyn gati prtha yogin ca tapasvinm tat para parama brahma sarva vibhajate jagat mamaiva tad ghana tejo jtum arhasi bhrata This vast expanse of divine Brahman effulgence you see, O best of the BharatasI Myself am that. This infinite light is eternal. It is My superior, eternal nature, both manifest and unmanifest. The most expert knowers of yoga enter it and become liberated. O Prtha, it is the goal of the Skhya philosophers and austere yogs, the supreme transcendental Brahman, pervading the entire universe. Descendant of Bharata, know this to be My concentrated effulgence. The Mahkla-pura described in this passage of r Hari-vaa is the same region Gopa-kumra saw outside the coverings of the universe. Both rmadBhgavatam and Hari-vaa mention that Ka and Arjuna, while traveling to Mahkla-pura, passed Lokloka. Some take this to mean that the Mahklapura they visited was a place inside the egg of the universe, in the outer region where sunlight does not reach. Crossing Lokloka can also be understood, however, to mean passing beyond the fourteen worlds that exist in the realm of light (loka) and also beyond the rest of the outer universe, which lies in complete darkness (aloka).
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Mahkla-pura is a suitable destination for impersonalist sannyss for the reasons Lord iva mentions in texts 108 through 111. Nondevotee sannyss lack real spiritual knowledge and are incapable of discerning the spiritual essence of things. As Lord Brahm states in rmad-Bhgavatam (10.14.4), sthla-tuvaghtinm: they are just beating the empty husks of grains already threshed. They are in this pitiful condition because Lord iva has cast them into the ocean of material bewilderment, as he himself explains in the Uttarakhaa (236.7, 10) of r Padma Pura: my-vdam asac-chstra pracchanna bauddham ucyate mayaiva vakyate devi kalau brhmaa-rpi The Myvda philosophy is a false interpretation of the revealed scriptures. It is considered no more than a covered form of Buddhism. O Dev, I shall appear as a brhmaa in the Age of Kali to teach this philosophy. brahmaa cpara rpa nirgua vakyate may sarvasya jagato py asya mohanrtha kalau yuge I shall describe the Absolute Truth in a contrary way as devoid of qualities, just to bewilder the entire universe in the Age of Kali. Lord iva performs this thankless task on the direct order of Lord Ka, as recorded in the Bhat-sahasra-nma-stotra (Padma Pura, Uttara 42.105): svgamai kalpitais tva ca jann mad-vimukhn kuru By concocting your own doctrines, turn the general
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populace against Me. Because r Ka wanted to keep His pure devotional service confidential, He requested Lord iva to create this confusion. But Vaiavas whose only serious ambition in life is to achieve the blissful rasa of worshiping Ka reject impersonal liberation. Gopa-kumra, Lord iva advises, should reject it also, like any obstacle to his practice of bhagavad-bhakti. TEXT 112

dvrak-vsi-viprea ka-bhakti-rasrthin ito nt suts tatra sa-cturya-vieata

dvrak-vsiresiding in Dvrak; vipreaby the brhmaa; ka-bhaktiof devotional service to Ka; rasafor the taste; arthinwho was hankering; itafrom here; ntbrought; sutthe sons; tatrathere; sa-cturyawith cleverness; vieataspecial. Very cleverly, the brhmaa residing in Dvrak who wanted to taste the rasa of ka-bhakti brought his sons from here to Dvrak. Commentary: Besides scripture, the behavior of respectable persons also proves that syujya-mukti is undesirable for Vaiavas. The motive of the Dvrak brhmaa who came to Ka complaining about the untimely death of his newborn sons was actually to bring his sons back from the abode of liberation. The residents of Dvrak during Kas appearance all had spiritual sac-cid-nanda bodies, and on the strength of their loving service to the lotus feet of r Devak-nandana they felt contempt for the happiness of impersonal liberation. Some persons, in their attempt to explain the Puric histories, say that the residents of Dvrak were only human beings with bodies made of the five material elements, because the historical accounts describe their births and deaths. Even in
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material bodies, these Puric scholars say, the residents of Dvrak obtained intimate relationships with Ka because of their unique devotion to Him in pure love. These commentators, however, have to concede that the Dvrak-vss only pretended to act like ordinary materially embodied human beings. If that is what they actually were they would have been unfit to join in the various pleasure pastimes of the Personality of Godhead, whose bodily form is pure sac-cid-nanda. Moreover, it is an established fact that by the power of bhagavad-bhakti ones body becomes completely spiritual, and this principle should certainly apply to the pure devotees of Dvrak. The scholars may retort that if the devotees of Dvrak only pretended to have material bodies, then the Lords having assumed a human form and behaved like a human being must also have been only a pretense. But this, they say, cannot be so, because after the narration of the brhmaas complaint the rmad-Bhgavatam says that every one of the Supreme Lords personal forms is eternally real and all-pervading. Now, what the scholars say should on its surface be granted true. Certainly the Personality of Godheads appearances are never false imitations of material life, since all of them are eternal and He reveals Himself perpetually in those very forms to His various worshipers. Furthermore, again supporting the scholars view, authoritative scriptures describe that the residents of the Lords abodes like Dvrak sometimes abandon their imitation human appearance and assume their purely spiritual sac-cid-nanda forms. rmad-Bhgavatam (10.29.911) describes, for example, that some of the gops who could not join the rsa dance gave up their human bodies and at once obtained their saccid-nanda bodies:

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antar-gha-gat kcid gopyo labdha-vinirgam ka tad-bhvan-yukt dadhyur mlita-locan dusaha-preha-virahatvra-tpa-dhutubh dhyna-prptcyutleanirvty ka-magal tam eva paramtmna jra-buddhypi sagat jahur gua-maya deha sadya praka-bandhan Some of the gops, unable to get out of their houses, instead remained home with eyes closed, meditating upon Lord Ka in pure love. For those gops, intolerable separation from their beloved caused an intense agony that burned away all impious karma. By meditating upon Him they realized His embrace, and their ecstasy exhausted their material piety. Although Lord Ka is the Supreme Soul, these girls simply thought of Him as their male lover and associated with Him in that intimate mood. Thus their karmic bondage was nullified and they abandoned their gross material bodies. By giving up their human bodies, these gops were able to join the Personality of Godhead in their original forms and enjoy with Him the pleasure pastimes that most attracted them. Here it seems that that the gops regained their spiritual bodies, bodies eternal, blissful, and full of knowledge, bodies just like that of the Lord. It was in this way that the gops were able to be sagatmore intimately associated with Ka. In rmad-Bhgavatam (10.47.37), in the message Uddhava carried to Vndvana, the Lord told of the same incident in a similar way:

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y may krat rtry vane smin vraja sthit alabdha-rs kalyyo mpur mad-vrya-cintay Although some gops had to stay in the cowherd village and were unable to join the rsa dance to sport with Me at night in the forest, they were fortunate nonetheless, for they attained Me by thinking of My potent pastimes. Similar to this regaining of spiritual identity by the gops was the liberation of iupla and Dantavakra. When these former gatekeepers of Lord Nryaas kingdom were killed by r Ka, the curse against them by Sanaka and his brothers ended, and the souls of the former gatekeepers were seen to merge into Kas effulgence. This apparent merging, however, was not actually syujya-mukti, because for these two persons, who were devotees of the Supreme Lord, and even residents of Vaikuha, impersonal liberation would have been the worst misfortune. In the Bhgavatam (7.1.47), Nrada Muni describes what really happened to iupla and Dantavakra: vairnubandha-tvrea dhynencyuta-stmatm ntau punar hare prva jagmatur viu-pradau These two associates of Lord ViuJaya and Vijayamaintained a feeling of enmity for a very long time. Because of always thinking of Ka in this way, they regained the shelter of the Lord, having returned home, back to Godhead. This fulfilled the word of Lord Viu. When Jaya and Vijaya, cursed by the four Kumras, were about to fall from their home in Vaikuha, Lord Viu assured them they would return to His abode after only three lifetimes. And so Jaya and Vijaya gave up their material bodies to resume their posts, in
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their spiritual bodies, as eternal servants of the Lord. rla Santana Gosvm has thus entertained the theoretical possibility that devotees who live in the Lords abode during His appearance sometimes have material bodies. His own opinion, however, is different. He firmly holds that just as the Lords appearance, even as a human being within the world of mortals, is always purely transcendental, so also are the human bodies of the devotees who take part in His pastimes. When those devotees appear or disappear, they are either responding to the needs of the pastimes of their beloved Lord or expressing the ecstasies of their fully blossomed prema. This is the way we should understand such phrases as putting aside their bodies, which are used in the Puras to describe the disappearance of devotees from this world. The three verses cited above about the gops who could not join the rsa dance (Bhgavatam 10.29.9 11) can thus be elucidated as follows: Those gops at once gave up their bodies, although those bodies were gua-maya, full of all excellent spiritual qualities, and this means that as a pastime those gops disappeared from the sight of this world. As stated, those particular gops were especially qualified, for they had fully achieved the Supreme Soul, having gained His association in the mood of His paramours. This, indeed, is in all instances the prime cause of the gops perfection. Therefore, when the Bhgavatam (10.29.11) uses the word praka-bandhan, this indicates not that the gops confined to their homes were released from karma and freed from material bodies but that they achieved the special mercy of the Personality of Godhead, thereby gaining release from bondage to the duties and prohibitions of the Vedas. In the same line of thought, r Nrada states in the Fourth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (4.29.46):

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yad yasynughti bhagavn tma-bhvita sa jahti mati loke vede ca parinihitm When a person is fully engaged in devotional service, he is favored by the Lord, who bestows His causeless mercy. At such a time, the awakened devotee gives up all material activities and ritualistic performances mentioned in the Vedas. In speaking of the gops locked up in their homes during the rsa dance, the Bhgavatam says, nirvty kna-magal, which in its most obvious sense means By their joy their pious karma was destroyed. But rla Santana Gosvm, dividing the words differently, says that Kas embrace within their meditation gave them such exceptional joy that their auspiciousness, symbolized by their marks of tilaka, never faded (aka-magal). Or else, rla Santana suggests, taking a different meaning of aka-magal, their pious credits and their all-auspicious practice of devotional service were made unshakeable. And the phrase dhutubh, meaning that their impious karma was removed, may also be taken to mean, instead, that even in such a fortunate condition the intolerable agony of separation from their beloved destroyed quickly (u) their effulgence (bh). Or, alternatively, they were spared the future misfortune (aubha) of suffering separation from Ka upon His departure from Vndvana for Mathur. These gops had earned Kas intimate association by considering Him their paramour. ukadeva Gosvm does not further elaborate on that subject in these verses, because the topic is too confidential to discuss in an open assembly. The prakya mood of the gops is told of in detail in various verses of r Gta-govinda, such as the one beginning nibhta-nikuja-gha gatay (2.1112). ukadeva Gosvm mentions that these gops
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meditated on Ka mlita-locanthat is, with their eyes half-closed like those of yogs practicing dhyna. Or, understanding this figuratively, they had closed the two eyes of ruti and smti. According to the statement ruti-smt ubhe netre, the Vedic scriptures in the forms of ruti and smti are the eyes of knowledge for conditioned souls. The fully realized gops had no more use for scriptural directions. Thus they closed their eyes to everything external and simply focused their hearts on Ka. Then, because they were not allowed to leave their homes to join Him in the rsa dance, they gave up their bodies. TEXT 113

atrpi bhagavanta yad davn asi tdam sad-guro kpay kadidk-bhara-kritam

atrahere; apialso; bhagavantamthe Supreme Lord; yatthe fact that; davn asiyou have seen; tdamin this form; sat-guroof your divine spiritual master; kpayby the mercy; kadidkof your desire to see Ka; bharaby the intensity; kritamcaused. Yet even here you have seen the Supreme Lord in this form because your divine guru gave you his mercy. That mercy created in you the strong desire to see Ka, which impelled Ka to reveal Himself. Commentary: In Mahkla-pura, the same place where many come to experience impersonal liberation, Gopa-kumra had darana of the beauty of Lord Mahkla Viu. If by the mercy of guru and the Vaiavas one is eager to see the Supreme Person, nothing can stand in the way of success. TEXT 114

r-gopa-kumra uvca tac-chakara-prasdena parnanda-bhara gata

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kicid icchann api brahman naka vaditu hriy

r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; tat that; akaraof Lord iva; prasdenaby the mercy; para-nandaof the greatest ecstasy; bharam gata feeling an excess; kicitsomething; icchan wanting; apialthough; brahmanO brhmaa; na aakamI was not able; vaditumto say; hriydue to shyness. r Gopa-kumra said: O brhmaa, Lord ivas mercy filled me with the greatest ecstasy. I wanted to say something, but was unable because I felt too shy. Commentary: Gopa-kumra wanted to inquire from the Vaikuha messengers, but he couldnt say anything. TEXT 115

bhagavat-prad rutv t t vcam um-pate praamya sdara prty tam cur vinaynvit
bhagavatof the Supreme Lord; pradthe associates; rutvhearing; tm tmthose various; vcamwords; um-pateof the husband of Um (Lord iva); praamyabowing down; sa-daramwith respect; prtyand with pleasure; tamto him; cuthey said; vinayawith humility; anvit filled. Upon hearing Lord ivas words, the associates of the Supreme Lord bowed respectfully before him, and addressed him with great pleasure and humility. Commentary: Before explaining their reason for having come, the visitors from Vaikuha first wanted to say something to ease Gopa-kumras sorrow. This accomplished, they could then awaken Gopa-kumras love of God, by which he would automatically forget his anxiety. TEXT 116

r-bhagavat-prad cu
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tena vaikuha-nthena sama ko pi na vidyate bhagavan bhavato bhedo gaury ca ramay saha
r-bhagavat-prad cuthe associates of the Supreme Lord said; tenathis; vaikuha-nthena Lord of Vaikuha; samamwith; ka apiany; na vidyateis not known; bhagavanO lord; bhavata with your good self; bhedadifference; gaury with Gaur; caand; ramayRam; sahain comparison. The associates of the Supreme Lord said: O Lord iva, there is no difference between you and the Supreme Lord, the master of Vaikuha, nor between Gaur and Ram. Commentary: Just as Lord iva is an incarnation of Lord Vaikuha-ntha, the goddess Gaur is a parallel incarnation of Ram (Lakm). TEXT 117

tal-loke bhavato vso devy ca kila yujyate khyta priya-tamas tasyvatra ca bhavn mahn
tatHis; lokein the abode; bhavatayour; vsa residence; devyof the goddess Dev; caand; kilaindeed; yujyateis fitting; khytaare known; priya-tamathe dearest; tasyaHis; avatra incarnation; caand; bhavnyou; mahngreat. Indeed, it is fitting for you and the goddess Gaur to reside in Lord Vius abode, for you are renowned as His dearest friend and His exalted incarnation. TEXT 118

tathpi yad ida kicid bhita bhavatdhun svabhvo bhagavat-prehatamataupayiko hy ayam

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tath apinonetheless; yatwhat; idamthis; kicit something; bhitamspoken; bhavatby you; adhun now; svabhvathe mood; bhagavatof the Supreme Lord; preha-tamafor a dearmost devotee; aupayikaappropriate; hicertainly; ayamthis. Yet what you have just spoken suits perfectly the mood of a dearmost devotee of the Lord. Commentary: Glorifying Vaikuha, Lord iva had said that Brahm, Brahms sons, and he himself all strive to attain it. This sentiment is fitting for a humble Vaiava, even if not exactly true. Lord iva and his wife can enter Vaikuha any time they want. TEXT 119

tad-bhakti-rasa-kallolagrhako vaiaveita ata sarvvatrebhyo bhavato mahimdhika

tatto Him; bhaktiof devotional service; rasakallolathe waves of the rasas; grhakawhich (mood) makes others take to; vaiavaby the devotees of Lord Viu; itapraised; ata therefore; sarvaof all; avatrebhyaHis incarnations; bhavatayour; mahimgreatness; adhikamost. You are praised by the Vaiavas, for your mood inspires others to take toHis devotional service, with its waves of rasas. Among all His incarnations, therefore, you are the greatest. TEXT 120

r-gopa-kumra uvca nija-stuty tay tasmin hriy t sthite prabhau bhagavat-prads te mm liyocu suhd-var
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; nija his own; stutyby the glorification; taythat;

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tasminof him; hriyout of humility; tm silent; sthitewho remained; prabhauLord iva; bhagavat-pradassociates of the Supreme Lord; tethey; mmme; liyaembracing; cusaid; suht-vardearmost friends. r Gopa-kumra said: Abashed at hearing himself praised, Lord iva remained silent. Then the associates of Lord Viu, who were Lord ivas dearmost friends, embraced me and spoke. Commentary: Saintly persons do not like to hear themselves praised, and Lord iva is the most saintly and cultured person. Another quality of saintly persons is unconditional compassion, which the Vaikuha messengers showed toward Gopa-kumra. TEXT 121

r-bhagavat-prad cu asmad-vara-san-mantropsakom-pati-priya gopa-nandana bhakteu bhavanta gaayema hi

r-bhagavat-prad cuthe associates of the Supreme Lord said; asmatour; varaof Lord; satmantraof the transcendental mantra; upsakaO worshiper; um-patiof the husband of Um; priyaO beloved; gopa-nandanaO son of a cowherd; bhakteu among the devotees; bhavantamyou; gaayemawe count; hicertainly. The associates of the Supreme Lord said: O worshiper of the transcendental mantra of our Lord, O beloved of the husband of Um, O son of a cowherd, indeed we count you amongst the Lords devotees. Commentary: With these kind words the Vaikuhadtas assured Gopa-kumra that he too was fit to enter Vaikuha. In general, those who properly worship the authentic viu-mantras become pure Vaiavas, and pure Vaiavas can reside in Vaikuha.
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TEXT 122

gaue gag-tae jto mthura-brhmaottama jayanta-nm kasyvatras te mahn guru

gauein western Bengal; gag-taeon the banks of the Gag; jtaborn; mthuraof Mathur; brhmaaa brhmaa; uttamafirst-class; jayantanmnamed Jayanta; kasyaof Ka; avatraan incarnation; teyour; mahnexalted; guru spiritual master. Born in the country of Gaua on the banks of the Gag was a first-class Mathur brhmaa named Jayanta. He is an incarnation of Ka and is your exalted spiritual master. TEXT 123

satya prathi vayam atra bhavan-nimittam evgat u hita nija-ktyam etat vaikuham icchasi yadi pravihya sarva sa-prema bhaktim anutiha nava-prakrm
satyamas true; prathiyou should accept; vayam we; atrahere; bhavat-nimittamfor your sake; eva only; gathave come; uplease listen; hitam benefit; nijayour own; ktyamadvisable to be done; etatthis; vaikuhamVaikuha; icchasiyou want; yadiif; pravihyacompletely giving up; sarvameverything; sa-premawith pure love; bhaktimdevotional service; anutihacultivate; nava-prakrmninefold. Accept as true that we have come here only for your sake. And please hear what is beneficial for you to do. If you want to reach Vaikuha, then give up everything and with pure love practice the nine forms of devotional service. Commentary: When the messengers told Gopa-kumra to give up everything, they meant that he should be ready to leave Mahkla-pura and that he should give up attachment to his formal mantra chanting.
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His chanting out of duty should transform into ecstatic nma-sakrtana, in which the enthusiasm of his love for Madana-gopla-deva would be directed into the nine methods of pure bhakti. TEXT 124

taj-jpaka ca bhaja bhgavatdi-stra ll-kath bhagavata u tatra nityam t eva kara-vivara praayt pravi sadya pada bhagavata prabhavanti dtum
tatthat; jpakamwhich explain; caand; bhaja worship; bhgavata-dirmad-Bhgavatam and so on; stramscriptures; llof the pastimes; kathto discussions; bhagavataof the Supreme Lord; u listen; tatrafrom them; nityamregularly; t those (discussions); evaindeed; karaof the ears; vivaramthe holes; praaytwith love; pravi entering; sadyaat once; padamthe abode; bhagavataof the Lord; prabhavantithey have the power; dtumto give. Honor the Bhgavatam and other scriptures that tell of this devotional service. Hear from them regularly about the Lords pastimes. For when those narrations enter the holes of your ears and you relish them with love, they will swiftly award you the Lords abode. Commentary: Because Gopa-kumra is not familiar with the nine methods of devotional service, the Vaikuha messengers inform him first about the method of ravaa, hearing. Of all the authorized forms of ravaa, hearing the pastimes of the Supreme Lord, especially from rmad-Bhgavatam, is recommended as the most effective. rmadBhgavatam often reiterates this recommendation: sasra-sindhum ati-dustaram uttitror nnya plavo bhagavata puruottamasya ll-kath-rasa-nievaam antarea puso bhaved vividha-dukha-davrditasya

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For a person who is suffering in the fire of countless miseries and who desires to cross the insurmountable ocean of material existence, there is no suitable boat except that of cultivating devotion to the transcendental taste for the narrations of the Supreme Personality of Godheads pastimes. (Bhgavatam 12.4.40) pibanti ye bhagavata tmana sat kathmta ravaa-pueu sambhtam punanti te viaya-viditaya vrajanti tac-caraa-saroruhntikam Those who drink through aural reception, their ears fully filled with the nectarean message of Lord Ka, the belov ed of the devotees, purify themselves of the polluted aim of life known as material enjoyment and thus go back to Godhead, back to the Lords lotus feet. (Bhgavatam 2.2.37) TEXT 125

te nava-prakrm ekenaiva su-sidhyati sarva-sdhana-varyea vaikuha sdhya-sattama

temof those; nava-prakrmnine forms; ekena by one; evaeven; su-sidhyatiis perfectly achieved; sarvaof all; sdhanaspiritual disciplines; varyeawhich is the best; vaikuha Vaikuha; sdhyaof goals; sat-tamathe ultimate. Devotional service, in any one of its nine forms, is the best possible spiritual discipline and can easily award you the ultimate goal, Vaikuha. Commentary: Pure devotional service is superior to all other spiritual disciplinesjna, karma, and so onand therefore the goal achieved by bhakti is better than liberation, material enjoyment, and the results of any other method. The fruit matches the quality of the tree. As stated in the scriptures:
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dk-mtrea kasya nar moka vrajanti vai ki punar ye sad bhakty pjayanty acyuta nar Persons simply initiated into the chanting of Kas names certainly attain liberation, what to speak of those who constantly worship Lord Acyuta with pure devotion. (Brahma Pura 119.6) hyenpi nar nitya ye smaranti janrdanam te pi ynti tanu tyaktv viu-lokam anmayam People who always remember Lord Janrdana, even with dishonest intentions, upon leaving their bodies will go to the faultless world of Viu. TEXT 126

mahat-tamatay ryam api pare khil phala-vrtvicrea tucch mahad-andt

mahat-tamatayas supremely great; ryam described; apieven; pareother; akhilall; phala-vrtanumerous benefits; avicreawithout discriminating; tucchinsignificant; mahatby advanced souls; andtdisregarded. All other benefits, even those praised in scripture as supremely great, advanced souls disregard as trifling, thinking nothing of them. Commentary: The desire tree of Vedic scripture can grant whatever benefits people aspire for. Thus those who are less fortunate, who do not appreciate the value of Vaikuha-loka, approach the Vedas for lesser rewards and are granted them. But because the great wise souls know how to discriminate between what is essential and what is useless, they
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are not enticed by inferior achievements offered in the Vedas; rather, those great souls are attracted to bhakti-rasa, the transcendental tastes of Lord Vius devotional service. TEXT 127

tathpi tad-rasa-jai s bhaktir nava-vidhjas sampdyate vicitraitadrasa-mdhurya-labdhaye

tath apinonetheless; tatof that (devotional service); rasathe transcendental tastes; jaiby those who understand; sthat; bhaktidevotional service; nava-vidhin nine varieties; ajas easily; sampdyateis practiced; vicitravaried; etatof this (bhakti); rasaof the tastes; mdhuryathe sweetness; labdhayefor obtaining. Yet devotees who understand the rasas of devotional service may practice all nine forms of bhakti to easily obtain the sweetness of its diverse tastes. Commentary: Although devotees can attain Vaikuha by any one of the nine practices of bhakti, they often like to engage in all nine to enjoy the supreme, indescribably blissful taste of those transcendental activities. Each of the practices, beginning with ravaa and krtana, gives a sweet satisfaction of its own. TEXT 128

te kasmicid ekasmin raddhaynuhite sati svayam virbhavet prem rmat-ka-padbjayo

temof these (forms of bhakti); kasmicitany; ekasminone; raddhaywith faith; anuhite engaged in; satiif it is; svayamautomatically; virbhavetthere manifests; prempure love; rmat-kaof r Ka; pada-abjayoat the lotus feet. When one engages with faith in even one of these
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forms of bhakti, pure love for the lotus feet of r Ka automatically arises. Commentary: As explained by r Caitanya Mahprabhu to rla Santana Gosvm in r Caitanyacaritmta (Madhya 22.62), raddh, or faith, is properly understood in terms of trust (vivsa) in the efficacy of the devotional process: raddh-abdevivsa kahe sudha nicaya ke bhakti kaile sarva-karma kta haya By rendering transcendental loving service to Ka, one automatically performs all subsidiary activities. This confident, firm faith, favorable to the discharge of devotional service, is called raddh. TEXT 129

tathpi kry premaiva parihrya hd-ruja phalntareu kmasya vaikuhpti-virodhina

tath apieven so; kryto be practiced; prem with pure love; evaonly; parihryafor avoiding; htin the heart; rujathe disease; phalaantareufor other goals; kmasyadesire; vaikuha-ptito the attainment of Vaikuha; virodhinawhich obstructs. Even so, the disease of aspiring for other goals may hinder devotees from attaining Vaikuha. To keep their hearts free of this, devotees should with pure love continue practicing devotional service. Commentary: Prema, pure love of God, is never tainted by desires for selfish benefits. Such ambitions cause all sorts of anxieties, which burn the diseased heart. A devotee who wants to experience the higher reality of prema must cure himself of this heart disease; otherwise, entanglements will hamper his progress toward
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Vaikuha as he fulfills his ulterior desires. Selfish desires cause misfortune in this world and obstruct ones endeavors to attain the spiritual world beyond. But when ones prema is finally awakened these harmful desires vanish, and the sanctified devotee knows only perfect happiness in this life and the next. TEXTS 130131

yady apy etd bhaktir yatra yatropapadyate tat tat sthna hi vaikuhas tatra tatraiva sa prabhu tathpi sarvad skd anyatra bhagavs tath na dyeteti vaikuho vaya bhaktair apekyate
yadi apialthough; etdsuch; bhaktidevotional service; yatra yatrawherever; upapadyateappears; tat tatthat; sthnamplace; hicertainly; vaikuhaVaikuha; tatra tatrathere; eva indeed; saHe; prabhuthe Supreme Lord; tath apinonetheless; sarvadalways; sktdirectly visible; anyatrasomewhere else; bhagavnthe Supreme Lord; tathso; na dyetacannot be seen; itithus; vaikuhaVaikuha; avayam necessarily; bhaktaiby the devotees; apekyate should be regarded as important. Although wherever there is such devotional service the Supreme Lord surely appears, and indeed that place is Vaikuha, devotees must still have special regard for the Vaikuha world because nowhere else is the Personality of Godhead always directly to be seen. Commentary: A question may arise: Since premabhakti ridicules the happiness of Brahman realization, includes all sweet varieties of supreme ecstasy, and is available here in this
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world, what need is there to go to elsewhere? In the Padma Pura the Lord Himself says that He can be found wherever His devotees remember Him: nha vasmi vaikuhe yogin hdaye na ca mad-bhakt yatra gyanti tatra tihmi nrada I do not live in Vaikuha, nor in the hearts of the yogs. I stay instead, O Nrada, in that place where My devotees sing My glories. The Vaikuha-dtas point out that there is one reason why Vaikuha-loka is a more desirable place for devotees than the material universe: Only in the transcendental world, Vaikuha, is the Supreme Lord always visible with all His variegated charm, beauty, pastimes, and personal qualities. TEXT 132

sarva-prakrik bhaktis td ca sadnyata na sampadyeta nirvighn tan-nihair bahubhi saha

sarva-prakrikin all its forms; bhakti devotional service; tdsuch; caand; sad always; anyataelsewhere; na sampadyetais not realized; nirvighnwithout disturbance; tatto Him; nihaiwho are dedicated; bahubhi sahain the company of many devotees. Nowhere else can such bhakti to Him, in all its forms, be realized forever, without disturbance, and in the company of so many surrendered devotees. Commentary: The devotional service in Vaikuha is unmixed with material tendencies; it is motivated solely by pure prema. Because in Vaikuha there are none of the frustrations imposed by time and physical limitations, the Vaiavas who live there in their spiritual bodies can enjoy the rasas of prema-bhakti with full freedom available nowhere
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else. All Vaiavas, therefore, should give r Vaikuha-loka the honor it deserves. TEXT 133

nijendriya-mana-kyace-rp na viddhi tm nitya-satya-ghannandarp s hi gutig

nijaof ones own; indriyasenses; manamind; kyaand body; ceof activity; rpmhaving the form; na viddhiyou should not consider; tmit; nityaeternal; satyaabsolute; ghanaintense; nandaof ecstasy; rphaving the form; s it; hiindeed; guathe material modes; atigbeyond. You should not consider devotional service merely an activity of the body, senses, and mind. It is in fact the eternal absolute reality, manifesting itself as the most intense ecstasy, beyond the material modes. Commentary: In Text 123, where the Vaikuha messengers advised Gopa-kumra to practice devotional service (bhaktim anutiha), this might be mistaken to mean that bhakti is a ritualistic practice, something to be accomplished by human endeavor. To correct this potential misunderstanding, they here explain that pure bhakti is never approached by material senses. Even though hearing is done with the ears, chanting with the tongue, remembering with the mind, and praying and other activities with the limbs of the body, these activities are not material; they are spiritual activities that can be performed only by a devotees awakened spiritual senses. TEXT 134

nirgue sac-cid-nandtmani ka-prasdata sphurant vilasaty tmabhaktn bahudh mude

nirguefree from the material modes; sat-cit467

nandaon the spiritual platform of eternity, knowledge, and bliss; tmaniin the hearts; kaprasdataby Kas mercy; sphurantrevealing itself; vilasatiit is present; tmaHis; bhaktnmof the devotees; bahudhin many varieties; mudehappily. By Lord Kas mercy, His devotees happily realize this devotional service in many varieties. It reveals itself to them in their hearts, which are free from the material modes and immersed in eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Commentary: If devotional service can be performed only with spiritual senses, how can conditioned souls ever qualify to engage in it? They can be purified sufficiently to begin transcendental hearing and chanting of the glories of the Lord only by Kas causeless mercy. As devotees mature in their practice, their individual tastes gradually appear, and on the higher levels of advancement their reciprocations with Ka become increasingly precise, diverse, and ecstatic. TEXT 135

viuddhe tu vivekena saty tmani hare padam gate py aprkta bhaktividhayo vilasanti hi
viuddhecompletely pure; tuand; vivekenaby discrimination; satibecoming; tmanithe heart; hareof Hari; padamabode; gatebeing attained; apialso; aprktamtranscendental; bhaktiof devotional service; vidhayavarieties; vilasanti become manifest; hicertainly. When by spiritual discrimination a devotee becomes completely pure in heart and attains the transcendental abode of the Lord, he realizes the wonderful varieties of devotional service. Commentary: The argument for how an aspiring Vaiava becomes spiritualized is presented
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positively in this verse and negatively in the next. By learning to discern spirit from matter, a devotee gradually frees his consciousness from entanglement with the material body, its senses, and the things of this world. In Bhagavad-gt (5.9) r Ka describes this kind of discrimination to Arjuna. Indriyyndriyrtheu vartanta iti dhrayan: One becomes aware that the senses are simply interacting with their objects. When one is finally free from all material contact, one can enter Vaikuha, the realm of Lord Hari, where there is also no connection with matter. There one can enjoy the real varieties of life. TEXT 136

anyathetara-karmvaite pi syur na sagat kyendriytma-ceto jnentmani odhite

anyathotherwise; itarahere; karmiactivities; ivajust like; etethese; apialso; syuwould be; na sagatinappropriate; kyaof the body; indriyasenses; tmaand mind; cetafrom the activities; jnenaby transcendental knowledge; tmaniin a heart; odhitewhich has been purified. Otherwise, for one whose heart has by transcendental knowledge been freed from the material endeavors of the body, senses, and mind, the activities of devotional service would be no more suitable than ordinary affairs. Commentary: If devotional service consisted of actions of the material senses upon material objects, it would be no more spiritual than any other activity. No purified person who has given up material activities would want to engage in it. After having struggled to put aside the obligations of Vedic duties, nitya and naimittika (regular and occasional), why would one accept new karmic entanglement? The advanced soul would judge the activities of Vaiavas unfavorably, applying to
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them the principle that only the senses are involved with their objects. TEXT 137

anyebhya iva karmabhyo bhagavad-bhakti-karmata vivikta san katha ytu vaikuha muktim arhati
anyebhyafrom other; ivaas if; karmabhya activities; bhagavat-bhaktiof devotional service to the Supreme Person; karmatafrom the activity; viviktarenounced; satbeing; kathamwhy; ytuone should go; vaikuhamto Vaikuha; muktim liberation; arhatihe deserves. Why should one who renounces the acts of devotion to the Supreme Lord, as if these were like other activities, go to Vaikuha? He should obtain only liberation. Commentary: Impersonalists who consider devotional activity to be material have failed to receive even a touch of mercy from devotional service. If they have actually attained naikarmya, relief from attachment to the results of material work, they can have liberation, but without bhakti they can never enter Vaikuha. To attain Vaikuha one must be favored with the blessings of bhakti. Thus the spiritual nature of devotional service is proven by both positive and negative logic. TEXT 138

na hy anya-karma-vad bhaktir api karmeti manyatm bahir-dyaiva jalpyeta bhakta-dehdi-vat kvacit

nanot; hiindeed; anyaother; karmaactivities; vatlike; bhaktidevotional service; apiyet; karmamaterial activity; itithus; manyatmlet it be considered; bahiexternal; dyby vision; evaonly; jalpyetalet it be said casually; bhakta of the devotees; deha-dithe bodies and so on;
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vatlike; kvacitsometimes. Even if persons whose vision is limited and materialistic think devotional service just another kind of karma, it is not at all. Let them think that way and let them talk on in that way, as they do when they dismiss as material the bodies and personal qualities of the Lords devotees. Commentary: Technically speaking, active devotional service is also a kind of disciplined work, like the duties of persons following the varrama system. In this sense bhakti may also be called a variety of karma. The Vaikuha-dtas themselves used the word bhakti-karma in the previous verse. But even though this concession may be granted to appease those not devoted to the Lord, bhakti should still not be regarded as karma in the sense of being a function of the material body. Some schools of thought, for example Jaiminis Karma-mms philosophy, regard bhagavad-bhakti as the best of the various kinds of good karma that can purify the mind. But they think like this only because their point of view is mundane. The same word body may be applied both to material bodies made of the five elements and to the sac-cid-nanda forms of the residents of Vaikuha. Or the word jewel may be used to refer to glass ornaments or to the Vaikuha cintmai gems. Or the Sanskrit word sattva may be used to indicate either one of the three modes of material nature or the transcendental nature of the Supreme Truth, the source of all existence and all goodness. It is in this second sense that the word is used in scriptural texts like this one from rmadBhgavatam (10.2.35): sattva na ced dhtar ida nija bhaved vijnam ajna-bhidpamrjanam O Lord, cause of all causes, if Your
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transcendental body were not beyond the modes of material nature, one could not understand the difference between matter and transcendence. Only those whose vision is external can identify matter with spirit or use the one word karma to equate worldly duties with pure devotional service. TEXT 139

bhaktn sac-cid-nandarpev agendriytmasu ghaate svnurpeu vaikuhe nyatra ca svata

bhaktnmof devotees; sat-cit-nandaeternal, full of knowledge, and blissful; rpeuin the bodies; agaof limbs; indriyaand senses; tmasuwhich consist; ghaateit manifests; sva-anurpeuwhich (bodies) are suitable for them; vaikuhein Vaikuha; anyatraelsewhere; caand; svata spontaneously. In Vaikuha and elsewhere, the transcendental nature of devotional activity spontaneously shows itself in the suitably formed sac-cid-nanda bodies of the Lords devotees, bodies composed of limbs and senses. Commentary: Devotional service is thus established as transcendental activity that naturally manifests itself in the purified hearts of the devotees; it is not material. Still, someone might question how self-manifesting bhakti could appear in devotees as such activities as hearing and chanting, which involve the body and its senses. To clear this doubt, we need to understand that devotees of the Supreme Lord, both in Vaikuha and elsewhere, perform bhakti with spiritual bodies and senses. There is no discrepancy in this conception, because the limbs and senses of the pure Vaiavas are equal in spiritual quality with pure devotional service. Even devotees who still live in this world in bodies made of material energy can engage in pure bhakti because the appearance of bhakti
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transforms their bodies. Either their bodies become literally sac-cid-nanda, or bhakti enters their material bodies by the potency of the Supreme Lords special mercy, or else their bodies and senses become suitable for performing bhakti by some God-given potency inherent in the jvas themselves. TEXT 140

vayam atra prama smo nia vaikuha-prad tanvanto bahudh bhaktim asp prktair guai
vayamwe; atrain this matter; pramamevidence; smaare; aniamconstantly; vaikuhaof the Lord of Vaikuha; pradassociates; tanvanta disseminating; bahudhin many ways; bhaktim devotional service; aspuntouched; prktai of material nature; guaiby the modes. We ourselves are evidence of this truth. As associates of the Lord of Vaikuha, we constantly spread devotional service in many ways and yet are untouched by the material modes. Commentary: The Vaikuha messengers themselves are proof that devotional service is completely nonmaterial and that those who have attained a spiritual body in Vaikuha engage in the various activities of devotional service, beginning with hearing and chanting. The bodies of the Vaikuha residents are untouched by the twenty-three elements of matter. As King Yudhihira confirms in rmad-Bhgavatam (7.1.35), dehendriysu-hnn/ vaikuha-pura-vsinm: The bodies of the inhabitants of Vaikuha are completely spiritual, having nothing to do with the material body, senses, or life air. TEXT 141

navna-sevakn tu prty samyak-pravttaye nijendriydi-vypra473

tayaiva pratibhti s
navnanew; sevaknmof servants; tuand; prty with relish; samyakcorrectly; pravttayein order to engage; nijatheir own; indriya-diof the senses and so on; vypratayas functions; eva only; pratibhtiappears; sit (devotional service). Devotional service appears to new servants of the Lord to be a function of their own senses, body, and mind so that neophytes can engage in devotional service with relish, as they should. Commentary: When one undertakes devotional service, one perceives ones devotional activities to be external functions of the material body. Why should such direct perception be denied? It should be denied because such perception is only the experience of beginners in devotional practice. Bhakti encourages those who are new to the Lords service to think Oh, my own tongue is vibrating the names of God, and my own ears are hearing them! In this way the faith of the neophytes is evoked, since otherwise they would have difficulty making the effort required to surrender their independence. TEXT 142

mahadbhir bhakti-nihai ca na svdhneti manyate mah-prasda-rpeya prabhor ity anubhyate

mahadbhiby the great devotees; bhakti-nihai who are well established in bhakti; caand; nanot; sva-adhnaunder ones control; itithus; manyate is considered; mah-prasdaof supreme mercy; rp as a manifestation; iyamit; prabhoof the Supreme Lord; itithus; anubhyateis perceived. But great devotees fixed in devotional service do not think the services they do to be actions under their own control but expressions of the Lords
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supreme mercy. TEXT 143

tvar ced vidyate rmadvaikuhlokane tava sarvbha-prada-reh t r-vraja-bhuva vraja

tvarhaste; cetif; vidyatethere is; rmat divine; vaikuhaVaikuha; lokanein seeing; tavayour; sarvaall; abhaambitions; pradaof places which fulfill; rehmthe best; tmthere; r-vrajaof r Vraja; bhuvamto the land; vraja go. If you are in a hurry to see the divine world of Vaikuha, then go to r Vraja-bhmi, the place that can best award the fulfillment of all your ambitions. Commentary: Having received the mercy of Lord Mahevara, Gopa-kumra is sure to achieve Vaikuha. Meanwhile he can proceed to ivaloka, from which he will be able to approach Vaikuha in due time. But as the Vaikuha messengers know, Gopa-kumra is anxious to reach Vaikuha as quickly as possible. So after describing various related topics, the messengers now give the essence of their instruction: Gopa-kumra should return to Vraja on earth and there practice pure bhakti to fulfill his ambitions. TEXT 144

para rmat-padmbhojasadsagaty-apekay nma-sakrtana-pry viuddh bhaktim cara

paramsimply; rmatdivine; pada-ambhojaof His lotus feet; sadeternal; sagatifor the association; apekaywith the hope; nmasakrtanain the form of loudly chanting the Lords names; prymmostly; viuddhmpure; bhaktimdevotional service; carayou should
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practice. Simply practice pure devotional service, mainly in the form of nma-sakrtana, with the hope of gaining the eternal contact of the Lords divine lotus feet. Commentary: Bhagavan-nma-sakrtana, loud chanting of the holy name of the Lord, is the most effective way to achieve Vaikuha, or whatever else one may desire. But the chanting must be practiced in pure devotion, unmixed with motives of karma and jna. TEXT 145

tayu td premasampad utpdayiyate yay sukha te bhavit vaikuhe ka-daranam

tayby that (devotional service); uquickly; tdsuch; premaof pure love; sampatthe treasure; utpdayiyatewill be realized; yayby which; sukhameasily; tefor you; bhavitthere will be; vaikuhein Vaikuha; ka-daranamthe sight of Ka. By that devotional service you will soon realize the treasure of prema, and you will easily see Ka in Vaikuha. Commentary: Pure love of God is the most sublime wealth. As Lord Brahm says in rmad-Bhgavatam (3.15.25) while describing his own vision of Vaikuha: yac ca vrajanty animim abhnuvtty dre yam hy upari na sphaya-l bhartur mitha su-yaasa kathannurgavaiklavya-bpa-kalay pulak-ktg Persons whose bodily features change in ecstasy and who breathe heavily and perspire due to hearing the glories of the Lord are promoted to the kingdom of God, even though they do not care for meditation
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and other austerities. The kingdom of God is above the material universes, and it is desired by me and other demigods. TEXT 146

premo ntar-aga kila sdhanottama manyeta kaicit smaraa na krtanam ekendriye vci vicetane sukha bhakti sphuraty u hi krtantmik
premaof pure love; anta-agamessential; kila indeed; sdhana-uttamamthe highest means of achievement; manyetais thought; kaicitby some; smaraamremembering; nanot; krtanamchanting; eka-indriyein the single sense; vcispeech; vicetaneunconscious; sukhamwith ease; bhakti devotional service; sphuratiappears; uquickly; hiindeed; krtana-tmikin the form of chanting. Some think that remembering, rather than chanting, is the essential means of devotional practice, the means that most effectively leads to prema, for bhakti in the form of chanting appears quickly and easily, and in only one sense,that of speech, which is not itself alive and conscious. Commentary: This was the opinion expressed by the masters of yoga on Tapoloka, that of all the forms of devotional service the best is smaraa, remembering. Pippalyana and others insisted that remembering the Lord, rather than chanting His names, is the most essential means of achieving prema. They reasoned that krtana involves only one sense, that of speech, which is one of the karmendriyas, an unconcious material entity. And since the krtana process is perfected very quickly, its result must be less than that of smaraa. TEXT 147

bhakti prak smaratmiksmin sarvendriym adhipe vilole ghore balihe manasi praysair
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nte vaa bhti viodhite y

bhaktidevotional service; praksuperior; smaraa-tmikin the form of remembering; asminin this; sarva-indriymof all the senses; adhipe the chief; viloleturbulent; ghorefrightful; balihemighty; manasithe mind; praysaiby great efforts; ntebrought; vaamunder control; bhtiit manifests; viodhitewhich has become completely purified; ywhich (bhakti). Superior bhakti in the form of remembering, they think, appears within the mindthat turbulent, frightful, and mighty chief of all the senseswhen by serious efforts the mind has been brought under control and fully purified. Commentary: Everyone has experience that the mind is difficult to control. To subdue and purify it is a great achievement. Because the mind is the ruler of the senses, when the mind is controlled the functions of the senses, including krtana, are also controlled. In the words of the mendicant from Avant in rmad-Bhgavatam (11.23.47, 45): mano-vae nye hy abhavan sma dev mana ca nnyasya vaa sameti bhmo hi deva sahasa sahyn yujyd vae ta sa hi deva-deva All the senses have been under the control of the mind since time immemorial, and the mind himself never comes under the sway of any other sense. He is stronger than the strongest, and his godlike power is fearsome. Therefore, anyone who can bring the mind under control becomes the master of all the senses. dna sva-dharmo niyamo yama ca ruta ca karmi ca sad-vratni sarve mano-nigraha-lakant paro hi yogo manasa samdhi
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Charity, prescribed duties, observing major and minor regulative principles, hearing from scripture, performing pious works, and observing purifying vows all finally aim at subduing the mind. Indeed, concentration of the mind on the Supreme is the highest yoga. Therefore, in the opinion of the residents of Tapoloka, one achieves the highest perfection by controlling ones mind and engaging it in remembrance of the Supreme Lord. TEXT 148

manymahe krtanam eva sat-tama loltmakaika-sva-hdi sphurat-smte vci sva-yukte manasi rutau tath dvyat parn apy upakurvad tmya-vat
manymahewe consider; krtanamchanting; evaonly; sat-tamammost excellent; lola-tmakaunsteady; ekaonly; sva-hdiin ones heart; sphurat manifesting; smtethan remembering; vciin the faculty of speech; svain it (chanting); yukte which is engaged; manasiin the mind; rutauin the sense of hearing; tathalso; dvyatsporting; parnothers; apialso; upakurvatit helps; tmyavatlike oneself. But we consider chanting to be alone the most excellent form of bhakti, better than remembering, which appears only in ones own turbulent heart. For chanting harnesses not only the faculty of speech, which it engages directly, but also the mind and sense of hearing. And chanting helps not only the person practicing it but others as well. Commentary: This is the Vaikuha-dtas own opinion. Smaraa is purely an internal function, but krtana, which actively employs ones power of speech, affects both ones internal and external environments. Krtana also acts on the mind, bringing it subconsciously into contact with all spiritual sensory functions. If this subtle contact
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were not established, the spirit soul could not awaken to his real life. The transcendental sound of krtana enters the ears on its own strength, without any effort by the hearer and thus it benefits not only the chanter but everyone who hears it, treating them all as its subservient dependents. The process of remembrance does not have such power. In fact, as long as the minds fickle character has not changed, smaraa cannot manifest itself fully. When we realistically consider the relative value of smaraa and krtana, we find, therefore, that the difficulty of performing smaraa does not make smaraa more important. In the Viu Pura (6.8.57) the sage Parara has said: yasmin nyasta-matir na yti naraka svargo pi yaccintane vighno yatra niveittma-manaso brhmo pi loko lpaka mukti cetasi ya sthito mala-dhiy pus dadty avyaya ki citra yad agha prayti vilaya tatrcyute krtite One who fixes his mind on Lord Acyuta will never go to hell. Indeed, by thinking about Him one will attain heaven. For one whose mind is fully absorbed in thought of Him, even the world of Brahm is but an insignificant obstruction on the path. The infallible Lord bestows liberation on those pure souls in whose hearts He is present. Is it any wonder, then, that when Lord Acyutas glories are chanted all sins are destroyed? By the krtana of Lord Vius names even the sinful Ajmila, who could not remember the Lord at all, attained liberation. The beneficial results of meditation, sacrifice, and worship are all automatically obtained in the process of krtana, especially in the present age:

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dhyyan kte yajan yajais trety dvpare rcayan yad pnoti tad pnoti kalau sakrtya keavam What was accomplished in the Kta Age by meditation, in Tret by ritual sacrifices, and in Dvpara by worship of the Deity of the Lord, in this Kali Age is accomplished by loud chanting of the names of Keava. (Viu Pura 6.2.17) The claim made in this statement and others about the potency of hari-nma-sakrtana is not merely rhetoric; it is proven by the life histories of many successful Vaiavas. TEXT 149

bhyntarea-hka-claka vg-indriya syd yadi sayata sad citta sthira sad-bhagavat-smtau tad samyak pravarteta tata smti phalam
bhyaexternal; ntaraand internal; aeaall; hkasenses; clakamwhich moves; vk-indriyam the sense of speech; sytis; yadiif; sayatam brought under control; sadconstantly; cittamthe mind; sthiramsteady; sattranscendental; bhagavat of the Supreme Lord; smtauin remembrance; tad then; samyakproperly; pravartetadevelops; tata then; smtiremembrance; phalamas the fruit. If the sense of speech, which sets all the external and internal senses in motion, is brought under constant control, then the mind becomes stable and can properly engage in transcendental remembrance of the Lord. Remembrance thus develops as the fruit of chanting. TEXT 150

eva prabhor dhyna-ratair mata ced buddhyeda tatra vivecanyam dhyna parisphrti-viea-nih sambandha-mtra manas smtir hi
evamthus; prabhoof the Lord; dhyna-rataiby
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those attached to meditation; mataconsidered; cetif; buddhywith their intelligence; damin this way; tatrain that regard; vivecanyamshould be discriminated; dhynammeditation; parisphrti manifestation; vieawith particular qualities; nihinvolving; sambandhacoming in contact; mtrammerely; manasby the mind; smti remembrance; hicertainly. If those attached to meditation on the Lord still insist that remembering is of greater importance, with their intelligence they should make the following distinction: In meditation the Lord reveals Himself fully with His particular qualities, but in remembrance the mind merely comes in contact with the Lord. Commentary: Some sincere and intelligent Vaiavas are firmly convinced that meditation on the Lord is the best form of devotional service. Since they perceive an authentic spiritual taste from their meditation, their opinion must be honored; but as the Vaikuha-dtas here suggest, this opinion should be adjusted to make it exactly correct. The advocates of the meditational process think as follows: The faculty of speech has the power to mobilize all the senses, both external (like the ears) and internal (like the mind). If a person steadies his mind by controlling his speech, either through silence or through bhagavat-krtana, he can begin the practice of remembering the Supreme Lord. So krtana is the means to the goal of smaraa. Scriptures may say that in Kali-yuga the perfection of krtana is in itself the goal and automatically includes the results of smaraabut that is only in reference to the special situation of the modern age. It may also be said that the exceptional faults of Kali-yuga can be counteracted only by the very powerful process of krtana, not by meditation alone or any other means, but actually there is no absolute rule that meditation on the Lord is less than enough to wash away the contamination of the
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modern age. Rather, hundreds of convincing statements of scripture confirm that simply remembering the Personality of Godhead destroys ones sinful reactions. Thus meditation is the best form of devotional service. The Vaikuha-dtas accept this opinion, as long as it is qualified by the understanding that true meditation on the Supreme Lord is a very mature stage of devotional development. In meditation the devotee realizes the Lord in the heart and directly perceives many details of the Lords exquisite beauty and charm, from His feet to the hair on His head. But in the more usual smti, or remembrance, the mind only comes in contact with the Lord, as when one thinks God exists or I am the Supreme Lords servant. TEXT 151

ced dhyna-vegt khalu citta-vttv antar-bhavantndriya-vttayas t sakrtana-sparana-darandy dhyna tad krtanato stu varyam
cetif; dhynaof meditation; vegtby the force; khaluindeed; citta-vttauinto the function of the mind; anta-bhavantibecome absorbed; indriyavttayathe functions of the senses; tthey; sakrtana chanting; sparanatouching; daranadyseeing and so on; dhynammeditation; tad then; krtanatathan chanting; astulet it be; varyamsuperior. If by the force of ones meditation all the functions of the sensesincluding sakrtana of the Lord, physical contact with Him, seeing Him, and so onbecome absorbed into the function of the mind, that meditation may be accepted as better than chanting out loud. Commentary: If a devotee becomes so proficient in dhyna (meditation on the Lord) that the devotional practices he earlier performed with his speech, touch, eyes, and other senses become spontaneous
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activities of his mind, then of course for that devotee meditation has become the most suitable practice. He can inwardly continue his ravaa, krtana, and so on, with or without the participation of his external senses. TEXT 152

prtir yato yasya sukha ca yena samyag bhavet tad rasikasya tasya tat sdhana reha-tama su-sevya sadbhir mata praty uta sdhya-rpam
prtisatisfaction; yatafrom which; yasyawhose; sukhamhappiness; caand; yenaby which; samyak complete; bhavetis; tatthat; rasikasyaof a devotee with true spiritual taste; tasyahis; tat that; sdhanamdevotional practice; reha-tamam best; su-sevyammost fit to be followed; sadbhiby saintly authorities; matamconsidered; prati uta rather; sdhya-rpamas the aim of endeavor. Whatever the devotional method by which a man with true spiritual taste feels satisfaction and complete joy, that is the method saintly authorities deem most excellent and effective for him. It is not only the best of methods but the very aim of his endeavor. Commentary: How should we regard the meditation in which a Vaiava does not experience the sensory functions of sakrtana, touching the Lord, and so on, but merely contemplates the Lords form? That style of devotional service should also be accepted as perfect for the devotee who derives pleasure from it. When a devotee feels eager attraction to any of the nine kinds of service, that devotional method becomes the means for him to quickly fulfill all his desires. Moreover, his practice will gradually evolve into prema, the final goal of devotional life. TEXT 153

sakrtand dhyna-sukha vivardhate dhync ca sakrtana-mdhur-sukha

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anyonya-savardhakatnubhyate smbhis tayos tad dvayam ekam eva tat

sakrtantfrom sakrtana; dhynaof meditation; sukhamthe happiness; vivardhateincreases; dhyntfrom meditation; caand; sakrtanaof sakrtana; mdhurfrom the sweetness; sukhamthe joy; anyonyamutual; savardhakatthe quality of fortifying; anubhyateis experienced; asmbhiby us; tayoof the two; tatthus; dvayamthe two; ekamone; evaverily; tatthat. By sakrtana the joy of meditation grows, and by meditation the sweet joy of sakrtana. In our own experience, the two methods fortify one another and are therefore actually one. Commentary: The Vaikuha messengers own opinion is that both meditation and sakrtana are advantageous. The two methods support one another, and because one or the other may be more suitable in different times, places, and circumstances, their mutual dependence should not be a cause of confusion. Either may be done separately, but neither, in the end, is complete without the other. Regardless of which serves as the cause and which the effect, the two are essentially nondifferent. TEXT 154

dhyna ca sakrtana-vat sukha-prada yad vastuno bha-tarasya kasyacit citte nubhtypi yatheccham udbhavec chntis tad-ekpti-viakta-cetasm
dhynammeditation; caand; sakrtana-vatlike chanting; sukha-pradambestowing happiness; yatas; vastunaof an object; abha-tarasyamost desired; kasyacitcertain; cittein the heart; anubhtyby perceiving; apiindeed; yath-iccham according to ones desire; udbhavetone attains; ntipeace; tatso; ekaon one only; ptigoal of attainment; viaktaintent; cetasmof those whose hearts.

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Meditation bestows the same joy as sakrtana when a meditating devotee directly sees the object of his hearts desire. Such a devotee, intent only on reaching that one desired object he worships, is sure to find spiritual peace. TEXTS 155156

yath jvara-rujrtn talmta-pthasa mana-pnd api truyet t-vaikalya sukha bhavet tat-tat-sakrtanenpi tath syd yadi akyate satm atha vivikte pi lajj syt svaira-krtane
yathas; jvarafeverish; rujfrom a disease; rtnmfor those who are suffering; talacool; amtanectarlike; pthasaof water; manawith the mind; pntby drinking; apieven; truyetis eradicated; tof thirst; vaikalyamthe agitation; sukhamhappiness; bhavetarises; tat-tatof any of those (desired objects); sakrtanenaby chanting the glories; apieven; tathso; sytis; yadiif; akyateis possible; satmby saintly persons; athaand; viviktein seclusion; apieven; lajj embarrassment; sytoccurs; svairauninhibitedly; krtanewhile chanting. As by drinking cool, nectarean water, even if only within the mind, a diseased person stricken by fever enjoys happiness as the distress of his thirst is quenched, so simply by chanting the glories of the object one worships one can attain peace. Yet when saintly persons chant without inhibition they may feel embarrassed, even in a secluded place. Commentary: In general, the tongue cannot fully describe everything going on in the mind. This is especially so in the ecstasy of hari-nma486

sakrtana. Vaiavas engaged in sakrtana may sometimes feel the urge to describe what is happening within their hearts and, although these matters are confidential, may sometimes, by their words and bodily expressions, disclose what should remain private. And this may leave them embarrassed, even when there are no witnesses. TEXT 157

ekkitvena tu dhyna vivikte khalu sidhyati sakrtana vivikte pi bahn sagato pi ca

ekkitvenaalone; tubut; dhynammeditation; viviktein seclusion; khaluindeed; sidhyatiis successfully performed; sakrtanamsakrtana; viviktein seclusion; apialso; bahnmof many; sagatain the company; apialso; caand. Meditation one can successfully perform alone in a secluded place but sakrtana either in seclusion or in the company of many others. Commentary: The Vaikuha-dtas have great respect for the process of devotional meditation, yet their own favorite process is sakrtana. Meditation is limited because to perform it one must be in isolation, so as not to be distracted. TEXT 158

kasya nn-vidha-krtaneu tan-nma-sakrtanam eva mukhyam tat-prema-sampaj-janane svaya drk akta tata reha-tama mata tat
kasyaof Ka; nn-vidhaamong the various kinds; krtaneuof chanting; tatHis; nmasakrtanamchanting of the holy names; evaindeed; mukhyamchief; tatfor Him; premaof pure love; sampatthe treasure; jananeof generating; svayam by itself; drkat once; aktamcapable; tata therefore; reha-tamamthe most excellent; matam considered; tatthat.
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Of the many ways to chant Kas glories, foremost is His nma-sakrtana. It is deemed the best because it can evoke at once the treasure of pure love for Ka. Commentary: Besides nma-sakrtana, chanting of the Lords names, there are other ways of performing krtana, such as reciting the Vedas and Puras, speaking ones own narrations of pastimes of the Lord, singing devotional songs, and offering prayers. Nma-sakrtana, however, is the best of all, because it can at once independently awaken love of God in the heart. Lord Vius messengers are personally convinced of this, and as implied by the unspecific expression matam (it is considered), this is also the opinion of many other spiritual authorities. TEXT 159

r-ka-nmmtam tma-hdya prem samsvdana-bhagi-prvam yat sevyate jihvikayvirma tasytula jalpatu ko mahattvam
r-kaof r Ka; nma-amtamthe nectar of the name; tma-hdyampleasing to the heart; premwith love; samsvdanaof thoroughly relishing; bhagi-prvamwith the many varieties; yatwhich; sevyateis served; jihvikaywith the tongue; avirmamincessantly; tasyaof it; atulam unequal; jalpatucan describe; kawho; mahattvam the excellence. When relished with love in countless ways through service rendered constantly by the tongue, the nectar of r Kas name delights the heart. Who can describe the unequaled excellence of that nectar of r Kas holy name? TEXT 160

sarve bhagavan-nmn samno mahimpi cet tathpi sva-priyeu

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svrtha-siddhi sukha bhavet

sarvemof all; bhagavatof the Supreme Lord; nmnmof the names; samnaequal; mahim greatness; api cetalthough; tath apinonetheless; sva-priyeaby the one that is dear to oneself; uquickly; sva-arthaof ones goals; siddhi fulfillment; sukhameasily; bhavetwill be. Though all names of the Lord are equally great, a devotee most quickly, most easily achieves his goals by chanting the name he himself holds most dear. Commentary: Since the Supreme Lords names are all infinite in their glories, one name cannot be greater than another. Cintmai stones may appear in different forms, but they all have the same power; any cintmai can produce whatever a person wants. Nonetheless, if a devotee is especially attracted to a particular name, that name will most quickly and easily carry him to perfection. Thus the devotees who favor the name Rma like to cite the declaration by Lord iva sahasra-nmabhis tulya/ rma-nma varnane: My dear beautiful wife, the name Rma is equal to one thousand names of Viu. (Padma Pura, Uttara 72.335) TEXT 161

vicitra-ruci-lokn kramt sarveu nmasu priyat-sambhavt tni sarvi syu priyi hi

vicitravaried; ruciwhose taste; loknmof people; kramtby turns; sarveufor all; nmasu the names; priyatof affinity; sambhavtdue to the possibility; tnithose; sarviall; syuare; priyidear; hiindeed. Since people differ in their likings, each name of the Lord is dear to one person or another. All the names of the Lord are therefore dear. Commentary: A doubting person might ask whether
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only some of the Lords names are worshiped and others neglected. In fact, however, every name of the Lord has its devotees. The word hi in this verse indicates that this is certainly true. Some Vaiavas prefer one particular name of the Personality of Godhead, and some are attracted to two names, three, or several. TEXT 162

ekasminn indriye prdurbhta nmmta rasai plvayati sarvndriyi madhurair nijai

ekasminin one; indriyesense; prdurbhtam manifest; nma-amtamthe nectar of the Lords name; rasaiby transcendental tastes; plvayati are flooded; sarviall; indriyithe senses; madhuraisweet; nijaiown. When the nectar of the Lords name appears in just one sense, all the senses are flooded with their own sweet tastes. Commentary: In this way, every enjoyment possible is derived from nma-sakrtana. TEXT 163

mukhyo vg-indriye tasyodaya sva-para-hara-da tat prabhor dhynato pi syn nma-sakrtana varam
mukhyaprincipal; vkof speech; indriyein the sense; tasyaof it (the Lords name); udayathe appearance; svato oneself; paraand others; haradagiving pleasure; tatthus; prabhoon the Lord; dhynatathan meditation; apieven; sytbecomes; nma-sakrtanamchanting of His names out loud; varamgreater. Appearing mainly in the sense of speech, the Lords name gives pleasure to the chanter and to others. So even greater than meditation on the Lord is His nma-sakrtana.
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TEXT 164

nma-sakrtana prokta kasya prema-sampadi baliha sdhana reha paramkara-mantra-vat

nma-sakrtanamthe sakrtana of the names; proktamis said; kasyaKas; premaof pure love of God; sampadifor the treasure; baliham most powerful; sdhanamthe means of attainment; rehambest; paramasupreme; karawhich has power to attract; mantra-vatlike an incantation. The sakrtana of Kas names is praised as the best and most powerful means to attain the treasure of ka-prema. It is like a potent mantra that can attract precious objects from a distance. Commentary: If one wants the ultimate success in spiritual life, one must take shelter of nmasakrtana, as the Vaikuha-dtas proclaim exuberantly in this verse. rmad-Bhgavatam (11.2.3940) describes how nma-sakrtana nourishes the devotee: van su-bhadri rathga-per janmni karmi ca yni loke gtni nmni tad-arthakni gyan vilajjo vicared asaga An intelligent person who has controlled his mind and conquered fear should give up all attachment to material objects such as wife, family, and nation and should wander freely without embarrassment, hearing and chanting the holy names of the Lord, the bearer of the chariot wheel. The holy names of Ka are all-auspicious because they describe His transcendental birth and activities, which He performs within this world for the salvation of the conditioned souls. Thus the holy names of the Lord are sung throughout the world.

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eva-vrata sva-priya-nma-krty jtnurgo druta-citta uccai hasaty atho roditi rauti gyaty unmda-van ntyati loka-bhya By chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord, one comes to the stage of love of Godhead. Then, fixed in ones vow as an eternal servant of the Lord, one gradually becomes very much attached to a particular name and form of the Lord. As ones heart melts with ecstatic love one laughs very loudly or cries or shouts. Sometimes one sings and dances like a madman, for one is indifferent to public opinion. TEXT 165

tad eva manyate bhakte phala tad-rasikair janai bhagavat-prema-sampattau sadaivvyabhicrata

tatthis; evaindeed; manyateis considered; bhakteof devotional service; phalamthe fruit; tatof that (devotional service); rasikaiwho are connoissuers; janaiby people; bhagavat-premaof pure love for the Supreme Lord; sampattauwith the treasure; sad evaalways; avyabhicratabecause of invariable connection. Because nma-sakrtana invariably leads to the treasure of pure love for the Lord, true connoisseurs of devotional service consider nmasakrtana the very fruit of bhakti. Commentary: According to many pure devotees, nmasakrtana is not only the best means of devotional service but the final perfection itself. Of course, prema is the final goal of bhakti, but nmasakrtana so quickly and infallibly leads to prema that the two are considered virtually identical. Wherever prema is seen to have developed, one can presume that nma-sakrtana must have been performed. Nma-sakrtana is the necessary and
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sufficient cause of prema. TEXT 166

sal-lakaa prema-bharasya ke kaicid rasa-jair uta kathyate tat premo bhareaiva nijea-nmasakrtana hi sphurati sphurty
satreal; lakaamthe symptom; prema-bharasyaof being fully in love; kefor Ka; kaicitby some; rasa-jaiknowers of rasa; utaindeed; kathyateis said; tatthat; premaof love; bhareaby the weight; evaindeed; nijaby ones own self; iapreferred; nmaof the name; sakrtanamthe chanting; hicertainly; sphurati manifests; sphuaopenly shown; rtywith distress. According to some knowers of rasa, the real sign of a person full of prema is this: As he performs sakrtana of the name he worships, the full force of spiritual agony erupts in him by the weight of his own love. Commentary: Other expert Vaiavas consider sakrtana and prema to be altogether the same. They are mutually the cause of one another and therefore nondifferent. TEXT 167

nmn tu sakrtanam rti-bhrn megha vin prvi ctaknm rtrau viyogt sva-pate rathgvargasya ckroana-vat prathi
nmnmof the names; tuand; sakrtanamthe sakrtana; rtiof distress; bhrtby the burden; meghama cloud; vinwithout; prviduring the rainy season; ctaknmof the sparrows; rtrauat night; viyogtbecause of separation; sva-pate from their husbands; rathgof cakravk birds; vargasyaof a flock; caand; kroana-vatlike the distressful crying; prathiyou should understand. Like the distressed crying of the ctaka birds on a
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cloudless day of the rainy season, or the lamenting of a flock of cakravk birds when parted from their husbands at night, the sakrtana of the Lords names arises when one is burdened by too much pain. Commentary: Nma-sakrtana in fact appears only when prema has been enhanced in a special way. Prema enriched with transcendental hankering results in sakrtana. To help us understand, the Vaikuha-dtas mention, by way of analogy, the ctaka and cakravk birds. The plaintive call of the ctakas, sounding like priya priya (my dear one, my dear one!), resounds on cloudless days of the rainy season. And the lament of the cakravks fills the sky when their husbands are absent at night. In such a way, nma-sakrtana arises when one feels separation from the Lord in pure love of God. The true way of doing bhagavan-nma-sakrtana is to call out to ones beloved Lord in agony, expressing ones feelings in various sweet songs to attract Him. As the philosophical maxim states, siddhasya lakaa yat syt/ sdhana sdhakasya tat: The practitioner and the means of practice should be in accord with their goal. TEXT 168

vicitra-ll-rasa-sgarasya prabhor vicitrt sphuritt prasdt vicitra-sakrtana-mdhur s na tu sva-yatnd iti sdhu sidhyet
vicitravariegated; llof pastimes; rasaof the spiritual tastes; sgarasyawho is the ocean; prabhoof the Supreme Lord; vicitrtvariously; sphurittdisplayed; prasdtby the mercy; vicitravarious; sakrtanaof chanting; mdhur the sweetness; sit; nanot; tubut; sva-yatntby ones own endeavor; itithus; sdhuadequately; sidhyetis achieved. The wonderfully varied sweetness of sakrtana emerges only by the mercy shown in various
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wonderful ways by the Lord, the wonderful ocean of the varied rasas of pastimes. This sweetness one can never truly achieve by ones own endeavor. Commentary: The devotees who prefer meditation to sakrtana might argue that chanting in full view of the public is risky in several ways: envious people may try to interfere, one may succumb to the allurement of popularity, one may not have the required physical strength, or one may be too sick to chant properly. These dangers do not arise when a devotee simply concentrates on the Supreme Lord in a secluded place. In answer to this objection, the Vaikuha messengers say that nma-sakrtana cannot be disrupted by obstacles, for it develops by the mercy of the Lord, not by ones own endeavor. No one can take away that which a devotee has gained as a gift from the Lord. This is true not only for sakrtana but for all the nine methods of bhakti. TEXT 169

icch-vat ppam upsakn kyeta bhogonmukham apy amumt prrabdha-mtra bhavattare karmvaia tad avaya-bhogyam
icch-vataccording to desire; ppamthe sinful reaction; upsaknmof worshipers; kyetais diminished; bhoga-unmukhamabout to be suffered; apieven; amumtby that (nma-sakrtana); prrabdhaalready manifest; mtramonly; bhavati there is; itaremfor other people; karmaavaiamremnant of karmic reaction; tatthat; avayanecessarily; bhogyamto be suffered. As the worshipers of the Lord desire, by the chanting of His holy names they see their sinful reactions dwindle to nothing, even the reactions they are about to suffer. And when other people somehow chant His names, they need suffer only that part of their karma already manifest. Commentary: This explains why devotees engaged in
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the all-powerful process of nma-sakrtana may sometimes still feel unhappy. In the beginning of their practice, they may carry some remnants of their past sinful karma. But the Lords names very soon clean those remnants away, including the reactions about to be suffered and even those already manifest (prrabdha) in the body and mind. Only if devotees for some reason want to keep their karma is that karma not removed. As the Lord says in r Hari-bhakti-sudhodhaya: karma-cakra tu yat proktam avilaghya sursurai mad-bhakti-prabalair martyair viddhi laghitam eva tat The cycle of karma I have described is insurmountable for the demigods and the demons. But know that mortals empowered by My devotional service have already escaped it. Sometimes nondevotees chant the Lords holy names in nmbhsathat is, casually or unintentionally. If they somehow avoid offenses in their chanting, they too are absolved of their sinful reactions, except for their prrabdha-karma, the reactions already manifest. These they must suffer, and by that suffering their prrabdha-karma also is depleted. TEXT 170

mahay ye hari-nma-sevak su-gopya-tad-bhakti-mah-nidhe svayam praka-bhty vyavahra-bhagibhi sva-doa-dukhny anudarayanti te

mah-aygreat souls; yewho; hari-nmaof Lord Haris names; sevakservants; su-gopyavery confidential; tatto Him; bhaktiof devotional service; mah-nidheof the great treasure; svayam spontaneous; prakaof the revealing; bhtyout of fear; vyavahraof behavior; bhagibhiby peculiarities; sva-doatheir own faults; dukhni and miseries; anudarayantishow; tethey.
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The great souls who spontaneously serve the names of Lord Hari fear to reveal the vast treasure of His confidential devotional service. So they behave in peculiar ways to show their own faults and unhappiness. Commentary: What about advanced worshipers like Bharata Mahrja whose impending sinful reactions apparently kept going on? We should understand that when saintly devotees like Bharata, deeply absorbed in the moods of loving service to the Lord, seem to exhibit material attachment (as when Bharata became obsessed with the care of an infant deer) and when they seem to fall into bad association and miserable conditions (as when Bharata took his next birth as an animal), they are only pretending to be materially affected, in order to keep the confidential moods of devotional service hidden from public view. Such devotees would rather be treated with undeserved contempt than honored and worshiped. TEXT 171

tan-nma-sakrtana-mtrato khil bhakt hare syur hata-dukha-da kecit tathpi prabhu-vat kpkul lokn sad-cram ima prasati
tatHis; nma-sakrtanaby the chanting of the holy names; mtratasimply; akhilall; bhakt devotees; hareof Lord Hari; syuare; hatafreed; dukhafrom misery; daand contamination; kecitsome; tath apinonetheless; prabhu-vatlike the Lord Himself; kpby compassion; kul disturbed; loknto the people in general; satcramcivilized behavior; imamthis; prasati teach. All the devotees of the Lord are freed from contamination and misery simply by the sakrtana of His names. Yet some devotees, as disturbed by compassion as the Lord Himself, act in these ways to teach people civilized behavior.
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Commentary: Shouldnt advanced devotees, in order to deliver the world from ignorance, let everyone see their greatness? Yes, but the so-called anomalous behavior of Vaivas like Bharata Mahraja is in fact their way of teaching sadcra, civilized human behavior. By the examples of their own lives they show the consequences of violating the laws of God and material nature, for if people fail to learn how to act according to civilized standards their hearts will remain contaminated by sinful desires and they will never become inclined toward the Lords devotional service. TEXT 172

dusaga-doa bharatdayo yath durdyta-doa ca yudhihirdaya brahma-sva-bhti ca ngdayo mal prdarayan sva-vyavahrato jann
dusagaof bad asociation; doamthe fault; bharata-dayaMahrja Bharata and others; yath as; durdytaof gambling; doamthe fault; caand; yudhihira-dayaYudhihira and others; brahma of a brhmaa; svafor the property; bhtimfear; caand; nga-dayaMahrja Nga and others; amalpure; prdarayanthey showed; svatheir own; vyavahrataby the behavior; jannthe people. As Bharata and others showed the fault of bad association, Yudhihira and others the fault of gambling, and Nga and others the fear caused by taking a brhmaas property, pure souls generally use their own behavior to teach the people. Commentary: Bharata Mahrja showed by his own life the danger of wrong association. Although almost perfectly devoted and renounced, he was distracted into caring for a newborn deer and therefore had to suffer birth as a deer. A similar case is that of Saubhari i, who was deviated from meditation by seeing two fish engaged in sex. In the opinion of
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the Vaikuha-dtas, however, in reality these elevated souls were faultless. TEXT 173

bhakti-prabhvea vicra-jtai sajyamnena sadedais tvam vighnti-vighnn kila jeyasha sarvatra te hanta vaya sahy
bhaktiof pure devotional service; prabhveaby the power; vicra-jtaiby many realizations; sajyamnenaarising; sadalways; daiby such; tvamyou; vighna-ati-vighnnthe worst obstacles; kilaindeed; jeyasiyou will conquer; ihahere; sarvatraeverywhere; tethey; hanta indeed; vayamwe; sahyhelpers. By the power of bhakti you will have many realizations, time and again, and for certain you will conquer your most formidable obstacles. In all circumstances, be assured, we are your helpers. Commentary: Since devotees may have to endure formidable tests while practicing nma-sakrtana, Gopa-kumra may doubt his own fitness to take up the process. The visitors from Vaikuha assure him, therefore, that he should not be doubtful and hesitant, but should begin nma-sakrtana with all confidence. If he is worried that he cannot expect to succeed without the blessings of pure devotees, he should rest assured that the Vaikuha-dtas will always be there to help him wherever he goes. If he needs to understand anything philosophically or has any difficulties to overcome, they will give him the support he needs. TEXT 174

r-ka-candrasya mahnukampsmbhi sthir tvayy avadhritsti ln na skd-bhagavad-didk tvattas tapo-loka-nivsi-vkyai

r-ka-candrasyaof r Ka-candra; mahanukampthe greatest mercy; asmbhiby us;
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sthirfirmly established; tvayiin you; avadhritascertained; astithere is; ln dissolved; nanot; sktdirectly; bhagavatthe Supreme Lord; didkeagerness to see; tvatta from you; tapa-loka-nivsiof the residents of Tapoloka; vkyaiby the statements. The greatest mercy of r Ka-candra, we have found, is firmly established in you, because even the arguments of the residents of Tapoloka could not dissolve your eagerness to see in person the Supreme Lord. TEXT 175

rpa satya khalu bhagavata sac-cidnanda-sndra yogyair ghya bhavati karaai sac-cidnanda-rpa mskibhy tad api ghaate tasya kruyaakty sadyo labdhy tad-ucita-gater darana svehay v
rpamthe form; satyamabsolutely real; khalu indeed; bhagavataof the Supreme Lord; sat-citnandaof eternity, knowledge, and bliss; sndram the concentrated essence; yogyaiwhich are fit; ghyamperceivable; bhavatiis; karaaiby senses; sat-cit-nanda-rpamthe sac-cid-nanda form; msaof flesh; akibhymby eyes; tatthat; api also; ghaateoccurs; tasyaHis; kruyaof the mercy; aktyby the power; sadyaat once; labdhyby achieving; tatfor that; ucitasuitable; gateof the object; daranamvision; sva-hayby ones endeavor; vor. The form of the Personality of Godhead, absolutely real, is the concentrated essence of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Only with senses that are fit can one perceive that sac-cid-nanda form. Yet by the power of the Lords mercy, even with the present eyes, quickly one can see it. Thus one
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beholds the object most suitable for ones vision. One achieves this by the Lords mercy, or even by ones own endeavor. Commentary: This verse and the next summarize the opinions of Pippalyana i, who on Tapoloka had recommended meditation to Gopa-kmara as the best method of realizing the Supreme Lord. Only with senses that are fit can one perceive the Lord, he had said, but the Lords mercy can transform the limited senses of a conditioned soul, making them fit to perceive the unlimited. By the Lords mercy potency (kruya-akti), His personal form is revealed to a fortunate soul, or that soul may be empowered to discover the Lord even with his own senses. No material conditions can limit the influence of the Supreme Lords kruya-akti. TEXT 176

tad-darane jna-daiva jyamne pi paymy aham ea dgbhym mno bhavet ka-kp-prabhvavijpako hara-viea-vddhyai
tatof Him; daranevision; jnaof knowledge; dby the eye; evaindeed; jyamnewhen it arises; apieven; paymisee; aham eaI myself; dgbhymby my two eyes; mnathe presumption; bhavetthere may be; ka-kpof Kas mercy; prabhvaby the power; vijpakaan indicator; hara-vieaspecial joy; vddhyaifor increasing. Even though ones vision of the Lord has its origin in the eye of knowledge, one may think, I am seeing Him with my own two eyes. This simply indicates the power of Kas mercy, by which the devotee feels his own special joy unfurl. Commentary: Some less devotional thinkers would argue to Pippalyana that one can behold the Supreme Lord only with the eye of knowledge, not with external senses. If the Supreme were an object of material vision, they would say, He could not be transcendentally self-manifest. Pippalyana would
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respond that even if this is true, a special ecstasy is available only to one who presumes that he sees the Lord with his own eyes. And even if devotees only imagine themselves to be seeing the Personality of Godhead with their eyes, the ecstasy they experience is real. That ecstasy itself is proof that the potency of the Lords special mercy has descended upon them, making them rejoice with wonder: The Supreme is impossible to see, but now I am seeing Him right before me! TEXT 177

prabho kp-pra-balena bhakte prabhvato v khalu darana syt ata paricchinna-dpi sidhyen nirantara tan manaseva samyak
prabhoof the Lord; kpof mercy; praof the flood; balenaon the strength; bhakteof bhakti; prabhvataby the influence; vor; khaluindeed; daranamvision; sytcan occur; atathus; paricchinnalimited; dby sight; apieven; sidhyetcan be achieved; nirantaramconstant; tat that (vision); manasby the mind; evaonly; samyakdirectly. By the force of the vast mercy of the Lord or by the natural influence of devotional service, one can see Him. So even with the limited eyes one can achieve the constant vision one may have with the mind in meditation. Commentary: Now the Vaikuha-dtas, willing to go along no further with Pippalyanas thinking, refute one of his ideas. Pippalyana might say, Seeing the Supreme Lord with ones own eyes is imperfect because by nature external perception is imperfect. Interruptions and obstacles will inevitably impede ones external vision of the Lord. The mind, however, is extremely subtle; it can reach everywhere and enjoy undisturbed darana of the Lord in all circumstances. Although this is not one of the things Pippalyana told Gopa-kumra
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on Tapoloka, the Vaikuha-dtas refute it in this verse. By the Supreme Lords infinite mercy, even external eyes can see Him in all His splendor. This is further evidence of the great efficacy of devotional service. TEXT 178

na cet kathacin na manasy api syt svayam-prabhasyekaam varasya ghana sukha sajanayet kathacid upsita sndra-sukhtmako sau
nanot; cetif; kathacitsomehow; nanot; manasi in the mind; apieven; sytcould occur; svayamprabhasyaof the self-effulgent; kaamthe sight; varasyaof the supreme controller; ghanam intense; sukhamhappiness; sajanayetcould arise; kathacitin any manner; upsitaworshiped; sndraconcentrated; sukha-tmakathe embodiment of happiness; asauHe. If this were not so, by no means would one be able to see the self-effulgent supreme controller, even within the mind. When the Lord is worshiped in any manner, He bestows intense happiness, for He is the very embodiment of such happiness. Commentary: If the Lords special mercy and the potency of devotional service were not the true causes of realizing Him, even a mental vision of Him would be impossible, for He is selfmanifesting, never an object of sensory or mental perception. Because He is the completely independent controller of everyone, no one can force Him to reveal Himself. A proponent of inner meditation may argue that by perceiving the Lord internally the mind with its unlimited scope enjoys unlimited bliss, whereas the limited eyes can perceive only a small fraction of such pleasure. But the Vaikuha-dtas reply that when devotees worship the Personality of Godhead by any of the methods of devotional servicewhether by mental meditation or by the direct perception and activity
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of the external sensesthe Lord bestows intense happiness. In fact, according to the Taittirya Upaniad (2.7), boundless pleasure is the very nature of the Supreme. Raso vai sa, rasa hy evya labdhvnand bhavati: The Supreme is rasa itself. When a living being obtains this rasa, he becomes blissful. TEXT 179

dgbhy prabhor daranato hi sarvatas tat-tat-prasdvali-labdhir kyate sarvdhika sndra-sukha ca jyate sdhya tad eva ravadi-bhaktita
dgbhymby ones two eyes; prabhoof the Lord; daranatafrom seeing; hiindeed; sarvata everywhere; tat-tatvarious; prasdaof mercy; valiof an abundance; labdhithe achievement; kyateis seen; sarvato all; adhikamsuperior; sndraconcentrated; sukhamhappiness; caand; jyatedevelops; sdhyamthe goal; tatthat; eva indeed; ravaafrom hearing; diand so on; bhaktitathe devotional practices. We everywhere find that by seeing the Lord with the eyes one achieves His mercy in all its forms, and the most intense and excellent joy. Indeed, to see Him is the goal of hearing and of all the other ways of devotional practice. Commentary: Superior to the fruits of realizing the Lord inwardly are the fruits of seeing the Lord with ones own eyes. rmad-Bhgavatam and other Puras record how Vaiavas like Kardama and Prahlda received abundant mercy from the Supreme Lord when they met Him in person. On Tapoloka, the sage Pippalyana told Gopa-kumra about r Brahms attaining similar mercy from the Lord through meditation, but that kind of success from meditation occurs in only a few instances, for a rare, fortunate person like Brahm. And the Vaikuha messengers declare, besides, that the joy felt from directly perceiving the Personality of
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Godhead with ones senses is unequaled. This complete vision, gained by devotional service in the forms of hearing, chanting, remembering, and so on, is also the ultimate fruit of the devotional service performed by inward meditation. TEXT 180

sarve sdhann tatskt-kro hi sat phalam tadaiv-mlato my nayet prempi vardhate

sarvemof all; sdhannmspiritual disciplines; tatof Him; skt-kradirect vision; hiindeed; sattrue; phalamthe benefit; tadthen; evaalone; -mlatadown to the root; myillusion; nayet is destroyed; prempure love of God; apiand; vardhateflourishes. By all methods of spiritual discipline, seeing the Lord in person is the true reward to be attained. That alone destroys illusion down to the root, so that pure love of God may flourish. Commentary: The direct vision of Lord Viu, being the supreme fruit of all endeavors, is preferable even to realization of the Lord by meditation. In fact, when one sees the Lord directly ones forgetfulness of Him, which is the root of all illusion, is destroyed. This is described in the First Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (1.2.21): bhidyate hdaya-granthi chidyante sarva-saay kyante csya karmi da evtmanvare Thus the knot in the heart is pierced, and all misgivings are cut to pieces. The chain of fruitive actions is terminated when one sees the Lord as master. The entanglements of material work, the doubts and confusions of material consciousness, and the knots of material desire all encumber the
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conditioned soul, but when he again finds his dearmost friend, the Supreme Soul, he transcends all these anomalies. When one perceives the beauty and charm of prema for Lord Viu, the natural urge of pure love spontaneously arises in ones heart. TEXT 181

kydhavder hdi payato pi prabhu sadk kila tad-didk tatra prama hi tathvalokand anantara bhva-viea-lbha
kydhavaof the son of Kaydhu (Prahlda); de and others; hdiin the heart; payatawho were seeing; apialthough; prabhumthe Lord; sad always; akwith their eyes; kilaindeed; tat Him; didkthe desire to see; tatrain this matter; pramamevidence; hiindeed; taththus; avalokantseeing; anantaramafter; bhva-vieaof special ecstasies; lbhathe experience. Although devotees like Prahlda, the son of Kaydhu, saw the Lord in their hearts, they always yearned to see Him with their eyes. For this the proof is that when they finally saw Him they felt special ecstasies. Commentary: The experiences of Prahlda and other great devotees should be taken seriously because sad-cra, the behavior of elevated persons, is important evidence for judging what is of true value. According to r Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya, it was after Prahlda first saw Lord Nsiha that Prahldas pure love fully blossomed. TEXT 182

kasya skd api jyate yat kecid aki-dvaya-mlandi dhyna na tat kintu mud bharea kampdi-vat prema-vikra ea
kasyaof Ka; sktdirectly; apithough; jyateoccurs; yatwhich; kecitof some persons;
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aki-dvayaof the eyes; mlana-diclosing and so on; dhynammeditation; nanot; tatthat; kintu rather; mudmof joy; bhareaby the excess; kampaditrembling and other symptoms of ecstasy; vat similar to; premaof pure love; vikraa transformation; eathis. When some devotees, even while seeing Ka in person, close their eyes and appear to withdraw into their minds, this may seem to be meditation, but in fact it is not. Rather, it is a transformation brought on by excessive joy, like the trembling and other signs of ecstasy in devotees in pure love. Commentary: This verse answers the possible objection that when Sanaka-kumra and his brothers met the Lord of Vaikuha they went into a trance of meditation. As described by Maitreya Muni in the Third Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (3.15.44): te v amuya vadansita-padma-koam udvkya sundaratardhara-kunda-hsam labdhia punar avekya tadyam aghridvandva nakhrua-mai-rayaa nidadhyu The Lords beautiful face appeared to them like the inside of a blue lotus, and the Lords smile appeared like a blossoming jasmine. After seeing the face of the Lord, the sages were fully satisfied, and when they wanted to see Him further they looked upon the nails of His lotus feet, which resembled rubies. Thus they viewed the Lords transcendental body again and again, and so they finally achieved meditation on the Lords personal feature. In this verse the word nidadhyu, from the verb nidhyai, to meditate deeply, seems to indicate that when the Kumras saw the Lord they passively withdrew into meditative contemplation. But as the Vaikuha-dtas point out, we should not judge
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simply from the outward appearance of these symptoms. Closing of the eyes and ceasing from bodily movements need not be signs of meditative trance; they may instead be physical expressions of bhvas, devotional ecstasies, similar to other physical signs of ecstasy like trembling, perspiration, and standing up of the bodily hair. Maitreya Muni described the ecstasy of the Kumras as meditation only because it seemed so externally. Therefore the superiority of directly seeing the Lord with ones own eyes stands undefeated. TEXT 183

dhyna paroke yujyeta na tu skn mah-prabho aparoke paroke pi yukta sakrtana sad
dhynammeditation; parokewhen He is invisible; yujyetais appropriate; nanot; tubut; skt being visible; mah-prabhothe Supreme Lord; aparokewhen He is invisible; parokewhen He is visible; apialso; yuktamsuitable; sakrtanam chanting of His names; sadalways. Meditation makes sense when the Supreme Lord cannot be seen, not when He is directly present; but sakrtana is always befitting, whether the Lord is visible or not. Commentary: Drawing the argument to a close on an especially sweet note (madhurea sampayet), the messengers of Vaikuha reiterate the importance of nma-sakrtana. Seeing the Supreme Lord with ones own eyes is more desirable than merely seeing Him in meditation, and the best means of achieving direct vision of Him is to chant His holy names. The behavior of all kinds of devotees of the Lord gives ample evidence that in every situation sakrtana is appropriate. For example, as described in rmad-Bhgavatam (10.33.7), the gops of Vndvana chanted His names while dancing with
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Him in their rsa-ll: pda-nysair bhuja-vidhutibhi sa-smitair bhrvilsair bhajyan madhyai cala-kuca-paai kualair gaalolai svidyan-mukhya kavara-rasangranthaya kavadhvo gyantyas ta taita iva t megha-cakre vireju As the gops sang in praise of Ka, their feet danced, their hands gestured, and their eyebrows moved with playful smiles. With their braids and belts tied tight, their waists bending, their faces perspiring, the garments on their breasts moving this way and that, and their earrings swinging on their cheeks, Lord Kas young consorts shone like streaks of lightning in a mass of clouds. This is also described in r Viu Pura (5.13.52, 56): ka arac-candramasa kaumud-kumudkaram jagau gop-janas tv eka ka-nma puna puna Ka sang about the glories of the autumn moon, whose beams awaken the night-blooming lotuses. Meanwhile, the gops simply chanted Kas name over and over again. rsa-geya jagau ko yvat tryata-dhvani sdhu keti keti tvat t dvi-gua jagu Ka sang a rsa-ll song, His voice becoming louder and louder. In response, the gops sang twice as loud, Wonderful, O Ka! O Ka! The Tenth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam tells of several instances in which devotees chant Kas
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glories in His absence, as in the prayers sung by the gops before the rsa dance, and after Ka disappeared from the dance, and later during Uddhavas visit to Vndvana. TEXT 184

rman-nma prabhos tasya r-mrter apy ati-priyam jagad-dhita sukhopsya sa-rasa tat-sama na hi
rmat-nmathe holy name; prabhoof the Lord; tasyaHis; r-mrtethan the divine form; api even; ati-priyammore dear; jagatfor the whole world; hitambeneficial; sukhaeasily; upsyam worshipable; sa-rasamfull of rasa; tatto that; samamequal; nanothing; hiindeed. Dearer to the Lord than even His own beautiful form, His easily worshiped holy name benefits the entire world. Indeed, nothing is as full of nectar as the holy name of the Lord. Commentary: In conclusion, the Vaikuha-dtas say that they seize every opportunity to glorify rbhagavan-nma-sakrtana. Sakrtana is allattractive, full with all power, beauty, and opulence. It exerts its powerful influence over anyone who takes part in it, anywhere and anytime. The Lord of Vaikuha Himself is more attracted to His holy name than to His own supreme beauty. The Supreme Lord may indeed regard something as more dear than His own transcendental form. For example, in rmad-Bhgavatam (11.14.15) Ka told Uddhava: na tath me priya-tama tma-yonir na akara na ca sakarao na rr naivtm ca yath bhavn Neither Lord Brahm, Lord iva, Lord Sakaraa, the goddess of fortune nor indeed My own self is as
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dear to Me as you. The holy name of the Lord is incomparable; nothing else can equal or surpass it. The holy name is the Lords supreme blessing for the worlds welfare, benefiting everyoneproperly qualified or notwho serves it with any of the senses. It is easily worshiped, requiring only some movement of the tip of the tongue. And it is sa-rasa, full of rasa, a term that can be understood in several ways. Sa-rasa can mean very gentle, since the holy names consist of sweet-sounding syllables. It can also mean composed of pure spiritual substance, sac-cid-nanda. Or it can mean that the holy names are accompanied by all the various devotional relationships, the nine rasas, headed by rgra (mdhurya-rasa). In the pure chanting of the holy names, all these varieties of prema-rasa are manifest, in the moods of both separation (viraha) and meeting (saga). Rasa also means attraction to Ka (rga), which devotees performing sakrtana unavoidably experience as their ka-prema is rapidly evoked by the holy names. In other words, the Lords sakrtana inspires His servants and everyone else to become attracted to the Lord. Rasa also means special potency (vrya-viea); the chanting of the holy names is extremely powerful. And rasa can mean exceptional quality (gua-viea), indicating in the present context that nma-sakrtana has the power to deliver the most fallen persons in the world. Rasa also means exceptional happiness (sukha-viea); hari-nma is the most concentrated essence of happiness. And it also means exceptional sweetness (mdhuryaviea). Nma-sakrtana is often glorified for its sweetness, as in this famous verse from the Prabhsa-khaa of the Skanda Pura: madhura-madhuram etan magala magaln sakala-nigama-vall-sat-phala cit-svarpam sakd api parigta raddhay helay v bhgu-vara nara-mtra trayet ka-nma
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O best of the Bhgu dynasty, the holy name of Ka is the sweetest of the sweet, the most auspicious of the auspicious. This transcendental fruit of all the Vedas is purely spiritual. Whoever chants it but once, whether with faith or with contempt, is liberated. Even more meanings of the word rasa could be applied to interpreting this verse, but the above examples give at least some understanding of the greatness of sakrtana. TEXT 185

tan mnaya chivasyjm ito nisara satvaram ka-priya tam rmanmathur tv namma tm
tattherefore; mnayanrespecting; ivasyaof Lord iva; jmthe order; itafrom here; nisarago; satvaramquickly; ka-priya-tammmost dear to Ka; rmat-mathurmto divine Mathur; tvmto you; nammawe bow down; tmto that. Therefore, honoring the order of Lord iva, you should leave this place at once. Go to divine Mathur, the place most dear to Ka. O Mathur, we bow down to you! Commentary: Lord iva has already advised Gopakumra to leave Mahkla-pura and go to Mathur on the earth. Now the Vaikuha messengers encourage him to do this at once. The very reason they came down from Vaikuha was to make Gopa-kumra return to Bhauma-vndvana. In case Gopa-kumra, having traveled so far to reach the abode of liberation, questions why he should go back to where he started from, the Vaikuha-dtas assure him that r Mathur, Kas favorite place, will shower him with the fulfillment of all his ambitions without delay. TEXT 186

r-gopa-kumra uvca
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nipya ht-kara-rasyana tat pramoda-bhrea bhto namas tn ivau ca sadyo vraja-bhmim et tai prpito ha bata mugdha-buddhi
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; nipyadrinking; htfor the heart; karaand ear; rasa-ayanamtonic; tatthat; pramodaof delight; bhreawith an abundance; bhtafilled; naman offering obeisances; tnto them; ivauto Lord iva and his wife; caand; sadyaat once; vrajabhmimto the land of Vraja; etmthis; taiby them; prpitamade to reach; ahamI; bataoh; mugdhastunned; buddhimy intelligence. r Gopa-kumra said: Upon drinking this invigorating tonic for the ears and heart, I was filled with delight. I bowed down to the messengers from Vaikuha and to Lord iva and his wife, and by their grace I was swept at once to this Vrajabhmi. Oh, how my mind was stunned! Commentary: A moment before, Gopa-kumra had been offering prostrate obeisances, and now when he looked up he suddenly found himself in Vraja-bhmi. This left him bewildered. Thus ends the Third Chapter of Part Two of rla Santana Gosvms Bhad-bhgavatmta, entitled Bhajana: Worship.

4. Vaikuha: The Spiritual Kingdom

TEXT 1

ekkintra bhramat maysy

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bhme riya kutracid apy adm sampayat savasat vannta sarva vimohd iva vismta tat
ekkinalone; atrahere; bhramatwandering; may by me; asyof this; bhmeearth; riyamthe splendor; kutracit apianywhere; admnot seen; sampayatobserving; savasattaking up residence; vana-antain a forest; sarvamall; vimohtdue to delusion; ivaas if; vismtam forgotten; tatthat. I wandered alone, observing on the earth a splendor I had never seen anywhere. Taking up residence in a forest, as if in a daze I forgot everything from before. Commentary: This Fourth Chapter describes the transcendental reality of Vaikuha and the appearance and qualities of its inhabitants. The chapter glorifies the Deity forms of the Supreme Lord and extols the position of Ayodhy above Vaikuha, and of Dvrak above Ayodhy. The first part of the chapter shows that r Vrajabhmi in Mathur District is superior to every other place in the material universe and even to the abode of liberation. When Gopa-kumra returned to the earth where he was born, he could see with his own eyes the special beauty of Vndvana forest and the rest of Vraja-bhmi. Nowhere else inside or outside this universe had he seen such splendor. Taking up residence again in the various forests of Vraja, Gopa-kumra was so enchanted that he forgot everything the associates of Lord Nryaa had told him about how to attain the spiritual kingdom of Vaikuha. The very name of this district, Mathur, implies that it charms and agitatesliterally, churns (mathnti)the mind of everyone who goes there. TEXT 2

rman-madhu-pur krbhramaa-kramato gata

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tatra mthura-viprebhyo raua bhgavatdikam

rmat-madhu-purmto r Mathur; kr-bhramaa of playful wandering; kramatain the course; gatacome; tatrathere; mthuraof Mathur; viprebhyafrom the brhmaas; arauamI heard; bhgavata-dikamthe Bhgavatam and other scriptures. In the course of my playful wandering, I came to Mathur, r Madhupur. There I heard the Bhgavatam and other scriptures from the local brhmaas. Commentary: By the grace of the Lord of Mathur, Gopa-kumra obtained everything he desired. Following the regular parikrama path, he eventually arrived in Mathur City. Then the devoted and learned brhmaas of Mathur taught him the essence of the revealed scriptures, primarily as given in rmad-Bhgavatam and a few other texts that faithfully follow the Bhgavatam on the science of bhagavad-bhakti. TEXT 3

bhakti nava-vidh samyag jtveda vanam gata apaya sahasaivtra rmad-guru-vara nijam
bhaktimdevotional service; nava-vidhmninefold; samyakproperly; jtvunderstanding; idamthis; vanamto the forest; gatacome; apayamI saw; sahas evaat once; atrahere; rmat-gurudivine spiritual master; varambest; nijammy. After rightly understanding the meaning of devotional service in its nine forms, I came to this forest. And as soon as I arrived I met my divine spiritual master. Commentary: By hearing rmad-Bhgavatam from the qualified Mathur brhmaas, at last Gopa-kumra systematically learned the science of devotional
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service. He learned what is favorable and unfavorable to bhakti, or in other words what a devotee should accept and what he should reject. This knowledge of bhgavata-dharma enabled him to properly value the association of r Vndvanadhma and of that special resident of Vndvana his spiritual master. TEXT 4

prva-vad rjamno sau dv m praata mud sr-vda samligya sarva-jo kpayat-tarm

prva-vatas before; rjamnaappearing splendid; asauhe; dvseeing; mmme; praatamwho was offering obeisances; mudjoyfully; sa--vdam with blessings; samligyaembracing; sarva-ja all-knowing; akpayatshowed mercy; tarmextreme. He appeared splendid just as before. And when he saw me lying prostrate before him, he joyfully embraced me and offered his blessings. Thus my allknowing master showed me his extreme mercy. Commentary: In all the time that Gopa-kumra had been away on higher planets, his spiritual master had not changed, so it was easy for Gopa-kumra to accept that the spiritual master was both an incarnation of the Supreme Lord and a rasika expert in the unique mood of Vraja-bhmi. The spiritual master showed Gopa-kumra complete mercy by teaching him enough about devotional service to lead him through the entire process, up to the stage of full realization. Being omniscient, the spiritual master was competent to perform this service. TEXT 5

tasya prasdam sdya mah-gha-prakakam anvatiha yathdia bhakti-yogam anratam

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tasyahis; prasdamgrace; sdyareceiving; mah the greatest; ghasecrets; prakakamrevealing; anvatihamI followed; yathas; diam instructed; bhakti-yogamdevotional service; anratamwithout interruption. Receiving his grace, which revealed to me the most confidential secrets, I followed his instructions by practicing bhakti-yoga without interruption. Commentary: Devotional service is the highest form of yoga because it is the means for attaining the world of Vaikuha and, even more important, reestablishing ones own connection with the Personality of Godheads lotus feet. Gopa-kumra now endeavored with all sincerity to follow this process systematically, according to his gurus instructions. TEXTS 67

sajtencirt premaprea vivao bhavam na kartum aaka kicit para ta samakrtayam r-ka gopla hare mukunda govinda he nanda-kiora ka h r-yaod-tanaya prasda r-ballav-jvana rdhikea
sajtenaawakened; acirtquickly; prema-prea by the flood of love; vivaabeside myself; abhavamI became; nanot; kartumto do; aakamI was able; kicitanything; paramelse; tamHim; samakrtayamI glorified loudly; r-kar Ka; goplaO Gopla; hareHari; mukundaMukunda; govindaGovinda; heO; nanda-kioraNanda-kiora; kaKa; halas; r-yaod-tanayaO darling son of r Yaod; prasdaplease be satisfied; r-ballav-jvanaO life of the gops; rdhikaO Lord of Rdhik. Such a flood of pure love of God so quickly
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awakened within me that I lost control of myself. I was unable to do anything but chant the Lords glories: O r Ka, Gopla, Hari, Mukunda! Govinda! O Nanda-kiora! Ka! O darling son of r Yaod, please show me Your favor! O life of the divine cowherd girls, O Lord of Rdhik! Commentary: On this visit to Vraja-bhmi, Gopakumra quickly achieved the perfection of premabhakti. This prema so overwhelmed him that he was unable to do anything but sing the Lords glories; he could not even perform proper worship. To show his student how he was performing nma-sakrtana, Gopa-kumra here chants a few of the Supreme Lords favorite names. TEXT 8

eva sa-gna bahudhhvayas ta kaa prantyan kaam udruda ca unmatta-vat kmam itas tato ha bhrammi dehdikam asmaran svam
evamthus; sa-gnamwith singing; bahudhin various ways; hvayancalling out; tamto Him; kaamone moment; prantyandancing exuberantly; kaamone moment; udrudansobbing loudly; caand; unmatta-vatlike a madman; kmamas I want; ita tatahere and there; ahamI; bhrammiwandered; deha-dikambody and so on; asmarannot remembering; svammy. Thus I called out to Ka and sang His glories in various ways. At one moment I danced exuberantly, at another sobbed out loud. Like a madman I wandered here and there according to my whims, forgetting my own body and everything else. Commentary: Caught up in this state of pure love, Gopa-kumra completely disregarded external conditions. He wandered aimlessly like a madman, expressing his transcendental agitation by calling out such things as Where are You, where are You, O mighty-armed one? TEXT 9
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ekad ta nija-prantha payann ivgrata dhartu dhvan gato moha nyapata prema-vihvala
ekadone day; tamHim; nijaown; pra-ntham Lord of my life; payanseeing; ivaas if; agrata before me; dhartumto take hold; dhvanrunning; gata mohamfainting; nyapatamI fell to the ground; prema-vihvalaoverwhelmed by love. Once I thought I saw the Lord of my life standing before me, and I ran to take hold of Him. Overwhelmed by love, I fainted and fell to the ground. Commentary: The phrase prema-vihvala, overwhelmed by love, explains why Gopa-kumra was behaving so strangely. TEXTS 1011

tvat tai pradair etya vaikuha netum tmana ynam ropita sadyo vyutthyclaya dau sarvam anyda dv vismita svasthat gata prve paya pur ds tn evtma-priya-karn
tvatjust then; taiby those; pradai associates; etyacoming; vaikuhamto Vaikuha; netumto bring; tmaname; ynama vehicle; ropitataken aboard; sadyaat once; vyutthya raising; aclayamI moved; daumy eyes; sarvam all; anydamdifferent; dvseeing; vismita surprised; svasthatmwell-being; gataobtained; prveat my side; apayamI saw; purbefore; dseen; tnthem; evaindeed; tmaof me; priyam-karnbenefactors. At that moment the associates of the Lord arrived
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in an airplane to take me to Vaikuha. They at once put me on that plane and carried me away, and when I opened my eyes I saw that everything was different. Shocked, I returned to full consciousness and saw them beside me, the same benefactors I had met before. Commentary: Just as Gopa-kumras pure love reached its peak, the messengers of Vaikuha came to bring him to their Lords kingdom. They took Gopa-kumra unconscious onto their Vaikuha vehicle, and while in flight he woke up. Opening his eyes and looking around, he was astonished to find himself in unfamiliar surroundings. He was certainly no longer in Vraja-bhmi. The Vaikuha-dtas, Gopa-kumras instructors, had previously evoked in him the desire to see Vaikuha and had taught him the specific methods for approaching Vaikuha. Now, by carrying him there, they were personally awarding him the success of his endeavors. TEXT 12

mah-tejasvin tejo muato nupama varam vimna yogyam rhn anirpya su-rpa-vat
mah-tejasvinmof the most powerful luminaries; tejathe brilliance; muataeclipsing; anupamam unequalled; varamexcellent; vimnamon the airplane; yogyamsuitable; rhnriding; anirpyamincomparable; surpa-vatvery beautiful. The plane upon which they rode was wonderful, incomparable, indescribably beautiful, excelling in brilliance the most powerful luminaries. Commentary: The airplane from Vaikuha glowed more brilliantly than the sun. In the material world, airplanes (vimnas) also transport the demigods through outer space, but those material airplanes are nothing like the one Gopa-kumra and his escorts were riding. It was certainly yogya, a suitable conveyance for Gopa-kumra. Words could
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not describe how elegantly it was built, since it was manifested from the pure substance of the spiritual world. TEXT 13

sambhramt praamanta mm liyvsayan muhu aicchan sva-sada rpa dtu yukti-atena te

sambhramtreverently; praamantamwho was offering obeisances; mmme; liyaembracing; vsayanreassuring; muhurepeatedly; aicchan they wanted; sva-sadamsimilar to their own; rpama bodily form; dtumto give; yuktiof arguments; atenawith hundreds; tethey. As I reverently offered obeisances, those associates of the Lord embraced me and reassured me again and again. Putting forward hundreds of arguments, they wished to give me a bodily form like theirs. Commentary: The associates of Nryaa assured Gopa-kumra that he need not be so surprised and should not treat them with such reverence. They were his friends, they told him, and were now bringing him to Vaikuha. They furthermore tried to convince him to accept a Vaikuha body like theirs, with four arms. His human body, they argued, was not suitable for living in Vaikuha; it would not be adequate for fully enjoying Vaikuha life. TEXT 14

tad asv-ktya tu svya govardhana-bhuva vapu te prabhvatas tdggua-rpdy alambhayam

tatthat; asv-ktyarefusing; tubut; svyammy own; govardhana-bhuvanborn in Govardhana; vapu body; temtheir; prabhvataby the influence; tdksimilar; guaqualities; rpabeauty; diand
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so on; alambhayamI assumed. But I refused their offer, and instead, by their influence, my own body born in Govardhana assumed qualities and beauty like theirs. Commentary: Gopa-kumra did not want to accept srpya-mukti, the form of liberation in which ones body is virtually indistinguishable from that of Lord Nryaa. He was satisfied with the body of a resident of Govardhana. Nonetheless, his hosts blessed his body with qualities like theirs, making it eternal, purely spiritual, and effulgent. In addition, Gopa-kumra gained the mystic powers to do whatever he might want, powers that all residents of Vaikuha naturally possess. TEXT 15

paramnanda-yuktena durvitarkyea vartman jagad-vilakaenha vaikuha tai saha vrajan

parama-nandawith supreme bliss; yuktena endowed; durvitarkyeainconceivable; vartmanby the path; jagatfrom the entire world; vilakaena distinct; ahamI; vaikuhamto Vaikuha; tai sahain their company; vrajangoing. In their company I traveled along the path to Vaikuha, a path inconceivable, supremely blissful, and distinct from everything in this world. TEXTS 1617

teu lokev alokevvaraev api sarvata di-pte pi lajjeya pjye tad-adhikribhi loka-pldibhi cordhvamukhai sjali-mastakai vegd utkipyambhi
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pupa-ljdi-vibhi
teuamong those; lokeuworlds; alokeuand otherworldly regions; varaeushells of the universe; apiand; sarvataon all sides; diptedue to my glancing; apiindeed; lajj embarrassment; iyamthis; pjyeI was worshiped; tatthere; adhikribhipresiding; loka-plaby the rulers of the planets; dibhiand others; caalso; rdhvafacing upwards; mukhaiwhose faces; saajaliwith joined palms; mastakaion whose heads; vegtvigorously; utkipyambhibeing thrown upwards; pupaof flowers; ljaparched rice; di and so on; vibhiby showers. My eyes fell upon all those worlds, cosmic regions, and coverings of the universe I had visited before, and I felt ashamed. The residents and presiding rulers of those places were honoring me. Faces upraised, palms joined above their heads, they vigorously showered flowers, parched rice, and other auspicious offerings upwards toward me. Commentary: Gopa-kumra had previously traveled to the abode of liberation by passing through the sphere of the sun, but the path of the present journey to Vaikuha was even more exceptional. This was the path the pure devotees traverse when they leave this material world for the spiritual world. Unlike tiresome material roads, this path is supremely blissful, and it leads to the realm of Vaikuha, a realm superior even to the abode of liberation. The same worlds Gopa-kumra had previously reached with great labor within the fourteen planetary systems and beyond, he now easily passed through one after another. He passed the planets encircled by the Lokloka Mountain and entered the part of the universe where sunlight cannot reach. Then he went again through each of the eight covering shells of the universe. On his first trip to Mahkla-pura, the abode of liberation, Gopa-kumra had known well that the
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regions through which he was passing were all creations of material illusion. On the present journey, however, his realization was more advanced; he now understood that liberation itself is of little value, so he was ashamed even to look at the material attractions he had once found of interest. As he passed by all the planets, he had to tolerate the respectful greetings of Indra and the other rulers. TEXT 18

tai styamno jaya-abda-prvaka praamyamna ca pade pade calan tuccha puro mukti-pada ca locayan rdhva tata r-iva-lokam avrajam
taiby them; styamnabeing praised; jayaabda-prvakamwith the sound Jaya; praamyamnabeing offered obeisances; caand; pade padeat every step; calanmoving; tuccham insignificant; purabefore me; muktiof liberation; padamthe abode; caand; locayan seeing; rdhvamupward; tatafrom there; r-ivalokamto the abode of Lord iva; avrajamI traveled. Praised by cries of Victory! and offered obeisances at every step, I moved on, and before my eyes I saw the abode of liberation and how trifling it was. And traveling upward from there, I came to the world of Lord iva.TEXT 19

soma iva tatra mud praamya tendara-prema-sad-ukti-jlai nandito vkya-mano-durpamhtmya-mla tam ag vikuham
sa-umamalong with Um; ivamto Lord iva; tatrathere; mudjoyfully; praamyabowing down; tenaby him; darawith respect; premaand love; sat-uktiof gracious words; jlaiwith a flood; nanditamade to feel blissful; vkyaby words; manaand the mind; durpahardly approachable; mhtmyaof kinds of greatness; mlamwhose series;
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tamhim; agmI went; vikuhamto Vaikuha. There I bowed down to Lord iva and Um with great pleasure, and he made me feel blissful with a flood of gracious words, filled with love and respect. And then I went on, to that place whose garland of glories cannot be touched by words or by the mind Vaikuha. TEXT 20

pradair idam ukto ha tva tiheha kaa bahi vijpya prabhum asmbhi pur yvat pravekyase
pradaiby the associates; idamthis; ukta told; ahamI; tvamyou; tihaplease wait; iha here; kaamfor a moment; bahioutside; vijpya being informed; prabhumthe Lord; asmbhiby us; purmthe city; yvatuntil; pravekyaseyou will be brought inside. The associates of the Lord told me: You please wait here for a moment outside. We should take permission from our Lord before bringing you into His city. Commentary: The Vaikuha-dtas asked Gopa-kumra to stay behind in the gateway while they went inside Vaikuha to secure permission for his entrance. This is the standard etiquette for introducing someone to the supreme opulence of Vaikuha: specific permission should be obtained for him either from Lord Vaikuhantha directly or from a proper deputized authority. TEXT 21

atrdrutcaryasamudrormi-paramparm bhagavad-bhakti-dptbhy netrbhy gaaya sthira

atrahere; adanever seen; arutanever heard of; caryaof wonders; samudraof the ocean; rmi of waves; paramparmthe endless sequence;
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bhagavat-bhaktiwith devotion to the Supreme Lord; dptbhymwhich are illumined; netrbhymwith your two eyes; gaayaplease count; sthiracalm. Stay calm, and with your eyes illumined by devotion for the Lord count the waves of the vast ocean of wonders that flow here, each after the next, wonders you have never seen or heard of before. Commentary: Gopa-kumras escorts could see he was feeling distress from being kept apart from his Lord. So they gave him this lighthearted advice to console him and keep his mind calm and his eyes busy with the work of counting the wonders that would pass before him. From the many amazing things he would see during his short wait in the gopura of Vaikuha, he would learn something about the unique glories of Lord Vaikuha-ntha, and that would strengthen his eagerness to have the Lords darana. He would learn about the methods of worshiping the Supreme Lord in awe and reverence. And moreover the experience he would gain while waiting would teach him something about the many benefits of becoming a servant of Lord Nryaa. Thus his short time in the gateway would be productive. Gopa-kumras hosts were joking when they told him to count the wonderful things he would see, a task no easier than counting the waves in the ocean. How will my eyes have the power to do this? Gopa-kumra might ask. Anticipating this question, the Vaikuha messengers told him that his eyes would be illumined by bhagavad-bhakti. TEXT 22

r-gopa-kumra uvca teu cnta pravieu dvra-prnte bahi sthita apayam ekam ynta pravianta ca t purm
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; teuthey; caand; antainside; pravieuhaving entered; dvraof the entrance gate; prntein the
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pavilion; bahioutside; sthitastanding; apayam I saw; ekamone person; yntamcoming; praviantamentering; caand; tmthat; purmcity. r Gopa-kumra said: They outside in the pavilion of then beheld someone coming city. TEXT went in, and I stood the entrance gate. I and entering that great 23

brahma-ata-bhty-hyasad-ynrham adbhutai gtdibhir mudvia kntdyai sada prabho

brahmaof universes; atahundreds; bhtiwith the opulences; hyaendowed; sattranscendental; ynaon a vehicle; rhamriding; adbhutai wonderful; gta-dibhiby songs and so on; mud with delight; viamfilled; knta-dyaiin bodily luster and so on; sadamsimilar; prabho to the Lord. He rode on a transcendental vehicle endowed with the opulence of hundreds of universes. Music and other entertainment filled him with delight. He resembled the Supreme Lord in luster and beauty. Commentary: The person Gopa-kumra saw entering on a Vaikuha airplane was absorbed in ecstasy. He was surrounded by his own entourage like the Supreme Lord and by riches greater than hundreds of material universes, he was dressed and ornamented just like the Lord, and his companions were chanting his praises as if he were the Lord. TEXT 24

ta matv r-hari ntha phti muhur lapan naman karau pidhyha sajaynena vrita
tamhim; matvconsidering; r-harimr Hari; nthaO master; phiprotect; itithus; muhu repeatedly; lapancrying; namanbowing down;
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karauhis two ears; pidhyacovering; ahamI; sajaywith gestures; anenaby him; vrita stopped. I thought he was r Hari, and I cried out again and again, O Lord, protect me! and bowed down to him. But he covered both his ears and gestured for me to stop. Commentary: This returning resident of Vaikuha was shocked to hear himself addressed as the Lord of Vaikuha. Covering his ears with his hands and sticking out his tongue, he waved another hand at Gopa-kumra to stop him. TEXT 25

dso smi dsa-dso smty uktv tasmin gate ntaram anya ko py gato mumn mahyn vaibhavdibhi
dsaa servant; asmiI am; dsaof the servants; dsaa servant; asmiI am; itithus; uktvsaying; tasminthere; gategoing; antaraminside; anya another; ka apisomeone; gatacoming; amumt than the other; mahynmore splendid; vaibhavadibhiwith opulence and so on. I am a servant, he told me, a servant of the servants, and he moved on into the city. A short while later another person came by, splendid with even more power and opulence. TEXT 26

ta dv sarvathmasi jagad-am aha purm pravianta nijm etya gatv kutrpi llay
tamat him; dvlooking; sarvathin all regards; amasiI considered; jagat-amthe Lord of the universe; ahamI; purmabode; praviantam entering; nijmHis own; etyacoming; gatvhaving gone; kutra apisomewhere; llayas a pastime.

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I looked at him and thought, Surely this must be the Lord of the universe. He must have gone somewhere as a pastime, and now He is entering His own abode. Commentary: Gopa-kumra was awestruck and not thinking clearly. He should have known that because his escorts had gone inside to inform Lord Nryaa of his arrival, the Lord must be in Vaikuha, not returning from elsewhere. But perhaps Gopa-kumras escorts were simply unaware that the Lord had gone out on a short excursion. TEXT 27

sambhramai praamanta m prva-vat stuti-prvakam dv so pi tathaivoktv sa-sneha prviat purm

sambhramaiwith gestures of reverence; praamantamwho was bowing down; mmto me; prvavatas before; stuti-prvakamwith offering of prayers; dvseeing; sahe; apialso; tath evain the same way; uktvspeaking; sa-sneham affectionately; prviatentered; purmthe city. When the person saw me bowing down with gestures of reverence and offering him prayers, as I had honored the one before, he affectionately spoke to me the same way, and entered the city. Commentary: Even more convinced that this second person was the Supreme Lord, Gopa-kumra offered him prayers with all sincerity. But just as the other returning Vaikuha-vs had done, this one told Gopa-kumra, I am just a servant of the Lord, and hurried inside the city. TEXT 28

ke py ekao dvandvao nye yugapad bahuo pare prva-prvdhika-rk pravianti pur prabho
ke apisome; ekaaalone; dvandvaain pairs;
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anyeothers; yugapattogether; bahuain large groups; apareothers; prva-prvathan each previous one; adhikagreater; rkwhose splendor; praviantithey entered; purmthe city; prabhoof the Lord. Many others camesome alone, others in pairs, and yet others together in larger groupsand all of them, each more splendid than the last, entered the city of the Lord. TEXT 29

t ca payan purevha majjan sambhrama-sgare naman stuvan nivrye tai snigdha-vg-amtais tath
tnthem; caand; payanseeing; puras before; ivaas if; ahamI; majjandrowning; sambhramaof awe; sgarein an ocean; namanbowing down; stuvan offering prayers; nivryeI was stopped; taiby them; snigdha-vkof loving words; amtaiby the nectar; tathalso. Seeing them as they passed by, I was immersed, as before, in an ocean of awe. Again and again I bowed down and offered prayers, and each time again they stopped me with nectarean affectionate words. Commentary: These Vaikuha residents whom Gopakumra saw entering the gateway last were army commanders and other important authorities, returning late because they had been busy with various responsibilities outside. The residents who had first passed Gopa-kumra had been in a hurry, so intent on their business that their opulence had little chance to show. So the residents he now saw going by seemed more and more opulent, one after another. Gopa-kumra, submerged in an ocean of reverence, failed to reason that these different persons could not all be Lord Nryaa. Each of them was in fact supremely attractive, so even when Gopa-kumra finally realized that these were
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servants of God, not God Himself, they still impressed him as such great personages that he spontaneously wanted to worship them. TEXT 30

teu sva-sev-smagr ghtv ke pi km api dhvanti purata kecin matt bhakti-sudh-rasai

teuamong them; sva-sevfor their own service; smagrmitems; ghtvcarrying; ke apisome (devotees); km apisome (items); dhvantithey ran; purataforward; kecitsome; matt intoxicated; bhaktiof devotional service; sudhof the nectar; rasaiby the tastes. Some of them carried various items for performing their service, and others simply hurried foward, intoxicated by the tastes of the nectar of devotion. Commentary: Some of these servants of Lord Nryaa were carrying paraphernalia for His worshipcmara fans and other objectsapparently for their individual services. Others werent carrying anything, but were simply running in a frenzy of devotion, as if their only service was to be mad in love of God. In the following verses, Gopa-kumra elaborates on how these Vaikuha-vss were engaged in various kinds of service. TEXT 31

evam tmtma-sevsu vyagrnta-karaendriy vicitra-bhajannandavinoda-bhara-bhit

evamonly; tma-tmaeach in their own; sevsu services; vyagraabsorbed; anta-karaatheir mind; indriyand senses; vicitravarious; bhajanain worship; nandafrom the ecstasy; vinodaof pleasure; bharaby the great weight; bhit decorated.
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All had their minds and senses busily absorbed, each in his own service, and all were decorated with a myriad of pleasures from ecstatic worship of the Lord. TEXT 32

bha-bhaa-sarvg nija-prabhu-varocit praamanta stuvanta ca kurv citram hitam

bhaof their ornaments; bhaaornamenting; sarvaall; agtheir limbs; nijatheir own; prabhu-varafor the worshipable Lord; ucit suitable; praamantaoffering obeisances; stuvantareciting prayers; caand; kurv performing; citramvarious; hitamactivities. Offering obeisances, reciting prayers, and doing all sorts of wonderful things, those devotees, their every limb lending grace to their ornaments, looked fit to appear before their worshipable Lord. TEXT 33

vitanvato mah-llkautuka cakravarti-vat lakm-pater bhagavata carabja-didkava

vitanvataexpounding; mahgreat; llof the pastimes; kautukamthe wonder; cakravarti-vatlike a king; lakm-pateof the husband of the goddess of fortune; bhagavatathe Supreme Lord; caraaabjathe lotus feet; didkavaeager to see. They extolled the wonder of the great pastimes of the Lord, the husband of Lakm, as if His pastimes were those of some all-victorious king. And they were eager to see the Lords lotus feet. Commentary: Gopa-kumra was amazed at how these persons conducted themselves. They sang and danced without inhibition, expressing the glories of their victorious Lord. They told one another how their Lord favored His responsible servants by providing
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suitable homes and fine food and drink. Indeed, because Lord Nryaa is the husband of the goddess Lakm, it is only fitting that He display His sovereignty with such opulence, and that His servants share in it. TEXT 34

kecit sa-parivrs te kecic ca sa-paricchad kecid bahir-dhta-svyaparivra-paricchad

kecitsome; sa-parivrwith their families; te they; kecitsome; caand; sa-paricchadwith their paraphernalia; kecitsome; bahioutside; dhta leaving; svyatheir; parivrafamilies; paricchadand paraphernalia. Some were with their families, some with an array of things, and others had left their families and things outside. Commentary: Some Vaikuha-vss were entering the Lords kingdom with their children, wives, and servants. Some rode in their own vehicles and carried their own umbrellas, cmaras, and weapons. Others chose to keep their families and baggage outside the gate of Vaikuha. TEXT 35

svasminn eva vilpyaike ktsna parikara nijam akican ivaikkitay dhyna-rasplut

svasminin themselves; evaindeed; vilpya absorbing; ekesome; ktsnamall; parikaram paraphernalia; nijamown; akicanpersons with no possessions; ivaas if; ekkitayalone; dhynaof meditation; rasain the moods; plutimmersed. Some had absorbed all that they had into themselves, and like beggars without possessions they came alone, immersed in the moods of devotional meditation.
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Commentary: The Vaikuha devotees who preferred a more meditative mood of service hid, within their own transcendental bodies, the families and property Lord Nryaa had awarded them. So the devotees arriving in Vaikuha were full in all powers and showed the full range of devotional variegatedness in their pastimes of worshiping the Supreme Lord in perfect ecstasy. TEXT 36

kecid vicitra-rpi dhtv dhtv muhur muhu vicitra-bhakravihrhy mano-har

kecitsome; vicitravarious; rpiforms; dhtvassuming; dhtvassuming; muhu muhuagain and again; vicitravarious; bhaawith ornaments; krabodily configurations; vihraand ways of playing; hyadorned; mana-harvery attractive. Some assumed different forms at different times, with all kinds of ornaments, bodily features, and ways of acting, all exceedingly attractive. Commentary: The Vaikuha devotees not only acted in many different ways but also assumed many differing forms, including even those of animals, birds, and trees. Some devotees would show one form for some time and then change into another. TEXT 37

kecin nar vnar ca dev daitys tatharaya pare varramcradk-lakaa-dhria

kecitsome; narhumans; vnarmonkeys; ca and; devdemigods; daitydemons; tathalso; ayasages; pareothers; vara-ramaof the social and spiritual orders of society; crainto the activities; dkof initiation; lakaathe signs; dhriawearing.
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Some appeared as humans, some as monkeys, demigods, demons, or sages. And some bore the signs of persons initiated into the behavior of the varrama system. Commentary: The residents of Vaikuha are in fact purely transcendental persons. The substance of their bodies is unalloyed sac-cid-nanda, so these residents never belong to the human or any other material species, nor to the limited designations of varas and ramas. Still, for the Supreme Lords pleasure they may assume or relinquish any form at any time. Some of them, therefore, appeared before Gopa-kumra like members of Vedic society, wearing the signs of particular ramas and varas. Some wore sacred threads like initiated brhmaas, indicating that they chanted mantras for worshiping the Lord, and they carried kua grass and kamaalus in their hands, wore tulas-mls on their necks, and had tilaka on their foreheads. TEXT 38

indra-candrdi-sads tri-netr catur-nan catur-bhuj sahasrsy kecid aa-bhujs tath

indrato Indra; candraCandra; diand so on; sadsimilar; tri-netrhaving three eyes; catu-nanhaving four faces; catu-bhujhaving four arms; sahasra-syhaving a thousand faces; kecitsome; aa-bhujhaving eight arms; tath also. Some looked like Indra, Candra, or other demigods. Some had three eyes, or four heads, or four arms, or eightor a thousand faces. Commentary: Some of the Vaikuha residents looked like the king of heaven, Indra, with a thousand eyes on their bodies and thunderbolt weapons in their hands. Others appeared like the gods of the moon, sun, fire, and wind. These demigods headed by Indra are not actually incarnations of the Supreme
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Lord like iva and Brahm, who are especially empowered gua-avatras. If required for service to Lord Nryaa, the Vaikuha-vss can assume the exact forms of ordinary demigods; but empowered incarnations and direct expansions of Nryaa, such as Ananta ea, the Vaikuha-vss can only emulate, to the extent of copying certain of their bodily features. TEXT 39

etat-parama-vaicitrhetu vakymi te grata ka-bhakti-rassvdavat ki syn na sundaram

etatof this; paramagreat; vaicitr variegatedness; hetumthe reason; vakymiI shall say; teto you; agratalater; ka-bhaktiof devotion to Lord Ka; rasathe taste; svdavatmfor those who relish; kimwhat; sytis; na not; sundarambeautiful. Later I shall explain to you the reason for this extreme variety of appearances. For those who enjoy the moods of devotion to Ka, is there anything not beautiful? Commentary: In Vaikuha the liberation of srpya, having a form similar to that of the Supreme Lord, is available to everyone. We may reasonably expect, therefore, that all the Vaikuha residents should have four arms and look like Lord Nryaa. Why then did some of them look like humans, monkeys, and all sorts of other forms of life? Gopa-kumra later heard from Nrada Muni the definitive philosophical explanation for this variety, and in the course of the present narration Gopa-kumra will relate that to his own student. But even granting that there is a reason for varieties of bodies in Vaikuha, why should Lord Nryaas devotees assume ugly bodies like those of monkeys? In response it may be said that we know from common worldly experience that anyone who has intense
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attraction to something cannot help but see that thing as beautiful, no matter what it is. This is also true on the spiritual level, otherwise why would the Supreme Lord and His devotees be so attracted to persons like Hanumn and Jmbavn? TEXTS 4041

sarva-prapacttn te vaikuha-vsinm tasya vaikuha-lokasya tasya tan-nyakasya ca tni mhtmya-jtni prapacntar-gatai kila dntair nopayujyante na akyante ca bhitum
sarvaeverything; prapacamaterial; attnmwho transcend; temof those; vaikuha-vsinm residents of Vaikuha; tasyaof that; vaikuhalokasyaVaikuha-loka; tasyaof Him; tatof that world; nyakasyathe master; caand; tnithose; mhtmya-jtnimany kinds of glories; prapacathe material creation; anta-gataiby those who are located; kilaindeed; dntaiby analogies; na upayujyanteis not appropriate; na akyanteis not possible; caand; bhitumto say. The residents of Vaikuha transcend everything material. For persons within the material creation, the manifold glories of those residents and the glories of the Vaikuha world and its master are beyond analogy and beyond the power of words to describe. Commentary: Normally the varieties of life forms in any realm indicate a vast hierarchy of relative superiority and inferiority, as Gopa-kumra saw among the residents of heaven. Such a hierarchy might seem out of place in Vaikuha, where everyone should be equal on the platform of saccid-nanda. Gopa-kumra wants to explain carefully
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to his student the real situation but is afraid of committing offenses by applying material examples to the transcendental reality of Vaikuha. Therefore he first gives a disclaimer: Comparisons to things of the known world may help neophytes begin to understand the spiritual world but can never do full justice to that higher reality. Since the categories of spiritual existence are totally different from those of the material world, spiritually immature intelligence has no power to comprehend them directly. TEXTS 4243

tathpi bhavato brahman prapacntar-gatasya hi prapaca-parivrntardi-garbhita-cetasa tad-dntkulenaiva tat tat syd bodhita sukham tathety ucyeta yat kicit tad ga kamat hari
tath apinonetheless; bhavataof your good self; brahmanO brhmaa; prapaca-antainto the material creation; gatasyawho have come; hi indeed; prapacamaterial; parivrathe environment; antawithin; diby the vision; garbhitaconfined; cetasawhose intelligence; tat of that (material environment); dntaby examples; kulenaagitated; evaonly; tat tatthe various facts; sytmay be; bodhitamunderstood; sukhameasily; tathso; itithus; ucyetamay be said; yatwhat; kicitsomething; tatthat; ga offense; kamatmmay He forgive; hariLord Hari. Nonetheless, my dear brhmaa, you are a resident of the material world, and your intelligence is confined because all you can see is what is material. So I say It is like this so that by material examples you might understand various
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things more easily. May Lord Hari forgive this offense. Commentary: An attempt to describe spiritual existence in material terms is, strictly speaking, inappropriate and impossible, yet if a conditioned soul can be even a little attracted by words evoking some of the glories of Vaikuha, and if he can be encouraged to take up the task of spiritual development, the impossible can indeed become possible. Any honest attempt to enlighten the conditioned soul with Vaikuha consciousness is worthwhile and praiseworthy. Even though our thinking may now be covered by concepts of matter and conditioned life, pure Vaiavas can guide us gradually to transcendental understanding. We know from ordinary experience what a king is, so if we can further appreciate the Personality of Godhead as the supreme king, we have begun to understand His glories. TEXT 44

tatratyn ca sarve te smya parasparam tratamya ca lakyeta na virodhas tathpi ca

tatratynmof the residents of that place; ca and; sarvemall; temof them; smyamequality; parasparammutual; tratamyama hierarchy; caand; lakyetathere seems to be; nano; virodha contradiction; tath apinonetheless; caand. Though there seem to be hierarchies in Vaikuha, its residents all enjoy equality among themselves. In this there is no contradiction. Commentary: The residents of Vaikuha are equal because all of them can do anything they want. That some of them appear greater than others is not contradictory, because all these devotees show their natural opulence and power in different degrees by their own free choice. TEXT 45
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na mtsarydayo do santi kasypi teu hi gu svbhvik bhnti nity saty sahasraa

nano; mtsarya-dayaenvy and so on; do faults; santiare; kasya apiof anyone; teuamong them; hicertainly; guqualities; svbhvik innate; bhntishine; nityconstant; satygood; sahasraaby the thousands. Absent among them are faults like envy. And their innate good qualities shine forth forever by the thousands. Commentary: The superficial appearance of superior and inferior classes among the residents of Vaikuha cannot cause dissatisfaction there, because the Vaikuha-vss are all faultless. They are never affected by jealousy, the inability to tolerate the superiority of others. They never quarrel and never disrespect anyone. Rather, they are eternally full in all good qualities, including friendship, humility, and respect. Material qualities may also be considered eternal in the sense that material nature herself is eternal, but the qualities of the residents of Vaikuha are not only eternal (nity) but also real (saty); they are not products of My. The qualities of the Vaikuha-vss are svbhvik, the natural, spontaneous expressions of spiritual personality. As Lord Brahm describes in the Third Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (3.15.1819): prvatnyabhta-srasa-cakravkadtyha-hasa-uka-tittiri-barhi ya kolhalo viramate cira-mtram uccair bhgdhipe hari-kathm iva gyamne When the king of bees hums in a high pitch, singing the glories of the Lord, there is a temporary lull in the noise of the pigeon and the
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cuckoo, the crane and the cakravka, the swan, the parrot, the partridge, and the peacock. Such transcendental birds stop their own singing simply to hear the glories of the Lord. mandra-kunda-kurabotpala-campakrapunnga-nga-bakulmbuja-prijt gandhe rcite tulasikbharaena tasy yasmis tapa sumanaso bahu mnayanti Although flowering plants like the mandra, kunda, kurabaka, and utpala, the campaka, ara, and punnga, the ngakeara, bakula, lily, and prijta are full of transcendental fragrance, they are still conscious of the austerities performed by tulas, for tulas is given special preference by the Lord, who garlands Himself with tulas leaves. Gopa-kumras further description of his own experience of Vaikuha will establish that the pigeons and other creatures mentioned by Brahm are all personal associates of Lord Nryaa. TEXT 46

prapacntar-gat bhogapar viayio yath bahir-dy tathekyante te hi muktrcitghraya

prapacathe material realm; anta-gatwho entered; bhogato sense gratification; par dedicated; viayiamaterialists; yathlike; bahiexternal; dyfrom a viewpoint; tathso; kyanteare seen; tethey; hiin fact; muktaby liberated souls; arcitaworshiped; aghrayawhose feet. Superficially those residents of Vaikuha may appear like sense enjoyers of the material realm, but in fact their feet are worshiped by liberated souls. Commentary: Because the devotees of Vaikuha enjoy their senses in wonderful ways, living a life full
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of song and dance, one might judge them to be no better than the selfish materialists of the world of My. The truth is, however, that the feet of the Vaikuha-vss are worshiped by elevated souls who have transcended the limits of matter, given up the attractions of sense pleasure, and dedicated themselves fully to the service of the Supreme Lord. There is no valid reason to suspect that the devotees of Vaikuha are ever addicted to the paltry enjoyment provided by material senses. In rmad-Bhgavatam (3.15.17, 20), Lord Brahm also points this out in his description of Vaikuha: vaimnik sa-lalan caritni avad gyanti yatra amala-kapani bhartu antar-jale nuvikasan-madhu-mdhavn gandhena khaita-dhiyo py anila kipanta In the Vaikuha planets the inhabitants fly in their airplanes, accompanied by their wives , and eternally sing of the character and activities of the Lord, which are always devoid of all inauspicious qualities. While singing the glories of the Lord, they deride even the presence in the water of blossoming mdhav flowers, which are fragrant and laden with honey. In other words, even while enjoying wonderfully, the devotees in Vaikuha are always absorbed in the ecstasy of worshiping the Personality of Godhead. The mdhav flower blooms during the spring, when the attraction of sense pleasures reaches a peak. Yet even though such attractions may stimulate the senses of the devotees, this does not at all distract them from their devotional service. yat sakula hari-padnati-mtra-dair vaidrya-mrakata-hema-mayair vimnai ye bhat-kai-ta smita-obhi-mukhya ktman na raja dadhur utsmaydyai Vaikuha is full of devotees who seem never to do
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anything but bow down at the feet of Lord Hari. Although while traveling in their airplanes made of lapis lazuli, emerald, and gold they are crowded by their consorts, who have large hips and beautiful smiling faces, those Vaikuha residents cannot be stimulated to passion by such mirth and beautiful charms. Karms, jns, and yogs cannot hope to obtain anything for sense gratification like what the devotees of Vaikuha enjoy. All this enjoyment, however, never degrades the Vaikuha devotees from the mode of pure goodness, because they are perfectly fixed in the loving service of Lord Nryaa. TEXT 47

te nirvikrat-prntasm prpt ca tanvate vikrl llay citrn prabhu-llnusria

tethey; nirvikratof changelessness; prntasmmthe extreme limit; prpthaving attained; caand; tanvatedisplay; vikrntransformations; llayplayfully; citrnvariegated; prabhuof the Supreme Lord; llthe pastimes; anusriain accordance with. Those devotees have attained the absolute limit of changelessness, yet they playfully show all kinds of transformations while taking part in their Lords pastimes. Commentary: In both types of the Supreme Lords pastimesthose predominated by the mood of opulence and those predominated by sweetnessthe devotees who take part pretend to undergo transformations just to create the varieties that give the Lord pleasure. In Vaikuha there are no forces of nature to impel anyone to do anything he doesnt want to. The only force impelling the devotees is pure love, which makes them act exclusively for the pleasure of Lord Nryaa. TEXT 48
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atas te nyonyam ekatva gat api pthag-vidh tat sthna sa vimnaughas tatratya sarvam dam
atathus; tethey; anyonyamwith one other; ekatvamequality; gatachieving; apialthough; pthak-vidhof various types; tatthat; sthnam place; sathat; vimna-oghaprofusion of airplanes; tatratyamlocated there; sarvam everything; damlike this. Thus, although equals, they manifest individual variety. In that place everything is so, including the profusion of airplanes. Commentary: Because the Personality of Godhead wants to enjoy varied pastimes, His devotees, who are all essentially equal on the platform of pure spiritual existence, assume different forms and positions in His service. Even the apparently inanimate things of Vaikuha are of the same transcendental nature. Thus the airplanes, trees, houses, and so on are all perfect living beings, qualitatively one with the Supreme Lord and with all other living persons, and they appear in whatever forms the Lord requires for His pleasure. TEXT 49

kadcit svara-ratndimaya tat tat pratyate kadcic ca ghan-bhtacandra-jyotsneva kakkha

kadcitsometimes; svaragold; ratnajewels; diand so on; mayamfull of; tat tatthe various aspects; pratyateappear; kadcitsometimes; ca and; ghan-bhtadensely concentrated; candrajyotsnmoonlight; ivaas if; kakkhalike chalk. Sometimes that place appears full of riches like gold and jewels, and sometimes its atmosphere appears chalk-white, like a thick condensation of moonlight.
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Commentary: Gold, jewels, and moonlight are among the greatest fascinations in the material world. Yet they only dimly reflect the infinitely varied attractions of the Vaikuha atmosphere. TEXT 50

kathacit tat-prabhvea vijta syn na cnyath grahtu kila tad-rpa manaspi na akyate
kathacitsomehow; tatof that place; prabhvea by the influence; vijtamunderstood; sytcan be; nanot; caand; anyathotherwise; grahtumto grasp; kilaindeed; tatof that; rpamthe form; manasby the mind; apieven; na akyateit is not possible. Vaikuha may be somehow understood only by its own spiritual influence, and not otherwise. Indeed, even the mind cannot grasp its form. Commentary: One can understand the Lord of Vaikuha and know the various locations of His pastimes only when He reveals Himself by His special potencies such as kruya (mercy). Devotees favored by the Lord can use their spiritual intelligence to infer something about the nature of Vaikuha by comparison with things they have seen, touched, and otherwise encountered in the material world. And devotees fully purified can perceive Vaikuha directly. The external mind and senses, however, can never discern the spiritual existence. One therefore has no right to speak as an authority on that existence unless one has been granted insight by the Lords mercy potency. TEXT 51

na kacit prabhaved boddhu samyak svnubhava vin etan-mtra hi akyeta nirpayitum ajas
na kacitno one; prabhavetis able; boddhumto
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understand; samyakproperly; sva-anubhavampersonal experience; vinwithout; etat-mtramonly this much; hiindeed; akyetait is possible; nirpayitumto describe; ajasaccurately. Except by direct experience, no one can rightly understand Vaikuha. No more than this can I accurately describe. Commentary: A conditioned soul may discover the transcendental world of Vaikuha, but only if he sees that higher reality for himself. By hearing from someone who has seen Vaikuha one may gain only a glimmer of understanding. Nonetheless, when a devotee aspiring for the Lords service hears the pure instructions of his self-realized spiritual master and faithfully practices the disciplines such a guru recommends, the devotee gradually becomes pure in heart. And when his faith sufficiently matures, he can see the spiritual world. Only by that direct perception does knowledge become perfect. Casual hearing, even from those who have seen the truth, is not enough. One must become a disciple of such an authority and accept the disciplines that lead to selfrealization. TEXT 52

teu vai dyamneu tad brahmnubhave sukham gacchat su-tucchat sadyo hriyeva viramet svayam
teuwhen these; vaiindeed; dyamneuare seen; tatthat; brahma-anubhavein experiencing Brahman; sukhamhappiness; gacchatbecoming; sutucchatminsignificant; sadyaat once; hriyout of embarrassment; ivaas if; virametit disappears; svayamon its own. When one sees those splendors of Vaikuha, the happiness realized in Brahman at once seems empty, and as if from sheer embarrassment, on its own it
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disappears. Commentary: the glories prospect of attraction. dawn.

After a purified Vaiava has realized of Vaikuha and its inhabitants, the impersonal realization loses all It simply disappears, like the stars at TEXTS 5354

svrm pra-km ye sarvpek-vivarjit jta prpta nija ktsna tyaktv vaiava-sagata srsra-vicrpty bhakti-mrga vianti yat tad-dhetus tatra ytennubhto drhyato may
sva-rmself-satisfied; prafull; kmin all desires; yewho; sarvaall; apekfrom concerns; vivarjitfree; jtamknown; prptam obtained; nijamtheir own; ktsnamall; tyaktv having abandoned; vaiavawith devotees of the Supreme Lord; sagataby association; sraof the essential; asraand the nonessential; vicra discrimination; ptyby developing; bhakti-mrgam the path of devotional service; viantithey enter; yatwhich; tatof that; hetuthe reason; tatra there; ytenawho went; anubhtaexperienced; drhyatadefinitively; mayby me. Those who are self-satisfied, fulfilled in all desires, and free from all material concerns, who have renounced everything they know and possess, who have associated with Vaiavas and have thus acquired the power to discern between the essential and the nonessentialit is they who enter the path of devotional service. When I went to Vaikuha, that is what I vividly saw. Commentary: Even though Gopa-kumras student has been told that only direct perception can give him
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true understanding of the nature of Vaikuha, he may still be anxious to have some other means to gain the special faith that the discipline of bhakti-yoga demands. Anticipating this anxiety, Gopa-kumra here describes the logic by which one can know theoretically the superexcellent happiness of Vaikuha. Advanced mystics who have realized the Supreme Truth in its impersonal aspect sometimes abandon the happiness of Brahman for the opportunity to realize Vaikuha. They leave aside both their knowledge and their perfectly developed realization to enter the path of devotional service. Once they experience the bliss of Vaikuha life, they condemn what they formerly considered happiness in impersonal realization. This is evidence of the wonder of Vaikuha. TEXT 55

gacchad-gacchato ha tn payann idam acintayam d sevak yasya sa prabhur nma kda

gacchatwho were going; gacchataand coming; ahamI; tnthem; payanwatching; idamthis; acintayamI thought; dsuch; sevakservants; yasyawhose; sathat; prabhuLord; nmaindeed; kdalike what. As I watched those persons come and go, I thought, What kind of Lord must it be who has such servants! Commentary: After seeing such beautiful and opulent servants of Lord Nryaa come and go through the gateway of Vaikuha, Gopa-kumra could not help but imagine how beautiful and opulent must be Lord Nryaa Himself. Certainly a proper master should be superior in all respects to his servants. TEXTS 5657

ittha hara-prakareottihann upavian bham gopure vartamno ha

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tair javenaitya pradai anta praveyamno yat davn adbhutdbhutam vaktu tad dvi-parrdhena sahasrsyo pi na kama
itthamin this way; haraof happiness; prakareadue to the excess; uttihanstanding up; upavianand sitting down; bhamexcitedly; gopurein the gateway; vartamnapresent; ahamI; taithose; javenaquickly; etyacoming; pradai by the associates; antainside; praveyamnamade to enter; yatwhat; davnI saw; adbhutathan what is wonderful; adbhutammore wonderful; vaktum to describe; tatthat; dvi-parrdhenain a lifetime of Brahm; sahasra-syathousand-headed Ananta ea; apieven; nanot; kamacapable. Thus I thrilled with delight as I waited in the gateway to Vaikuha. I excitedly stood up and sat down, stood up and sat down, till the associates of the Lord returned, rushing back, and escorted me inside. The amazing things I then saw, more wonderful than wonderful, even the thousand-headed Ananta ea would be unable to describe, even in a lifetime of Brahm. Commentary: The escorts who had gone inside the city to announce Gopa-kumras arrival now came running back, because their Lord did not want him to have to wait outside any longer. As soon as Gopa-kumra entered the actual realm of Vaikuha, he saw more wonders than he could ever describe to a conditioned soul. His student would have to be satisfied with a brief outline of this experience. TEXT 58

dvre dvre dvra-pls td eva m gatam praveayanti vijpya vijpyeva nijdhipam

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dvre dvreat each gate; dvra-plthe doorkeepers; tdsimilar; evaindeed; mmme; gatamarrived; praveayantiallowed to enter; vijpya vijpyaafter announcing, one after another; ivaindeed; nijato their own; adhipam superior. I arrived at several more gates, one after another, and at each I was met by similar doorkeepers, who allowed me to enter only after announcing my arrival to their immediate superiors. TEXTS 5960

prati-dvrntare gatv gatv tat-pratihribhi praamyamno yo yo hi tat-pradedhikravn dyate sa sa manyeta jagad-o may kila prva-vat sambhramvet namyate styate muhu
prati-dvraeach gateway; antarewithin; gatv gatvgoing one after another; tatof that (gate); pratihribhiby the guards; praamyamnabeing bowed down; ya yawho in each case; hiindeed; tatof that; pradealocality; adhikra-vnthe authority; dyatewas seen; sa saeach of them; manyetawas considered; jagat-athe Lord of the universe; mayby me; kilaindeed; prva-vatas before; sambhramaby reverence; vetbecause of being overwhelmed; namyatewas paid obeisances to; styateand offered prayers; muhurepeatedly. As I entered each gate, I saw the guards offer obeisances to the local superintendent, so I assumed that he was the Lord of the universe. Overwhelmed with reverence just as before, I repeatedly bowed down and recited prayers. Commentary: Gopa-kumra was so eager to see the

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Lord that he mistook the Lords glorious devotees for the Lord Himself. As Gopa-kumra passed through each gateway with his escorts, they were met by the local manager, whose relatively greater opulence astonished him. He was becoming more and more eager to see Lord Nryaa. TEXT 61

atha tai pradai snigdhair asdhraa-lakaam prabhor vijpito ha ca ikita stavandikam

athathen; taiby those; pradaiassociates of the Lord; snigdhaicompassionate; asdhraa unique; lakaamthe signs; prabhoof the Supreme Lord; vijpitainformed; ahamI; caand; ikitataught; stavana-dikamhow to recite prayers and so on. Finally the Supreme Lords compassionate men who were guiding me told me the special signs by which to recognize the Lord. They also taught me what prayers to recite and what etiquette to observe. Commentary: Gopa-kumras escorts informed him of the unique visible signs of Lord Nryaa, like the rvatsa mark on His chest. Apart from these few special features, the Lord in Vaikuha is indistinguishable from His devotees who show the perfection of srpya. Out of genuine sympathy for Gopa-kumra, his guides taught him how to behave in front of Lord Nryaafirst to bow down and then stand some distance aside, palms joined, look down at the Lords lotus feet, refrain from moving or displaying bodily transformations, and so on. TEXTS 6263

mah-mah-citra-vicitra-gehadvra-praden atigamya vegt rman-mahalla-pravarasya madhye prsda-vargai parievitghrim

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prsdam eka vividhair mahattprair viia para-sma-ytai prpto ham ditya-sudhu-koiknti mano-locana-vtti-coram
mahvery; mahvery; citrawonderful; vicitra various; gehawith residences; dvraand gates; pradendistricts; atigamyapassing; vegt rapidly; rmatbeautiful; mahallaof a neighborhood; pravarasyaexcellent; madhyein the middle; prsda-vargaiby many palaces; parievitaserved; aghrimwhose feet; prsdam palace; ekamone; vividhaiof various kinds; mahattof greatness; praiwith floods; viiam distinguished; para-smato the extreme limit; ytaigone; prptareaching; ahamI; dityaof suns; sudh-auand moons; koimillions; kntim with the luster; manaof the mind; locanaand eye; vttiof the activity; corama thief. I passed rapidly through many districts, wonderfully splendid, with all kinds of houses and gates, and then I entered the most excellent transcendental neighborhood. There I came to one palace at whose feet many others stood in attendance, a palace distinct, overflowing in greatness, where excellence seemed to reach its highest limit. Radiant like millions of suns and moons, it captured my mind and my eyes. Commentary: Smaller palaces on all sides faced that grand one, like servants surrounding their master. That palace, diverse in effulgence like millions of suns and moons, lured Gopa-kumras eyes and mind into captivity, enslaving their functions in reverence to the Lords opulence. TEXTS 6465

tad-antare ratna-varval-lasatsuvara-sihsana-rja-mrdhani sujta-kntmala-hasa-tlikopari prasannka-candra-sundaram

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mdpadhna nija-vma-kakakaphoinkramya sukhopaviam vaikuha-ntha bhagavantam rd apayam agre nava-yauvaneam

tatthat; antareinside; ratna-varaof the best of jewels; valwith strings; lasatglowing; suvaragolden; siha-sanaof thrones; rjathe king; mrdhaniupon; sujtafine; kntaattractive; amalaspotless; hasalike a swan; tlikaa pillow; upariabove; prasannasatisfied; akaplump; candralike the moon; sundarambeautiful; mdu soft; upadhnama pillow; nijaHis; vmaleft; kakawith the armpit; kaphoinand elbow; kramyacrossing; sukhacomfortably; upaviam seated; vaikuha-nthamthe master of Vaikuha; bhagavantamthe Supreme Lord; rtfrom a distance; apayamI saw; agrein front; navanew; yauvanaof youth; amthe presiding Lord. Within that palace I saw before me at a distance the Personality of Godhead, Lord of Vaikuha. He sat at leisure on the best of royal thrones, a golden throne shimmering with the glow of many jewels. The cushion on which He sat was of swanwhite cotton, fine, attractive, spotlessly clean, and the soft, handsome bolster on which He leaned His left elbow and upper arm appeared like the full moon cleansed of its spots. He was the presiding Lord of blossoming youth. Commentary: Since the entrance hall of Lord Nryaas palace stretched a long way, Gopakumras first glimpse of the Lord was from a distance. But there the Lord was, sitting happily right in front of him, on a throne with cushions white as a full moon washed of its spots. Although He is the original person, He seemed ageless, as if in the prime of youth. He displays His opulences however He chooses and so forever displays a youthful beauty that is among the most attractive of His opulences.
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TEXT 66

saundarya-mdhurya-mayga-knty ntnmbuda-r-haray sphuranty ratncita-svara-vibhita-sragvastrnulepdi vibhayantam

saundaryabeauty; mdhuryaand sweetness; maya full of; agaof His limbs; kntyby the effulgence; ntnanew; ambudaof rain clouds; r the splendor; haraywhich robs; sphuranty glowing; ratnawith jewels; citabedecked; svara gold; vibhitadecorated with; srakHis garlands; vastraclothes; anulepacosmetics; diand so on; vibhayantamdecorating. The brilliant effulgence of His sweet, attractive limbs defeated the splendor of new rain clouds. That effulgence lent further grace to His garlands, cosmetics, and garments, already graced by jewelry made of gold bedecked with gems. Commentary: Every part of Lord Nryaas body was beautifully formed, with youthful charm that enamored whoever saw Him. On His head, neck, arms, chest, and ankles He wore golden, gem-bedecked jewelry, which enhanced the beauty of His vaijayant flower garland, His yellow dress, and His sandalwood paste and other cosmetics. TEXT 67

kakagada-vibhayatasthla-vtta-vilasac-catur-bhujam pta-paa-vasana-dvaycita cru-kuala-kapola-maalam

kakaaof His bangles; agadaand armlets; vibhaawhich were the ornaments; yatalong; sthlaand stout; vttarounded; vilasatshining; catu-bhujamfour arms; ptayellow; paasilk; vasanaof garments; dvayawith a pair; acitam wrapped; crubeautiful; kualawith earrings; kapolacheeks; maalamround. His four shining arms, long and well built,
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enhanced the beauty of His bangles and armlets. Two yellow silk garments dressed His body, and charming earrings set off His rounded cheeks. Commentary: Lord Nryaas arms appear like the shining bodies of celestial serpents. His dhot and upper cloth are yellow like the rays of the sun. TEXT 68

kaustubhbharaa-pna-vakasa kambu-kaha-dhta-mauktikvalim sasmitmta-mukhendum adbhutaprekaollasita-locanmbujam

kaustubha-bharaathe Kaustubha jewel; pna broad; vakasamon whose chest; kamburesembling a conchshell; kahaon whose neck; dhtaworn; mauktika-valima string of pearls; sa-smita smiling; amtanectarean; mukhawhose face; indum moonlike; adbhutasurprising; prekaawith glances; ullasitasporting; locanawhose eyes; ambujamlike lotuses. On His broad chest was the Kaustubha jewel, on His conch-shell neck a string of pearls, and on His moonlike face a nectarean smile. His lotus eyes were alive with playful glances. Commentary: The moon is famous as the source of the heavenly soma nectar, the rare sacrificial offering enjoyed by a few select demigods like Indra. Lord Nryaas face is another moon and also full of nectar. The charming gestures of His lotus eyes are beyond compare. TEXT 69

kp-bharodyad-vara-cilli-nartana sva-vma-prve sthitaytma-yogyay nivedyamna ramay sa-vibhrama praghya tmblam adantam uttamam
kpof His mercy; bharaby the burden; udyat rising; varabeautiful; cilliof whose eyebrows; nartanamdancing; svaof Him; vmaleft; prveon the side; sthitaywho stood; tmafor Him;
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yogyaysuitable; nivedyamnambeing offered; ramayby the goddess of fortune; sa-vibhramamwith reverence; praghyaaccepting; tmblambetel nut; adantameating; uttamamexcellent. The great compassion He felt made His beautiful eyebrows dance. Ram, His ideally matching consort, standing by His left side, reverently offered Him excellent pn to chew, which He accepted. Commentary: The goddess of fortune would personally prepare Lord Nryaas betel nut and offer it to Him with her own hand. Pleased with her service and the excellent quality of the pn, Lord Nryaa would gracefully accept it with the tips of His right thumb and first finger, place it in His mouth, and chew it contentedly. The goddess of fortune r Ram is the suitable consort for Lord Nryaa because she is the best of all women. She equals Him in beauty and other good qualities. We should understand that the Lords other consort, Bhmi, was also serving Him, from His right side. TEXT 70

tad-rga-kntdhara-bimba-kntisambhinna-kundmala-danta-paktyo dpti-prakojjvala-hsa-rsa narmokti-bhag-hta-bhakta-cittam

tatof that (betel nut); rgawith the color; kntaattractive; adharaof whose lips; bimbalike bimba fruits; kntiby the luster; sambhinna reflected upon; kundalike kunda flowers; amala spotless; dantaof the teeth; paktyoof the two rows; dptiof the effulgence; prakaby the illumination; ujjvalashining; hsawhose smile; rsamplayful; narma-uktiby His amusing words; bhagand gestures; htastolen away; bhaktaof His devotees; cittamthe hearts. The color of that pn made His bimba-fruit lips even more attractive, and their luster reflected on His teeth, two rows of spotless kunda flowers.
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Illumined by the glow of those flowers, His playful smile shone splendidly. His amusing words and gestures stole away the hearts of His devotees. Commentary: The bimba is a bright-red fruit whose brilliant color resembles that of the Supreme Lords lips. The kunda flower is a small pure-white jasmine. TEXT 71

kare patad-grha-bht dharay kaka-bhagy muhur arcyamnam sudarandyair vara-mrtimadbhi ira-stha-cihnai parievyamam
karein her hand; patatfalling; grhafor catching; bhtwho held; dharayby the goddess Dhara; ka-akaof sidelong glances; bhagy with gestures; muhuconstantly; arcyamnambeing worshiped; sudarana-dyaiby the Sudarana disc and others; varaexcellent; mrti-madbhiin personified forms; iraon their heads; stha situated; cihnaiwith signs; parievyamambeing served. The goddess Dhara, in her hand a vessel to catch the remnants of betel nut, constantly worshiped the Lord with messages in sidelong glances. And the Lords excellent weapons like Sudarana served Him in beautiful personified forms, their identities marked by symbols on their heads. Commentary: Dhara, or Bhmi, is the second goddess of fortune, whose expansion is the presiding deity of the earth. While Ram served Lord Nryaa His pn, Dhara stood by to receive the remnants He would spit into a vessel meant for that purpose. TEXT 72

cmara-vyajana-pdukdikar-paricchada-gaollasat-karai sevakai sva-sadair avasthitair vta paricaradbhir dart

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cmarayak-tail; vyajanafans; pdukaslippers; dikaand so on; rtranscendental; paricchadaof paraphernalia for worship; gaawith groups; ullasatbeautified; karaiwhose hands; sevakaiby servants; sva-sadaisimilar to Him; avasthitai standing; vtamsurrounded; paricaradbhiwho were rendering personal services; dartreverently. Servants stood about Him, surrounding Him and worshiping Him with great respect, their appearance like His, their hands beautified by transcendental items for His service, like slippers and yak-tail fans. TEXT 73

bhakty natai ea-supara-vivaksendibhi prada-varga-mukhyai ktvjali mrdhny avatihamnair agre vicitroktibhir yamnam
bhaktywith devotion; nataibowed down; eaby ea; suparaGarua; vivaksenaVivaksena; dibhiand others; pradaof associates; varga groups; mukhyaichief; ktvmaking; ajalim joined palms; mrdhnion their heads; avatihamnaistanding; agrein front; vicitra colorful; uktibhiwith words; yamnambeing praised. ea, Garua, Vivaksena, and the other leaders of His many groups of attendants bowed down before Him with devotion, stood before Him with palms joined above their heads, and praised Him in wonderful poetic language. Commentary: Along with ea, Garua, and Vivaksena, other main servants of Nryaa were present, such as Nanda and Sunanda, Jaya and Vijaya, and Bala and Prabala. All of them together, ea and the others, are called the gadhyakas, or leaders of the various groups of the Lords servants. The Eighth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (8.21.1617) confirms:
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nanda sunando tha jayo vijaya prabalo bala kumuda kumudka ca vivaksena patattrir jayanta rutadeva ca pupadanto tha stvata Nanda and Sunanda, Jaya and Vijaya, Bala and Prabala, Kumuda and Kumudka are all associates of Lord Viu, and so also are Vivaksena, Patattrir [Garua], Jayanta, rutadeva, Pupadanta, and Stvata. TEXT 74

r-nradasydbhuta-ntya-vgtdi-bhag-maya-cturbhi tbhy priybhy kamal-dharbhy srdha kadcid vihasantam uccai

r-nradasyaof r Nrada; adbhutawonderful; ntyaof the dancing; vplaying of the v; gtasinging; diand so on; bhag-maya entertaining; cturbhiby the cleverness; tbhymwith the two; priybhymbeloved consorts; kamal-dharbhymKamal and Dhar; srdham together; kadcitsometimes; vihasantamlaughing; uccailoudly. r Nradas dancing and his expert singing and v playing created such clever entertainment that the Lord and His two consorts, Ram and Dhara, sometimes laughed out loud. Commentary: Lakm, or Ram, is also called Kamal, and Dhara is also called Dhar. TEXT 75

sva-bhakta-vargasya tad-eka-cetasa kadcid nanda-viea-vddhaye prasrya pdmbuja-yugmam tmana samarpaenaiva lasantam adbhutam
svaHis; bhakta-vargasyaof the many devotees;

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tatfixed on Him; ekaonly; cetasawhose hearts; kadcitsometimes; nandaof ecstasy; viea special; vddhayefor increasing; prasrya extending; pda-ambujaof lotus feet; yugmamthe pair; tmanaof Himself; samarpaenaas an offering; evaindeed; lasantamappearing splendid; adbhutamwonderful. To add to the special ecstasy of His devotees, whose hearts are fixed only on Him, from time to time the Lord extended both His lotus feet as a way of offering Himself. In this way He exhibited His splendor. Commentary: In this verse the word tmana (of Himself) can indicate either that He offered His devotees His feet or that He offered Himself. Of course, the Lord cannot literally give His feet away, but His feet are the property of the Vaiavas. This is described by Lord Brahm in the Third Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (3.8.26): pus sva-kmya vivikta-mrgair abhyarcat kma-dughghri-padmam pradarayanta kpay nakhendumaykha-bhinnguli-cru-patram The Lord showed His lotus feet by raising them. His lotus feet are the source of all awards achieved by devotional service free from material contamination. Such awards are for those who worship Him in pure devotion. The splendor of the transcendental rays from His moonlike toenails and fingernails appeared like the petals of a flower. For those who worship the Lords lotus feet with the desire to obtain them as their own possession, and who follow the methods of pure devotional service, beginning with hearing and chanting, the Lord kindly reveals His feet by raising them slightly. He takes the trouble to do this because He cannot help but think of how to benefit His devotees.
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TEXT 76

tad-darannanda-bharea te vismtya ik bata pradnm gopla he jvitam ity abhka kroann adhva parirambhaya
tatthat; daranafrom seeing; nandaof bliss; bhareaby the weight; temof them; vismtya forgetting; ikmthe instructions; bataoh; pradnmthe Lords associates; goplaGopla; heO; jvitamlife; itithus; abhkamrepeatedly; kroanshouting; adhvamI ran; parirambhayato embrace. The fullness of the ecstasy this sight brought on made me forget what the attendants of the Lord had instructed me. I cried out again and again, O Gopla, my life and soul! and I ran forward to embrace the Lord. Commentary: Having chanted the ten-syllable mantra of Lord Gopla for so long, Gopa-kumra was used to worshiping the Lord with natural spontaneity, and now he impulsively expressed his love in a way unusual for Vaikuha. Forgetful of all ideas of awe and reverence, he ran forward with open arms to embrace his Lord. TEXT 77

phe sthitair vija-varair dhtas tair dno mah-kku-kula prakurvan premtirekea vinirjito ha samprpya moha nyapata tad-agre
pheat His side; sthitaiwho were standing; vijaof wise persons; varaiby the best; dhta held back; taiby them; dnamorose; mahgreat; kkuof cries of distress; kulama series; prakurvanmaking; premaof love; atirekeaby an excess; vinirjitadefeated; ahamI; samprpya mohambecoming unconscious; nyapatamI fell; tatof Him; agrein front. Some discerning attendants who were standing at the
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Lords side held me back, and I was heartbroken. I cried out in helpless distress again and again, overcome by my own excessive love, and fell unconscious in front of the Lord. TEXT 78

utthpya tair eva balc cirea saj prato ru-nipta-vighnam sammrjanenbhibhavan karbhy netre prayatnd udamlaya dve
utthpyabeing raised; taiby them; evaindeed; baltwith effort; cireaafter some time; sajm to consciousness; pratabrought back; aruof tears; niptaof the falling; vighnamthe obstruction; sammrjanenaby wiping off; abhibhavansubduing; karbhymwith my two hands; netremy eyes; prayatntwith difficulty; udamlayamI opened; dvetwo. With some effort, those attendants lifted me up, and after some time I regained my consciousness. I wiped away with my hands the flood of tears that blocked my sight, and with difficulty I finally opened my eyes. TEXT 79

tvad daylu-pravarea tena snehena gambhra-mdu-svarea svastho bhavgaccha javena vatsetydy ucyamna rutavn vaco ham
tvatjust then; dayluof merciful persons; pravareaby the greatest; tenaHim; snehena affectionately; gambhradeep; mduand gentle; svareawith a voice; svastharestored to a good condition; bhavaplease be; gacchacome here; javenaquickly; vatsadear boy; iti-dilike this and so on; ucyamnambeing spoken; rutavnheard; vacathe words; ahamI. Then I heard the Lord, that best of merciful persons, tell me in a deep, gentle voice, Please come back to your senses. Dear boy, come here
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quickly! Commentary: From the moment Gopa-kumra fell unconscious Lord Nryaa had been calling to him, but Gopa-kumra was able to hear Him only after regaining consciousness. The Lord also told him, Please give up this reverence for Me. Lets talk together as friends. TEXT 80

harasya kh param tato gato ntyan mahonmda-ghta-van muhu bhrayann ambhi parama-praysata samprpita sthairyam atha prabodhita
harasyaof joy; khmthe limit; paramm highest; tatathen; gataobtaining; ntyan dancing; maha-unmdaby great insanity; ghta-vat as if seized; muhurepeatedly; bhrayanstumbling; ambhiby them; paramasupreme; praysatawith endeavor; samprpitaattained; sthairyama sober condition; athathen; prabodhitaawakened. I then felt the highest limit of joy. I danced all around as if seized by madness, and stumbled about. But with great endeavor the Lords servants calmed me down, and at last I awakened from that trance. Commentary: Hearing those words from Lord Nryaa drove Gopa-kumra apparently insane. In truth, however, this insanity was the perfection of clear consciousness, in which the one who suffers feels the ultimate extreme of happiness. TEXT 81

r-bhagavn uvca svgata svgata vatsa diy diy bhavn may sagato tra tvad-ky ciram utkahitena hi
r-bhagavn uvcathe Supreme Personality of Godhead said; su-gatam su-gatamwelcome, welcome; vatsadear son; diy diyby good fortune, by good fortune; bhavnyour good self; mayby Me;
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sagatamet; atrahere; tvatyou; kymto see; ciramfor a long time; utkahitenawho was anxious; hicertainly. The Supreme Lord said: Welcome, welcome, my dear boy! I am fortunatemost fortunateto meet you here. For so long I have been eager to see you! Commentary: Hoping to calm Gopa-kumra, the most compassionate Lord greeted him as a welcome guest. The Lord stated honestly that He had been waiting a long time for Gopa-kumra to come to Vaikuha. TEXT 82

bahni gamitny aga janmni bhavat sakhe kathacid api mayy bhimukhya kicid akri na
bahnimany; gamitnipassed; agadear one; janmnibirths; bhavatby you; sakheO friend; kathacit apisomehow; mayby Me; bhimukhyam turning the face toward; kicitany; akriwas done; nanot. My dear friend, you have passed many lifetimes without paying any attention to Me at all. TEXT 83

asminn asminn ihehaiva bhave bhv mad-unmukha ity ay tavtyanta nartito smi sadja-vat
asminin this one; asminin this one; ihain this; ihain this; evajust; bhavebirth; bhvhe will be; matMe; unmukhawith face turned towards; iti-aywith this hope; tavayour; atyantam completely; nartitamade to dance; asmiI have been; sadalways; aja-vatlike a fool. For so long, hope had me dancing like a fool, thinking, Perhaps in this lifetime, or this, or this, or this, he will finally turn his face towards Me.
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Commentary: Even though Gopa-kumra had forgotten his Lord for many lifetimes, the Lord had never forgotten him. The Lord wanted Gopa-kumra to know this, and also to know how eager the Lord had always been to regain the association of His devotee. TEXT 84

chala ca na labhe kicid yendya pariplayan nibandha sva-kta bhrtar naymy tmana padam
chalampretext; caand; na labheI did not find; kicitany; yenaby which; dyamoriginal; pariplayanobserving; nibandhamthe restriction; svaby Myself; ktamcreated; bhrtaO brother; naymiI could bring; tmanaMy; padamto the abode. But I could find no pretext on which to bring you to My abode, dear brother, and still follow the timeless laws that I Myself have created. Commentary: Since the Supreme Lord is all-powerful, why didnt He simply find a way to bring Gopakumra to Him sooner? The Lord establishes the laws of the universe, which are enunciated in the Vedas and other scriptures, and He chooses to adhere to His own restrictions. As long as living entities want to control and enjoy their own world, He does not interfere. Only when they show, by calling out His names, that they want to return to Him does He again reveal Himself. In previous lives, Gopakumra had never chanted the names of Lord Nryaa, even unintentionally or in jest. Had he at least vibrated a shadow of the Lords name, he could have been delivered, like Ajmila. In any case, now Gopa-kumra is finally returning home. TEXT 85

tat te mayy akp vkya vyagro nugraha-ktara andi setum ullaghya

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tvaj-janmedam akrayam
tatthat; teyour; mayion Me; akpmlack of mercy; vkyaconsidering; vyagraimpatient; anugrahato receive mercy; ktaraanxious; andim beginningless; setumthe code of behavior; ullaghyatransgressing; tvatyour; janmabirth; idamthis; akrayamI caused. You showed Me no mercy, and as I considered this I grew impatient, full of anxiety to receive your favor. So I transgressed My eternal code of conduct and arranged for you to take your current birth. TEXT 86

rmad-govardhane tasmin nija-priyatamspade svayam evbhava tta jayantkhya sa te guru

rmatdivine; govardhanein Govardhana; tasmin that; nijaMy; priya-tamamost beloved; spade abode; svayamMyself; evaindeed; abhavamI became; ttadear boy; jayanta-khyanamed Jayanta; sa he; teyour; guruspiritual master. Dear boy, in that divine district of Govardhana, My most beloved abode, I Myself became your guru, known by the name Jayanta. Commentary: The Lord does not interfere with the independence of the rebellious jvas. He mostly leaves the responsibility for reforming them to the Vedas and Vaiavas. But ultimately it is His mercy that saves the conditioned souls. The Supreme Lord interfered with Gopa-kumras karma by making Gopakumra take birth at Govardhana Hill. In the words of Lord Brahm, ye sa ea bhagavn dayayed ananta sarvtmanrita-pado yadi nirvyalkam te dustarm atitaranti ca deva-my nai mamham iti dh va-gla-bhakye

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Anyone specifically favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead due to unalloyed surrender unto His service can overcome the insurmountable ocean of illusion and understand Him. But those who are attached to the body, which is meant to be eaten at the end by dogs and jackals, cannot do so. (rmad-Bhgavatam 2.7.42) Only when the Personality of Godhead r Ka grants His unconditional kindness can one take wholehearted refuge of the Lords lotus feet and cross beyond the ocean of illusion, otherwise impossible to cross. In this verse from the Second Canto, the verb atitaranti (they cross beyond) is followed by the word ca (and), which implies that besides liberation the surrendered devotees of the Lord also achieve r Vaikuha, an attainment that makes liberation seem unimportant. Thus, Vaikuha can be attained by those whose self-identification resides not in the material body, fated to be eaten by dogs and jackals, but in the company of the Supreme Lords dedicated servants. TEXT 87

kma drgha-tama me dya cirt tva samapraya svasya me pi sukha puann atraiva nivasa sthira
kmamthe desire; drgha-tamamlong-held; meMy; adyatoday; cirtafter a long time; tvamyou; samaprayahave fulfilled; svasyayour own; meMy; apialso; sukhamhappiness; puannourishing; atrahere; evaonly; nivasaplease reside; sthira permanently. Today you have at last fulfilled the desire I have harbored for so long. Please nourish your happiness and Mine by staying here forever. Commentary: Here the Lord says in all humility, What good have I ever done for you? But you have done the greatest good for Me by coming here. The Lord hopes that Gopa-kumra will forget the
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discontentment that has impelled him to wander from one place to another and will instead choose to remain in Vaikuha. TEXT 88

r-gopa-kumra uvca etac-chr-bhagavad-vkyamah-pya-pnata matto ha naka stotu kartu jtu ca kicana

r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; etatthese; r-bhagavatof the Supreme Lord; vkyaof the words; mah-pyathe very intoxicating beverage; pnataby drinking; matta maddened; ahamI; na aakamwas not able; stotumto offer praise; kartumto do; jtumto understand; caand; kicanaanything. r Gopa-kumra said: Maddened by drinking the beverage of the Supreme Lords words, so intoxicating, I was unable to offer Him praise, or to understand or do anything. TEXT 89

agre sthit tasya tu veu-vdak goprbha-ve katicin may sam vsya vivsya ca veu-vdane prvartayan snigdha-tar vikya mm
agrein front; sthitsituated; tasyaof Him; tuand; veu-vdakflute players; gopa-arbhaof cowherd boys; vewith dress; katicita few; may samtogether with me; vsyaencouraging; vivsyagaining the trust; caand; veuof flutes; vdanein the playing; prvartayanmaking begin; snigdha-tarvery affectionately; vikyapulling; mmme. Just in front of us appeared a number of flute players dressed as cowherds like me. They very affectionately encouraged me, gained my trust, pulled me into their midst, and urged me to play my flute.
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TEXT 90

et sva-va bahudh nindayan govardhandri-prabhav mah-priym r-mdhava ta samatoaya mahvaidagdhya-sindhu sa-gaa kp-nidhim
etmthis; svamy; vamflute; bahudhin various ways; nindayanplaying; govardhana-adrion Govardhana Hill; prabhavmborn; mah-priymvery dear; r-mdhavamr Mdhava; tamHim; samatoayamI satisfied; mahgreat; vaidagdhyaof skillfulness; sindhumthe ocean; sa-gaamalong with His associates; kpof mercy; nidhimthe reservoir. In various styles I played this very dear flute of mine, born on Govardhana Hill, and in this way I satisfied the ocean of all skillful arts, the reservoir of all mercy, r Mdhava, along with His associates. Commentary: Gopa-kumra refers to this flute because he is holding it in his hand even while instructing his student in Bhauma Vndvana. This implies that his flute, born a bamboo on Govardhana Hill, is imperishable. Because the flute came from Govardhana, Gopa-kumras home, it is very dear to him. His playing pleased the Supreme Lord, and as indicated by the name r Mdhava (the husband of the goddess of fortune), when the Lord was pleased mother Lakm was also pleased. Though Lord Nryaa is full in knowledge of all fine arts, including flute playing, He is also the reservoir of all mercy, so rather than proudly refuse to be entertained just because He is God, He kindly showed satisfaction with Gopa-kumras performance. TEXT 91

yath-kla tata sarve nisaranto mah-riya jay nirgamnicchu yukty m bahir nayan
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yath-klamat the appropriate time; tatathen; sarveall; nisarantaexiting; mah-riyaof the supreme goddess of fortune; jayon the request; nirgamato leave; anicchumnot wanting; yuktyby persuasion; mmme; bahioutside; nayanthey led. When the time came to stop, everyone, on the request of Lakmdev, started to leave, but I didnt want to go. The devotees had to persuade me to let them escort me outside. Commentary: r Lakmdev told the devotees to leave because it was time for Lord Nryaas lunch and for other important business. Only she remains with the Lord during His meals. Like every housewife, Lakm manages the household affairs. And Lakm displays her supreme opulences to provide the enjoyable comforts of Vaikuha life for the pleasure of her husband. TEXT 92

tatrparasyeva mah-vibhtr upasthits t parihtya dre svaya satr tmani cprakya goprbha-rpo nyavasa pureva
tatrathere; aparasya ivaas for another; mahvibhttranscendental opulences; upasthitwhich approached; tthem; parihtyakeeping away; dre far; svayamthemselves; satappearing; tmaniin me; caand; aprakyanot exhibiting; gopa-arbhaof a cowherd boy; rpain the form; nyavasamI resided; purbefore; ivaas. Though in Vaikuha I was approached, like everyone else, by transcendental opulences, I avoided them. I refused to show even the splendors that spontaneously appeared within me. I resided there in the same form I had always had, that of a cowherd boy. Commentary: Simply because he was living in Vaikuha, special powers appeared within him. But he avoided exploiting them or even letting others
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see them. TEXT 93

sac-cid-nanda-rps t sarvs tatra vibhtaya svdhn hi yath-kma bhaveyu samprakit

sat-cit-nandaof eternity, knowledge, and bliss; rpwhose forms; tthey; sarvall; tatra there; vibhtayaopulences; sva-adhnunder ones control; hiindeed; yath-kmamas one desires; bhaveyuthey become present; samprakitappearing. In Vaikuha all opulences are purely spiritual, full in eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Appearing whenever one desires, they willingly submit themselves to ones control. Commentary: The infinite varieties of the spiritual kingdom all share a common grounding in sac-cidnanda existence. But since the expression of opulence there depends on the desires of the individual residents, one encounters immeasurable variety. Personal powers there are purely spiritual, so the residents use them faultlessly, without the selfish manipulations employed to enjoy ones senses in the material world. TEXT 94

ittha tu vaibhavbhve vaibhava vaibhave pi ca akicanatva ghaate vaikuhe tat-svabhvata

itthamthus; tubut; vaibhavaof opulence; abhvein the absence; vaibhavamopulence; vaibhavein opulence; api caalso; akicanatvamthe quality of possessing nothing; ghaateoccurs; vaikuhein Vaikuha; tatof that place; svabhvataby the special nature. Thus there is opulence even in what seems like its absence. And when opulence is visible, the devotees
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still feel as if they possess nothing. That is the special nature of Vaikuha. Commentary: Every Vaikuha-vs has access to personal control over infinite energies, whether he chooses to display them or not. Yet even when devotees in Vaikuha use their ability to manifest wonderful things, they still feel meek and humble because they are just sparks of the Supreme, from whom the sac-cid-nanda opulences of Vaikuha all expand. The devotees in Vaikuha are free from the tendency to exploit other people and things for their own selfish interests. This is the nature of Vaikuhait is free from the constraints (kuha) of material bondage. As already stated, in that divine realm the all-pervasive spiritual nature coexists with the infinite variety of ways to serve the Personality of Godhead. TEXT 95

tathpi prvbhysasya balena mahat prabho bhajana khalu manye ha dna-vtty sad sukham
tath apiin any case; prvaprevious; abhysasyaof the practice; balenaby the influence; mahatstrong; prabhoof the Lord; bhajanamthe worship; khaluindeed; manye considered; ahamI; dnaas an insignificant person; vttybehaving; sadalways; sukham happily. In any case, by the strong influence of my previous practice I continued to pay serious attention to my worship of the Supreme Lord and always happily behaved like an insignificant person. Commentary: Although Gopa-kumra could have felt proud to know himself equal in quality with Lord Nryaa, he preferred to retain the genuine advantage of remaining humble. He was convinced that his only real happiness lay in satisfying the Lord. From the beginning of his devotional
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practice, he had always been unpretentious. Now even among the devotees of Vaikuha he had a special destiny, and so he had to follow his nature. TEXT 96

tad hdda parinicita may dhruva svakykhila-janma-karmam phalasya labhyasya kildhun par sm sampt bhagavat-kp-bhart
tadthen; hdiin my heart; idamthis; parinicitamconcluded; mayby me; dhruvam certainly; svakyamy; akhilaall; janmaof births; karmamand activities; phalasyaof the fruit; labhyasyaobtainable; kilaindeed; adhunnow; par smthe ultimate limit; samptachieved; bhagavatof the Supreme Lord; kp-bhartby the great mercy. In my heart I then concluded that by the great mercy of the Lord I had now surely gained the ultimate fruit to be acquired from all my prior births and endeavors. Commentary: Having described something of what had happened to him and what he had done in Vaikuha, Gopa-kumra now hints at what had been going on in his mind. He had been thinking that he had attained the complete perfection of his life. TEXT 97

aho sukha kdg ida durham aho pada kdg ida mahiham aho mahcarya-tara prabhu ca kdk tathcarya-tar kpsya
ahooh; sukhamhappiness; kdkwhat kind; idam this; durhamunimaginable; ahooh; padamabode; kdkwhat kind; idamthis; mahihamexalted; aho oh; mahgreat; carya-tarawonderful; prabhu master; caand; kdkwhat kind; tathand; carya-tarmost wonderful; kpmercy; asyaHis. Oh, what unimaginable happiness! What an exalted
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abode! What a wonderful master! And how greatly wonderful His mercy! Commentary: Gopa-kumra uses the word idam (this) to express that he perceived these wonders directly. But he does little more than show his astonishmentahobecause these glories of Vaikuha cannot be compared with anything else. To persons who have yet to see them, very little can be said. These glories cannot even be imagined, so they surely cannot be described. TEXT 98

atha prabho cmara-vjantmik sampa-sev kpaydhilambhita nij ca va raayan sampnava tad-kananda-bhara nirantaram
athathen; prabhoof the Lord; cmarawith a yak-tail fan; vjanafanning; tmikmcomprising; sampain close proximity; sevmthe service; kpayby His kindness; adhilambhitaI obtained; nijmmy own; caand; vamflute; raayan playing; sampnavamI experienced; tatHim; kaa of seeing; nanda-bharamthe intense bliss; nirantaramconstantly. After some time, by the Lords kindness, I obtained the intimate personal service of fanning Him with a cmara, and I constantly felt the bliss of seeing the Lord as I played for Him on my flute. Commentary: At first Gopa-kumra could see Lord Nryaa only in brief audiences. After this initial training, however, he was allowed a regular service at the Lords side. He earned this privilege not by his own qualifications but by the Lords causeless mercy (kpay). In addition, by virtue of being a naturally expert flute player, Gopa-kumra had the rare privilege of entertaining Lord Nryaa. TEXT 99

prvbhysa-vaennukrtaymi kadpy aham

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bahudhoccair aye ka gopleti muhur muhu

prvaprevious; abhysaof practice; vaenaby the habit; anukrtaymiwould chant; kad api sometimes; ahamI; bahudhin various ways; uccai loudly; aye ka goplaO Ka, Gopla; itithus; muhu muhuagain and again. By the habit of my past practice, over and again I would sometimes loudly chant in various ways, O Ka! Gopla! Commentary: These two names of the LordKa and Goplawere so dear to Gopa-kumra that he found innumerable ways to chant them. And so as he enjoyed life in Vaikuha he was also being prepared to move on to his higher destination. The seed of discontent with living in Vaikuha was beginning to take root in his heart. TEXT 100

gokulcarita csya mah-mhtmya-darakam parama-stotra-rpea skd gymi sarvad

gokulain Gokula; caritamactivities; caand; asyaHis; mah-mhtmyathe greatest glories; darakamrevealing; paramaexcellent; stotraof prayers; rpeain the form; sktopenly; gymi I sang; sarvadalways. I always sang openly, in excellent prayers, of His activities in Gokula, which reveal His greatest glories. Commentary: Gokula is Vraja-bhmi, the land of Mathur. With the all-attractive performance of sakrtana, Gopa-kumra described for Lord Nryaa the Lords own childhood pastimes in Gokula. TEXT 101

tatratyair bahir gatya tair hasadbhir aha muhu

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snehrdra-hdayair ukta ikayadbhir iva sphuam

tatratyaiby the residents of the place; bahi outside; gatyacoming; taiby them; hasadbhiwho were laughing; ahamI; muhuoften; snehaby affection; rdramelting; hdayaiwith hearts; uktatold; ikayadbhiwho were giving instruction; ivaas if; sphuamopenly. The residents of that place, laughing with hearts melted by affection, often came to me when I was outside the Lords presence and spoke to me in no uncertain terms, like teachers instructing a student. TEXT 102

r-vaikuha-vsina cu maiva sambodhayeea m ca sakrtayes tath upalokaya mhtmyam ananta tv adbhutdbhutam

r-vaikuha-vsina cuthe residents of r Vaikuha said; mdo not; evamthus; sambodhaya address; a-amthe Lord of lords; mnor; ca and; sakrtayeshould you sing His praises; tathso; upalokayaplease sing with standard prayers; mhtmyamHis glories; anantamunlimited; tubut; adbhuta-adbhutammost amazing. The residents of r Vaikuha said: You should not address the Lord of lords like this! And dont sing His praises that way. Just recite the standard prayers about His unlimited, most amazing glories. Commentary: The Vaikuha devotees disliked hearing Lord Nryaa addressed in such familiar ways as My dear Ka! and Hey Gopla! In fact, they disapproved of addressing Him by name at all. They felt uncomfortable hearing songs that focused on the Lords childhood pastimes in Gokula. They wanted to hear the Lord glorified in the Vaikuha style.
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TEXT 103

sahryaiva dun in planya ca kasa vacayatnena gopatva myay ktam

sahryafor annihilating; evaindeed; dunm of the wicked; inmof civilized persons; planyafor protecting; caand; kasamKasa; vacayatwho was cheating; anenaby Him; gopatvam the condition of being a cowherd boy; myayby His illusory energy; ktamcreated. To annihilate the wicked and protect the civilized, and to cheat Kasa, the Lord disguised Himself as a cowherd, by His illusory energy. Commentary: As far as these Vaikuha-vss are concerned, the Lord only pretends to be a cowherd boy in order to deceive the evil King Kasa of Mathur. Ka had to cheat Kasa to get rid of wicked demons like Ptan and protect decent persons like r Vasudeva. But Gopa-kumras advisors honestly believe that the Supreme Lord of all lords is never actually such a degraded creature as a cowherd. TEXT 104

myy varana csya na bhaktair bahu manyate bhakty-rambhe hi tad yukta tena na styate prabhu
myyabout the illusory nature; varanam description; caand; asyaHis; nanot; bhaktaiby His devotees; bahu manyateis regarded highly; bhaktiof devotional practice; rambhein the beginning; hicertainly; tatthat; yuktamuseful; tenaby that; nanot; styateis glorified; prabhuthe Lord. Devotees of the Lord have little regard for tales of His illusory affairs. Such narrations may be suitable in the beginning of devotional practice,
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but they do not factually glorify the Lord. Commentary: My means illusion, magic, or deception. The Supreme Lord may sometimes play tricks by pretending to assume forms that are not actually His eternal forms (svarpas). For example, Lord Viu showed Himself disguised as Mohin, the most attractive woman, but in fact the Personality of Godhead is always male, never female. His real feminine counterpart has her own identity. Wellinformed Vaiavas, therefore, do not take the Lords illusory shows very seriously. A person dissatisfied with this argument might counter that the descriptions of the Lords illusory activities are indeed heard and appreciated by knowledgeable Vaiavas. He might even quote a statement by the first spiritual master of all Vaiavas in the material world, Lord Brahm: my varayato muya varasynumodata vata raddhay nitya myaytm na muhyati The Supreme Lords illusory activities in association with His different energies should be described, appreciated, and heard in accordance with the Lords teachings. If this is done regularly with devotion and respect, one is sure to get out of the Lords illusory energy. (Bhgavatam 2.7.53) In reply to this objection, the Vaikuha-vss argue that accounts of the Lords illusory activities are suitable only for beginners in devotional practice. Such narrations about the Lords My, including His pastimes in Gokula on earth, are not fit for glorifying the almighty Lord of Vaikuha. TEXT 105

tev eva kecid avadan

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durbodhcaritasya hi llaik spi tat tasy na doa krtane mata

teuamong them; evaindeed; kecitsome; avadan said; durbodhabeyond logical explanation; caritasyaof Him whose activities; hiindeed; llpastime; eka certain; sthis; apialso; tattherefore; tasyof that; nano; doafault; krtanein glorification; mataconsidered. But some of those residents of Vaikuha said, Among the Lords inconceivable activities those playful pastimes are also His, so there is no fault in chanting about them. Commentary: One group of Vaikuha-vss maintained that the Lords pastimes as a cowherd are His eternal lls rather than temporary shows of My like the creation of the material world. The other group might have questioned what pleasure there could be in pastimes where the Lord has to run in fear from His mother, cry for her breast milk, labor at tending cows, and wander in forests that are strewn with thorns. The answer is simply that the Lords activities are durbodha, beyond logical analysis. TEXT 106

kaicin mahadbhis tn sarvn nivryoktam ida ru kim eva nigadyeta bhavadbhir abudhair iva
kaicitby some; mahadbhivery exalted devotees; tnof them; sarvnall; nivryastopping; uktam said; idamthis; ruangrily; ah; kimwhy; evamthus; nigadyetashould be said; bhavadbhiby you; abudhaideprived of intelligence; ivaas if. Then a few extremely exalted devotees stopped all the others and angrily said, Really! Why are you talking like this, as if you had no intelligence? TEXT 107
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kasya bhakta-vtsalyd yasya kasypi karmaa sakrtana mahn eva gua r-prabhu-toaa
kasyaof Ka; bhaktato His devotees; vtsalytbecause of His compassion; yasya kasya apiany at all; karmaaof activities; sakrtanamthe chanting; mahngreat; evaonly; guabeneficial; r-prabhuour divine master; toaasatisfying. Ka is so kind to His devotees that sakrtana of any of His activities is glorious and beneficial, and satisfying to our divine master. Commentary: Now the Vaikuha-vss who best understand the Supreme Lords glories are speaking. All the Lords pastimes are transcendental, and to glorify any of them is auspicious because the Lord enacts them for the benefit of His devotees. As He has said in His own words: muhrtenpi sahartu akto yady api dnavn mad-bhaktn vinodrtha karomi vividh kriy darana-dhyna-sasparair matsya-krma-vihagam svny apatyni puanti tathham api padmaja Although I can annihilate all the Dnavas within a few minutes, I perform various pastimes just to entertain My devotees. Just as the fish, the tortoise, and the bird nourish their offspring by respectively watching them, meditating on them, and keeping them in physical contact, so do I maintain My devotees, O lotus-born Brahm. (Padma Pura) None of the Supreme Lords activities, therefore, are creations of My, material illusion, nor are
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they purposeless like the games of children. Different devotees, however, understand the Lords pastimes in different ways. Among the residents of Vaikuha now speaking with Gopa-kumra, we can discern three different groups with three different mentalities. The first group consider the informal pastimes of Vraja incompatible with the mood of Vaikuha, the second are more liberal, and the third ardently refuse to discriminate against any of the Lords pastimes. The devotees in Vaikuha have these different attitudes for two reasons: First, bhakti takes on different qualities in accordance with the various disciplines performed to achieve it, such as the cultivation of knowledge. Second, the Personality of Godhead, for His various pastimes,requires different moods in His devotees. In any case, none of the Vaikuha devotees have said anything wrong. Without a doubt, pure devotional service in any form can earn one the highest benefit, even entrance into r Vaikuhadhma. This has already been logically established, and it will be further discussed in later chapters of Bhad-bhgavatmta. TEXT 108

r-gopa-kumra uvca tem etdair vkyair dau lajj mamjani pact toas tathpy antar mano tpyan na sarvata
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; temof them; etdaiby such; vkyaiwords; dauat first; lajjembarrassment; mamamy; ajani was born; pactthen; toasatisfaction; tath apinonetheless; antainwardly; manamy heart; atpyat nawas not placated; sarvatacompletely. r Gopa-kumra said: At first the words of the Vaikuha-vss had made me feel embarrassed. Then I felt satisfied, although in truth the inner core
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of my heart was not fully appeased. Commentary: The opinion of the first group of devotees embarrassed Gopa-kumra. That of the last group made him feel much more satisfied. To hear the Vaikuha-vss disagree over the importance of glorifying the Lords pastimes in Gokula had pained him like a thorn in his heart. He had even heard some of them belittle Kas vraja-ll. But he had not heard a single word describing the pastimes he cherished most. Later his mind will be pacified when he hears philosophical conclusions from r Nrada that vibrate the sympathetic strings of his heart. TEXT 109

nijea-daivata-rmadgopla-carabjayo tdg-rpa-vinodder anlokc ca dna-vat

nijamy own; ia-daivataof the worshipable Lord; rmat-goplar Gopla; caraa-abjayoof the lotus feet; tdksuch; rpaform; vinoda pastimes; deand so on; anloktdue to not seeing; caand; dna-vatas if discouraged. I felt somewhat discouraged that I couldnt see the unique form, pastimes, and other features of the lotus feet of my worshipable Lord, r Gopla. Commentary: In Vaikuha Gopa-kumra couldnt see r Goplas pastimes, His unique entourage and paraphernalia, His special kindness, or the special ways He plays with His devotees. But as indicated by the suffix -vat (as if), Gopa-kumras disappointment was only apparent. There is never any real discouragement in Vaikuha. TEXT 110

tarhy eva sarva-ja-iromai prabhu vaikuha-ntha kila nanda-nandanam lakm dhar ckalaymi rdhik candrval csya gan vrajrbhakn
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tarhithen; evabut; sarva-jaof omniscient persons; ira-maimthe crest jewel; prabhumthe Supreme Lord; vaikuha-nthamthe Lord of Vaikuha; kilaindeed; nanda-nandanamas the darling son of Mahrja Nanda; lakmmLakm; dharmDhar; caand; kalaymiI would see; rdhikmas Rdhik; candrvalmCandrval; ca and; asyaHis; ganassociates; vrajaof Vraja; arbhaknas boys. But then I would see Lord Vaikuha-ntha, the most exalted knower of everything, as the darling son of Nanda Mahrja, see Lakm and Dhar as Rdhik and Candrval, and see the Lords personal attendants as the young boys of Vraja. Commentary: As soon as Gopa-kumras mind would begin to complain, his vision would change. He would see Lord Nryaa as Ka, His two consorts as the chief gops of Vraja, and His attending servants as cowherd boys. Not that Gopa-kumra produced this transformation by his own mental power; rather, it was done by Lord Nryaa, who is sarva-ja-iromai (the best knower of everything) and prabhu (the supreme master). Since Lord Nryaa is the greatest of all omniscient mystics, He knew that Gopa-kumras mind was disturbed. And since the Lord has all divine energies at hand, He easily made this arrangement to relieve Gopa-kumras anxiety. TEXT 111

tathpy asy vraja-kmy prabhu sa-parivrakam viharanta tath neke khidyate smeti man-mana
tath apinonetheless; asymin that; vrajakmymland of Vraja; prabhumthe Lord; saparivrakamwith His companions; viharantam playing; tathso; na keI did not see; khidyate smawas sad; itithus; matmy; manamind.

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Yet my mind would still feel sad because I couldnt see the Lord and His companions play as they do here in the land of Vraja. TEXT 112

kadpi tatropavaneu llay tath lasanta niciteu go-gaai paymy amu karhy api prva-vat sthita nijsane sva-prabhu-vac ca sarvath
kad apisometimes; tatrathere; upavaneuin the gardens; llaywith His pastimes; taththus; lasantampresent; niciteuwhich were filled; goof cows; gaaiwith groups; paymiI saw; amumHim; karhi apisometimes; prva-vatas before; sthitam situated; nijaon His; sanethrone; sva-prabhuvatlike my Lord; caand; sarvathin all respects. Occasionally in the gardens of Vaikuha I would see my Lord appear as in Vraja, performing His pastimes, and I would see the gardens filled with herds of cows. At other times I would see Him sitting as usual on His throne in all splendor, but looking just like my Lord Gopla. Commentary: Sometimes Gopa-kumra caught glimpses of Lord Nryaa playing in the Vaikuha gardens like a cowherd managing his cows. Even inside the Lords grand palace, where the Lord sat on His best of thrones, flanked by devotees like Lakm, Dhara, ea, and Garua, Gopa-kumra sometimes saw Him appearing like r Madana-gopla in all aspects of His dress, entourage, and other features. TEXT 113

tathpi tasmin paramea-buddher vaikuha-lokgamana-smte ca sajyamndara-gauravea tat-prema-hny sva-mano na tpyet

tath apieven so; tasminin Him; parama-aas the Supreme Lord; buddhebecause of the idea; vaikuha-lokato Vaikuha-loka; gamanaof
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coming; smtebecause of the remembrance; caand; sajyamnaarising; daradue to the feelings of respect; gauraveaand reverence; tatfor Him; premaof pure love; hnybecause of the obstruction; svamy; manamind; na tpyetwas not satisfied. Even so, because I knew that He was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and because I remembered that I had come to Vaikuha-loka, feelings of respect and reverence would arise in me, and these would block my pure love and leave my mind dissatisfied. Commentary: Seeing Lord Nryaa as Madana-gopla pushed aside Gopa-kumras awareness that the Lord was the almighty controller of everything, but then Gopa-kumra would remember that he was in Vaikuha, where awe and reverence for the Lord predominate. Affected by the mood of Vaikuha, Gopa-kumra was unable to feel the same free flow of prema as before. TEXT 114

gopla-devt karu-viea dhyne yam ligana-cumbandim prpto smi ta hanta samakam asmd psan vidye tad-asiddhito tra
gopla-devtfrom Gopla-deva; karuthe mercy; vieamspecial; dhynein meditation; yamwhich; liganaembracing; cumbanakissing; dimand so on; prpta asmiI have obtained; tamthat; hanta alas; samakamdirectly; asmtfrom Him; psan desiring; vidyeI was agitated; tat that; asiddhitabecause of not attaining; atrahere. The special favors I had received from Gopla-deva in my meditationHis embraces, His kisses, the mercy I had directly obtainedthough this is what I desired, oh, here I couldnt have it, and so I felt afflicted. Commentary: Gopa-kumra expected the object of His
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devotion to reciprocate with affectionate embraces, kisses, and intimate humorous talks, but these were not forthcoming from Lord Nryaa. TEXT 115

kadcid o nirbhta prayti kuto pi kaicit samam antarai tadkhiln khalu tatra oko bhaved abhvt prabhu-daranasya
kadcitsometimes; athe Lord; nirbhtam secretly; praytiwent away; kuta apisomewhere; kaicitwith some; samamtogether; antarai intimate associates; tadthen; akhilnmof everyone; khaluindeed; tatrathere; okagrief; bhavetthere would be; abhvtbecause of the lack; prabhuthe Lord; daranasyaof seeing. Sometimes the Lord would secretly go somewhere with a few of His intimate associates. Then everyone else who had been near Him would lament, unable to see their master. Commentary: Couldnt Gopa-kumra feel assured that by the magical influence of life in Vaikuha even his hopes for reciprocation might eventually be fulfilled? Perhaps, but he had other reasons to feel unhappy. TEXT 116

may sampcchyamna tadvtta vara-rahasya-vat sagopayan na kacin me samudghayati sphuam

mayby me; sampcchyamnambeing asked; tat that; vttamsubject matter; varaprivileged; rahasya-vatas if a secret; sagopayanconcealing; na kacitno one; meto me; samudghayati divulged; sphuamclearly. When I would ask what the Lord was doing on these outings, everyone would keep the facts from me like privileged secrets. No one would disclose anything clearly.
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Commentary: Despite his earnest inquiries, no one told Gopa-kumra where Lord Nryaa had gone or why. Anyone who knew was unwilling to discuss the subject openly, because making public news of the private pastimes of the Supreme Lord could disrupt the reverential mood of Vaikuha. TEXT 117

tasminn eva kae tatrodite r-jagad-vare dyamne sa santpo nayed dharbdhir edhate
tasminat that; evavery; kaemoment; tatra there; uditebecoming visible; r-jagat-varethe divine Lord of the universe; dyamnebeing seen; sathat; santpadistress; nayetwould be finished; haraof joy; abdhithe ocean; edhate increased. Then, at the very moment I inquired, the Lord of the universe would reappear before us, putting our distress to an end and enlarging our joy to an ocean. Commentary: From Gopa-kumras description it might seem that Vaikuha has unhappiness just like everywhere else. But as we see here, the Lords absence was only momentary. As soon as the devotees felt distress, the Lord returned. Time is subtler in Vaikuha than in the mortal realm; an instant in Vaikuha equals the largest span of time in the mundane world. r Maitreya describes this in rmad-Bhgavatam (3.11.38): klo ya dvi-parrdhkhyo nimea upacaryate avyktasynantasya hy ander jagad-tmana The duration of the two parts of Brahms life is calculated to equal one nimea [less than a second] for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the
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unchanging, the unlimited, the cause of all causes of the universe. This scale of comparative time is only metaphorical, yet such a figurative sense of spiritual time contributes to the charm of the Supreme Lords lls in Vaikuha. In reality, time in Vaikuha is not the kind of force it is in the material world; time does not delimit the lifespan of residents in Vaikuha, because everything there is eternal and infallible. Lord Nryaas return from His excursions relieved His devotees from their anxiety and expanded the ocean of their ecstasy, just as the moonrise expands the ecstasy of poets. TEXT 118

yvat tvac ca vaikalya manaso stu svabhva-jam tal-loka-mahimodrekt kyate rkd yath tama
yvatas long as; tvatso long; caand; vaikalyamdisturbance; manasaof my mind; astu there would be; svabhva-jamdue to its nature; tatthat; lokaof the world; mahimof the splendors; udrektby the vastness; kyatewould be diminished; arktby the sun; yathas; tama darkness. Whenever my mind, by its own nature, would become disturbed, the vast splendors of the Vaikuha world would dispel my agitation, as the sun dispels darkness. Commentary: Gopa-kumras mind remained restless because in Vaikuha he was unable to find the object of his desire. TEXT 119

yad kadcin nija-labhya-vastuno nptyeva ht sdati prva-prva-vat tad tadypariprat-ruj nidnam jya nirasyate svayam
yadwhen; kadcitsometimes; nijamy; labhya
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desirable; vastunaof the object; anptydue to not attaining; ivaas if; htmy heart; sdati would suffer; prva-prvamany times before; vat as; tadthen; tadyathis; aparipratof feeling incomplete; rujmof the disease; nidnamthe cause; jyarecognizing; nirasyatewould be dispelled; svayamautomatically. Whenever it seemed that I had not achieved the object of my desire, and when my heart would therefore suffer, like many times before, I would remember the root cause of my incompleteness, and that understanding itself would drive away the pain. Commentary: The dissatisfaction Gopa-kumra felt in Vaikuha had been arranged to help him progress further, to a world even more special and dear. There he would discover the final success of his worship of r Madana-goplas lotus feet. Meanwhile, the powerful influence of Vaikuha kept him from feeling much distress, even though he had not yet attained his goal. By his intelligence he could discern that the cause of his suffering was his desire to reach a special place beyond even Vaikuha, and this understanding was enough to pacify him for the time being. He knew that now that he had reached Vaikuha he would surely feel fully satisfied, if not at once then after only a short while. TEXT 120

etdt prpya-tama na kicid vaikuha-vst kila vidyate nyat sandeham at tvam apha kartu nrhasy ato nya kim u pcchyat tat
etdtthan such; prpya-tamammore desirable to attain; nanot; kicitanything; vaikuhavstthan residence in Vaikuha; kilaindeed; vidyateexists; anyatother; sandehamdoubt; at slight; tvamyou; apieven; ihain this matter; kartumto do; na arhasiyou should not; atathus;
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anyaother; kim uwhy; pcchyatmshould be asked; tatthat. Have not the slightest doubt, I would tell my mind. There is no attainment more desirable than living here in Vaikuha. So why even raise the question? Commentary: Gopa-kumra would address his own mind like this. No one should question the established conclusion of the Vedas that Vaikuha is the highest destination of the soul. TEXT 121

tasmd are cacala-citta buddhydypi svabhva tyaja drato tra asmt para nsti para phala tat nti par yukti-atena gaccha
tasmttherefore; areO; cacalafickle; citta heart; buddhywith your intelligence; adyatoday; apieven; svabhvamthis nature; tyajacast off; dratafar away; atrahere; asmtthan this; paramhigher; na astithere is not; paramhigher; phalama fruit; tatthus; ntimpeace; parm highest; yuktiof arguments; atenaby hundreds; gacchayou should attain. O fickle heart, now use your intelligence, therefore, to cast this lower nature far away. It doesnt belong here. There is nothing greater than to reside in Vaikuha, no greater goal. Consider the hundreds of arguments that support this truth, and achieve the highest peace. TEXT 122

tad bodhayann eva vilokaymy aha sva sac-cid-nanda-maya tath prabho vaikuha-loke bhajant para sukha sndra sadaivnubhavantam adbhutam
tatthat; bodhayangiving instruction; eva indeed; vilokaymisaw; ahamI; svammyself; satcit-nanda-mayamcomposed of eternity, knowledge and bliss; tathand; prabhoof the Lord;
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vaikuha-lokein Vaikuha-loka; bhajantfrom worshiping; paramthe highest; sukhamhappiness; sndramintense; sadalways; ivaas if; anubhavantamexperiencing; adbhutamamazing. After thus instructing my mind, I would look at myself in my sac-cid-nanda form and see myself constantly relishing what seemed the highest happiness, intense and amazing, from worshiping the Supreme Lord in Vaikuha. Commentary: When Gopa-kumra thought about his situation rationally, he could pacify himself. But still his heart would sometimes be helplessly drawn to remembrance of r Madana-gopla and become agitated. TEXT 123

eva kadcid udvigna kadcid dharavn aham vaikuhe nivasan do nradenaikad raha
evamthus; kadcitsometimes; udvignadisturbed; kadcitsometimes; hara-vnjoyful; ahamI; vaikuhein Vaikuha; nivasanresiding; da seen; nradenaby Nrada; ekadonce; rahain a secluded place. Thus I resided in Vaikuha, sometimes joyful and sometimes disturbed. Then one day Nrada found me in a secluded place. TEXT 124

daylu-cmain prabhor mahpriyea tad-bhakti-rasbdhinmun ubhinandya karea bhita saspya v-suhd irasy aham
dayluof merciful persons; c-mainby the crest jewel; prabhoof the Supreme Lord; mahpriyeaby the dearmost devotee; tatto Him; bhaktiof devotional service; rasaof the tastes; abdhinthe ocean; amunby him; ubhaauspicious; iby blessings; nandyadelighting; kareawith
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his hand; bhitaspoken to; saspyatouching; v-suhdwhose companion is the v; irasion the head; ahamI. That crest jewel of merciful persons, the Lords dearmost devotee, is an ocean of the tastes of the Lords devotional service. He delighted me by blessing me and touching my head with his hand, which held its friend the v. And then he spoke to me. TEXT 125

r-bhagavan-nrada uvca bho gopa-nandana rmadvaikuhenukampita mukha-mlny-din kicic chocan dna ivekyase
r-bhagavat-nrada uvcathe great master Nrada said; bhoO; gopa-nandanason of a cowherd; rmatdivine; vaikuha-aby the Lord of Vaikuha; anukampitawho have been graced; mukha of your face; mlni-dinby the paleness and so on; kicitabout something; ocanlamenting; dna an unfortunate person; ivaas if; kyaseyou seem. The great master Nrada said: My dear son of a cowherd, you have received the mercy of the divine Lord of Vaikuha. Yet from signs like the paleness of your face you appear depressed, like someone suffering misfortune. Commentary: Having obtained the favor of Lord Nryaa, Gopa-kumra cannot factually be in distress. Nrada therefore senses something paradoxical. From Gopa-kumras paleness, distracted glances, and deep sighs, he appears a victim of misfortune; but Nrada knows better than merely to read these external signs. TEXT 126

oka-dukhvako tra katama syn nigadyatm para kauthala me tra

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yan na da sa kasyacit
okaof lamentation; dukhaand distress; avakaoccasion; atrahere; katamahow much; sytcan there be; nigadyatmplease tell; param extreme; kauthalamcuriosity; memy; atrain this regard; yatwhat; nanot; daseen; sathat; kasyacitin anyone. Please tell me, what scope could there be for pain and sorrow here? I am most curious, because here I have never seen anyone in such a state. Commentary: Gopa-kumra could simply say that he looks as he does because he is unhappy. But then Nrada would have to ask him to explain, since pain and sorrow have never before shown themselves in Vaikuha. TEXT 127

r-gopa-kumra uvca parampta suhc-chreha ta prpya sva-gurpamam hrda tad-vttam tmya krtsnenkathaya tad
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; parama-ptamthe most authoritative source of knowledge; suhtwell-wishing friend; rehamthe best; tamhim; prpyaobtaining; sva-guruto my own spiritual master; upamamequal; hrdamin my heart; tatthat; vttamsubject; tmyamprivate; krtsnenain complete detail; akathayamI described; tadthen. r Gopa-kumra said: I was most fortunate to have met that greatest authority, the most reliable of well-wishers, who was equal to my guru. And so I fully disclosed to him what was in my heart. Commentary: For Gopa-kumra, Nrada was not only parama-pta, the most authoritative source of knowledge, but also suht-reha, the best possible friend. These two qualifications made him as good as Gopa-kumras dk-guru. Thus Gopa593

kumra was not at all hesitant to share with Nrada everything he was feeling. TEXT 128

rutv tad akhila kicin nivasya parito dau sacrykya m prve bravt sa-karua anai
rutvhearing; tatthat; akhilamall; kicita little; nivasyasighing; paritaaround; dauhis eyes; sacryacasting; kyadrawing near; mm me; prveto his side; abravthe said; sakaruamcompassionately; anaiin a soft voice. After hearing my whole story, Nrada sighed a little, glanced around, drew me near, and compassionately spoke to me, in a soft voice. Commentary: Nrada could understand Gopa-kumras dissatisfaction because Nrada felt the same way. Nrada thought himself unfortunate to be unable to achieve the special world above Vaikuha. Being reminded of this by Gopa-kumra made him sad, but to avoid further upsetting Gopa-kumra he hid his own distress. After looking all around to make sure they were alone, he pulled Gopa-kumra to his side to tell him something confidential. Nrada felt especially compassionate; in fact, he was fully absorbed in the ecstatic rasa called karua. TEXT 129

r-nrada uvca ita paratara prpya kicin nstti yat tvay manyate yukti-santaty tat satya khalu nnyath
r-nrada uvcar Nrada said; itathan this place; para-taramhigher; prpyamgoal to obtain; kicitany; na astithere is not; itithus; yat what; tvayby you; manyateis considered; yuktiof logical reasoning; santatyby a chain; tatthat; satyamtrue; khaluindeed; nanot; anyath
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otherwise. r Nrada said: By a chain of logical reasoning you have concluded that nothing is higher to achieve than this abode, and you are certainly correct. The truth cannot be other than this. TEXT 130

ya ca svyea-devasya vinoda dhyna-sagatam skd atrnubhavitu tathaivecchasi sarvath

yamwhich; caand; svyayour; ia-devasyaof the worshipable Lord; vinodamthe pleasure pastimes; dhynain meditation; sagatamappeared; sktdirectly; atrahere; anubhavitumto perceive; tath evajust so; icchasiyou want; sarvathin all respects. Even so, you desire to see with your own eyes the same pleasure pastimes of the Lord you worship that appear to you in meditation. You want to see those pastimes here in Vaikuha and in full detail. Commentary: While practicing meditation on his mantra, Gopa-kumra would see in his mind Lord Madana-gopla and His unique pastimes. Nrada knew that Gopa-kumras unfulfilled ambition was to see those same pastimes in Vaikuha, to see them with his own eyes and experience them fully. TEXT 131

tasypi so tyanta-sukha-pradyaka ceto-hara prti-viea-gocara gopyottamas tad-vraja-loka-van-mahpremaika-labhyo su-labho hi mdm

tasyafor Him; apialso; sathose (pleasure pastimes); atyantaextreme; sukhahappiness; pradyakawhich give; cetathe heart; hara enchanting; prtiby love; vieaspecial; gocara perceivable; gopya-uttamamost confidential; tat that; vraja-loka-vatlike that of the residents of Vraja; mah-premaby the highest degree of prema;
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ekaonly; labhyaobtainable; asu-labhanot easily achieved; hicertainly; mdmby persons like me. Those pastimes give even the Lord Himself the greatest pleasure. They enchant the heart, but only by a special kind of love can they be perceived. They are the most confidential mystery. One can approach them only with the highest degree of prema, like that of the residents of Vraja. Surely those pastimes can never be seen by persons like me. Commentary: In contrast to the various speculative opinions of the Vaikuha devotees about the status of the Lords pastimes in Gokula, Nrada reveals to Gopa-kumra the conclusive truth about that special abode. TEXT 132

sa vai vinoda sakaloparil loke kvacid bhti vilobhayan svn sampdya bhakti jagad-a-bhakty vaikuham etytra katha tvayekya
sathose; vaicertainly; vinodapastimes; sakalaall; uparitabove; lokein a world; kvacitsomewhere; bhtishine; vilobhayan enchanting; svnHis own devotees; sampdya generating; bhaktimpure devotion; jagat-ato the Lord of creation; bhaktyby devotion; vaikuham to Vaikuha; etyacoming; atrahere; kathamhow; tvayby you; kyacan be seen. It is in a certain world, somewhere above all others, that those pastimes are to be seen, enchanting the Lords devotees. But by your bhakti for the Lord of the creation, you have come to Vaikuha. How can you see those pastimes here? Commentary: Gopa-kumra, his interest aroused, wants to know where he can see the supreme pastimes of the Lord. Nrada answers that those pastimes are going on in a particular place above every other material and spiritual world. Since that unique
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place is most secret, Nrada cannot show it to Gopa-kumra at once. Gopa-kumra will have to earn his entrance. He should not expect to see those pastimes in Vaikuha, because in the world where those pastimes go on, the mood of the Lords devotees differs from the predominant Vaikuha mood of awe and reverence; in that higher world, the most intimate friendship with the Personality of Godhead prevails. A devotee can attain that world only by knowing the Supreme Lord in loving friendship. TEXT 133

bhagavat-paramaivaryaprnta-sm-prakane vaikuhe smin mah-gopya prakaa sambhavet katham

bhagavatof the Supreme Lord; paramatopmost; aivaryaof the opulence; prnta-smthe extreme limit; prakanewhich exhibits; vaikuhein Vaikuha; asminthis; mah-gopyamost secret; prakaamanifest; sambhavetbecomes; kathamhow. How can this greatest secret be revealed here in Vaikuha, where the extreme limit of the Lords all-powerful opulence is displayed? Commentary: Devotees can realize the most intimate pastimes of the Supreme only in the special place conducive to the rare moods of loving Him in dearest friendship. TEXT 134

oka sarva vihyema rmad-vaikuha-nyakam nijea-deva-buddhyaiva vkasva bhaja m bhidm

okamlamentation; sarvamall; vihyaputting aside; imamthis; rmatdivine; vaikuhaof Vaikuha; nyakamthe master; nijayour own; iadevaas the worshipable Deity; buddhyconsidering; evaonly; vkasvajust see; bhajaworship Him; m
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not; bhidmdifference. Put aside all this lamentation and just see the divine master of Vaikuha as the same Lord you cherish. Dont consider Them two different persons. Commentary: Gopa-kumra will have his mind pacified if he simply understands that Lord Nryaa is his own Madana-gopla.

TEXT 135 tato trpi sukha tat tad ananta parama mahat vardhamna sad svyamana-prakam psyasi
tatathen; atrahere; apialso; sukham happiness; tat tatvarious; anantamlimitless; paramamhighest; mahatgreatest; vardhamnam increasing; sadalways; svyayour own; mana mind; prakamfilling; psyasiyou will obtain. Then even here your heart will be flooded with supreme happiness, unlimited and ever increasing. Commentary: The joy Gopa-kumra will feel from understanding that Nryaa and Gopla are the same person will satisfy the demands of his heart. That joy will ever increase because new feelings of undiscovered sweetness will dawn at every moment. But Gopa-kumra might think that the novelty of that newfound joy will wear out. Not at all, Nrada says. That joy is absolutely perfect. But if it always increases, doesnt it have a limit, even if a changing one? No, Nrada says. That joy is unlimited. It has no finite measure; its quality grows perpetually. Even in the beginning, when a devotee starts to realize that joy, it appears almost complete in all its aspects. TEXT 136

r-gopa-kumra uvca tata kn api siddhntn sva-praj-gocarn api

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aiccha tad-nanc chrotu rotrea prerito haht

r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; tatathen; kn apisome; siddhntnphilosophical conclusions; sva-prajby my own intelligence; gocarnconsidered; apialready; aicchamI wanted; tathis (Nradas); nantfrom the mouth; rotum to hear; rotreaby my ears; preritaimpelled; hahtforcibly. r Gopa-kumra said: I then wanted to hear Nrada explain from his own mouth certain philosophical conclusions about which I was already thinking. My ears were forcing me to do this. Commentary: Gopa-kumra feels relieved by what Nrada has said thus far. In Text 39 of this chapter, Gopa-kumra had proposed to explain later to his brhmaa student the reason for the extreme variety of appearances in Vaikuha. With the help of Nradas instructions, Gopa-kumra has now done this. Now he wants to free the brhmaa from all doubts and misconceptions by enlightening him about the most priceless essence of Vaiava philosophy, which Nrada revealed when Gopa-kumra met him in Vaikuha. Texts 136 through 235 narrate these further teachings. TEXT 137

aknomi ca na tn praum amu gaurava-lajjay abhipreyya sarva-javaro bhgavatottama

aknomiI was able; caand; nanot; tnabout these (philosophical conclusions); praumto ask; amumof him; gauravaout of respect; lajjayand shyness; abhipreyyanoticing; sarva-jaof omniscient persons; varathe best; bhgavata Vaiava; uttamatopmost. Because of respect and shyness I couldnt ask him about these matters, but that best of omniscient
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mystics, the greatest Vaiava, knew what I was thinking. TEXT 138

madya-karayo svyajihvy ca sukhya sa vyajaym sa sakept sarvs tn mad-dhdi sthitn

madyamy; karayoof the two ears; svyahis own; jihvyof the tongue; caand; sukhyafor the pleasure; sahe; vyajaym saexpounded on; sakeptbriefly; sarvnall; tnthese topics; matmy; hdiin the heart; sthitnpresent. To give pleasure to my ears, and to his own tongue, he briefly expounded on each of the topics I was contemplating. TEXT 139

r-nrada uvca pau-paki-gan vkalat-gulma-tdikn atra dn na manyasva prthivs tmasn iva

r-nrada uvcar Nrada said; pauof animals; pakiand birds; ganthe flocks; vka the trees; latcreepers; gulmabushes; tagrass; diknand so on; atrahere; dnseen; na manyasvayou should not consider; prthivn transformations of the element earth; tmasnin the mode of ignorance; ivaas if. r Nrada said: Dont think that the flocks of animals and birds of this place, or the trees, creepers, bushes, grass, and other vegetation, are made from earth like ordinary creatures in the mode of ignorance. Commentary: In Vaikuha Gopa-kumra saw many animals like cows, horses, and elephants; birds like doves and cuckoos; trees, bushes, and creepers like mandras and kundas; and seemingly
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inauspicious creatures like insects and worms. He would have been wrong to think that these were inferior living beings, born into bodies covered by the mode of ignorance. They were not degraded like the living beings of the material world that assume bodies made of the element earth. TEXT 140

ete hi sac-cid-nandarp r-ka-prad vicitra-sevnandya tat-tad-rpi bibhrati

etethese; hiin fact; sat-cit-nanda-rp possessing spiritual sac-cid-nanda bodies; rkaof r Ka; pradassociates; vicitra various; sevof serving; nandyafor the ecstasy; tat-tatthose various; rpiforms; bibhratithey assume. In fact these are all personal associates of r Ka, all with spiritual sac-cid-nanda bodies. They have assumed such forms to taste the ecstasy of serving the Lord in various ways. Commentary: These Vaikuha-vss choose to play such roles as animals and birds to increase the variety of Lord Nryaas pleasure. And they also want to share in that pleasure. Thus the birds, bees, trees, and creepers described by Lord Brahm in the Third Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam when he tells of his own experience of Vaikuha are not ignorant creatures like the corresponding species of life in the material world. TEXT 141

yad-vara-vad yad-kra rpa bhagavato sya ye nija-priyatamatvena bhvayanto bhajann imam

yatwhich; varacolor; vatpossessing; yatin which; kramshape; rpamthe personal form; bhagavatathe Supreme Lord; asyaof Him; yethey
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who; nijatheir own; priya-tamatvenaas most dear; bhvayantacontemplating; abhajanthey worshiped; imamHim. They have assumed forms with colors and shapes similar to those of the Lord they have worshiped as most dear. Commentary: This verse indicates that Vaikuha devotees who appear in nonhuman forms, such as those of some animal or plant, have worshiped similar forms of Lord Nryaa, who by His expansion appeared in those same species. These devotees, each in his own way, have realized the perfection of srpya, having attained forms that look just like those of the Supreme Lord. TEXT 142

tda te sya srpya prpt nnkti-riya manuy munayo dev ayo matsya-kacchap
tdamsuch; tethey; asyawith Him; srpyam sameness of form; prpthaving attained; nn various; ktibodily configurations; riyaand opulences; manuyhuman beings; munayasages; devdemigods; ayaseers; matsyafish; kacchapand tortoises. Having each attained sameness with a particular form of the Lord, they have gained the opulences of various kinds of bodies, as sages, demigods, fish, tortoises, human beings, and mystic seers. TEXT 143

varh nara-sih ca vman ca tri-locan catur-mukh sahasrk mah-purua-vigrah

varhhogs; nara-sihman-lions; caand; vmandwarfs; caand; tri-locanthree-eyed; catu-mukhfour-faced; sahasra-akthousandeyed; mah-puruaof Lord Mahpurua; vigrah
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bodies. Some have become hogs, man-lions, or dwarfs, and some have three eyes, four armsor thousands of eyes like the Mahpurua. TEXT 144

sahasra-vaktr sryenduvyu-vahny-di-rpia catur-bhujdi-rp ca tat-tad-vedi-rpia

sahasra-vaktrwith thousands of faces; sryaof the sun; indumoon; vyuwind; vahnifire; diand so on; rpiahaving forms; catu-bhujafourarmed; diand so on; rpforms; caand; tat-tat those various; vea-diwith attire and so on; rpiahaving forms. Some have assumed bodies with thousands of faces, or with features like such deities as the gods of air and fire. Some have four arms, or eight, or twelve or more, and various kinds of dress, ornaments, symbols, and other attributes. Commentary: rmad-Bhgavatam (2.9.1112) describes the residents of Vaikuha as appearing similar to the Supreme Lord and having varied bodily colors: ymvadt ata-patra-locan piaga-vastr su-ruca su-peasa sarve catur-bhava unmian-maipraveka-nikbhara su-varcasa pravla-vaidrya-mla-varcasa parisphurat-kuala-mauli-mlina The inhabitants of the Vaikuha planets have a glowing sky-bluish complexion. Their eyes resemble lotus flowers, their dress is of yellowish color, and their bodily features are very attractive. They are just the age of growing youths. They all have four hands, they are nicely decorated with pearl necklaces with ornamental medallions, and they all
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appear effulgent. Some are like coral, diamonds, or white lotus fibers in complexion. On their heads and necks they have garlands, and they wear shining earrings. In texts 144 through 147, Nrada depicts in some detail this variety of bodily form, dress, and so on. Some Vaikuha devotees appear as human beings because of having attained srpyalikeness in formwith such incarnations of the Lord as r Raghuntha. Others appear as munis by srpya with sage incarnations like r Kapiladeva, or as demigods by srpya with manvantara-avatras like Lord Satyasena and Lord Vibhu. Others appear as is by srpya with incarnations like r Paraurma, or as fish by srpya with Lord Matsya, or tortoises with Lord Krma. Some, who worship iva or Brahm as a representative of the Supreme, appear in bodies with three eyes or four heads. Some appear like Indra with a thousand eyes, like Ananta ea with thousands of heads, or like Srya or other demigods. Vedic scriptures like the aindra-rutis, the mantras glorifying Indra, support such worship of demigods as representatives of the Supreme Lord. In the Fifth Canto of rmadBhgavatam we also find demigods like Srya being worshiped as representatives of the Lord in Plakadvpa and the other divisions of the Bhr-loka planetary system. The only means to achieve entrance into Vaikuha is pure, exclusive love for the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. Ordinary demigod worshipers are never eligible to become residents of Vaikuha, but worshipers who regard iva and other demigods as nondifferent from Lord Viu achieve special Vaiava perfection. As the Vmana Pura and other scriptures describe, those devotees join the exalted associates of the Supreme Lord they worship, either on the respective planets of the demigod representatives of the Lord or, in some cases, on a Vaikuha planet, where the devotees
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are endowed with the special opulences of those demigods. The Vaikuha-vss whose bodies are just like the transcendental body of the Mahpurua, the first incarnation of Lord Viu for material creation, are those who have achieved srpya by worshiping Him. They have thousands of arms, legs, heads, and other limbs. In Text 144 the word di (and so on) occurs twice. The first time, it indicates that some devotees in Vaikuha assume bodies that resemble those of yet other demigods, like Yamarja and Aryam, who are material representatives of various personal powers of the Supreme Lord. The second time, di indicates that besides the usual four arms, some Vaikuha devotees have eight arms, twelve arms, or more. TEXTS 145146

rasena yena yennte vekrdin tath sevitv ka-pdbje yo yo vaikuham gata tasya tasykhila tat tac chrmad-bhagavata priyam tasmai tasmai praroceta tasmt tat tad rasdikam
rasenaby the mood of devotional service; yena yenawhichever particular; antein the end; vea with dress; kraform; dinand so on; tathso; sevitvserving; kaof Ka; pda-abjethe lotus feet; ya yawhoever; vaikuhamto Vaikuha; gatacoming; tasya tasyaof them; akhilamall; tat tatthose things; rmatbhagavatato the Personality of Godhead; priyam dear; tasmai tasmaito each one; prarocetais pleasing; tasmttherefore; tat tatthose various; rasa-dikammoods of devotion and so on. Whoever comes to Vaikuha realizes the very same
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service to the lotus feet of Ka for which he had developed a taste by the end of his material life, and he realizes that service in full detail, with its dress, form, and so on, for each mood of devotion is dear to the Personality of Godhead and each gives pleasure to the devotee absorbed in it. Commentary: The bodies of some Vaikuha residents resemble those of sages and other humansor monkeys, demons, or whateverbut do not resemble any of the humanlike or sagelike forms of the Lord, such as Lord Rmacandra or Kapiladeva, nor any expansion or incarnation the Lord accepts in other species. The unusual forms that some Vaikuha devotees accept are explained in the current two verses. While practicing devotional service in their previous material lives, those devotees neared the perfection of love of God and so began to display symptoms of that perfection. Those devotees varied in their individual moods, or rasas, and varied accordingly in the forms of the Lord upon which their devotion focused. And when those devotees achieved Vaikuha they brought with them their individual rasas. In each case, no matter how unusual the form of devotion was, it gave pleasure to the Supreme Lord. Because those individual moods pleased the Lord, they were attractive also to the devotees expressing them, who therefore did not want to give them up. When the Supreme Lord so desires, some of His devotees imitate the mundane activities of Indra, Candra, and other demigodseven in Vaikuha. After all, everything that exists can be found in Vaikuha in a purified form. TEXT 147

te ca sarve tra vaikuhe r-nryaam varam tat-tad-vardi-yukttmadeva-rpa vicakate

tethey; caand; sarveall; atrahere; vaikuhein Vaikuha; r-nryaamr Nryaa; varamthe
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Supreme Lord; tat-tatthose various; vara-diwith complexions and so on; yuktaendowed; tmatheir own; devaas the worshipable Lord; rpamin the form; vicakatesee. In Vaikuha each devotee sees the Supreme Lord r Nryaa manifest as the particular Lord he worships, with a form of suitable complexion and other qualities. Commentary: Lord Nryaa has four arms and a darkblue complexion, but because devotees are attracted to Him in other forms, the Lords all-powerful personal energies enable devotees to see Him in whatever forms they like. Thus in Vaikuha each devotee can cherish the Supreme Lord in his own way. TEXT 148

prva-vad bhajannanda prpnuvanti nava navam sarvadpy aparicchinna vaikuhe tra vieata
prva-vatas before; bhajanain worshiping; nandamecstasy; prpnuvantithey obtain; navam navamnewer and newer; sarvadalways; apiindeed; aparicchinnamundivided; vaikuhein Vaikuha; atrahere; vieatauniquely. The same kind of ecstasy these devotees previously enjoyed in worshiping the Lord they continue to relish here in Vaikuha. They obtain it as a unique, uninterrupted, unceasing bliss, newer and newer at every moment. Commentary: The type of devotional ecstasy each new resident of Vaikuha developed in his last material life continues in Vaikuha, but on the platform of spiritual perfection. And the ecstasy constantly grows, acquiring newer and newer variety. TEXTS 149150

ye tv asdhraai sarvai
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prvair tma-manoramai parivrdibhir yukta nijam ia-tara prabhum sampayanto yath-prva sadaivecchanti sevitum te tyanta-tat-tan-nihntyakhvanto mahay
yewho; tubut; asdhraaiunique; sarvaiwith all; prvaiprevious; tmato themselves; manaramaicharming; parivra-diwith His entourage and so on; yuktamjoined; nijamtheir own; iatarammost worshipable; prabhumLord; sampayanta envisioning; yath-prvamjust as before; sad eva always; icchantiwant; sevitumto serve; tethey; atyantaextreme; tat-tatof each; nihof faith; antya-kh-vantapossessing the perfection; mah-aysaintly persons. As before, these devotees still see their own worshipable Lord, with all His unique features they found charmingHis same entourage and everything else. These devotees, each in his favorite mood, constantly hope to serve Him. They are indeed the wisest of saints, for they have each attained the final perfection of their own faith. Commentary: Each Vaikuha-vs worships a form of the Lord as seen together with that Lords unique entourage and paraphernalia. Lord Raghuntha, for example, is accompanied by His brothers, headed by Lakmaa, and by the daughter of Janaka. He also has His bow, His kingdom Ayodhy, and His pastimes like being exiled to the forest. The devotees of r Raghuntha are especially attracted to these unique characteristics of the Lord. Those devotees and all the others in Vaikuha are the best of saints because their faith in the Supreme Lord is unalloyed and unshakable. TEXT 151
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te csyaiva pradeeu tdeu purdiu tathaiva tda ntha bhajantas tanvate sukham
tethey; caand; asyaHis; evathus; pradeeuin the places; tdeusuch; pura-diucities and so on; tath evathus; tdamsuch; nthamthe Lord; bhajantaworshiping; tanvatethey expand; sukham happiness. Thus they worship their favorite forms of the Lord in the places where He residesHis opulent cities and other abodesand expand the ocean of happiness. Commentary: The Vaikuha kingdom has many confidential areas, including cities like Lord Rmacandras Ayodhy. Devotees who, while living in the material world, worshiped the Supreme Lord as residing in some particular abode go to a similar abode in Vaikuha, where they continue to worship Him with the entourage and paraphernalia that attracted them. The almighty Personality of Godhead is present in Vaikuha as Nryaa, seated in His excellent palaces on the best of thrones, but to all His surrendered devotees He displays whatever aspects of Himself they love with special affection. We should never think that Lord Nryaas display of multiple forms to various devotees is illusory; there is no influence of the illusory material energy in Vaikuha, and the Lord is capable of doing whatever He wants. The special abodes like Ayodhy that are manifest within Vaikuha are not separate worlds but special displays of spiritual variety arranged to expand unlimitedly the Lords glories and the ecstasy of His devotees. TEXT 152

ye caikatara-rpasya prti-nih bhavanti na aviea-grahs tasya

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yat-kicid-rpa-sevak
yewho; caand; ekataraone particular; rpasyafor a form; prtiin love; nihfixed; bhavanti na are not; avieanot particularly; grahfocused; tasyaHis; yat kicitany; rpaof forms; sevak servants. Devotees not exclusively attracted to one form of the Lord, those whose affection is not focused on a single appearance of His, are ready to serve Him in any form. Commentary: Some devotees are attracted to all of the Supreme Lords appearances. Those devotees achieve the Lord of Vaikuha in His generic form. Other devotees are attracted to serving two, three, or several particular forms. TEXT 153

ye ca lakm-pater akardi-manu-tatpar te hi sarve sva-dehnte vaikuham imam rit

yewho; caand; lakm-pateof the husband of the goddess of fortune; aa-akara-dihaving eight syllables and so on; manuto the mantras; tatpardevoted; tethey; hiindeed; sarveall; svadehaof their body; anteupon the demise; vaikuhamVaikuha; imamthis; rithave attained as their shelter. Some devotees dedicated themselves to the eightsyllable mantra or some other mantra for the husband of Lakm, and when those devotees left their material bodies they all obtained the shelter of this Vaikuha. Commentary: Devotees of Nryaa can realize His association by chanting His mantra of five, eight, or twelve syllables. r Parara i states in the Viu Pura (1.6.40): gatv gatv nivartante
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candra-srydayo grah adypi na nivartante dvdakara-cintak Even the moon, sun, and other planets are created and destroyed again and again. But persons who have meditated on the twelve-syllable mantra have never had to return, even till the present day. Since all of Lord Nryaas mantras call upon His holy names, the twelve-syllable mantra mentioned here refers indirectly to all the Lords mantras, not just the mantra of twelve syllables, as effective means for achieving Vaikuha. Devotees who worship the Lord perfectly with any of His mantras attain His shelter in the next life. And among the sheltered devotees, those who worship the Lord as the supreme controller reach Him in Vaikuha. TEXT 154

yath-kma sukha prpu sarvato py adhika sukht te sva-sva-rasnaikyt tratamye pi tulyat

yath-kmamas they desire; sukhamhappiness; prputhey have obtained; sarvatathan all; api even; adhikammore; sukhthappiness; temof them; sva-svaeach his own; rasaof the tastes; anaikytdue to the variety; tratamyewithin a hierarchy; apieven; tulyatequality. All the devotees in Vaikuha enjoy the particular happiness for which they aspired and feel it greater than all others. This creates a hierarchy of tastes, but within it a simultaneous equality. Commentary: Whatever happiness a devotee may have felt from worshiping the Supreme Lord in the material world expands without limit when he achieves entrance into Vaikuha. In other words, even though all devotees in Vaikuha share the same basic spiritual nature, they feel varieties of
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pleasure. Different devotees relish various qualities of ecstasy in their hearing, chanting, and worshiping, and the ecstasy of one devotee may be greater than that of another. Still, each devotee in Vaikuha is satisfied with his own devotional service. Whatever his rasa, when it develops to full maturity he fully tastes the ecstasy natural to it. This point has already been discussed, and later it will be made even more clear. TEXTS 155157

yath dharlambana-ratna-bht nryao sau sa naro tha datta r-jmadagnya kapildayo pi ye kautukc ca pratim-sarp ye svarga-lokdiu viu-yajevardayo m bhavataiva d matsyo tha krma ca mah-varha rman-nsiho nanu vmana ca anye vatr ca tathaiva te praty-ekam hbhidhay prabhed te sac-cid-nanda-ghan hi sarve nntva-bhjo pi sadaika-rp
yathas; dharof the earth; lambanathe shelter; ratnaand the treasure; bhtwho are; nryaa Lord Nryaa; asauHe; sa-narawith Nara; atha and; dattaDatttreya; r-jmadagnyar Paraurma; kapila-dayaKapila and others; api also; yewho; kautuktas a sport; caand; pratim of Deities; sa-rpassuming the appearance; ye who; svarga-loka-diuin Svargaloka and so on; viu-yajevara-dayaViu, Yajevara, and so on; amthey; bhavatby you; evaindeed; d seen; matsyaMatsya; athaalso; krmaKrma; ca and; mah-varhaMah-varha; rmat-nsiha rmn Nsiha; nanuindeed; vmanaVmana; ca
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and; anyeother; avatrincarnations; caand; tath evaalso; temof them; prati-ekameach one; ihain this world; abhidhayby names; prabhed different forms; tethey; sat-cit-nandain eternity, knowledge and bliss; ghanfull; hi certainly; sarveall; nntvavariegatedness; bhjapartaking in; apithough; sadalways; ekarpone and the same. In the Lords own appearances on earth, He shows similar varieties and equality. The Lords own forms are the shelter and the treasure of the earth. Among them are Nara-Nryaa, and Datttreya, and Parara the son of Jamadagni, and Kapila. There are those who playfully assume the appearance of Deities, and those, such asViu and Yajevara, whom you have seen on Svargaloka and other higher planets. There are such various incarnations as Matsya, Krma, Mah-varha, rmn Nsiha, and Vmana. Each of these forms of the Lord has its own activities and names, yet all of them are full in eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Though manifesting variety, in substance they are eternally one. Commentary: Liberated devotees of the Supreme Lord can display varieties of personalities within the basic oneness of spiritual existence because they are empowered by the Lord, who shares with them His inconceivable ability to be simultaneously one and many. God is one, but He displays Himself with infinite variety. He has His original form as Ka in Goloka and His expansion as Nryaa in Vaikuha, plus innumerable other expansions in the spiritual and material worlds. Counted among the avatras He displays in the material realm are His Deity forms. In different corners of the universe, He appears as innumerable Deities, each with its own form and personality, like r Sakaraa in Ilvta-vara, r Jaganntha in Puruottamaketra, and r Ragantha in Raga-pur, to mention just a few. In the heavenly planets He
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appears in expansions such as Vmana, Viu, and Yajevara. Throughout the material worlds, He descends in many incarnations, some famous like Lord Matsya and Lord Krma, others lesser known, like Lord Hayagrva and Lord Hasa. The activities, names, and forms of these avatras are manifold, but they are all one Personality of Godhead, complete in unadulterated eternity, knowledge, and bliss. As stated in the Mah-sahit: tasya sarvvatreu na vieo sti kacana dehi-deha-vibheda ca na pare vidyate kvacit sarve vatr vypt ca sarve skm ca tattvata aivarya-yogd bhagavn kraty ea janrdana There is no difference between any of the incarnations of the Lord, and no difference between His body and His soul. In truth, all the incarnations are all-pervasive and infinitely subtle. Thus plays the Supreme Person Janrdana, making use of His opulent powers. At Badarikrama Lord Nryaa appears with His younger brother, Nara, as the son of Dharma and acts as guru for the performers of austerities. In Text 155 the word di (kapildaya) implies other incarnations, including Vysadeva and Dhanvantari, and in Text 156 the word di (svarga-lokdiu) implies additional appearance places of the Lord on Maharloka, on Satyaloka, and in the universal coverings formed of earth and other elements. In Text 156 the second use of the word di (viuyajevardaya) alludes to Lord Mahpurua on Brahmaloka and to the forms of the Lord, such as Varha, worshiped in the coverings of the universe. Gopa-kumra has seen many of these forms of the Supreme Lord. The form of r Vmana mentioned
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separately here is different from the four-armed Lord Viu who is the presiding Deity on Svargaloka. As we learn from the Puras, several incarnations of Lord Viu appear more than once, at different times and under different circumstances. It is known, for example, that Matsya, the greatest of fish, appeared once at the end of a cycle of yugas to save the Vedas during the devastating flood of the universe and appeared once more, during a partial flood of the lower part of the universe, to show His mercy to Satyavrata Muni. There are also two Lord Krmas. One held Mandara Mountain on His back while nectar was being churned from the Milk Ocean, and the other always holds up the earth. Similarly, there are at least five Lord Varhas. The first appeared from Brahms nostril at the beginning of creation, lifted the earth, deposited her on the Garbha Ocean, and then disappeared. The second saved the earth from a partial flood of devastation, killed Hirayka, and went to Svargaloka. The third, the embodiment of Vedic sacrifice, taught the methods of sacrifice, lifted the earth, spoke to her the Varha Pura, and disappeared by His mystic power. The fourth took the earth and made her even by grinding down the excessively large mountains with His sharp tusks. The earth then assumed the form of His consort Varh, enjoyed with Him, and gave birth to two sons. That Lord Varha finally disappeared by merging into the form of Lord Nsiha. And yet a fifth Varhadeva perpetually holds up the earth from below. Lord Nsiha also made several different appearances, as we know from such sources as the Bhat-sahasra-nma-stotra. One Nsiha defeated all the celestial mothers, another ripped apart Hirayakaipu, and yet another assumed the form of an ordinary cat. There were also two appearances of Vmanadeva to trick two different asuras, Dhundhu and Bali, and there were two
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appearances each of Lord Hayagrva and Lord Hasa. TEXT 158

nntvam e ca kadpi myika na jva-nntvam iva pratyatm tac cid-vilstmaka-akti-darita nn-vidhopsaka-citra-bhvajam

nntvamthe variegatedness; emof these; caand; kad apiat any time; myikamillusory; nanot; jvaof conditioned souls; nntvamthe plurality; ivalike; pratyatmshould be perceived; tatthat; citof pure spirit; vilsathe pastimes; tmaka comprising; aktiby energies; daritamexhibited; nn-vidhaof various kinds; upsakaof worshipers; citravarious; bhvafrom moods; jamgenerated. The differences between them should never be perceived to be illusory, any more than the plurality of the conditioned souls. Rather, the differences between the Lords own forms are displays of the energies that underly His spiritual pastimes. The differences are born of the various moods of His various worshipers. Commentary: Someone might argue that only by illusion can a single being appear as many, but the verse at hand explains the truth. As we know from the teachings of Vednta, the jva souls are real, and they are factually distinct from the Supreme Soul and from one another. The differences between the individual jvas and the Paramtm, and the differences among the jvas themselves, are not illusions created by My. Nor does one jva appear divided into many souls simply by false designations, nor does the one Supreme Truth reflect itself into many small images, jvas who have no real existence of their own. The jvas are real and their differences are real. In the same way, all the forms of Godhead are real manifestations of His pure spiritual essence, displayed by His personal energies. The Personality of Godhead is a vast ocean of many
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different moods of loving exchange. His various devotees respond to His various pastimes by developing individual varieties of ecstasy, and the Lord reciprocates with these ecstasies by showing Himself in different ways. His devotees are concerned with Him alone, and therefore whenever a devotee becomes extremely anxious to see Him in a particular form, the Lord at once shows that form to the devotee. These appearances of the Lord, although apparently ad hoc, are in fact eternal, real, and all-pervading. By displaying His pastime incarnations the Supreme Lord fulfills the hankerings in the hearts of all pure devotees. Were He to fail to do so, His most significant glory unlimited kindness to His surrendered servants would be lost. If any form in which the Lord appears were to prove noneternal, unreal, or less than all-pervading, the devotees worshiping that form would be disappointed, and great harm would come to their spiritual lives. Therefore none of the Lords incarnations allow Themselves to be affected by the illusory influence of My. TEXT 159

ato na bimba-pratibimba-bhedato vicitrat s salile raver iva kintv ea kha-stho dvaya eva sarvata sva-sva-pradee bahudhekyate yath
atatherefore; nanot; bimbaof an image; pratibimbaand its reflection; bhedatabecause of the difference; vicitratvariegatedness; sthis; salilein water; raveof the sun; ivalike; kintu rather; eathis (sun); kha-sthasituated in the sky; advayaone without a second; evaonly; sarvataeverywhere; sva-svain its own various; pradeelocations; bahudhin many ways; kyateis seen; yathas. Therefore this variety does not arise from the difference between an object and its reflected image, as with the sun reflected in water. Rather,
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the Lords forms are like the one sun standing undivided in the sky, seen everywhere but in different ways in different places. Commentary: The variety of the Supreme Lords appearances cannot be understood by the logic of an object and its reflection, because every one of the Lords forms is eternal and real. In the objectreflection model, the only object that would be eternal and real would be the original, the avatr, the form of the Lord from which all His other forms expand; all the other forms of the Lord would be temporary and unreal, like mere reflections. In effect, the expanded personal forms of the Lord would be products of illusion. The theory of expanding by reflection, therefore, is untenable; the Supreme Person in all His forms is the same original object, complete in eternity, knowledge, and bliss. The sun may be reflected in various bodies of water, or any object may be reflected in several mirrors. The one then appears to be many because of its images in various places. But the variety among the Supreme Lords own forms is not like that. For the varieties shown by the Lord, the more fitting analogy cited here is that of one object, the sun, being viewed differently by people in different places. Each person, from where he stands, sees the sun appearing differently against the backdrop of nearby objectstrees, hills, and so on. Similarly, the diverse worshipers of the Supreme Lord see Him with different forms, complexions, and qualities according to their individual ecstatic moods. One devotee sees the Lord as a brilliant sphere of light, another as having four arms and a red complexion, and yet another as having two arms holding a pair of lotus flowers. None of these different visions are illusory, because they are perceived by pure devotees, whom the Lord has no reason to deceive. TEXT 160
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yathaiva ca pthag jna sukha ca pthag eva hi tathpi brahma-tdtmye tayor aikya su-sidhyati
yathas; evajust; caand; pthakseparate; jnamknowledge; sukhamhappiness; caand; pthak separate; eva hiindeed; tath apihowever; brahma with the Absolute Truth; tdtmyebecause of the oneness in substance; tayoof them both; aikyam oneness; su-sidhyatibecomes well established. The Lords various forms are one, just as knowledge and happiness, though separate entities, are one because they are both aspects of the same Absolute Truth. Commentary: Anyone can understand from experience that since knowledge is the cause of happiness, happiness and knowledge are two separate entities. This difference is real, not illusory, because both knowledge and happiness are distinct and real aspects of Brahman, the Absolute Truth. But then again, due to the very fact that knowledge and happiness belong to the essential nature of the Absolute, the two are really one. According to the Taittirya and other Upaniads, Brahmans identity is knowledge and also happiness; and since Brahman is always one, nondual, its aspects knowledge and happiness are also essentially one. Demonstrably, knowledge and happiness are one and different and real because the Absolute Truth is Himself both one and many and He is real in the variety He exhibits. Thus we read in the Varha Pura: na tasya prkto mrtir msa-medo-sthi-sambhav na yogitvd varatvt satya-rpo cyuto vibhu The Supreme has no material form made of flesh, marrow, and bones. He has His form not by virtue of
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practicing yoga but because He is the Absolute Lord. The personal form of the infallible, allpowerful Lord is real. Another Pura, the Mah-varha Pura, also states: sarve nity vat ca dehs tasya partmana hnopadna-rahit naiva prakti-j kvacit All the bodies of the Supreme Soul are eternal and unchanging. They never undergo loss or gain, and they are never creations of material nature. paramnanda-sandoh jna-mtr ca sarvata sarve sarva-guai pr sarva-doa-vivarjit In all conditions they are full of the greatest intense bliss and pure consciousness, endowed with all auspicious qualities and devoid of all faults. anynnadhik caiva guai sarvai ca sarvata dehi-deha-bhid ctra nevare vidyate kvacit The bodies of the Supreme are all free from defects, unsurpassed in excellence, and full in all transcendental qualities. Thus the supreme controllers body and soul are never different from one another. tat-svkrdi-abdas tu hasta-svkra-vat smta vailakayn na v tatr jna-mtrrtham ritam When scripture records that He accepts bodies (and maintains them and gives them up), those
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arrangements are to be understood as casual and external, just like accepting someones hand in friendship. Saying that He is different from everyone else does not mean that He is nothing but pure consciousness. kevalaivarya-sayogd vara prakte para jto gatas tv ida rpa tad ity-di vyavasthiti By consorting with His exclusive potencies, the Supreme Lord transcends material nature, assumes forms like this one, and in various other ways maintains His unique status. TEXTS 161162

eva vicitra-deeu svapndv apy anekadh dyamnasya kasya pradn padasya ca ekatvam apy anekatva satyatva ca su-sagatam ekasmis toite rpe sarva tat tasya tuyati
evamthus; vicitravarious; deeuin places; svapna-dauin sleep and so on; apithough; anekadhin multiple appearances; dyamnasya seen; kasyaof Ka; pradnmof His associates; padasyaof His place; caand; ekatvam the oneness; apialso; anekatvamnon-oneness; satyatvamthe quality of being real; caand; susagatamperfectly consistent; ekasminone; toite being satisfied; rpeform; sarvamall; tatthose; tasyaHis; tuyatiare satisfied. Thus although Ka, His associates, and His abode are seen in various forms in different places, and in dreams and other special states of consciousness, they are with perfect consistency
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one although many, and they are always real. When any one of His forms is satisfied, so too are all His others. Commentary: If one worships Ka in any of His forms, whether they reside in Vaikuha or in any other of His abodes, one satisfies all His expansions. All the devotees of the Lords plenary expansions therefore have great fondness and regard for one another. TEXT 163

eko vaikuha-ntho ya r-kas tatra tatra hi tat-tat-sevaka-harya tat-tad-rpdin vaset

ekaone; vaikuha-nthaLord of Vaikuha; ayam this; r-kar Ka; tatra tatrain various places; hiindeed; tat-tatof various; sevaka servants; haryafor the pleasure; tat-tat various; rpa-dinwith forms and so on; vasetHe resides. That one Lord of Vaikuha, r Ka, resides in various places and appears in many forms just to give pleasure to all of His multitude of servants. Commentary: The Supreme Lord has a multitude of devotees to satisfy, and that is the fundamental reason He appears in so many different forms. He assumes forms like Dharma-nandana and resides in abodes like Badarikrama to give pleasure to devotees such as r Nrada. And as implied by the suffix -di (in tat-tad-rpdin), He displays various kinds of bodily ornaments, pastimes, and so on. Nrada ascribes such greatness to the Lord of Vaikuha because Lord Nryaa, like Ka in Goloka, is avatr, a source of expansions and incarnations. With this idea in mind, Nrada in this verse calls Lord Nryaa by the name r Ka. The use of the name Ka subtly implies that r Ka in Goloka is the most glorious of all the Lords forms.
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TEXT 164

etac ca vnd-vipine gha-hantur htvrbha-vatsn anubhtam asti r-brahma dvravat-pure ca prsda-vargeu may bhramitv
etatthis; caand; vnd-vipinein the Vndvana forest; agha-hantuof the killer of Aghsura (Ka); htvstealing; arbhathe boys; vatsnand calves; anubhtamexperienced; astiwas; rbrahmaby r Brahm; dvravat-purein the city of Dvrak; caand; prsda-vargeuamong the many palaces; mayby me; bhramitvwandering. r Brahm perceived this truth when he stole Kas boys and calves in the forest of Vndvana, and I realized it while wandering among His many palaces in the city of Dvrak. Commentary: Nrada now strengthens his presentation by citing the personal experiences of self-realized authorities, namely himself and his father, Lord Brahm. As described in the Tenth Canto of rmadBhgavatam, Brahm stole Kas young cowherd friends and calves. The one Supreme Lord Ka then expanded Himself into the forms of all the boys and calves just to keep their mothers happy, the gops and cows. One year later, Brahm returned and saw each of the boys and calves suddenly assume the form of Lord Viu. No one should think that only the original form of Ka was real and His expanded forms as boys and calves were mere reflections produced by My. Brahms own perception contradicts that idea: satya-jnnantnandamtraika-rasa-mrtaya aspa-bhri-mhtmy api hy upaniad-dm The viu-mrtis all had eternal, unlimited forms, full of knowledge and bliss and existing beyond the
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influence of time. Their great glory was not even to be touched by the jns engaged in studying the Upaniads. (Bhgavatam 10.13.58) As this incident confirms, the Supreme Lord is always real, whether He be one or many. Brahm thus prayed to Lord Ka in rmad-Bhgavatam (10.14.18), after being baffled in his attempt to fool Ka: adyaiva tvad te sya ki mama na te mytvam daritam eko si prathama tato vraja-suhd-vats samast api tvanto si catur-bhujs tad akhilai ska mayopsits tvanty eva jaganty abhs tad amita brahmdvaya iyate Have You not shown me today that both You Yourself and everything within this creation are manifestations of Your inconceivable potency? First You appeared alone, and then You manifested Yourself as all of Vndvanas calves and as the cowherd boys, Your friends. Next You appeared as an equal number of four-handed Viu forms, who were worshiped by all living beings, including me, and after that You appeared as an equal number of complete universes. Finally, You have now returned to Your unlimited form as the Supreme Absolute Truth, one without a second. In other words, Brahm that day asked Lord Ka whether Ka had not indeed shown him the illusory nature of the material world. Ka is personally present in this world created by My, which is insubstantial like a dream or a flight of fancy. And He displays Himself within this world of My in not only one but many different forms. But that day, by disguising Himself as His cowherd friends and calves, Ka made Brahm see the world as if Ka were not present, even though He always is. Every form Ka assumes is real because He and His
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expansions are the Supreme Absolute Truth. First Brahm saw Ka alone, then in the form of all the cowherd boys and calves, and these then became four-armed Viu forms, worshiped by all the beings of creation, subtle and gross, including Brahm. Brahm saw as many Vius as there were boys and calves. And each Viu was being served by all the causal elements and visible objects of the entire universe. In effect, then, Brahm saw a universe for each boy and each calf. And finally he saw only the unlimited Supreme, one without a second, as all the forms of Viu merged back into one, leaving only Ka, the Supreme Brahman. Lord Brahm realized that all these appearances were equivalent, since they were all untouched by the illusion of My and her energies. When Nrada visited the thousands of palaces of Kas queens in Dvravat-pur, he too saw for himself the simultaneous oneness and variety of the Supreme Person. Wandering from one palace to another, in each palace he saw Ka, in each palace acting in a different way. This does not mean that Ka was factually only in one palace and appeared in illusory forms in the others. Did Kas devoted servants deserve to be cheated in such a way, as if He didnt care enough to be truthful with them? Would Ka act in such a duplicitous way, the same Ka who is the best of compassionate benefactors, the ever-concerned caretaker of His devotees, and the surrendered servant of His servants? Surely not. Nor should anyone propose that because different residents of Dvrak simultaneously saw Ka in different palaces the visible facts disprove that Ka is one. If Ka were not one, the millions of Yadus could not have cooperated with one another so well to reciprocate with Him. Moreover, every day when Ka left each of His palaces to attend the Sudharm assembly, a single Ka, not 16,108 different Kas, arrived at the hall.
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When Nrada visited Dvrak, Ka kindly allowed him to witness His daily activities in the palace of each queen. As ukadeva Gosvm describes in rmad-Bhgavatam (10.69.41): ity caranta sad-dharmn pvann gha-medhinm tam eva sarva-geheu santam eka dadara ha Thus in every palace Nrada saw the same form of the Lord, carrying out the transcendental principles of religion that purify those engaged in household affairs. And at the beginning of the same chapter of the Tenth Canto (10.69.23) ukadeva says: citra bataitad ekena vapu yugapat pthak gheu dvy-aa-shasra striya eka udvahat ity utsuko dvravat devarir draum gamat Nrada thought, It is quite amazing that in a single body Lord Ka simultaneously married sixteen thousand women, each in a separate palace. Thus the sage of the demigods eagerly went to Dvrak to see this for himself. Nrada was eager to go to Dvrak to see Ka in His palaces only because Ka had married sixteen thousand princesses all at the same time, while remaining in one and the same body. Had Ka married His queens by expanding Himself into sixteen thousand duplicate forms, Nradas eagerness would not have been so aroused, since Nrada and other masters of mystic yoga like Saubhari are also able to expand themselves into duplicate forms. It was by sharing in Kas own mystic power to appear in expansions factually
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identical that r Devak, Vasudeva, Uddhava, and other devotees had also been present simultaneously with Ka in several different palaces, as Nrada had witnessed. Therefore Nrada was correct when he told Gopa-kumra, Ka, His associates, and His abodeare with perfect consistency one although many, and they are always real. (Texts 161162) TEXT 165

durvitarky hi s aktir adbhut pramevar kintv asyaiknta-bhakteu gha kicin na tihati

durvitarkyinconceivable; hiindeed; sthat; aktienergy; adbhutamazing; prama-var belonging to the supreme controller; kintubut; asyaHis; ekntaunalloyed; bhakteufrom the devotees; ghamconcealed; kicitanything; na tihatidoes not remain. Inconceivable indeed is the amazing energy of the supreme controller, but nothing can be hidden from His unalloyed devotees. Commentary: The apparently contradictory pastimes of the Lord can be relished only by the Lords devotees who understand them in pure devotion. Ordinary persons cannot unravel the mysteries of Kas pastimes, but these pastimes kindly reveal themselves to sincere devotees and allow such devotees to gradually develop exclusive devotion. Brahmj was at first bewildered by Kas mystic powers but was later enlightened. TEXT 166

patn-sahasrair yugapat prata dravya sa bhukte bhagavn yadaika payanti tny atra yath prati-svam dau mamdatta tad eva me tti
patnby wives; sahasraithousands; yugapat simultaneously; pratambrought; dravyamitems; saHe; bhukteeats; bhagavnthe Supreme Lord;
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yadwhen; ekaone; payantithey see; tnithose (items); atrahere; yathas; prati-svameach one individually; daufirst; mamamy (food); dattaHe took; tatthat; evaonly; memy; attiHe eats. When the one Personality of Godhead simultaneously eats the items brought to Him by thousands of wives, each wife sees that she has fed Him first and that the only offering He is eating is hers. Commentary: This is a good example of the mysterious nature of the Supreme Lords pastimes, an example taken from His loving dealings with His beloved consorts. The phenomenon described in this verse occurs both in Vndvana with the gops headed by r Rdh and in Dvrak with the queens headed by r Rukmi. In both abodes, Ka is sometimes fed at the same time by thousands of beloveds, each of whom sees Him accept only her offering. All of them are absolutely devoted to Him, and so He does not want to disappoint any of them. By being especially attentive to each one individually, He expertly increases the stimulus for their love. He does this factually, not by some illusory trick. The best examples of the wonderful ways the Lord receives service from His potencies are found in the pastimes of r Ka, in which both His opulence and His sweetness are fully displayed. The superexcellence of Ka as the source of all avatras will be discussed in the later chapters of r Bhad-bhgavatmta. To hint at this conclusion, the name Ka has been used in this chapter in reference to Lord Nryaa in texts 107, 140, 145, and 161. TEXT 167

kvacit kev api jveu tat-tac-chakti-praveata tasyvevatr ye te pi tadvan mat budhai

kvacitsometimes; keu apiin some; jveuliving
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entities; tat-tatof various; aktienergies; praveataby the entrance; tasyaHis; veaavatrempowered incarnations; yewho; tethey; apialso; tadvatlikewise; matare considered; budhaiby the intelligent. Sometimes certain energies of the Lord enter into particular jvas, who then become His akty-vea incarnations. The wise consider these empowered incarnations as good as the Lord Himself. TEXT 168

ydo bhagavn ko mah-lakmr apd tasya nitya-priy sndrasac-cid-nanda-vigrah

ydain which way; bhagavnthe Supreme Lord; kaKa; mah-lakmMah-lakm; apialso; din that way; tasyaHis; nityaeternally; priybeloved; sndraconcentrated; sat-cit-nanda of eternity, knowledge, and bliss; vigrahthe embodiment. The supreme goddess of fortune shares in the glories of the Supreme Lord Ka. She is eternally His beloved, the concentrated embodiment of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Commentary: Mah-lakm is the consort of Lord Nryaa, who again is called Ka in this verse. As the source of all other incarnations, Lord Nryaa is superior to the other forms of Godhead, such as the Vius involved with material creation. He is therefore called Mah-viu, and accordingly His principal consort is called Mah-lakm. r Viu Pura (1.8.17, 1.9.145) states: nityaiva s jagan-mt vio rr anapyin yath sarva-gato vius tathaiveya dvijottama

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O best of brhmaas, the goddess Lakm is the eternal mother of the universe. She never leaves the company of Lord Viu. Just as Viu is allpervading, so is she. devatve deva-deheya manuyatve ca mnu vior dehnurp vai karoty etmanas tanum When He appears as a demigod she appears as a goddess, and when He becomes a human man she becomes a human woman. She accepts for herself a body that exactly corresponds to whatever body Lord Viu assumes. TEXT 169

s sad bhagavad-vakasthale vasati tat-par tasy evvatrs t kasyevpar hi y

sshe; sadalways; bhagavatof the Personality of Godhead; vaka-sthaleon the chest; vasati resides; tat-pardedicated to Him; tasyher; evathus; avatrincarnations; tthey; kasyaLord Kas; ivalike; apar nondifferent; hiindeed; ywhich. She always resides on the Supreme Lords chest and is fully dedicated to the Lord. Her incarnations are nondifferent from her just as Lord Kas are nondifferent from Him. Commentary: On Svargaloka and wherever else Lord Viu descends, the goddess Lakm joins Him in her incarnations. Thus having innumerable avatras, she is equal in status to her husband. And just as He is one but displays an infinitude of personal forms, the one Lakm has a limitless and elaborate hierarchy of avatras, some of them seemingly superior to others yet all of them equally transcendental.
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TEXT 170

y mah-siddhivat tsu sarva-sampad-adhvar mumuku-mukta-bhaktnm upeky saiva bhti-d

ywho; mah-siddhigreat perfections; vat possessing; tsuamong them; sarvaall; sampatof opulences; adhvarthe controlling goddess; mumukuby candidates for liberation; mukta liberated souls; bhaktnmand devotees of the Supreme Lord; upekyneglected; sshe; eva indeed; bhti-dthe bestower of material prosperity. Among those expansions of Lakm is the controlling deity of all material opulence, who has great perfections at her command. But that bestower of prosperity is utterly neglected by liberated souls, by candidates for liberation, and by devotees of the Lord. Commentary: The goddess Lakm is glorified in many scriptures, including rmad-Bhgavatam (10.38.8): yad arcita brahma-bhavdibhi surai riy ca devy munibhi sa-stvatai The lotus feet of the Lord are worshiped by Brahm, iva, and all the other demigods, by the goddess of fortune, and also by the great sages and Vaiavas. Such statements indicate that she is more respected among the worshipers of the Supreme Lord than even liberated sages and pure Vaiavas. Why then is she sometimes disparaged as material and inferior? In this verse and the next, Nrada answers this doubt. Among the many expansions of the goddess of fortune, there is one Lakm who presides over all the opulences of the material world. All the residents of the universe, including the rulers of the various planets, owe their powers to her. Even the mystic siddhis of yogs proceed
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from her. Mumukus (persons striving for liberation) and muktas (persons who have already achieved it) neglect this particular form of Lakm because the opulences she bestows are nothing but favors for sense gratification, which to genuine mumukus and muktas are not at all attractive. Entanglement in mundane sense gratification is the main obstacle to liberation. TEXT 171

yasy eva viloly prya sarvatra kathyate navnm api bhaktn bhagavat-priyatdhik
yasythan whom; evaonly; vilolyunsteady; pryavirtually; sarvatrain all situations; kathyateis said; navnmnew; apieven; bhaktnm of devotees; bhagavatto the Personality of Godhead; priyatdearness; adhikmore. Everywhere it is said that even new devotees are dearer to the Personality of Godhead than that form of Lakm, who is usually very fickle. Commentary: According to the Puras and other scriptures, even neophytes, what to speak of mature, experienced devotees, are more favored by the Lord than is the material expansion of Lakm. Why? Because under the pretext that Durvs cursed her, or on some other excuse, that Lakm is always disappearing from one place and appearing in another. Thus at any moment she can abandon persons who have taken shelter of her. Nonetheless, because she is an incarnation of Mah-lakm, she has many of the exalted qualities of the original goddess of fortune. Thus we hear that during the churning of the Milk Ocean, when the material Lakm appeared from it, Lord Viu accepted her as His wife and she took up residence on His chest. In contrast with this Lakm, the original Mahlakm is Lord Nryaas dearmost servant. Always fully dedicated to His service, she remains on His
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chest eternally and is never fickle. The Lords devotees always worship her with the greatest reverence; they never neglect her as they do her material expansion. TEXT 172

eva dharay api jey par ca bhagavat-priy tathaiva bhagavac-chaktir api s jyat tvay
evamthus; dharathe goddess of the earth; api also; jeyshould be known; parother; caand; bhagavatto the Supreme Lord; priydear consorts; tathso; evajust; bhagavatof the Supreme Lord; aktithe energy; apialso; sshe; jyatm should be understood; tvayby you. Similar to the original Lakm, you should understand, are the goddess of the earth and the other consorts of the Lord, for the Lords creative energies are all of one category. Commentary: Nrada took the liberty to digress from glorifying Lord Nryaa to glorifying His consort. Now he digresses further into praise of all the Lords personal energies. Dhara (Bhmi) is Lord Nryaas second wife. There is one original, purely spiritual goddess of fortune, the Lord of Vaikuhas most beloved, who is always present at His side. His other energies mentioned in scripture are all expansions of that original Mah-lakm. Lord ivas consort Durg is also an expansion of Mah-lakm, and so are Durgs multiple expansions with their various forms and names. The terrible goddess Cmu, the wife of Lord ivas frightful expansion Bhairava, is also an incarnation of Lakm, the personal energy of the Supreme Lord. TEXT 173

mah-vibhti-abdena yoga-abdena ca kvacit yoga-mydi-abdena

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y kvacic ca nigadyate
mah-vibhtimah-vibhti; abdenaby the term; yogayoga; abdenaby the term; caand; kvacit sometimes; yoga-my-diyoga-my and so on; abdenaby the terms; ywho; kvacitsometimes; ca and; nigadyateis called. Lakm is sometimes called by such various terms as mah-vibhti, yoga, and yoga-my. Commentary: These words describe the goddess Lakm according to her various identities and activities. In addition to these terms, she is sometimes called prakti, akti, and so on. The Mah-sahit explains: r-bh-durgeti y bhinn jva-my mahtmana tma-my tad-icch syd gua-my jatmik She has the different names r, Bh, and Durg, which respectively indicate the Supreme Souls energy for manifesting the jvas, His personal energy of desire, and His energy of the material modes that constitute inert matter. The abdamahodadhi dictionary gives the following definition: tri-gutmiktha jna ca viu-aktis tathaiva ca my-abdena bhayante abda-tattvrtha-vedibhi Expert knowers of the science of language say that the word my refers to the potency of the three material modes, to knowledge, and to the personal energy of Lord Viu. And the Skanda Pura says: my-mayety avidyeti niyatir mohanti ca praktir vsanety eva
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tavecchnanta kathyate O Lord Ananta, Your desire is called by various names: memory, nature, the enchanter, fate, ignorance, and the source of illusion. TEXT 174

y sndra-sac-cid-nandavilsbhyudaytmik nity satypy andy-ant ynirvcy svarpata

ywho; sndraconcentrated; sat-cit-nandaof eternal existence, knowledge, and bliss; vilsaof the glory; abhyudayathe celebration; tmik comprising; nityeternal; satyabsolutely real; apialso; andi-antwithout beginning or end; y who; anirvcyindescribable; svarpatain essence. She personifies the glorious celebration of existence, knowledge, and bliss. She is eternal, absolutely real, and without beginning or end. The essence of her identity is beyond describing. Commentary: Because Mah-lakm is the total energy of the Supreme Truth, it is impossible to describe her completely. TEXT 175

bhagavad-bhajannandavaicitr-janan hi s nn-vidho bhagavato vieo vyajyate yay

bhagavatof the Personality of Godhead; bhajanain worshiping; nandaof the ecstasy; vaicitrthe varieties; jananwho generates; hiindeed; sshe; nnmany; vidhahaving aspects; bhagavataof the Supreme Lord; vieavariety; vyajyateis manifest; yayby whom. She is the mother who gives birth to the varieties of ecstasy that appear during the worship of the Lord. Through her the Supreme Lord displays His
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different features. Commentary: The previous two verses have described the goddess Lakms primary characteristics (svarpa-lakaa), and now this verse describes her secondary characteristics (taastha-lakaa). She is the agent who manifests the many varieties of charm and sweetness in the Lords devotional service. Although the devotees of the Lord are one with Him in the sense that they too have purely spiritual identities, both the Lord and His devotees have unique individual qualities. The jvas and the Personality of Godhead both belong to the same category, Brahman, but the jva-brahma differs from the para-brahma, as rays of light differ from the sun. In a similar way, devotional service to the Supreme Brahman is one but displays numerous varieties, by which devotees taste newer and newer sweetness at every moment during His worship. It is the Lords consort Lakm who displays all the varieties of the Supreme Person and His devotional service. He is the ultimate truth, one without a second, yet He has innumerable forms. He is both one and many. He has countless varieties of beauty and charm and countless varieties of pastimes, each one full of diversity. All of this is forever manifest as substantial reality with the help of the goddess Lakm. TEXT 176

tathaiva lakmy bhaktn bhakter lokasya karmam s s viea-vaicitr sad sampadyate yata
tath evathus; lakmyfrom Lakm; bhaktnmof devotees; bhakteof devotional service; lokasyaof the world; karmamof activities; s sthe various; vieaparticular; vaicitrvarieties; sadalways; sampadyatearise; yatafrom whom. Thus the distinct varieties of the Lords devotees, of His devotional service, of His world, and of His
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activities constantly arise from Lakm. Commentary: The Lord has many devotees, like r ea and Garua. His devotional service has many forms, like hearing and chanting. His abode, r Vaikuha, has a multitude of opulences. And He engages in many different activities. Lakm is the energy of the Lord through whom all this variety is manifest. Without her participation, the other energies of the Lord could not be displayed in diversity, because they are basically one with Him as pure spirit. As the word sad in this verse indicates, the unfolding of transcendental variety is eternal and ever expanding. In the words of r Viu-sahit: icch-aktir jna-akti kriy-aktir iti tridh akti-aktimato cpi na bheda kacid iyate She expands into three energiesthe energy of desire, the energy of knowledge, and the energy of action. No difference can ever be found between the energy and its possessor. At the end of the second chapter, the nature of variety within the Absolute Truth has already been elaborately discussed. In short, Lord Nryaa has various associates by His side, like ea (the son of Kadr) and Garua (the son of Vinat). r Nryaas Vaikuha appears in the material world in various forms like vetadvpa and Rampriyaloka. Various tastes appear in the different limbs (agas) of His devotional service, beginning with hearing and chanting. In His diverse pastimes He displays a host of wonderful qualities like His compassionate concern for His devotees. And in His highest abode He enjoys Himself in various ways, such as drinking His mothers breast milk, crawling on the ground, and playing childrens games. TEXT 177

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s ca tasy ca s ce jey tac-chuddha-sevakai atarky uka-dustarkajna-sambhinna-mnasai

sshe; caand; tasyher; caand; sthat; ce activity; jeyis understood; tatHis; uddha pure; sevakaiby the servants; atarky inconceivable; ukadry; dustarkaby questionable logic; jnaand knowledge; sambhinnaconfused; mnasaito those whose minds. The pure servants of the Lord understand her and her activities. But persons whose minds are confused by dry knowledge derived from bad logic cannot figure out what she is. Commentary: Philosophers can never fathom the truth of the Supreme Lords personal energy with their dry, faulty logic. Nrada said in Text 165, durvitarky hi s akti (Inconceivable indeed is this energy), and he made this statement in the course of proving that the Personality of Godhead in His expanded forms is both one and many. Now he extends this idea of inconceivability to all the varieties of spiritual and material existence, which without exception emanate from Him. TEXT 178

s parparayo aktyo par aktir nigadyate prabho svbhvik s hi khyt praktir ity api
sshe; parasuperior; aparayoand inferior; aktyoof the energies; par aktithe superior energy; nigadyateis called; prabhoof the Lord; svbhvikautonomous; sshe; hiindeed; khyt named; praktinature; itithus; apialso. Of the two divisions of the Lords energythe superior and the inferiorshe is known as the superior energy. She acts on her own and is also called prakti [nature].
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Commentary: Authorities like Prahlda Mahrja have glorified this principal energy of the Supreme as His par akti. In the Viu Pura (1.19.176177) r Prahlda contrasts her with the apar-akti, the inferior energy of the Supreme: sarva-bhteu sarvtman y aktir apar tava guray namas tasyai vatya surevara ytta-gocar vc manas cviea jni-jna-paricchedy vande tm var parm O Soul of all beings, O Lord of the demigods, I offer my obeisances to that eternal but inferior energy of Yours who is the shelter of the material modes found in all created beings. She is devoid of variety and beyond comprehension by words and the mind. She delimits the knower and his knowledge. I offer my homage to her, the supreme controller in this world. The Supreme Lords inferior energy, called My, who manifests inert matter, is beyond the range of words and the mind because she is devoid of material distinctionscategories, qualities, and so on. This is so because she is in essence an aspect of the Absolute Truth. Nonetheless, being the illuminator of all things, she manifests the difference between the jva, who is the knower, and his knowledge. She does this the same way she illuminates the distinctions between external objects like clay pots. Another way of understanding this concept is that the Lords inferior energy delimits the jna of the jns, the understanding of persons exclusively dedicated to theoretical knowledge; these speculative philosophers cannot surmise the truth about her by conjecture, because she limits the power of their
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knowledge. Indeed, only those persons who have pure devotion for the Supreme Lord have the mental strength to understand her. She is called var because she belongs to the essential being of the Lord. She is identical with Him in eternality and other transcendental qualities. Alternatively, the current verse spoken by Nrada does not refer to the Lords inferior energy, even though it includes the word prakti. Rather, Nrada is saying that the Lords superior energy, who is completely capable of arranging all the varieties that emanate from the Lord, is called par because she belongs to the pleasure potencies of the spiritual realm. She is also called akti and prakti by the speakers of the Puras. The word prakti means intrinsic nature, indicating that she is the natural, autonomous potency of the Personality of Godhead. She is said to be nondifferent from Him because her substance is the same as His. TEXT 179

a bahu-vidhs tasy lakyante krya-bhedata tasy eva praticchyrp my gutmik

aexpansions; bahu-vidhof many kinds; tasyher; lakyanteare designated; kryaof manifestations; bhedataby the differences; tasyher; evaindeed; praticchyof a shadow reflection; rpin the form; mythe illusory energy; gua-tmikcomprising the material modes. She has many expansions, who are named in terms of the various manifestations they produce. My, who comprises the material modes, appears as her shadow. Commentary: Although the expansions of the Lords divine energy are immeasurably variegated, they can be analyzed in terms of the visible existences they createthat is, the varieties of devotees,
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devotional service, and objects of devotion, each with their ecstasies, moods of exchange, and external appearances. The manifestations of the material energy can also be categorized in terms of diverse activities in fruitive work, materialistic devotion, cultivation of knowledge, and so on, each with its own subdivisions. In the Viu Pura (1.3.2) r Parara i describes the manifold effects of the Lords creative potency thus: aktaya sarva-bhvnm acintya-jna-gocar yato to brahmaas ts tu sargdy bhva-aktaya bhavanti tapat reha pvakasya yathoat All things that exist have their own potencies, understandable only by transcendental intelligence. O best of ascetics, the Supreme Truth also has His real potencies for creation and other functions, and these belong to Him as the power of heat belongs to fire. Commenting on this verse, rla rdhara Svm has written: loke hi sarve bhvn mai-mantrdn aktaya acintya-jna-gocar, acintya tarksaha yaj jna krynyathnupapatti-pramaka tasya gocar santi. yad v, acinty bhinnbhinnatvdi-vikalpai cintayitum aaky kevalam arthpatti-jna-gocar santi. yata evam ato brahmaa r-vior api ts tath-vidh sargdy sargdihetu-bht bhva-aktaya svabhva-siddh aktaya santy eva, pvakasya dhakatvdiakti-vat. Like gems, mantras, and so on, all things in this world have energies that can be understood only by
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inconceivable knowledge. This is the kind of knowledge one can acquire not by speculative reasoning but only by confronting tangible evidence one cannot otherwise explain. Or to put things another way, these energies are inconceivable in that one can understand them not by analyzing them in terms of how, for example, they differ or dont differ but only through arthpattithat is, presuming what is required to make sense of the known facts. Therefore, just as fire has potencies like the power to burn, the Absolute Truth, r Viu, has inconceivable energiesHis innate existential potencieswhich are the causes of creation and so on. There is also this statement from ruti (vetvatara Upaniad 6.8): na tasya krya karaa ca vidyate na tat-sama cbhyadhika ca dyate parsya aktir vividhaiva ryate svbhvik jna-bala-kriy ca He is not obliged to work and has no material senses to carry out work. No one can be found equal to Him or greater. And as we hear from scripture, His own superior energy has her manifold aspects knowledge, power, and movementwhich act autonomously. Thus all things have their own inconceivable energies, like the power of heat in fire. And the Supreme has His own inconceivable energies, nondifferent from Him. This is affirmed in the ruti text cited above, parsya aktir vividhaiva ryate. Thus nothing can defeat the potencies of the Supreme, just as not even the most potent conveyers of subtle power in the material world gems, mantras, and so oncan remove the heat-giving potency of fire. In short, the Supreme has eternal, unbounded powers. As declared in the Bhad-rayaka Upaniad (4.4.22), sad ayam asya sarvasya va sarvasyena sarvasydhipati: This Supreme is
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always the controller of everything, the ruler of everything, the master of everything in this world. The Supreme Brahman is the cause of the creation, maintenance, and destruction of the universe through His potency known as My, who is the shadow form of His internal pleasure potency (cid-vilsa-akti). My, who manifests the three modes of material existence, produces the variegated creation, and because she is the shadow of the Lords spiritual energy, material phenomena resemble the transcendental reality of Vaikuha. TEXT 180

mithy-prapaca-janan mithy-bhrnti-tamo-may ato nirpynitydy jva-sasra-kri

mithyfalse; prapacaof the material creation; jananthe generator; mithyfalse; bhrntiof illusions; tamaand of ignorance; maythe embodiment; atatherefore; anirpyindescribable; anitynot eternal; dyand primeval; jvaof the jvas; sasrathe cycle of material life; kri who creates. This My is the generator of the false material creation. She embodies falsity and ignorance, and therefore she cannot be described. Noneternal yet primordial, she creates for the jvas the cycle of material life. Commentary: Texts 180 through 182 define My in terms of her identity and effects. The created world of illusion consists of visible products and their causes, and My is the mother of all of them. She produces the illusion of material existencethe relative knowledge, ignorance, bondage, and liberation that make up the darkness of the conditioned souls who are removed from knowledge of reality. Thus she causes the jvas cycle of birth and death by expanding the force of delusion. Because what she creates is illusory, her
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actual character cannot be identified, and because her influence over an individual soul ends when that soul achieves true knowledge, she is said to be noneternal. But in truth she is beginningless because she is the shadow of the spiritual energy of the Supreme. TEXT 181

aamvaraasydhihtr mrtimat hi y krykra-vikrasyprpty praktir ucyate

aamaof the eighth; varaasyacovering; adhihtrthe presiding goddess; mrti-mat appearing in person; hiindeed; ywho; kryaof created objects; krain the form; vikrasyaof transformation; aprptybecause of there being no occurrence; praktiprimordial nature; ucyateis called. Appearing in person, she presides over the eighth covering of the universe. Because the transformations of material creation do not affect her, she is called prakti. Commentary: Matter is always in flux, changing from one state to another. But because My is the superintendent of this continuous transformation of matter, she herself is never subject to change. Thus she is called prakti, the primal form of material existence, the unchanging intrinsic basis of vikti, that which changes. In short, the cause of change is unchangeable. Therefore when Gopakumra visited My in her abode within the eighth covering of the universe, she referred to herself as nondifferent from the spiritual energy of the Lord, of whom she is a separated expansion: bhaktim icchasi v vios tathpy etasya ceikm bhagin akti-rp m kpay bhaja bhakti-dm
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Or if you want devotion to Viu, still you should be kind and worship me, the giver of devotion, for I am His maidservant, His sister, and the embodiment of His energy. (Bhad-bhgavatmta 2.3.28) TEXT 182

yasys tv atikrameaiva muktir bhakti ca sidhyati utpdita yay vivam aindrajlika-van m

yasyof whom; tubut; atikrameaby the transcending; evaonly; muktiliberation; bhakti devotional service; caand; sidhyatiare achieved; utpditamproduced; yayby whom; vivamthe material universe; aindrajlika-vatlike a magicians production; munreal. Only by transcending her does one attain liberation and devotional service. She has produced the material universe, a creation no more real than a magicians trick. Commentary: As a magician conjures up one illusion after another, My has countless ways to create false appearances. TEXT 183

akty sampdita yat tu sthira satya ca dyate kardama-prabhtn tat tapo-yogdi-ja yath
aktyby the energy; sampditamcreated; yatwhat; tuhowever; sthiramsubstantial; satyamreal; ca and; dyateis seen; kardama-prabhtnmby Kardama and others; tatthat; tapafrom their austerity; yogamystic yoga; diand so on; jam generated; yathas. But whatever that energy creates appears substantial and real, just like the things that ascetics like Kardama create from their
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austerities, mystic yoga, and other attainments. Commentary: The Lords energies, both spiritual and material, are His personal creative potencies. Whatever is produced by the Lords own akti is real and substantial in the sense that such a creation lasts for some time. Even finite souls like Kardama and Saubhari were able to create wonders that were substantial and real, like Kardamas flying palace, which could travel anywhere he desired. Certain inert objects in the material world, such as potent gems and mantras, also have such creative power. Magicians are expert in producing illusions. They know how to bewilder people. Yet their magical creations are unreal because those creations cannot be used for any practical purpose, cannot act in any real way, and after a moment cease to exist. In contrast to such useless illusions, adept ascetics and yogs are able to create things that anyone can see are substantial and real. The creators of such things enjoy their creations as they like, and the objects created may last for thousands of years. TEXT 184

niea-sat-karma-phalaika-dtur yogvarair arcya-padmbujasya kasya akty janita tay yan nitya ca satya ca para hi tadvat
nieaall; satauspicious; karma-phalafruits of work; ekaone; dtuof the bestower; yogvaraiby the masters of yoga; arcyaworshipable; pada-ambujasyawhose lotus feet; kasyaof Ka; aktyby the power; janitamcreated; tayby her; yatwhich; nityameternal; caand; satyamreal; ca and; paramtranscendental; hiindeed; tat-vatlike Him. Lord Ka alone is the bestower of the fruits of all auspicious work. His lotus feet are worshiped by the masters of yoga. Whatever His personal energy creates is eternal and real and beyond
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illusion, just as He is. Commentary: Since even jvas have the power to create substantial realities, whatever the Supreme Lords ubiquitous energy creates is by definition even more substantial and real. Performers of austerities and pious works achieve wonderful results from their endeavors, but it is the Supreme Lord Ka alone who provides those results. TEXT 185

eva bhagavat tena r-kenvatri na bhidyante vatrs te nity saty ca td

evamtherefore; bhagavatfrom the Personality of Godhead; tenaHim; r-kenar Ka; avatrithe source of all incarnations; na bhidyanteare not different; avatrincarnations; tethey; nityeternal; satyreal; caand; tdsuch. The incarnations of r Ka, the original Personality of Godhead, are likewise not different from Him, their source. Just as He is eternal and real, so are They. Commentary: Now Nrada is coming to his main point: r Kadeva is greater than all other forms of the Supreme Lord. Kas tu bhagavn svayam: Ka is the original Personality of Godhead. (Bhgavatam 1.3.28) To prepare Gopa-kumra for this point, Nrada sums up what he has said thus far by saying that all the avatras of Godhead are similar to Ka because they all share in His qualities of being nitya (eternal) and satya (real). Thus all the forms of Godhead, like Lord Badarntha and Lord Vaikuhantha, are nondifferent from Lord Golokantha. TEXT 186

eka sa ko nikhilvatrasamai-rpo vividhair mahattvai

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tais tair nijai sarva-vilakaair hi jayaty anantair bhaga-abda-vcyai

ekaalone; saHe; kaKa; nikhilaof all; avatraincarnations; samaicombined; rpathe form; vividhaivarious; mahattvaiby excellences; tai taieach of them; nijaiHis own; sarvafrom everything else; vilakaaiwhich are distinct; hiindeed; jayatiis victorious; anantaiwhich are infinite; bhaga-abdaby the term bhaga; vcyai which are designated. Ka alone is the source of all the incarnations of Godhead. By His infinitely various excellences, distinct from those of everyone else, He is always supreme. Those excellences are known by the term bhaga. Commentary: The plenary expansions of God are all nondifferent, but r Ka, being the source of the others, is supreme. Nrada calls Ka the samai-rpa, which means that Kas form subtly embodies all the other forms of the Godhead. Only Ka, the Lord of Goloka, is completely endowed with the special excellences of the Supreme Lord, all of them rare, unlimited, infinite, beyond the power to describe, and not found the same way in anyone else. Those excellences are identified in the Viu Pura (6.5.74) by Parara i: aivaryasya samagrasya vryasya yaasa riya jna-vairgyayo caiva a bhaga itgan Complete sovereignty, prowess, beauty, fame, knowledge, and reunciationthese six are called bhaga [opulences]. TEXT 187

nryad apy avatra-bhve savyajyamnair madhurair mano-jai tat-prema-bhaktyrdra-hd-eka-vedyair

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mhtmya-vargair vividhair viia

nryatthan Nryaa; apialso; avatraas an incarnation; bhvein His appearance; savyajyamnaiwhich manifest; madhuraisweeter; mana-jaimore charming; tat-prema-bhaktyby loving devotion to Him; rdrasoftened; htto a heart; ekaonly; vedyaiknowable; mhtmyavargaiby the many glories; vividhaivarious; viiawho is distinguished. And Ka is different from Nryaa, for when Ka appears in His descent in the material world He fully manifests the many unique glories that distinguish Ka alonecharming, attractive glories that can be known only to hearts softened by prema-bhakti. Commentary: Someone may raise the doubt that since Nryaa, the Lord of Vaikuha, is also described in Vedic scriptures as the avatr, or source of all incarnations, how can r Ka be greater than Nryaa? Nrada replies in this verse. Ka is the all-victorious Supreme Personality of Godhead, greater than everyone, including the Lord of Vaikuha. When Ka descends to the material world, He reveals especially sweet qualities that attract the hearts of everyone. What kinds of qualities distinguish r Ka as greater than all avatras, even the avatr Nryaa? To understand this topic properly one needs a heart softened by pure love for Ka. But even without that requirement one can consider that most forms of Godhead, like the Nryaa of Badarikrama, are only avatras, whereas the supreme controller r Nryaa, the Lord of Vaikuha, is not an avatra but the avatr. Ka, however, is both avatr and avatra. Thus Ka displays in His role as avatra the sweetness of His varied pastimes and in His role as the avatr the supreme status of the absolute controller. Therefore Ka is the greatest form of
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God. The special glories of Ka will be further discussed in the later chapters of r Bhadbhgavatmta. Even the pastimes of Ka in which He defeats and kills evil persons are sweeter and more charming than anyone can describe or can infer by logic, because each enemy Ka kills receives Kas complete mercy. Moreover, the ways that Ka defeats and kills demons is supremely attractive, what to speak of the ways Ka reciprocates kindly with His surrendered devotees. With all of them He reciprocates according to their rasasharing meals with them, relaxing with them, playing His flute for their pleasure, dancing with them in the rsa-ll, and so on. This will be described more fully later on. TEXT 188

tem apy avatr sevakai parama mahat labhyate sukham tmtmapriya-sev-rasnugam

temof these; apinonetheless; avatrm incarnations; sevakaiby the servants; paramamthe most; mahatsupreme; labhyateis achieved; sukham happiness; tma-tmaeach individually; priya loving; sevof service; rasathe mood; anugamin accordance with. Still, the servants of the Lords incarnations achieve the greatest happiness in the loving services they prefer, each according to his own mood. Commentary: Since r Kadeva is the boundless ocean of all superexcellent glories, why doesnt every devotee serve Him and Him alone to obtain the highest possible happiness? The answer is that every Vaiava, no matter what form of Viu he worships, achieves a special individual happiness, suited exactly to his own attitude, and this completely fulfills his hearts desires. All the
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Supreme Lords pure servants know such perfect satisfaction, so they all attain the ultimate limit of happiness available in their own rasas. TEXT 189

upsannusrea datte hi bhagavn phalam na tatrparitoa syt kasyacit sdhya-lbhata

upsanworship; anusreaaccording to; datte gives; hiindeed; bhagavnthe Supreme Lord; phalamrewards; nanot; tatrathere; aparitoa dissatisfaction; sytwould be; kasyacitof anyone; sdhyathe goal; lbhatabecause of achieving. According to the way one worships, the Lord awards different results. One who thus reaches the goal he has pursued never feels discontent. Commentary: The Personality of Godhead knows everything there is to know. He is also the most merciful giver of charity. Why then doesnt He give the same supreme happiness to all His devotees? It is because what He gives them depends on their expressed desires. Then arent the devotees dissatisfied who receive happiness that is relatively less? No. When the Supreme Lord reciprocates the love of any of His pure devotees, the devotee is never left feeling incomplete, because everything the devotee wanted the Lord provides. TEXT 190

vicitra-ll-vibhavasya tasya samudra-ko-gahanayasya vicitra-tat-tad-ruci-dna-llvibhtim uttarkayitu prabhu ka

vicitravariegated; llof pastimes; vibhavasya whose expanded glories; tasyaof Him; samudraof oceans; kolike millions; gahanadeep; ayasya whose mind; vicitravariegated; tat-tatdifferent individual; rucitastes; dnagiving; llof
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pastimes; vibhtimwhose opulence; uttarkayitumto understand by speculation; prabhucapable; ka who. The Lords pastimes expand in unlimited variety. His mind is deeper than millions of oceans. The opulence of His diverse pastimes attracts His devotees to Him in so many ways. Who can understand Him by speculation? Commentary: But why doesnt the Lord bestow the very best method of worship upon all His devotees? After all, He is Hkea, the master of the senses, who inspires all the energies of knowledge and activity. If He wanted to bestow the very best method, He could, but He chooses instead to respond to the individual taste of each devotee for a particular loving service. This variety of reciprocation with many different devotees is His ll and His special greatness. How can anyone presume to understand why He acts as He does? We can understand only this much: Were He not to expand varieties of pastimes with various devotees, the charm of His variegated enjoyment would not be complete. TEXT 191

sidhyet tathpy atra kp-mahihat yat tratamye pi nija-svabhvata spardhdy-avttair nikhilair yath-ruci prpyeta sev-sukham antya-sma-gam
sidhyetwould be obtained; tath apinonetheless; atrain this; kpof mercy; mahihatthe ultimate perfection; yatwhich; tratamyein the hierarchy; apieven; nijaeach individually; svabhvataaccording to the natures; spardh-di of envy and so on; avttaiin whom there is no occurrence; nikhilaiby all; yath-ruciaccording to taste; prpyetais achieved; sevof service; sukhamthe happiness; antyafinal; smaits limit; gamwhich has reached.

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Even amidst such diverseness the Lords mercy achieves its highest perfection, for despite the hierarchy of greater and lesser devotees, none are affected by envy or by any such bad feelings toward others. Each devotee, following his own nature, attains the final limit of happiness in the service that suits his own taste. Commentary: That the Supreme Lord does not behave the same with every devotee does not invalidate the glory of His boundless compassion. Rather, His discriminating dealings with His servants enhance His reputation because every devotee relishes the highest possible happiness. By the nature of devotional service, none of the Lords servants ever become dissatisfied. On the heavenly planets and elsewhere in the material world, inequality always leads to conflict and envy, but not so in the dealings between the Supreme Lord and His devotees. Rivalry, jealousy, and other undesirable emotions never interfere with their happiness. Devotees on the path of pure devotional service are protected from these inauspicious influences, including false pride and malice towards others. Vaiavas are naturally friendly to one another. Free from envy, they can peacefully pursue their real self-interests. TEXT 192

na sac-cid-nanda-ghantman hi sv-alpe pi saukhye bahu-saukhya-buddhi ssrikm iva npi tucchasukhnubhtir yatinm iva syt
nanot; sat-cit-nandain eternity, knowledge and bliss; ghanafull; tmanmwhose identity; hi indeed; su-alpevery much inferior; apiindeed; saukhyein happiness; bahuof great; saukhya happiness; buddhithe idea; ssrikmof materialists; ivaas; nanot; apialso; tuccha insignificant; sukhaof happiness; anubhtithe experience; yatinmof impersonalist sannyss; ivaas; sytthere is.
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Because the Lords pure devotees are absorbed in their true identity of eternity, knowledge, and bliss, they do not accept inferior happiness as great. Nor do they get involved with the petty pleasures of materialists or of sannyss with impersonalist views. Commentary: Ordinary people may by ignorance consider meager pleasure to be great, but Vaiavas are not fooled. Because materialists entrapped in the cycle of birth and death are motivated by urges for sense gratification, such materialists consider the stimulation of sensory contact to be real happiness. Similarly, impersonalist renunciants cultivating knowledge of their spiritual identity hope to find real happiness in liberation. In most cases, however, the impersonalist sannyss do not reach even the petty happiness for which they aspire. The cause of frustration for both the materialists and the impersonalists is their failure to realize their own true nature as spiritual souls. A person who actually realizes himself as pure spirit can never consider material happiness complete, nor can he be enticed by trivial sense gratification, nor by the meager happiness of impersonal liberation, because he is immersed in the most intense ecstasy. TEXT 193

tratamya tu kalpyeta sva-sva-sevnusrata tat-tad-rasa-sajtyasukha-vaicitry-apekay

tratamyama hierarchy; tubut; kalpyetais imagined; sva-svatheir own; sevservice; anusrataaccording to; tat-tateach different; rasato the tastes; sajtyacorresponding; sukha of happiness; vaicitrfrom the various kinds; apekayby the derivation. The hierarchy among devotees is only imagined according to their own forms of service and
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according to the happiness each devotee derives from his own relationship with the Lord. Commentary: Every pure Vaiava obtains results suitable to his own devotional attitude. What then is the basis for a hierarchy of greater and lesser devotees? In truth, no such hierarchy exists. It is only imagined as a device for comparing different kinds of devotional service. Each devotional relationship, or rasa, and its corresponding varieties of pleasure may for convenience be measured in terms of relative degrees of perfection. In the nine methods of devotional practice, such as hearing and chanting, and in the various services devotees render to the Lord in Vaikuha and elsewhereattending the Lord in person, massaging His feet, dressing His hair, serving Him as a doorkeepereach devotee relishes the highest possible happiness from his own service to his own worshipable Lord. By presuming a hierarchy of these services one may also devise a hierarchy of happiness and may accordingly rank devotees. But even if, as some persons hold, such a hierarchy is factual, no pure Vaiava thinks himself deprived of anything; all the Lords devotees feel completely satisfied and happy. TEXT 194

vaikuha-vsino hy ete kecid vai nitya-prad pare kasya kpay sdhayitvemam gat
vaikuha-vsinathe residents of Vaikuha; hi certainly; etethese; kecitsome; vaicertainly; nityaeternal; pradassociates; pareothers; kasyaof Lord Ka; kpayby the mercy; sdhayitvattaining perfection; imamhere; gat have come. Some of these residents of Vaikuha are eternal associates of Lord Ka, and others have come here by His mercy, having gained the privilege to enter.
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Commentary: Because the servants of the Supreme Lord are by constitution as purely spiritual as He, one may doubt that there can be any difference between the devotees and the Lord, any distinction between servant and served. Texts 194 through 199 resolve this doubt. Some residents of Vaikuha have always been there, like Ananta ea and Garua. Others, like Bharata, Priyavrata, and Jaya and Vijaya, have come to Vaikuha from the material world and have become associates of the Lord relatively recently, having gained entrance into Vaikuha after successfully practicing devotional service. TEXT 195

bhajannanda-smye pi bheda kacit prakalpyate bhyntara-bhvena dra-prva-sthatdin

bhajanaof worship; nandaof the bliss; smyein equality; apieven; bhedadifference; kacitsome; prakalpyateis supposed; bhyaoutsiders; antara and insiders; bhvenain terms of; drafar; prvanearby; sthatbeing situated; dinand so on. Although everyone equally enjoys the bliss of worshiping the Lord, certain differences are conceived. Devotees are considered relative outsiders or insiders, depending, for example, on whether they serve the Lord from afar or from nearby. Commentary: In the opinion of some Vaiavas, different qualities of devotional service earn their performers different degrees of perfection. Otherwise in Vaikuha there would be no meaningful distinction between the Lords eternal servants and newly liberated devotees. In this verse Nrada agrees that although all devotees enjoy the ecstasy of worshiping Lord Nryaa there are minor differences in what various devotees achieve in
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Vaikuha. Some devotees seem to have more intimate relationships with Lord Nryaa than do others. And when the Lord descends to the earth and other material planets, select devotees are privileged to accompany Him. The truth is that there are no real differences in devotional achievement, only different individual services. If some Vaiavas insist on the idea of different degrees of perfection, that idea may be granted, but the differences are insignificant. TEXT 196

yady apy e hi nityatvt smya bhagavato bhavet sevya-sevakatpy ste nity saty svabhvata
yadi apialthough; emof them; hicertainly; nityatvtbecause of the eternality; smyam equality; bhagavatato the Supreme Lord; bhavet there is; sevyathe conditions of being the served; sevakatand the servant; apialso; stethere are; nityeternal; satyreal; svabhvatanaturally. Though all these devotees are equal to the Supreme Lord in being eternal, there is still a natural distinction between the servant and the served. This distinction is eternal and real. Commentary: Sdhana-siddha devotees, who have come to Vaikuha after liberation from the material world, are obviously inferior to the infallible Supreme Lord. No one should doubt that they are subordinate to Him. But why should the Lords eternal associates like r ea and Garua be considered subordinates? To remove this doubt, we need to understand that just as the sameness of the Lord and the jvas is eternal, so also is the difference between them. The Supreme Lord is always the served, and the jvas, no matter who they are, are always His servants. This is a basic fact, and no logical maneuvers will ever be able to refute it.
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TEXTS 197198

sac-cid-nanda-sndratvc cai bhagavat saha smye pi bhajannandamdhurykara-vidyay kaycid anaytarkyann-madhurimrave tasmin r-ka-pdbje ghaate dsat sad
sat-cit-nandaof eternity, knowledge, and bliss; sndratvtbecause of being the embodiment; caand; emtheir; bhagavat sahawith the Lord; smyein equality; apieven; bhajana-nandaof the bliss of worshiping; mdhuryaof sweetness; kara attractive; vidyayby a mystic potency; kaycit certain; anaythis; atarkyainconceivable; nn variegated; madhurimaof sweetness; aravewhich are an ocean; tasminfor these; r-kaof r Ka; pda-abjethe lotus feet; ghaatehappens; dsatservanthood; sadalways. These devotees are equal to the Lord in being embodiments of eternity, knowledge, and bliss, just like Him. Yet r Ka has a certain inconceivable mystic potency that attracts these devotees to the sweet ecstasy of worshiping Him and makes them always think that they are servants at His lotus feet. Commentary: Kas devotees are helplessly attracted to Him, like iron filings naturally drawn to a magnet. The eternal associates of the Lord have never known another way of life, and the new residents of Vaikuha, perhaps for several lifetimes, practiced being attracted to Him before they were allowed to enter the spiritual world. The attractive force of devotional service to Ka is inconceivable; it works in its own way, without having to be understood or even noticed. Yet
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somehow it immerses pure devotees in the boundless ocean of Kas sweetness and draws them irresistibly to His service. Only in this way is the distinction of served and servant maintained forever. TEXT 199

tai sac-cid-nanda-ghanair aeai r-ka-devasya yathvatrai khyto vatritvam te pi smye tais tair mahattvair madhurair viea
taiwith those; sat-cit-nandaof eternity, knowledge and bliss; ghanaifull embodiments; aeaiall; r-ka-devasyaof Lord r Ka; yathas; avatraiwith the incarnations; khyta renowned; avatritvamthe quality of being the source of incarnations; tedespite; apieven; smyein equality; tai taieach one of them; mahattvaiby His perfections; madhuraisweet; vieathe distinction. And so it is with His incarnations. They are also nondifferent from r Kadeva, for they are complete embodiments of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. But although Ka is considered nondifferent from His plenary expansions, He is also distinct from them, and not only because He is their source but also because He has His own sweet perfections. Commentary: r Ka, the Lord of Goloka, is acclaimed in the Puras and other Vedic scriptures for being especially sweet. The sweetness found in Him is not fully present in Lord Nryaa or any of His other expansions. Of course, Ka is different from His avatras because He is their source, yet He is still further different as the supreme allattractive object of love. As implied here by the word api, it is only natural that Ka be the original Personality of Godhead and that all other forms of God emanate from Him. But Ka is special not only as the avatr but
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also as an avatra. He alone is the source of all incarnations of God, and only He displays such wonderful charming pastimes when He descends to the material world. The Puras give evidence of those pastimes, recounting many of r Kas unequaled exploits. The jvas allowed to associate with Lord Ka in His abode are surely aware that He, being the supreme controller of all existence, is much greater than they. What most impresses Kas devotees, however, is His infinitely variegated sweetness; by seeing His beauty and other glories, they are constantly assured that He is different from everyone else. Only by this deep appreciation of Kas supremacy can His most fortunate devotees sustain their exalted love for Him and share intimate exchanges with Him in the ecstatic tastes of transcendental rasa. TEXT 200

vadanti kecid bhagavn hi ka su-sac-cid-nanda-ghanaika-mrti sa yat para brahma pare tu sarve tat-prad brahma-may vimukt
vadantisay; kecitsome; bhagavnthe Supreme Lord; hiindeed; kaKa; superfectly; sat-citnanda-ghanaof complete eternity, knowledge and bliss; ekaexclusive; mrtithe embodiment; sa He; yatwhich; param brahmaSupreme Absolute Truth; pareothers; tubut; sarveall; tatthat; prad personal associates; brahma-mayembodiments of the Absolute; vimuktliberated. Some persons say that Lord Ka is the exclusive embodiment of perfect eternity, knowledge, and bliss. He is, after all, the Supreme Brahman. But His associates are all liberated souls who are also embodiments of Brahman. Commentary: Some may propose that only Ka is absolute, because He is the Supreme Brahman. Strictly speaking, this is true, but the absolute
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person Ka also includes all His energies. So His pure devotees should certainly be recognized to be on the same absolute platform of spiritual perfection. The Lords servants, including Ananta ea, Garua, and others in Vaikuha, are brahmamay, one with Him in quality. Jns and yogs may become mukta, elevated to impersonal oneness with the Supreme, but the devotees of Nryaa are vimukta, super-liberated, because they participate in the personal oneness of bhakti. TEXT 201

bhakty-nanda-vieya ll-vigraha-dhria tay bhagavata akty cid-vilsa-svarpay

bhaktiof devotional service; nandaof the ecstasy; vieyafor the sake of the variety; llfor pastimes; vigrahapersonal forms; dhriawho assumes; tayby that; bhagavataof the Supreme Lord; aktypotency; cit-vilsaof His playful spiritual expansions; svarpaywho is of the essential nature. This equality is created by a special potency of the Lord, a playful aspect of His pure spiritual self. As Ka assumes various forms for His pastimes, she creates varieties of ecstasy in devotional service. Commentary: How do the Lords devotees share His supremacy? By the power of bhakti. Bhakti, the worship of the Supreme Person with love, gives a special ecstatic mellow taste. And by the influence of bhakti, the Personality of Godhead displays special forms for particular pastimes. Still, persons who regard Ka as the Supreme Brahman and yet are unclear about the position of His associates may have a question: Since the devotees who join in the Lords pastimes have already attained liberation, oneness with Brahman, why should such devotees descend again into duality by
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assuming different bodies for those pastimes? The answer has already been given: By even asking such a question, one acknowledges the distinction between served and servant. Still, one might counter that since the liberated impersonalists and the devotees of the Personality of Godhead are both in the same liberated condition, that of sac-cidnanda, nothing less and nothing more, the devotees of the Personality of Godhead must enjoy no more happiness than liberated impersonalists. But this has also been previously answered. As the most confidential Vedic scriptures told Gopa-kumra on Brahmaloka: jva-svarpa-bhtasya sac-cid-nanda-vastuna skd-anubhavenpi syt tdk sukham alpakam The happiness that arises from directly perceiving the true identity of the jva soulthe entity composed of eternity, knowledge, and blissis actually very meager. (Bhad-bhgavatmta 2.2.176) The happiness of mere self-realization is limited, unlike the unimaginable happiness found in true liberation, in which one realizes ones loving relationship with the Supreme. Thus everything Nrada has said stands unrefuted. TEXT 202

r-gopa-kumra uvca pa mayeda bhagavan dhar-tale tihanti y r-pratim mah-prabho t sac-cid-nanda-ghans tvay mat nldri-ntha puruottamo yath
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; pamasked; mayby me; idamthis; bhagavanmy lord (Nrada); dharof the earth; taleon the surface; tihantistand; ywho; r-pratimthe divine Deities; mah-prabhoof the Supreme Lord; tthey; sat-cit-nanda-ghanembodiments of
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eternity, knowledge, and bliss; tvayby you; matconsidered; nldriof Nldri; nthathe master; puruottamaLord Puruottama (Jaganntha); yathas. r Gopa-kumra said: I then asked, My lord, divine Deity forms of the Supreme Godhead, like Lord Puruottama, the master of Nldri, are present on earth, and you consider them embodiments of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Commentary: Gopa-kumra is very much attracted to arcana, the devotional process of Deity worship. He has enjoyed the benefits of arcana in Jagannthapur and on several higher planets in the universe. He has also heard about the glories of this process from various authoritative scriptures. Nrada, however, has created a doubt in Gopa-kumra by telling him that the Deities of the Supreme Lord are just another kind of incarnation, indistinguishable from other avatras. Earlier in this chapter (texts 155 and 157), Nrada said: ye kautukc ca pratim-sarp ... te sac-cid-nanda-ghan hi sarve nntva-bhjo pi sadaika-rp There are those who playfully assume the appearance of Deities. . . . Each of these forms of the Lord has its own activities and names, yet all of them are full in eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Though manifesting variety, in substance they are eternally one and the same. TEXT 203

eko pi bhagavn sndrasac-cid-nanda-vigraha kpay tatra tatrste tat-tad-rpea llay

ekaone; apialthough; bhagavnthe Supreme Lord; sndrafull; sat-cit-nandaof eternity, knowledge,
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and bliss; vigrahawhose body; kpayby His mercy; tatra tatrain various places; steHe is present; tat-tatvarious; rpeain forms; llay as His pastime. The one Personality of Godhead, whose body is always sac-cid-nanda, mercifully enacts the pastime of being present in various places in various forms. Commentary: To increase His own pleasure and show kindness to His devotees, and to the whole world, Lord Ka appears in Pur and other places as Deities like Lord Jaganntha. His Deity forms appear not only on earth but also on other planets of Bhloka and in the higher and lower planetary systems. TEXT 204

tat sarva-nairapekyea ko doa syt tad-arcane kathacit kriyame pi mah-lbho pi budhyate

tattherefore; sarvaof everything; nairapekyea with neglect; kawhat; doafault; sytwill there be; tatof these forms; arcanein the worship; kathacitsomehow; kriyamebeing done; apieven; mahgreat; lbhabenefit; apiindeed; budhyateis understood. What then could be wrong with worshiping those forms, disregarding everything else? I would think that no matter how this was done it would bring great benefit. Commentary: Why should the Lords devotee be criticized for neglecting other spiritual disciplinesdharma, karma, yoga, and so onto worship the Lords arc-vigraha? It seems logical that he should gain greatly by such dedication, since all the other devotional practices are included in the worship of the Deity. TEXT 205
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tata katha purebhya ryante tat-tad-uktaya aprama ca t na syur mahan-mukha-vinist

tatatherefore; kathamhow; purebhyafrom the Puras; ryanteare heard; tat-tatthose various; uktayastatements; apramamunauthoritative; ca and; tthey; na syucannot be; mahatof exalted souls; mukhafrom the mouths; vinistemanating. But why, therefore, do we hear differing opinions about this from the Puras? The Puric statements, coming as they do from the mouths of exalted souls, cannot be less than authoritative. Commentary: rmad-Bhgavatam and other Puras make comments that apparently deprecate the value of Deity worship. For example: arcym eva haraye pj ya raddhayehate na tad-bhakteu cnyeu sa bhakta prkta smta A devotee who faithfully engages in worshiping the Deity in the temple but does not behave properly toward other devotees or people in general is called a prkta-bhakta, a materialistic devotee, and is considered to be in the lowest position. (Bhgavatam 11.2.47) yo m sarveu bhteu santam tmnam varam hitvrc bhajate mauhyd bhasmany eva juhoti sa One who worships the Deity of Godhead in the temples but does not know that the Supreme Lord, as Paramtm, is situated in every living entitys heart must be in ignorance and is compared to one who offers oblations into ashes. (Bhgavatam 3.29.22)
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aham uccvacair dravyai kriyayotpannaynaghe naiva tuye rcito rcy bhta-grmvamnina My dear Mother, even if a person worships Me with proper rituals and paraphernalia, if he is ignorant of My presence in all living entities he never pleases Me by the worship of My Deities in the temple. (Bhgavatam 3.29.24) These and other statements of stra, such as pratim manda-buddhnm (The Deity is meant for persons who are less intelligent), come from the mouths of great sages. And the verses cited above are the Supreme Lords own words, retold from the mouth of r ukadeva. As a matter of principle, the words of trustworthy authorities, such as the Lord and His pure devotees, should be accepted as true. Therefore Gopa-kumra is puzzled. Any knowledgeable person would surely agree that the Deity forms of the Lord, like r Sakaraa and others that appear on the various varas of Bhloka, including the Deities of r Ragantha and Jaganntha in Their transcendental cities on earth, are directly the Personality of Godhead and should be worshiped with faith. But the words pratim (image) and arc (worshiped Deity) are often used in scripture to criticize the narrow vision of immature devotees, and these special incarnations of the Supreme LordSakaraa, Ragantha, and Jagannthaalso present Themselves as pratim and arc. Does this mean they are inferior forms? Gopa-kumra hopes that Nrada will clear up this doubt. TEXT 206

tac chrutvokta prabho pjmrgdi-gurumun utthya paramnandn mm liyedam uttaram

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tatthat; rutvhearing; uktamsaid; prabhoof the Lord; pjof worship; mrgaof the path; di and so on; guruby the preceptor; amunhim; utthyastanding up; paramaextreme; nandtout of ecstasy; mmme; liyaembracing; idamthis; uttaramanswer. Nrada Muni is the first spiritual master for the path of worshiping the Deity of the Lord. Upon hearing my question, he stood up, embraced me in extreme ecstasy, and answered in this way. Commentary: By composing the Nrada Pacartra, Nrada long ago became the original teacher of the method of Deity worship as pure devotional service. In this verse, the word mrga means path, and since it is derived from the verb mg (to seek) it can also be understood to mean goal of endeavor. TEXTS 207209

r-nrada uvca pratim y mayoddi skd-bhagavat sam tsm arcana-mhtmya tvad st su-drata dym dhunik vrc sva-dharmdy-anapekay skc-chr-bhagavad-buddhy bhajat ktrimm api na ptitydi-doa syd gua eva mahn mata sevottam mat bhakti phala y parama mahat
r-nrada uvcar Nrada said; pratimthe Deity forms; ywhich; mayby me; uddi indicated; sktoriginal; bhagavatto the Personality of Godhead; samequal; tsmthose
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Deities; arcanaof worshiping; mhtmyamthe glories; tvat stmwhat to speak of; su-drata keeping far away; dymancient; dhunikmrecent; vor; arcmDeity form; sva-dharma-diones own religious duties and so on; anapekay disregarding; sktdirectly; r-bhagavatthe Supreme Lord; buddhyconsidering; bhajatmfor those who worship; ktrimmartificial; apieven; nano; ptitya-diof falling down and so on; doafault; sytthere is; guavirtue; eva rather; mahngreat; mataconsidered; sev service; uttamhighest; matconsidered; bhakti devotional service; phalamfruit; ywhich; paramammost; mahatexcellent. r Nrada said: The Deity forms I have mentioned are all equal to the original Personality of Godhead. There is no need to even mention the glories of worshiping Them. Persons who worship the Lords Deitybe it ancient, new, or even concocted provided they worship the Deity as being directly the Lord Himself, will not fall down from their religious status or be otherwise at fault, even if they neglect their prescribed duties and other such principles. Rather, their behavior should be considered exemplary, and such Deity worship should be regarded as exalted devotional service, yielding the best of fruits. Commentary: Even irregular worship of the Supreme Lord in His Deity form is all-auspicious. Because of the strength of bhakti, worshipers who fail to observe all the prescribed varrama duties are not to be considered fallen from the standards of civilized behavior. Nor should they be considered unqualified for material reasons, nor faulted for imperfect knowledge of the methods of worship. Ordinarily, offenses committed in ritual Deity worship bring infamy in this life and hellish punishment in the next. But worship of the Lords Deity performed with faith and devotion is transcendental. Persons who practice devotional
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service are excused for their lack of material qualification: mat-karma kurvat pus kriy-lopo bhaved yadi te karmi kurvanti tisra koyo maharaya If persons doing devotional service to Me happen to fail to execute some of their karmic duties, thirty million exalted sages carry out those obligations on their behalf. (Padma Pura) The general opinion of saintly persons is that devotional worship of the Supreme Lords Deity is always praiseworthy. And exalted Vaiava cryas consider Deity worship a principal activity of pure devotional service. The primary meaning of the word bhakti is sev (service), and service to the Lord in the form of Deity worship includes elements of all the methods of bhakti-yoga. This worship leads to the highest perfection of life, far beyond accomplishments in the four ordinary categories of human endeavor. TEXT 210

siddhi syd bhagavad-dy ta-sammnand api sakd uccran nmbhsasya ravat tath
siddhiperfection; sytthere will be; bhagavatof the Lord; dyby vision; taa blade of grass; sammnantby honoring; apialso; saktone time; uccratby uttering; nmaof the Lords name; bhsasyaof a shadow; ravatby hearing; tath and. One can reach perfection by honoring even a blade of grassprovided one sees within it the presence of the Supreme Lordor by just once uttering or hearing even a faint semblance of the Lords name. Commentary: One who understands that in a blade of
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grass the Supersoul is present along with the jva soul, and who therefore honors the grass by watering it and bowing down, is in fact performing devotional service to the Supreme Lord. Such a person easily attains liberation or whatever else he desires. And the same results are obtainable from just once pronouncing or hearing even a dim reflection of the Lords holy name. TEXT 211

kutas tat-smrake tasydhihne mantra-saskte sarva-bhakti-pade pjyamne dodi-tarkaam

kutahow; tatof Him; smrakewhich evokes remembrance; tasyaHis; adhihnein the place of appearance; mantraby mantra; saskteconsecrated; sarvaall; bhaktiof devotional service; padethe repository; pjyamnein being worshiped; doa-di of faults and so on; tarkaampresumption. How then can one find fault in worshiping the Deity, in whom the Lord personally appears, who evokes remembrance of the Lord, who has been consecrated by mantras, and who is the receiver of all kinds of devotional service? Commentary: When the Deity of Lord Viu has been properly installed with the vhana (invitation) mantras and is worshiped by devotees who have put aside all misconceptions that He is a statue of wood or stone, such worship is faultless. Even logicians have to admit the existence of inconceivable potencies in special worldly things gems, mantras, potent medicines, and so on. If even material objects act in ways undetectable by mundane senses and intelligence, then why cant the Supreme Lord, in His own creation, appear as He wants? The Lords Deity helps the conditioned souls in their meditation by allowing them to see the Lords form. Those who visit the Deity see the beauty of all His limbs simultaneously and are
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effortlessly transported to the ocean of devotional ecstasy. Simply by worshiping the Deity one performs all nine processes of bhakti-yogahearing, chanting, remembering, serving the Lords lotus feet, worshiping, offering prayers, becoming the Lords servant, becoming His friend, and surrendering everything. TEXT 212

kadpi ka-pratimrcanvat na sambhavet ka-parev andara ghaeta cet karhy api tad-viaktito ganti ngas tad am stuvanty atha
kad apiat any time; kaof Ka; pratimthe Deities; arcan-vatmof those engaged in worshiping; na sambhavetis not possible; kato Ka; pareufor those who are dedicated; andaradisrespect; ghaetait occurs; cetif; karhi apisomehow or other; tatto Him; viaktita because of being attached; ganti nado not take seriously; gaoffense; tatthat; amthey; stuvantioffer praise; atharather. Persons who properly worship Ka in His Deity form never disrespect Kas devotees. And if because of being absorbed in worship they accidentally do so, the devotees make light of such offenses and praise the worshipers. Commentary: Although worship of the Supreme Lords Deity is a powerful means of devotional service, its good effects can be completely nullified by offenses against Vaiavas. Nrada here assures Gopa-kumra that serious worshipers of the Deity are spiritually mature enough to know that they must carefully avoid displeasing any Vaiava. Moreover, if a careless neophyte absorbed in Deity worship neglects or disrespects Vaiavas, the Vaiavas mercifully overlook the trespass and instead see only the worshipers sincere attachment to the Lord. TEXTS 213215
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ye tu tat-pratim ntnm adhihna harer iti bheda-dytha aildibuddhy sampjayanti hi na mnayanti tad-bhaktn sarva-bhtvamnina pj-garvea vedjm atikrmanti ca prabho ta eva sarva-bhaktebhyo nyns te manda-buddhaya pj-phala na vidanti ta eva hi yathoditam
yethose who; tuhowever; tatHis; pratimmDeity image; ntnmnew; adhihnamrepresentation; hareof Lord Hari; itithus; bhedaof difference; dywith a vision; athaor; aila-diof being stone and so on; buddhywith the mentality; sampjayantiworship; hiindeed; na mnayantithey do not honor; tatHis; bhaktndevotees; sarvaall; bhtacreatures; avamninadisrespecting; pjfor their worship; garveadue to pride; vedaof the Vedas; jmthe instructions; atikrmantithey transgress; caand; prabhoof the Lord; tethey; evaindeed; sarvaall; bhaktebhyaof the Lords devotees; nynthe least; tethey; mandabuddhayafoolish; pjof worship; phalamthe fruit; na vidantido not obtain; teindeed; eva thus; hiindeed; yathas; uditamspoken. There are others, however, who concoct some new image and call it Lord Hari but who actually see that form as different from the Lord. They worship with the idea that the Deity is no more than stone or some other material substance, and they respect neither the devotees of Lord Hari nor living beings in general. Proud of their worship, they transgress the injunctions of the Vedas and the Lord. These
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foolish worshipers, the lowest of all the Lords devotees, do not obtain the promised fruits of worship. Commentary: When criticizing those attached to Deity worship, the scriptures are really speaking about offensive worshipers who think the Deity only an image of the Supreme Lord, not the Lord in person. Such idolaters consider the Deity mere stone, wood, or metal; they concoct their own forms of the Lord, unaware that the authorized Deity appears by His own plan; and they are oblivious to the presence of the Lord in His devotees. Because such offensive worshipers lack proper respect for the Deity and the Vaiavas, those worshipers naturally offend all living entities and violate the basic principles of the Vedas. Some Vaiavas are free from the influence of the modes of nature, and others are still conditioned by goodness, passion, and ignorance. The offensive worshipers described in this verse are the lowest of the Lords devotees. In rmad-Bhgavatam (11.2.47) they are called prkta (materialistic): arcym eva haraye pj ya raddhayehate na tad-bhakteu cnyeu sa bhakta prkta smta A devotee who faithfully engages in the worship of the Deity in the temple but does not behave properly toward other devotees or people in general is called a prkta-bhakta, a materialistic devotee, and is considered to be in the lowest position. The scriptural statement pratim manda-buddhnm (The Deity is meant for the less intelligent) refers to this lowest class of devotees, who lack in spiritual discrimination. They do not receive the benefits of Deity worship described in the stras.
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yo m sarveu bhteu santam tmnam varam hitvrc bhajate mauhyd bhasmany eva juhoti sa One who worships the Deity of Godhead in the temples but does not know that the Supreme Lord, as Paramtm, is situated in every living entitys heart must be in ignorance and is compared to one who offers oblations into ashes. (Bhgavatam 3.29.22) In other words, the Personality of Godhead does not accept their worship. As stated by r Prahlda Mahrja in his prayers to Lord Nsiha:

naivtmana prabhur aya nija-lbha-pro mna jand avidua karuo vte yad yaj jano bhagavate vidadhta mna tac ctmane prati-mukhasya yath mukha-r
The Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always fully satisfied in Himself. Therefore when something is offered to Him, the offering, by the Lords mercy, is for the benefit of the devotee, because the Lord does not need service from anyone. To give an example, if ones face is decorated, the reflection of ones face in a mirror is also seen to be decorated. (Bhgavatam 7.9.11) In this prayer, Prahlda describes Lord Nsiha as the personal master (prabhu) of all living souls and as Prahldas own life and soul (tmana prabhur ayam). Everything the jvas possess actually belongs to the Supreme Lord. Nonetheless, the Lord, as merciful as He is, rejects the respect and offerings of jvas who are materialistic fools (jand avidua). The symptoms of their foolishness are described here in Bhad-bhgavatmta: Such conditioned souls consider the Supreme Lords Deity
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a material statue and His worship an empty ritual, and they disrespect the Lords devotees and the living beings in general. Therefore the Lord is not interested in their offerings. r Nrada likewise states in rmad-Bhgavatam (4.31.21): na bhajati ku-mani sa ijy harir adhantma-dhana-priyo rasa-ja ruta-dhana-kula-karma madair ye vidadhati ppam akicaneu satsu The Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes very dear to those devotees who have no material possessions but are fully happy in possessing the devotional service of the Lord. Indeed, the Lord relishes the devotional activities of such devotees. But persons who are puffed up with material education, wealth, aristocracy, and fruitive activity are very proud of possessing material things, and they often deride the devotees. Even if such people offer the Lord worship, the Lord never accepts them. There are several different ways to understand the prayer by Prahlda Mahrja cited above. That the Supreme Lord is fully satisfied with His own assets means that He is content with His own feelings of intense bliss. Nonetheless, He accepts the offerings of intelligent devotees, and because He is very compassionate to His devotees, for their benefit He acts out of character, gratefully accepting offerings even though He is not in need. Or, from another point of view, the words nijalbha-pra indicate that the Lord becomes fully satisfied (pra) by prema, the lbha (attainment) achieved by His intimate devotees (nija). Or He is satisfied by the worship they perform (the lbha that He receives from them). Because He obtains the fulfillment of His desires from His pure devotees, He is not attracted by the offerings of others. One should not think, however, that imperfect worshipers simply waste the wealth and other
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resources they expend for the Lord. When one worships the Supreme Person in any fashion, the result is always for ones benefit (tmane). The example given by Prahlda Mahrja is that a persons beautiful features, including the auspicious tilaka on his forehead, naturally appear together with his image reflected in a mirror. The beauty of the reflection, however, is but a mere semblance of the persons original beauty. In the same way, ritual worship is but a semblance of pure devotion. Materialistic worshipers, therefore, do not achieve the primary goal of devotional service pure lovebecause the Lord is not actually pleased by their offerings. They achieve only material benefits. Another way of looking at Prahldas prayer is that although the Lord is very merciful He does not accept the worship of the unintelligent, who lack spiritual wisdom and who therefore worship for their own selfish purposes (tmane), not for the Lords pleasure. But why do such people worship the Lord to accomplish their selfish ends? Because without making an offering to Him they cannot achieve their own purposes, just as a mirror cannot reflect beautiful decorations of a face that has not been decorated. From another point of view, out of compassion the Supreme Lord accepts whatever an intelligent devotee offers Him. But if a devotee worships the Lord for selfish purposes, the result is only a semblance of what it could have been, like a persons beauty reflected in a mirror. The immature devotee receives some unimportant reward instead of the real success of pure devotion. Therefore only worship offered with the unalloyed motive of pleasing the Personality of Godhead leads to the treasure of prema-bhakti, in which the devotee attains r Vaikuha or some other abode of the Lord and is able to see Him in person and associate with Him.
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Still another understanding is that because the all-powerful Supreme Person is already fully satisfied with His own achievements He is not really interested in the offerings of the materialistic jva souls. But even if the Lord has no reason to accept such worship for His own benefit, why doesnt He accept it for the benefit of His worshipers? The answer is that when the Lord refuses the offerings of persons too foolish to know what is good for them and what is not, He is actually bestowing His mercy. Seeing the frustration and anxiety of someone who has spent wealth and effort for ritualistic worship without devotion, the Lord mercifully ignores the worship to induce the materialistic person to stop his useless endeavor. Then again, a person trying to worship the Lord may be unintelligent (avidua) in the sense of not knowing the proper way to worship. In the course of performing sacrifices, he might, for example, commit violence against innocent animals. Still, shouldnt the chief of all worshipable Lords reward even such a worshiper? The answer, again, is that the Supreme Person is all-merciful. If He were to encourage such an offering by awarding benefits, He would be harming the sacrificial victims. Or, being satisfied with His own assets, the Lord neither accepts the offerings for His own sake nor accepts them for the sake of His worshipers. This is because the materialistic worshipers are less intelligent and the Lord is very kind. In general a person cannot be certain whether the homage he offers to the Supreme Lord will result in his own benefit. He simply continues his labor in ignorance, taking trouble to collect the items required for worship. Meanwhile, the Lord, who cannot tolerate seeing the worshiper suffer such inconvenience, refuses to accept the worship, thus showing His supreme compassion. Of what use, then, is the attempt of an ordinary
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person to worship the Lord? The attempt is useful because it can eventually lead to ones complete fulfillment (tmane) whereas no other effort will. The beauty of ones reflected face in a mirror is ones own beauty only, and no one elses. Without the original beauty, no beauty will appear in the reflection. In other words, a candidate for devotional service must make an attempt, even if imperfect, to satisfy the Supreme Lord. There is no other way to achieve the perfection of life. And yet another way to understand Prahldas prayer is this: The Supreme Lord, being the personal friend and master (prabhu) of all living beings (tmana), is satisfied (pra) when His devotees succeed (nija-lbha) and when He can thus have their loving association. Or even though the Lord is already fully satisfied, His desires being all fulfilled by His pure devotees, doesnt He also accept the offerings even of less intelligent persons? Of course He does, and He goes out of His way to accept their worship. But why? Because He is all-kind. If He did not accept the offerings of those who worship Him, those worshipers would never be able to achieve their desired success. Unless the jvas offer whatever they can to the Personality of Godhead, they cannot gain any real benefit. Even impure worship, in the short term only marginally fruitful, will gradually lead to complete perfection if the Supreme Lord kindly accepts the worship. TEXTS 216217

yady apy aea-sat-karmaphalato dhikam uttamam tem api phalaty eva tat-pj-phalam tman tathpi bhagavad-bhaktiyogya na jyate phalam iti sadhu-varais tat tat
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tatra tatra vinindyate

yadi apialthough; aeaof all; sat-karmapious material activities; phalatathan the fruit; adhikamgreater; uttamamhighest; temof them; apithough; phalatibears; evaindeed; tatof that; pjworship; phalamthe fruit; tmanby itself; tath apinonetheless; bhagavat-bhaktifor devotional service to the Supreme Lord; yogyam suitable; na jyateis not generated; phalamthe fruit; itithus; sadhu-varaiby the best of saintly persons; tat tatall of this; tatra tatra in various places; vinindyateis condemned. Although the fruit of their worship of Hari is in itself greater than the results of all pious material activities, they do not gain the highest fruit they would have derived from proper devotional service to the Lord. In various scriptures, therefore, the best of saintly persons condemn such materialistic worship. Commentary: How can worship of the Supreme Lord not be fruitful, and if fruitful how can it be criticized? This verse and the next answer these doubts. Faithless worship of the Lords Deity results in vast, faultless material enjoyment, unencumbered by the complications that result from ordinary fruitive rituals, like being promoted to heaven. But only pure devotional service grants one the most rare treasure of pure love for the lotus feet of r Ka, which in turn grants entrance to His abode, where one can see Him and play with Him forever. Thus the most perceptive authorities on devotional service are usually critical of the Deity worship of neophytes with weak faith. TEXT 218

tni tni purdivacanny akhilny api tat-tad-viayakny eva manyasva na tu sarvata

tni tnithose; pura-diof Puras and other
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scriptures; vacannithe statements; akhilniall; apieven; tat-tateach of these; viayaknihaving as their topics; evaindeed; manyasvayou should consider; nanot; tubut; sarvataapplying to all. When the Puras and other scriptures make statements that belittle Deity worship, you should understand that all such statements refer to those particular worshipers, not to all devotees. TEXTS 219220

te pi nna na t pj tyajeyur yadi sarvath tad tan-nihay citte odhite gua-darinm kpay ka-bhaktn prakea-da klena kiyat te pi bhavanti paramottam
tethey; apialso; nnamindeed nanot; tmthat; pjmworship; tyajeyushould abandon; yadiif; sarvathunder any condition; tadthen; tatto that (worship); nihayby the faithful dedication; cittethe heart; odhitebeing purified; guagood qualities; darinmfor those who see; kpayby the mercy; ka-bhaktnmof the devotees of Ka; prakadepleted; aea all; datheir contamination; klenain time; kiyatsome; tethey; apialso; bhavantibecome; parama-uttamfirst-class. But if such materialistic worshipers never give up their worship under any circumstance, their dedication will purify their hearts. Then, by the mercy of Kas devotees who see only the good qualities of others, the faults of such worshipers will be exhausted, and in time those worshipers too will become first-class devotees. Commentary: A person questioning the value of

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granting petty material enjoyment to such casual worshipers might support his doubt by citing scripture: vsudeve mano yasya japa-homrcandiu tasyntaryo maitreya devendratvdika phalam O Maitreya, for a person whose mind is focused on Lord Vsudeva by chanting of mantras, by offering of oblations, by worship of the Lords Deity, and so on, such results as becoming the king of the demigods are simply obstacles to his progress. This doubt is cleared by texts 219 and 220. Anyone following the process of Deity worship seriously, without giving it up under any circumstance, will be purified and in a short time will become a perfect devotee of the Lord. This guarantee stands even if the worshiper has regarded the Deity as a stone statue, different from the Supreme Person, or has concocted a new image of the Lord, or has been led away from the path of santana-dharma by excessive pride, or has treated other living entities with contempt, or even if he has shown no respect for Vaiavas. But hypocrites who merely make a show of Deity worship for a short time may only in the distant future become perfect devotees. Showbottle worshipers who offend Vaiavas do not deserve to have their ambitions fulfilled at all, but they may attain perfection by the mercy of the Vaiavas, for the Vaiavas are very merciful, kind even to their enemies. But wouldnt it be better for Vaiavas simply to neglect such offenders and let them remain in ignorance? Perhaps, but pure Vaiavas see only the good qualities in everyone. Since even superficial, pretentious worshipers of the Deity are meditating on the transcendental form of the Lord, saintly devotees simply ignore the offenses and shower mercy.
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TEXTS 221222

yath sakma-bhakt hi bhuktv tat kmita phalam kle bhakti-prabhvea yogya vindanti tat phalam yath ca tatra tat-kla bhakter yogya na sat phalam sajtam iti tac chuddhabhaktimadbhir vinindyate
yathas; sa-kmawith material desires; bhakt devotees; hiindeed; bhuktvenjoying; tatthat; kmitamdesired; phalamfruit; klein time; bhaktiof devotion; prabhveaby the power; yogyamworthy; vindantithey obtain; tatthat; phalamfruit; yathas; caand; tatrathere; tatklamat that time; bhakteof devotional service; yogyamsuitable; nanot; sattrue; phalamthe fruit; sajtamarisen; itithus; tatthat; uddha pure; bhakti-madbhiby those who possess devotion; vinindyateis condemned. Devotees who have material desires first enjoy the material results for which they hanker, and later, on the strength of devotional service, they enjoy the true fruit of devotion. But because that fruit does not at first appear, pure devotees decry what those worshipers first achieve. TEXT 223

te hi bhakte phala mla bhagavac-carabjayo sad-sandarana-krnanda-lbhdi manvate

tethey; hicertainly; bhakteof devotional service; phalamthe fruit; mlamthe foundation; bhagavatof the Supreme Lord; caraa-abjayoof the two lotus feet; sadalways; sandaranathe seeing; krof sporting; nandaof the bliss; lbhathe attainment; diand so on; manvateconsider.
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Pure devotees, after all, think that seeing the Lord constantly, attaining bliss from taking part in His pastimes, and relishing subsequent pleasures are the fruit of devotional service, and its root as well. Commentary: Achieving the perfection of prema is only the beginning of Vaikuha life. After that, a liberated devotee makes further advancement, receiving special individual mercy from the Lord by being allowed to serve Him in person and to enjoy in other ways the nectar of devotion. TEXT 224

npi tatra sahante te vilamba lava-mtrakam bhagavn api tn htu mang api na aknuyt
nanot; apialso; tatrain that regard; sahante tolerate; tethey; vilambamdelay; lava-mtrakam for even a moment; bhagavnthe Supreme Lord; api also; tnthey; htumto neglect; manka little; apieven; na aknuytis not able. Those devotees cannot tolerate even a moments delay in obtaining that fruit, nor can the Lord neglect such devotees for even a moment. Commentary: Once a devotees pure love of God is awakened, he can no longer wait to see the Lord and serve Him. In that consciousness, it is difficult for the devotee to understand why others hesitate to take full shelter of prema-bhakti, and so he may speak critically of compromised, materialistic behavior. TEXT 225

ato nyny ati-tucchni sarva-kma-phalni hi mukti ca su-labhny asmt tad-bhaktir na tu td

atathus; anyniother; ati-tucchniextremely insignificant; sarvaall; kmaof desires; phalni
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fruits; hiindeed; muktiliberation; caand; sulabhnieasily obtained; asmtfrom Him; tatHis; bhaktidevotional service; nanot; tubut; td like that. Thus all the other fruits of desires are paltry, even liberation. From the Personality of Godhead they are easily obtained, but His pure devotional service is not. TEXT 226

tat-prasdena bhaktnm adhno bhagavn bhavet iti svtantrya-hnyeva na t dadyn mahevara

tatof it (devotional service); prasdenaby the mercy; bhaktnmto His devotees; adhna subordinate; bhagavnthe Personality of Godhead; bhavetbecomes; itithus; svtantryaof independence; hnyby the deprivation; ivaas if; nanot; tmthat (pure devotion); dadytis inclined to give; mah-varathe supreme controller. By the mercy of pure devotional service, the Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, becomes subordinate to His devotees. This in effect deprives Him of independence, so pure devotional service He rarely bestows. Commentary: Pure love for r Kadeva is more difficult to obtain than liberation. In the words of ukadeva Gosvm: rjan patir gurur ala bhavat yadn daiva priya kula-pati kva ca kikaro va astv evam aga bhagavn bhajat mukundo mukti dadti karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam My dear King Parkit, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Ka is always ready to help you. He is your master, guru, God, very dear friend, and head

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of your family. Yet sometimes He agrees to act as your servant or order carrier. You are greatly fortunate, because this relationship is possible only by bhakti-yoga. The Lord can give liberation very easily, but He does not very easily give one bhakti-yoga. (Bhgavatam 5.6.18) One of Kas names is Mukunda, which can be divided into three parts: mu (liberation), kum (happiness), and da (giving), meaning that Ka bestows the bliss of liberation. Or kum can be understood to mean devotional service, so Ka is the bestower of both liberation and devotional service. However, although the Lord often awards liberation and ordinary devotional service, He very rarely gives prema-bhakti. Why? Some say it is because when Bhagavn, the supremely independent controller of all, gives prema-bhakti He becomes obliged to give up His independence, for devotees who have prema keep Him helplessly under their control. Or, taking the title Bhagavn to express His absolute omniscience, the idea is that He knows the impropriety of giving prema-bhakti to anyone uneducated in the rasas of pure devotion. Other reasons for the Lords hesitancy to grant prema-bhakti will be discussed later on. TEXT 227

manye mah-preha-jannuvayat na dukha-doau vidadhta kaucana kintu pramoda nija-bhakta-vatsalatvdn mah-krti-gus tanoti s
manyeI think; mah-prehadearmost; janaof His servants; anuvayatHis coming under the control; nadoes not; dukhaunhappiness; doauor fault; vidadhtacreate; kaucanaany; kinturather; pramodamjoy; nijaHis own; bhaktatoward the devotees; vatsalatva-dnHis compassion and so on; mahgreatly; krtiglorious; gunqualities; tanotispreads; sthat (coming under the control of His devotees).

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In my opinion, the Lords coming under the control of His dearmost servants creates no unhappiness or fault of any kind. Rather, it creates great joy and broadcasts such glorious qualities of the Lord as His affectionate concern for His devotees. Commentary: Having recounted others thoughts on why the Personality of Godhead rarely bestows prema-bhakti, Nrada now discloses his own. First, he refutes the idea that the Lord wants to avoid losing His independence. The Lord causes no distress for His devotees when He submits Himself to their desires, nor by surrendering His independence does He suffer. Rather, these intimate dealings bring joy to the entire world, and they spread the Lords fame for being generous and concerned for His devotees. Because the Lords submission to His devotees enlarges their mutual joy, it is a source of delight rather than distress; furthermore, because it increases His glories, it is faultless. TEXT 228

vieato ngara-ekharasya svrmatdi-sva-gupavdai apekay parama-priy s kh par r-bhagavattva-smna

vieataespecially; ngaraof clever heroes; ekharasyaof the chief; sva-rmat-diselfsatisfaction and so on; svaHis; guaof the qualities; apavdaiby the contradictions; apekaydesirable; parama-priysupremely attractive; sthat; khthe limit; par extreme; r-bhagavattvaof Godhood; smnaof the perfection. The way the chief of expert heroes voluntarily submits to His devotees is supremely dear and attractive because it contradicts His selfsatisfaction and certain other of His natural qualities. It is the ultimate perfection of Godhood.
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Commentary: The greatness of God is seen most fully when He becomes subordinate to His servants. In such intimate dealings the Lord reveals His most special qualities, like His unselfish efforts to give happiness to His devotees. This aspect of His personality attracts the admiration of pure Vaiavas, even when it seems to contradict such features of His absolute status as His eternal self-satisfaction, His effortless acquisition of whatever He might desire, His supreme mastery of the powers of mystic yoga, and so on. One may learn more about this topic by studying such pastimes of Ka as His destroying the pride of Satyabhm, as told in r Hari-vaa and other devotional scriptures. TEXT 229

saprema-bhakte paripkata syt kcin mah-bhva-viea-sampat s vai narnarti mah-praharasmrjya-mrdhopari tattva-dy

sa-premawith pure love; bhakteof devotional service; paripkatadue to the maturity; syt there is; kcita certain; mah-bhvaof the highest stage of ecstasy; vieaunique; sampat treasure; sthat; vaicertainly; narnartidances enthusiastically; mahtopmost; praharaof delight; smrjyaof the kingdom; mrdha-upariupon the peak; tattvarealistic; dyin the view. In the final maturity of devotional service in pure love, sometimes a unique treasure appearsmahbhva, the highest stage of ecstasy. With the vision of truth, one sees it in the kingdom of the greatest delight, where it dances exuberantly upon the ramparts. Commentary: In mah-bhva, the most rare experience, one suffers the torment of burning in the fire of separation from Ka. From the purely spiritual point of view, this so-called suffering is actually the most sublime ecstasy.
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TEXT 230

svabhvato thpi mahrti-okasantpa-cihnni bahis tanoti bhypi s preha-tamasya sohu da na akyeta kadpi tena
svabhvataby its peculiar nature; atha api however; mahgreat; rtiof distress; okamisery; santpaand pain; cihnnithe signs; bahioutside; tanotispreads; bhyexternal; apialthough; s that; preha-tamasyaof the most beloved; sohum to tolerate; dathe condition; na akyetais not possible; kad apiever; tenaby Him. And yet the peculiar nature of mah-bhva is that outwardly it shows the signs of terrible distress, sorrow, and pain. And although these signs are but external, the Lord can never tolerate seeing such a state in His most beloved devotees. Commentary: Ka cannot bear to see His devotees crying out pitifully and shedding torrents of tears in the pain of separation from Him, even though He knows that these are not truly signs of unhappiness. Real or not, these signs of distress in His devotees force Him to respond. In this state His title Bhagavn is best understood to mean the most loving. TEXT 231

lok bahir-di-pars tu bhva ta bhrmaka prema-bhava vilokya bhaktv akm vihasanti bhakts tat-prema-bhakti bhagavn na datte
lokpeople; bahimundane; dito vision; paraddicted; tubut; bhvamecstasy; tamthat; bhrmakambewildering; prema-bhavamborn of pure love; vilokyaseeing; bhaktaufor devotional service; akmhaving no desire; vihasantithey ridicule; bhaktnthe devotees; tatfor Him; premabhaktimloving devotion; bhagavnthe Supreme Lord; na dattedoes not give.
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When persons addicted to mundane vision see the bewildering symptoms of ecstasy born from pure love of God, they ridicule the devotees. Because such mudane persons have no desire to achieve devotional service, the Supreme Lord withholds from them His prema-bhakti. Commentary: It is for the good of foolish people that the Personality of Godhead doesnt grant them prema-bhakti. For lack of spiritual vision, materialists cannot begin to appreciate what pure love of God is. So when Vaiavas show symptoms of the ecstasies of premacrying out loud and appearing as if in great painthe materialists, not at all attracted to share in these feelings, simply laugh at the devotees. The external appearance of pure love of God is certainly bewildering to ordinary people, so they cannot decide whether they are seeing great suffering or great pleasure. And because the Supreme Lord has unlimited compassion for every living entity, He refrains from introducing the mysteries of pure devotional service to those who are unprepared. TEXT 232

sa-premak bhaktir atva-durlabh svargdi-bhoga su-labho bhava ca sa cintmai sarva-janair na labhyate labhyeta kcdi kadpi hakam
sa-premakendowed with pure love; bhakti devotional service; atvaextremely; durlabh difficult to achieve; svarga-diof the heavenly planets and so on; bhogathe enjoyment; su-labha easily obtained; abhavacessation of material existence; caand; sait; cintmaia touchstone; sarva-janaiby all people; na labhyateis not obtained; labhyetacan be obtained; kca-diglass and so on; kad apior sometimes; hakamgold. Devotional service endowed with prema is very rarely achieved. In contrast, the enjoyments of heaven are easy to obtain, and so too is freedom
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from material existence. People rarely if ever find a cintmai gem; they usually find only glass, or sometimes gold. Commentary: Various enjoyments and opportunities for control are available in heaven, on earth, in the subterranean regions, and on the planets of the sages. And for anyone with the requisite karmic credit these are easily achieved. In contrast, one rarely achieves liberation from the cycle of birth and death. And prema-bhakti is much more rare than even liberation. Thus material success is compared to glass, liberation to gold, and pure devotion to the mystic cintmai gem. TEXT 233

kadcid eva kasmaicit tad-ekrtha-sphvate t dadyd bhagavn bhakti loka-bhyya dhmate

kadcitsometime or other; evathus; kasmaicitto someone or other; tatfor it; ekaas the only; arthagoal; sph-vatewho has desire; tmthat; dadytmay give; bhagavnthe Supreme Lord; bhaktimpure devotional service; loka-bhyyato one who is indifferent to worldly opinion; dhmateintelligent. Only once in a while does the Supreme Lord give bhakti, and only to a rare intelligent person who desires only that, indifferent to the opinions of the world. Commentary: Because a candidate for prema-bhakti has lost all concern for what worldly people think of him, they reciprocate by treating him with contempt. TEXT 234

akya na tad-bhva-viea-tattva nirvaktum asmbhir atho na yogyam bhakti-pravtty-artha-parai prabho sacchstrair ivjeu viruddha-vat syt
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akyampossible; nanot; tatof that; bhva ecstatic state; vieaspecial; tattvamthe truth; nirvaktumto be described completely; asmbhiby us; atha ualso; nanot; yogyamappropriate; bhaktiof devotional service; pravttithe promotion; arthaat the goal; paraiwhich aim; prabhoof the Supreme Lord; sat-straiby the transcendental scriptures; ivaas if; ajeuupon ignorant people; viruddha-vatcontrary; sytwould be. We are not able to describe completely this special ecstatic state, nor is it proper for us to do so. And even if the most perfect of scriptures, those dedicated to promoting devotional service, were to describe it in detail, the effect on ignorant people would be contrary. Commentary: Gopa-kumra wants to learn more from Nrada about the special kind of ecstasy that comes from mature love of God, but here Nrada asserts that he is unqualified to explain it. Prema-bhakti is indeed beyond the reach of anyones mind and words; only devotees who have directly perceived it can understand it. Before a general audience, then, it is inappropriate to say very much about even the external symptoms of prema. Thus rmad-Bhgavatam and other bhakti-stras avoid revealing too much. The devotional scriptures anticipate that after reading that prema is like the fire of universal annihilation multiplied millions of times, people will be afraid to cultivate prema-bhakti. rla rdhara Svm, in his comments on rmadBhgavatam, encourages neophyte readers by portraying the symptoms of prema-bhakti described therein as signs of happiness, not unhappiness. For example, one verse in the Eleventh Canto (11.2.40) says about the devotee who has achieved prema: eva-vrata sva-priya-nma-krty jtnurgo druta-citta uccai hasaty atho roditi rauti gyaty
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unmda-van ntyati loka-bhya By chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord, one comes to the stage of love of Godhead. Then the devotee is fixed in his vow as an eternal servant of the Lord, and he gradually becomes very much attached to a particular name and form of the Lord. As his heart melts with ecstatic love, he laughs very loudly or cries or shouts. Sometimes he sings and dances like a madman, for he is indifferent to public opinion. rdhara Svm tactfully explains that he laughs very loudly or cries or shouts means that the devotee jokingly rebukes his Lord: You have been neglecting me all this time! When the supreme ecstasy of prema in separation appears outwardly like supreme distress, there is nothing wrong with this except that persons lacking spiritual knowledge will misunderstand devotional service to be a miserable experience and will have nothing to do with it. They will turn instead to impersonal jna to achieve liberation or to materialistic karma to fulfill their desires for happiness. Rather than listen to the perfect authorities on bhakti, they will hear from ordinary ignorant men. TEXT 235

tad-bhvotkara-mdhurya vidus tad-rasa-sevina tatratyas tvam api jsyasy acirt tat-prasdata

tatof that; bhvaecstasy; utkarathe excellence; mdhuryamand sweetness; viducan understand; tat that; rasaspiritual taste; sevinathose who serve; tatratyabelonging to that place; tvamyou; apialso; jsyasiwill understand; acirtquickly; tatHis; prasdataby the mercy. Persons who serve the transcendental taste of this ecstasy can realize its superexcellence and sweetness. Since you belong to the place where
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mah-bhva is known, surely by the mercy of the Lord you will understand it very soon. Commentary: Out of humility Nrada implies that he is unable to understand the ecstasy of prema. But as an intimate associate of Lord Nryaa and a witness of Kas pastimes in Vndvana, Mathur, and Dvrak, he knows much more than he has disclosed. Gopa-kumra is also eligible for this privileged understanding because he was born in Gokula and graced by the mercy of r Gokulantha. TEXTS 236237

r-gopa-kumra uvca eva nijea-deva-rgopla-carabjayo nitar daranotkah tad-vc me vyavardhata tdg-bhva-vievtypy ajani tat-kat tbhy okrave kipta mm lakyha sntvayan
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; evam thus; nijamy; ia-devaof the worshipable Deity; r-goplar Gopla; caraa-abjayoof the two lotus feet; nitarmextreme; daranafor the sight; utkaheagerness; tatof him (Nrada); vcby the words; memy; vyavardhatagreatly increased; tdksuch; bhvafor the ecstasy; vieaspecial; of hope; vtya windstorm; apialso; ajaniwas born; tat-katfrom that moment; tbhymby them (the eagerness and hope); okaof sorrow; arave into an ocean; kiptamcast; mmme; lakya seeing; hahe said; sntvayanconsoling. r Gopa-kumra said: These words of Nrada greatly increased my anxious eagerness to see the lotus feet of r Gopla, my worshipable Lord. Quickly a powerful stormlike urge also arose in mea hope to achieve the kind of ecstasy that Nrada had just
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described. Seeing me cast by this hope and eagerness into an ocean of sorrow, Nrada consolingly spoke. Commentary: Pure devotees revere Nrada Muni for preaching the glories of the Supreme Lord all over the universe. gh vaiava-siddhntamai-majuik haht sphutam udghit yena ta prapanno smi nradam I take shelter of Nrada, who forced open the secret treasure chest in which the jewels of the Vaiava philosophical conclusions were kept. TEXT 238

r-nrada uvca yady apy etan mah-gopya yujyate ntra jalpitum tathpi tava ktaryabharair mukharito bruve
r-nrada uvcar Nrada said; yadi api although; etatthis; mah-gopyammost confidential; yujyate nait is not appropriate; atrahere; jalpitumto speak casually; tath apistill; tava your; ktaryaof anxiety; bharaiby the excess; mukharitamade talkative; bruveI will speak. r Nrada said: Although this topic is most confidential and should not be talked about here, by the weight of your anxiety I am being forced to speak openly. Commentary: The secrets Nrada is about to divulge are generally not discussed, even in Vaikuha. TEXT 239

ito dre yodhy vilasati pur r-raghupates tato dre rman-madhura-madhu-puryaiva sad
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pur dvrvaty ullasati dayit r-yadupates tam evsy gatv nija-dayita-deva bhaja d
itafrom here; drefar away; ayodhyAyodhy; vilasatiis resplendent; purthe city; r-raghupateof the divine master of the Raghus; tata from it; drefurther; rmatblessed; madhura charming; madhu-puryto Mathur; evaindeed; sadsimilar; purthe city; dvrvatDvrak; ullasatishines; dayitdear; r-yadu-pateto the divine master of Yadus; tamHim; evaindeed; asym in that city; gatvgoing there; nijayour own; dayitabeloved; devamLord; bhajayou should worship; dwith your eyes. Farfrom here lies Ayodhy, the splendid city of Raghupati, the divine master of the Raghu dynasty. And beyond that shines the city of Dvrak, dear to the divine master of the Yadus. Dvrak resembles the blessed and charming Mathur. Go to that Dvrak and worship with your eyes your beloved Lord. Commentary: Above all the other Vaikuha planets are the special abodes of Lord Rmacandra and Lord Ka. Since Gopa-kumra is somewhat familiar with Mathur on earth, Nrada describes Dvrak as being similar. As affirmed by Vikadru in r Hari-vaa, Dvrak is actually a Mathur subdistrict, and the residents of Dvrak are mostly Ydavas from Mathur City. So when Gopa-kumra achieves Dvrak, above Vaikuha, in effect he will be attaining Mathur. TEXT 240

prg ayodhybhigamane sad-upyam ima u r-rmacandra-pdbjasevaika-rasikair matam

prkfirst; ayodhyAyodhy; abhigamanefor
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approaching; satexcellent; upyammethod; imam this; uplease hear; r-rmacandraof r Rmacandra; pda-abjaat the lotus feet; sev service; ekaonly; rasikaiby those whose taste; matamapproved. But first hear from me about an excellent method for approaching Ayodhy, a method approved by those whose only taste is for service at Lord Rmacandras lotus feet. Commentary: Nrada recommends that Gopa-kumra reach Dvrak by first going to Ayodhy. The devotees there worship Lord Rmacandra almost as intimately as Kas devotees worship Ka in Dvrak. So in Ayodhy Gopa-kumra will get good training in the higher practice of personal devotion. TEXTS 241242

skd-bhagavatas tasya r-kasyvatria upsan-vieea sarva yady api labhyate tathpi raghu-vrasya rmat-pda-sarojayo tayo rasa-vieasya lbhyopadimy aham
sktdirectly; bhagavataof the Supreme Lord; tasyaHim; r-kasyar Ka; avatriathe source of all incarnations; upsanby worship; vieeaspecial; sarvameverything; yadi api although; labhyateis obtained; tath apieven so; raghu-vrasyaof the hero of the Raghus; rmat divine; pda-sarojayoof the two lotus feet; tayothem; rasaof the taste; vieasyaspecial; lbhyafor the sake of obtaining; upadimiam giving instruction; ahamI. r Ka is the original Personality of Godhead, the source of all incarnations, and simply by
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worship of Him, everything can be obtained. Yet I shall give you teachings to help you achieve a special taste for the divine lotus feet of Lord Rma, the hero of the Raghus. Commentary: From experience, Gopa-kumra is fully convinced that anything he desires he can easily obtain by taking shelter of the ten-syllable king of mantras, meant for worship of r Madana-gopla. The suggestion that he approach the lotus feet of r Raghuntha does not contradict this. As stated in rmad-Bhgavatam (1.3.28), Ka is the one source of all expansions of Godhead, including Lord Rmacandra. Ete ca-kal pusa kas tu bhagavn svayam: All of these incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord r Ka is the original Personality of Godhead. Devotees of Ka see in Lord Rma many of the allattractive features of their own Deity. In rmadBhgavatam (9.11.19) r ukadeva Gosvm mentions Lord Rmacandras exceptionally beautiful lotus feet: smarat hdi vinyasya viddha daaka-kaakai sva-pda-pallava rma tma-jyotir agt tata When Lord Rmacandra lived in Daakraya, His lotus feet were sometimes pierced by thorns. After completing the sacrifice, He placed those lotus feet in the hearts of those who always think of Him. Then He entered His own abode, the Vaikuha planet beyond the brahmajyoti. A unique rasa is to be tasted at those lotus feet, a special mood of ecstatic worship, and Nrada wants to help Gopa-kumra achieve it. By devotional service to r Madana-gopla, the source of all avatras of Viu, everything desirable is easily obtained. Yet r Raghuntha is a special incarnation of the Lord; He has special
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characteristics that one cannot relish without developing the particular mood of His worship. Nrada now offers to instruct Gopa-kumra in the method of worshiping Lord Rmacandra. TEXT 243

st-pate r-raghuntha lakmaajyeha prabho r-hanumat-priyevara ity-dika krtaya veda-strata khyta smaras tad-gua-rpa-vaibhavam
st-pateO husband of St; r-raghunthaO r Raghuntha; lakmaa-jyehaO elder brother of Lakmaa; prabhoO Lord; r-hanumatof r Hanumn; priya-varaO dear master; itithus; dikamand so on; krtayajust chant; vedastratafrom the Vedas and other scriptures; khytamknown; smaranremembering; tatHis; gua qualities; rpabeauty; vaibhavamand power. Practice chants like this: O husband of St, Raghuntha, elder brother of Lakmaa! O Lord, dear master of r Hanumn! And remember the qualities, beauty, and power of Lord Rmacandra, as revealed in the Vedas and other scriptures. Commentary: Gopa-kumra might also worship the Lord of the Raghus by addressing Him as the darling son of Kaualy, or the son of Daaratha, or the younger brother of Bharata, or the friend of Sugrva. Or he might remember r Raghunthas transcendental qualities of shyness, humility, and so on, His beautiful appearance as He carries a bow in His hand, and His powerful displays of various opulences. The original Vedas give some hint of the glories and pastimes of Lord Rmacandra, which are elaborately described in the Puras and in the Rmyaa of Vlmki i. TEXT 244

yena prakrea nijea-devo labhyeta tasynusti ktitvam yatrsya gandho pi bhavet kriyeta
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prti par tatra tad-eka-nihai

yenaby which; prakreaway; nijaones own; iadevaworshipable Deity; labhyetacan be attained; tasyaof that; anustithe following; ktitvam success; yatrawhere; asyaof that (Deity); gandhaa scent; apieven; bhavetmay be; kriyeta should be expressed; prtiaffinity; parutmost; tatrathere; tatto that (worshipable Lord); eka exclusively; nihaiby those who are dedicated. One should follow whatever path leads to attaining ones own worshipable Deity. That is the most intelligent way to act. Persons exclusively devoted to their object of worship should be very much attracted to anything in which they find even a faint scent of their Deitys presence. Commentary: Gopa-kumra might hesitate to approach Lord Rmacandra. After all, r Madana-gopladeva has long ago stolen Gopa-kumras heart, and Gopakumra has since then lost interest in everything and everyone else. So how can he now be expected to develop love for someone else? Nrada clears this potential doubt by assuring him that approaching Lord Rmacandra is the wisest thing he can do for his own self-interest. He should follow the logic sva-kryam uddharet prja/ krya-dhvasena mrkhat: An intelligent person should somehow do the needful. One who spoils the business at hand is a fool. Gopa-kumra should therefore approach his destination by stages, going first to Ayodhy and then to Dvrak, where he will meet his worshipable Lord. Gopa-kumra will achieve Lord Gopladeva by the special mercy of the Supreme Lord in His form of r Raghuntha, just as he achieved Lord Viu by the special mercy of Lord iva. But wont this violate Gopa-kumras chaste vow to worship only one Deity? No, because a devotee fixed in exclusive devotion to his ia-deva will be spontaneously attracted to whatever has even a slight fragrance of his own Lords presence. Nrada is confident
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that meeting Lord Rmacandra will lead Gopa-kumra to the perfection of happiness. TEXT 245

r-rma-pdbja-yuge valokite myen na cet s tava daranotkat tenaiva kruya-bharrdra-cetas praheyate dvravat sukha bhavn
r-rmaof r Rma; pda-abjaof lotus feet; yugethe pair; avalokitebeing seen; myet nais not placated; cetif; sthat; tavayour; darana to see; utkathankering; tenaby Him; evaindeed; kruyaby compassion; bharaabundant; rdrasoft; cetaswhose heart; praheyatewill be sent; dvravatmto Dvrak; sukhamhappily; bhavnyou. If after you have seen the two lotus feet of r Rma your hankering to see your Lord is unappeased, then Rma, whose heart is soft from overflowing compassion, will happily send you to Dvrak. TEXT 246

sakrtana tasya yathodita prabho kurvan gatas tatra nija-priyevaram r-ka-candra yadubhir vta cira didkita drakyasi ta mano-haram
sakrtanamthe chanting of the holy names; tasya of Him; yathas; uditamtold; prabhoof the Lord; kurvanperforming; gatareaching; tatrathere; nijayour own; priyadear; varammaster; rka-candramr Kacandra; yadubhiby the Yadus; vtamsurrounded; ciramfor a long time; didkitamdesired to be seen; drakyasiyou will see; tamHim; mana-haramcharming. While going there, perform the Lords sakrtana as it has been described, and you will finally see your own dear Lord, whom you have so long desired to seethe charming r Kacandra, surrounded by the Yadus. Commentary: Nrada now further assures Gopa-kumra that Ka in Dvrak is the same Madana-gopla he
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has so long been striving to find. The question is not whether Dvrak is the place to go, but only how to get there as soon as possible. That question Nrada also answers here: Gopa-kumra should perform sakrtana of r Kacandra, loudly and melodiously singing His names, reciting His glories, and offering Him prayers. How to do all this is presented systematically in the Vedic literature. And Gopa-kumra should not wonder how to recognize his worshipable Lord upon seeing Him, because the Lord, the devotees eternal master, will not keep His glories hidden forever from His dependant. Or alternatively it may be that Nrada is advising Gopa-kumra to follow the rgnuga method of devotional service by listening to the dictates of his heart, rather than mechanically following the injunctions of scripture. In any case, the Supreme Lord is all-powerful, so one way or another devotees who perform sakrtana of the Lords names will easily realize all their ambitions. TEXT 247

vaikuhasyaiva des te koal-dvrakdaya tat tatra gamanyj tad-bhartur na hy apekyatm

vaikuhasyaof Vaikuha; evaindeed; de regions; tethese; koalAyodhy; dvrakDvrak; dayaand so on; tattherefore; tatrathere (Ayodhy and Dvrak); gamanyafor going; j permission; tatof them; bhartufrom the master; nanot; hiindeed; apekyatmis required. Ayodhy, Dvrak, and other such abodes are all regions of Vaikuha. Surely, therefore, you need not take permission from the Lord of Vaikuha to leave and go there. Commentary: Koal (Ayodhy), Dvrak, and other exalted abodes, like Lord Jagannthas Puruottamaketra, all belong to the greater kingdom of
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Vaikuha. Since Gopa-kumra is not planning to go outside Vaikuha, he does not need special permission from Lord Nryaa. TEXT 248

tasyjaygato trha sarva-hd-vtti-darina man-mukhenaiva tasyj sampannety anumanyatm

tasyaof Him; jayby the order; gatacome; atrahere; ahamI; sarvaall; htof the hearts; vttithe movements; darinawho sees; matmy; mukhenaby the mouth; evajust; tasyaHis; j order; sampannobtained; itithus; anumanyatmyou should think. By His order I have come here to see you. He knows the movements of everyones heart, and you should know that from my mouth you have received His order. Commentary: Even though Gopa-kumras journey would not take him outside Vaikuha, he may have wanted to confirm with Lord Nryaa that this travel was proper. Earlier, however, Lord Nryaa had requested Nrada, Please meet Gopa-kumra in a private place and fulfill all his desires. So Lord Nryaa knows the inner workings of everyones heart. He had known that Gopa-kumra had been dissatisfied even with living in Vaikuha, and so He had sent Nrada to encourage Gopa-kumra to move on. TEXT 249

eka mah-bhaktam anugrahtu svaya kutacid bhagavn gato yam sohu vilamba na hi akyasi tva tan nirgame te vasaro varo yam
ekamsome certain; mah-bhaktamgreat devotee; anugrahtumto bestow mercy on; svayamby Himself; kutacitsomewhere; bhagavnthe Lord; gatagone; ayamHe; sohumto tolerate; vilambamwaiting; na
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not; hiindeed; akyasiwill be able; tvamyou; tattherefore; nirgamefor departure; teyour; avasaraopportunity; varabest; ayamthis. In any case, the Lord has gone somewhere to bestow His favor on one of His great devotees. Since you will be unable to tolerate having to wait for Him, now is is the best time for you to go. Commentary: Gopa-kumra might accept everything Nrada has told him but still wonder why he shouldnt meet the Lord in person before departing. Gopa-kumras devotional mood might inspire him to ask such a question. Anticipating this possibility, Nrada informs him that Lord Nryaa has gone out of Vaikuha for a while to visit some favorite devotee. But I just saw Him here, Gopa-kumra might contend. Yes, but He left just now. You came to this spot before He went away. But He should come back soon. I can wait till then. No, I dont think you have the patience to wait until He returns. In other words, it is likely that Lord Nryaa, out of compassion for the great devotee He is visiting, will agree to stay with that devotee for some time. And Gopa-kumra is so eager to achieve his goal that he will be unable to tolerate even a moments delay. Gopa-kumra need not lament over being unable to take permission from Lord Nryaa in person. Since the Lord is absent and has already given His permission, this is the best opportunity to leave Vaikuha; if Gopa-kumra waits to consult Him in person, seeing Lord Nryaa will destroy the desire to go, and he will not achieve his goal. The Lord Himself made the current arrangements with all these considerations in mind. TEXT 250

r-gopa-kumra uvca
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rutv tan nitar ho muhu r-nrada naman tasyr-vdam dya ik cnusmarann aym
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; rutvhearing; tatthat; nitarmextremely; hadelighted; muhurepeatedly; r-nradamto r Nrada; namanbowing down; tasyahis; vdamblessing; dyataking; ikminstructions; caand; anusmaranremembering; aymI went. r Gopa-kumra said: Overjoyed at hearing this, I bowed down repeatedly to r Nrada, took his blessings, and set out, remembering his instructions. Commentary: After leaving for Ayodhy, Gopa-kumra followed Nradas instructions about remembering Lord Rmacandras glories by chanting O husband of St, Raghuntha, elder brother of Lakmaa! O Lord, dear master of r Hanumn! (Text 243) TEXT 251

drd eva gato drka vnars tn itas tata plavamnn mah-loln rma rmeti vdina
drta long distance; evathus; gatagone; adrkamI saw; vnarnmonkeys; tnthem; ita tatahere and there; plavamnnjumping; mah greatly; lolnrestless; rma rmaRma! Rma!; itithus; vdinasaying. After traveling a long way, I saw some forest monkeys restlessly jumping here and there and shouting, Rma, Rma! TEXT 252

tai sahgre gato vam karadbhi karn mama narn apaya vaikuhapradebhyo pi sundarn
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taiwith them; sahatogether; agreforward; gata going; vamthe flute; karadbhiwho were grabbing; kartfrom the hand; mamamy; narnmen; apayamI saw; vaikuhaof Lord Vaikuha; pradebhyathan the associates; apieven; sundarnmore beautiful. As I moved forward they gathered around me and tried to grab my flute from my hand. Then I saw some humans who were even more beautiful than the associates of the Lord of Vaikuha. Commentary: Those monkeys were grabbing at Gopakumras flute either because they could not bear someones being a devotee of any other Lord than r Raghuntha or because they were extremely attracted to the flute. After Gopa-kumra walked a short distance with the monkeys, he saw some human associates of Lord Rmacandra. They appeared more beautiful than any other servants of the Lord he had ever seen, including the four-handed residents of Vaikuha who were blessed with the perfection of srpya, having bodily forms like that of r Nryaa. TEXT 253

tair evrya-varcrair man-naty-dy-asahiubhi pur praveito bhya prk-prakoham agm aham

taiby them; evaindeed; ryaof civilized people; varabest; craiwhose behavior; matmy; natidibowing down and so on; asahiubhiwho could not tolerate; purmthe city; praveitabrought inside; bhyamouter; prk-prakohamto an entrance gate; agmcame; ahamI. Those men, in behavior like the best of civilized persons, could not tolerate my bowing down to them and showing other signs of respect. They brought me to the outer boundary of their city and through an entrance gate.
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Commentary: Both the humans and the monkeys escorted Gopa-kumra into Lord Rmacandras city. When they reached the gateway, Gopa-kumra was so overwhelmed with ecstasy from seeing these associates of the Lord that he could not enter on his own strength but only with their help. Lord Rmacandra must have sent these devotees out of the city to meet Gopa-kumra, because without their Lords order such devotees, exclusively dedicated to the rasa found at His lotus feet, would never have ventured so far away. Gopa-kumra could not behave with the men he saw the same way as with the residents of Vaikuha, because these devotees of Lord Rmacandra did not allow him to show any respect. They were just like the best of ryans in their behavior, very modest and considerate to everyone; indeed, the civilized ryans have learned many of their standards of conduct from the devotees of Lord Rma. TEXT 254

sugrvgada-jmbavat-prabhtibhis tatropavia sukha rmanta madhurair narai ca bharata atrughna-yukta pura dvha raghuntham eva nitar matv stuvas tat-stavai karau tena pidhya dsya-paray vc niiddho muhu
sugrvawith Sugrva; agadaAgada; jmbavat Jmbavn; prabhtibhiand others; tatrathere; upaviamseated; sukhamcomfortably; rmantam handsome; madhuraiattractive; naraiwith men; caand; bharatamBharata; atrughnaby atrughna; yuktamjoined; purain front; dvseeing; aham I; raghunthamLord Rmacandra; evaonly; nitarm completely; matvconsidering; stuvanoffering praise; tatfor Him (Lord Rmacandra); stavaiwith prayers; karauHis two ears; tenaby Him; pidhya being covered; dsyaof the mood of a servant;
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paraywhich expressed; vcwith words; niiddha prohibited; muhuseveral times. There before me I saw Bharatawith atrughnaseated comfortably with monkeys like Sugrva, Agada, and Jmbavn and surrounded by many handsome men. Thinking Bharata to be Rmacandra, Lord of the Raghus, I recited prayers addressed to that Lord. But Bharata covered His ears and repeatedly forbade me to continue, saying I am only a servant. Commentary: Gopa-kumra greeted Bharata with prayers suitable for Lord Rmacandra: All glories to You, great king, emperor of all emperors! r Rghavendra, darling of Jnak! Bharata was shocked to hear such praise. He covered both ears with His hands and exclaimed, I am just His servant! Because Lord Bharata was sitting in a fabulous royal palace on a divine lion throne, attended by many principal servants of Lord Rmacandra and by other residents of Ayodhy, it was easy for Gopa-kumra to mistake Lord Bharata for Lord Rma. Moreover, Bharatas beauty and dress were just like Rmas. And because Bharata is a plenary portion of the Personality of Godhead, His wife is a plenary portion of the goddess Lakm, so she appeared just like Mother St. And atrughna, who stood by Bharatas throne, looked not much different from Lakmaa. TEXT 255

bhtas tad-agre jalimn avasthito nistya vegena hanmat balt praveito nta-puram adbhutdbhuta vyalokaya ta n-varkti prabhum
bhtafrightened; tatof Him; agrein front; ajali-mnwith joined palms; avasthitastanding; nistyaexiting; vegenaquickly; hanmatby Hanumn; baltforcibly; praveitamade to enter; antainner; puramthe city; adbhuta-adbhutammore wonderful than everything else wonderful; vyalokayamI saw; tamHim; n-varaof the best of
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human beings; ktimwhose form; prabhumthe Supreme Lord. Afraid, I stood motionless before Lord Bharata with joined palms. Hanumn then quickly made me leave that place and enter the inner precincts of the city, where I saw the most amazing sightthe Supreme Lord in His form as the best of human beings. TEXT 256

prsda-mukhye khila-mdhur-maye smrjya-sihsanam sthita sukham ha mah-prua-lakanvita nryaenopamita kathacana

prsdaof palaces; mukhyein the best; akhilaall; mdhursweetness; mayewhich encompassed; smrjyaroyal; siha-sanamon a lion throne; sthitamseated; sukhamcomfortably; hamhappy; mah-pruaof a great personality; lakaawith the signs; anvitammarked; nryaenato Nryaa; upamitamsimilar; kathacanato some extent. He sat comfortably on a royal throne in the best of palaces, a palace full in all charming attractions. Happy and marked with all the signs of a great personage, He seemed somewhat like Lord Nryaa. Commentary: Lord Rmacandras face beamed with satisfaction, and His body showed all the marks of a perfect person that are set forth in scripture, such as an expansive chest, a neck like a bulls, and mighty arms as broad as the trunk of a la tree (vyhorasko va-skandha la-prur mahbhuja). His youthfulness, His ornaments, and the exquisite shape of His limbs made Him look much like the Lord of Vaikuha. TEXT 257

tato pi kaicin madhurair vieair mano-rama cpa-vilsi-pim sa-praraya-hr-ramitvaloka rjendra-lla rita-dharma-vrtam

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tatathan Him (Nryaa); apieven; kaicitby some; madhuraiaspects of sweetness; vieai special; mana-ramamattractive; cpawith a bow; vilsiadorned; pimwhose hand; sa-prarayawith modesty; hrand shyness; ramitadelightful; avalokamwhose glance; rja-indraof a king of kings; llamplaying the role; ritaadhering to; dharmaof religion; vrtamthe path. But certain especially attractive features distinguished Him from that Lord. His hand was adorned with a bow. His glances were delightfully modest and humble. Playing the role of a perfect king, He followed all the prescribed rules of religious behavior. Commentary: Lord Rmacandra is even more beautifully attractive than Lord Nryaa. He has two arms, He is the best of bowmen, and in His own unique way He is the best protector of the citizens of His kingdom. He strictly adheres to the Vedic principles of civilized conduct. TEXT 258

tad-darannanda-bharea mohito daa-pramrtham ivpata pura tata ca tenrtha-varea vacito vyutthpitas tat-kpay vyalokayam
tatHim; daranafrom seeing; nandaof ecstasy; bhareaby the excess; mohitaconfused; daapramaof prostrated obeisances; arthamfor the sake; ivaas if; apatamI fell down; purain front; tatathen; caand; tenaby Him; arthaof the benefit; vareasupreme; vacitadeprived; vyutthpita raised; tatHis; kpayby the kindness; vyalokayamI saw clearly. I was bewildered by the overflowing ecstasy of His darana, and I fell down before Him as if offering prostrate obeisances. My confusion thus robbed me of the supreme benefit of seeing Him. But then, by His mercy, I was able to stand up again and see Him
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clearly. Commentary: The Personality of Godhead is the supreme goal in all endeavors of human existence, since even in the most sublime endeavor of pure devotion He is the goal. He awards such devotion to His surrendered devotees. TEXT 259

m tatra hitv nija-sevayhta plutyaikay r-hanumn gato ntikam stnurp ramate priy prabho savye sya prve nuja-lakmao nyata
mmme; tatrathere; hitvleaving; nijahis own; sevayfor the service; htataken away; pluty by a jump; ekayone; r-hanumnr Hanumn; gatawent; antikaminside; stSt; anurpthe counterpart; ramategives pleasure; priybeloved; prabhoof the Lord; savyeleft; asyaof Him; prveon the side; anu-jaHis younger brother; lakmaaLakmaa; anyataon the other. r Hanumn left me, pulled back by his own regular service, and in a single jump went to join his Lord. On the left of the Lord, pleasing Him with her service, stood His dear counterpart St, and on His other side His younger brother Lakmaa. Commentary: Leaving Gopa-kumra at the very spot where he had fallen to the ground, Hanumn went to the side of Lord Rmacandra by jumping as monkeys generally do. Hanumn was drawn back to his Lords side by the ecstatic attraction of eternal service. His desire, above all, was to do whatever would give his Lord the most pleasure. Although the sight of Lord Rmacandra is naturally blissful, when He is with His beloved Jnak, with Lakmaa, and with His best servant Hanumn, His beauty increases manyfold, and whoever sees Him becomes immersed in the most exceptional ecstasy. This picture of Lord Rmacandra together with St, Lakmaa, and Hanumn depicts the Supreme Lord in His especially compassionate mood of reciprocating with His
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intimate servants. Stdev in particular is the perfectly compatible consort for Lord Rmacandra, and her beauty and other qualities excel even those of the goddess Lakm in Vaikuha. Standing on the left side of the Lord, she displays such pastimes as offering Him betel nut to chew. TEXT 260

kadpi ubhrair vara-cmarai prabhu gyan gun vjayate sthito grata kadpy upalokayati sva-nirmitai citrai stavai r-hanumn ktjali
kad apisometimes; ubhraiwhite; varaexcellent; cmaraiwith yak-tail fans; prabhumthe Lord; gyansinging; gunabout His qualities; vjayate he fans; sthitastanding; agratain front; kad apisometimes; upalokayatihe offers praises; svanirmitaiof own composition; citraiwonderful; stavaiwith prayers; r-hanumnr Hanumn; kta-ajaliwith joined palms. r Hanumn sometimes stood in front of the Lord, fanning Him with excellent white cmaras and singing His glories. And sometimes, palms joined, he praised the Lord with wonderful prayers of His own composition. TEXT 261

vettapatra ca bibharty asau kaa savhayet tasya pdmbuje kaam sev-prakrn yugapad bahn kaa tasminn avaiyagryam aho tanoti ca
vetawhite; tapatraman umbrella; caand; bibhartiholding; asauhe; kaamat one moment; savhayetwould massage; tasyaHis; pda-ambuje lotus feet; kaamat another moment; sevof service; prakrnkinds; yugapatsimultaneous; bahnmany; kaamfor a moment; tasminin that (service); avaiyagryamlack of fatigue; ahooh; tanotihe maintains; caand. At one moment he carried a white umbrella, at
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another he massaged the Lords lotus feet, and at yet another he did several kinds of service all at once. Amazingly, he was not in the least fatigued by all this. Commentary: Gopa-kumra saw Hanumn render several services at oncesinging Lord Rmacandras glories, fanning the Lord, reciting famous prayers, massaging His feet, and more. And even such simultaneous expenditures of energy didnt seem to tire Hanumn at all. TEXT 262

parama-hara-bhart kramito hy aha jaya jayeti vadan praaman muhu mdula-vg-amtai paramdbhutair bhagavatrdra-hd paritarpita
paramasupreme; haraof joy; bhartby the burden; kramitaovertaken; hiindeed; ahamI; jaya jaya Jaya! Jaya! itithus; vadansaying; praamanbowing down; muhurepeatedly; mdulagentle; vkof His speech; amtaiby the nectar; parama-adbhutai supremely wonderful; bhagavatby the Lord; rdra soft; hdwhose heart; paritarpitacompletely pacified. Overwhelmed by the greatest joy, I bowed down again and again, saying All glories! All glories! Then that soft-hearted Lord soothed me fully with the gentle nectar of His supremely impressive words. Commentary: Lord Rmacandra is extremely kindhearted. His affectionate speech impressed Gopa-kumra more than anything he had ever heard before. TEXT 263

r-bhagavn uvca bho gopa-nandana suht-tama sdhu sdhu sneha vidhya bhavat vijaya kto tra viramyatm alam ala bahubhi praysair etair na dukhaya cira nija-bndhava mm
r-bhagavn uvcathe Supreme Lord said; bhooh;
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gopa-nandanason of a cowherd; suht-tamaO best friend; sdhuvery good; sdhuvery good; sneham affection; vidhyashowing; bhavatby you; vijayaconquest; ktadone; atrahere; viramyatmplease relax; alamenough; alamenough; bahubhiwith many; praysaiexertions; etai these; na dukhayaplease do not cause distress; ciramfor a long time; nijayour own; bndhavam friend; mmto Me. The Supreme Lord said: My dear son of a cowherd, my best friend, well done! Well done! By showing such affection you have conquered Me. Enough with all this exertion. Now just relax. You have made Me, your dear friend, unhappy for long enough. Commentary: With these words Lord Rmacandra congratulates Gopa-kumra for his victorious entrance into Ayodhy. The Lord repeats Himself (sdhu sdhu) to tell the extent of His joy. He assumes that the long journey must have been strenuous, so He asks Gopa-kumra simply to rest awhile. And perhaps Gopa-kumra can remain in Ayodhy for an extended time. In any case, at least he should take a break from offering so many needless daavats and prayers. These displays of reverence cause pain to the Lord, who considers Gopa-kumra a close friend. TEXT 264

uttihottiha bhadra te gauravt sambhrama tyaja tvadya-prema-rpea yantrito smi sad sakhe
uttihaplease get up; uttihaplease get up; bhadramgood fortune; teunto you; gauravtdue to etiquette; sambhramamreverence; tyajaplease give up; tvadyayour; premaof the pure love; rpeaby the quality; yantritabrought under control; asmi I am; sadalways; sakhedear friend. Please get up, get up! All good fortune to you.
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Give up this formal respect. Dear friend, I am always controlled by such pure love as yours. Commentary: When the Lord saw Gopa-kumra still standing respectfully, the Lord tried to put him at ease him by offering blessings. And when Gopakumra still offered obeisances, the Lord told him outright to stop being so formal: I am actually under your control, so how can I be an object of your reverence? TEXT 265

r-gopa-kumra uvca atha tasyjaygatyotthpito ha hanmat rmat-pdbja-phasya nta ca nikaa haht

r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; atha then; tasyaHis; jayon the order; gatyacoming near; utthpitaraised; ahamI; hanmatby Hanumn; rmatsacred; pda-abjaof the lotus feet; phasyato the footrest; ntabrought; ca and; nikaamnear; hahtby force. r Gopa-kumra said: On the Lords order, Hanumn then raised me from the ground and brought me by force to where the Lord was resting His sacred lotus feet. Commentary: After all the Lords entreaties, Gopakumra, helplessly moved by transcendental joy, continued to bow down and pray to the Lord. r Raghuntha thus had to order Hanumn to stop him physically. TEXT 266

tadkra manasy etad drgh phalitdhun vchtta ca sampanna phala tat kutra ynyata
tadthen; akram manasiI ascertained; etatthis; drghalong-cherished; hope; phalitbecome fruitful; adhunnow; vchdesire; attambeyond;
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caand; sampannamachieved; phalamfruit; tatthat; kutrawhere; ywhich (hope); anyataelsewhere. It then came to my mind that all my long-cherished desires had borne fruit, beyond what I had ever hoped. And where else could I have achieved such perfection? Commentary: Being treated so kindly by Lord Raghuntha was the fulfillment of all the desires Gopa-kumra had ever had, and more even than he had ever dreamed of. He had traveled throughout the material and spiritual universes, but he had never been so fully satisfied. TEXT 267

gopa-blaka-veena svakyenaiva prva-vat kiyanta nyavasa kla tatrnanda-bharrdita

gopa-blakaof a cowherd boy; veenain the dress; svakyenamy own; evaonly; prva-vatas before; kiyantamfor some; nyavasamI resided; klamtime; tatrathere; nandaof bliss; bharaby an abundance; arditamelted. I stayed there for some time, as before in my own dress as a cowherd boy. And the fullness of bliss that I tasted melted my heart. Commentary: Just as he had served Lord Nryaa for some time in Vaikuha, fanning Him and pushing His swing, Gopa-kumra now served Lord Rmacandra for some time in Ayodhy. But if Gopa-kumras intention was to go to Dvrak, why did he stay in Ayodhy? It was because he was enchanted and forgot everything, intoxicated by natural ecstasy at the feet of Lord Rmacandra. TEXT 268

atha r-raghu-sihasya mah-rjdhirjatm ll tad-anurp ca vke dharmnusrim

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athathen; r-raghu-sihasyaof the divine lion of the Raghus; mah-rjaof great kings; adhirjatm the position of king; llmpastimes; tatfor that status; anurpmsuitable; caand; vkeI saw; dharmaof the principles of religion; anusrimin pursuance. I saw the unique pastimes of the divine lion of the Raghus, who was playing the role of a king of kings, acting in strict accord with religious principles. Commentary: In a subtle way, Gopa-kumra now begins to express the dissatisfaction that will eventually compel him to find an even better abode of the Supreme Lord than Ayodhy. Lord Rmacandra acted just like a pious king of the world, obeying the rules and regulations of the Dharma-stras. Gopakumra never saw Him violate any religious principles. This implies that the Lord was not free to display the highest extreme of compassion for His devotees. TEXT 269

na cea-deva-pdn tat-tat-krnusrim vihra-mdhur kcin npi t t kp labhe

nanot; caand; ia-devaof my worshipable Lord; pdnmof the feet; tat-tatwith the various; krsports; anusrimwhich followed in accordance; vihraof the pastimes; mdhurmthe sweetness; kcitcertain; na apinor; tm tmthe varied; kpmmercy; labheI obtained. But I did not see the unique sweetness I had found within the varied playful pastimes of my worshipable Deitys lotus feet. Nor did I find His special mercy. Commentary: Because of great respect for r Gopladeva, Gopa-kumra refers to Him here by using the plural phrase ia-deva-pdnm, referring to
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His feet rather than speaking His name. Lord Gopla has certain pastimes that Lord Rmacandra doesnt, like attracting the universe with the music of His flute and enchanting the gops in various ways. Moreover, Gopa-kumra in his private meditations would have very friendly dealings with Madanagopla, including exchanges of embraces and kisses. In contrast, Gopa-kumras relationship with Lord Rmacandra was more formal. TEXTS 270271

tata okam ivmutrpy pnuvan r-hanmata r-rmacandra-pdbjamahimn ravaena hi skd-anubhavenpi mano-dukha nivraye tasmin nijea-devasya sarvam ropaymi ca
tatathen; okamunhappiness; ivaas if; amutra there (in Ayodhy); apieven; pnuvanobtaining; r-hanmatafrom r Hanumn; r-rmacandraof r Rmacandra; pda-abjaof the lotus feet; mahimnmthe glorification; ravaenaby hearing; hiindeed; sktdirect; anubhavenaby perception; apialso; manaof my mind; dukhamthe distress; nivrayeI dispelled; tasminto Him; nijamy own; ia-devasyaof the worshipable Deity; sarvamall; ropaymiI attributed; caand. Thus even there in Ayodhy I seemed unhappy. But by hearing from r Hanumn the glories of r Rmacandras lotus feet and by directly seeing Lord Rma myself, I dispelled that mental distress. I imagined Lord Rmacandra to have all the qualities of my own worshipable Deity. Commentary: In Ayodhy Gopa-kumra only seemed unhappy (sokam ivapnuvan). Because that apparent sorrow was a product of pure love for the Supreme
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Lord, it was in fact unalloyed transcendental ecstasy. By hearing Hanumn glorify Lord Rmas humility, simplicity, respectfulness, and other sublime qualities, Gopa-kumra would be struck with wonder. He would look upon Lord Rmacandra with great love, seeing in Him the features and qualities of his own Madana-gopla. TEXTS 272273

prvbhysa-vaeneya vraja-bhmir yad balt s tal-llnukamppy kramed dhdaya mama tad mantri-vareham lakya r-hanmat vicitra-yukti-cturyai rakyeyvsya tatra hi
prvaprevious; abhysapractice; vaenaby the influence; iyamthis; vraja-bhmiVraja-bhmi; yadwhen; baltby the force; sit; tatof it; llfor the pastimes; anukampand the mercy; hope; apialso; krametwould impose themselves; hdayamon the heart; mamamy; tadthen; mantriof counselors; vareaby the best; ahamI; lakya being noticed; r-hanmatby r Hanumn; vicitravarious; yuktiof arguments; cturyaiwith expertise; rakyeyaI would be saved; vsyabeing pacified; tatrathere; hiindeed. By the force of my previous spiritual practices, the land of Vraja would impose itself upon my heart, along with a yearning for its special pastimes and mercy. When r Hanumn, the best of counselors, would notice this, he would save me by encouraging me with diverse clever arguments. Commentary: Gopa-kumras visions of Lord Rmacandra as Lord Gopla would be short-lived, and he would hanker again for the sweet life of Vrajabhmi. He would then feel disturbed and think about
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leaving Ayodhy. Hanumn detected these changes in Gopa-kumras mood by the signs of disappointment on his face and would make all endeavors to save Gopa-kumra by keeping him in Ayodhy. Hanumn, an expert diplomat, knew how to advise Gopa-kumra in ways he was inclined to accept, so Gopa-kumra stayed for a long time without deciding to leave. Only Lord Rma could stop this cycle of discontent and appeasement. TEXT 274

atha r-rmea prakhara-karu-komala-hd jagac-citta-jena praaya-mdunvsya vacas vraja dvrvaty sukham iti samdiya gamita sama t bhallkvali-parivhenham acirt
athathen; r-rmeaby r Rma; prakhara supreme; karuwith compassion; komalatender; hdwhose heart; jagatof the entire world; citta the hearts; jenawho knows; praayaloving; mdunand gentle; vsyaconsoling; vacaswith words; vrajayou should go; dvrvatymto Dvrak; sukhamhappily; itithus; samdiyaordering; gamitasent; samamtogether; tmthere; bhallkavalof all the bears; parivhenawith the chief; ahamI; acirtat once. Finally r Rma, whose heart is tender with unlimited compassion and who knows the mind of everyone in the world, consoled me with words of gentle affection. Go to Dvrak and be happy, He ordered. And He sent me off at once, together with the chief of the bears. Commentary: Had the Lord not personally asked him to go to Dvrak, Gopa-kumra would never have been able to leave Ayodhy. Lord Rma knew perfectly well that Gopa-kumra was a worshiper of r Madana-gopla, exclusively devoted to that Lord and uniquely qualified to attain Him. Furthermore, Lord
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Rma understood that this was why Gopa-kumra was never completely satisfied in Ayodhy, even after tasting supreme ecstasy and even after being mercifully counseled by Hanumn. It was apparent that only going to Dvrak would make Gopa-kumra happy. The Supreme Lord rarely sends someone out of His abode, but this time He did so, for the happiness of His devotee. He deputed r Jmbavn, king of the bears, to accompany Gopa-kumra on the way to Dvrak. Jmbavn, being the grandfather of Samba, Lord Kas son, was an appropriate escort. Thus ends the Fourth Chapter of Part Two of rla Santana Gosvms Bhad-bhgavatmta, entitled Vaikuha: The Spiritual Kingdom.

5. Prema: Love of God

TEXT 1

r-gopa-kumra uvca atha tatra gato viprai kiyadbhir mthurai saha ydavn krato drka saghaa sa-kumrakn
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; atha then; tatrathere; gatagoing; vipraiwith brhmaas; kiyadbhia few; mthuraibelonging to Mathur; sahatogether; ydavnthe Ydavas; krataenjoying; adrkamI saw; saghaain groups; sa-kumraknwith their children. r Gopa-kumra said: I then went to Dvrak. There I saw various groups of Ydavas, along with their children. They were accompanied by some brhmaas of Mathur and were enjoying themselves.
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Commentary: In this Fifth Chapter, Gopa-kumra meets the Lord of Dvrak and hears the glories of the earthly Gokula and the pastimes the Lord enacts there. By understanding the glories of that Gokula he comes to know the glories of Kas planet Goloka in the spiritual sky. Upon arriving in Dvrak, Gopa-kumra saw that the Yadus were completely free from anxiety and in fact were full of the most perfect ecstasy. They were constantly enjoying various kinds of pleasure. He saw large numbers of them, assembled in groups, and besides the adults he saw many children also. TEXT 2

pur kvpi na d y sarvato bhramat may madhurim par kh s tev eva virjate
purbefore; kva apianywhere; nanot; dseen; ywhich; sarvataeverywhere; bhramatwho was traveling; mayby me; madhurimmof all kinds of attractiveness; par khultimate perfection; sthat; teuamong them; evaonly; virjatewas visible. I had wandered everywhere, but never before had I seen such a perfection of charm as that which shone in them. Commentary: Not even in Vaikuha and Ayodhy had Gopa-kumra seen such handsome people. TEXT 3

sarvrtho vismto harn may tad-daranodbhavt tais tv kya parivakta sarva-ja-pravarair aham
sarvaall; arthamy purposes; vismtaforgotten; hartout of the delight; mayby me; tatof them; daranafrom the sight; udbhavtwhich arose; tai by them; tuand; kyabeen drawn; parivakta embraced; sarva-jaof all-knowing sages;
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pravaraiby the best; ahamI. Seeing them gave me such delight that I forgot everything I had in mind. And those Ydavas, the best of all-knowing sages, drew me into their company and embraced me. Commentary: Gopa-kumra had intended to bow down to offer the Ydavas his respects, but he was so enchanted by what he was seeing that he forgot. The Ydavas, who were as all-knowing as the most proficient mystics, knew at once that Gopa-kumra was looking for Ka, and so they greeted him enthusiastically. TEXT 4

govardhandri-goplaputra-buddhy praveita anta-pura kare dhtv sneha-prrdra-mnasai

govardhana-adriof Govardhana Hill; goplaof a cowherd; putrathe son; buddhywith the idea of my being; praveitabrought inside; anta-puramthe inner precincts of the city; karemy hand; dhtv holding; sneha-prain a flood of affection; rdra melting; mnasaiwhose hearts. When they recognized me as the son of a cowherd from Govardhana Hill, their hearts melted in a flood of affection, and they took me by the hand and brought me into the inner precincts of the city. TEXT 5

paymi drt sadaso mahyaso madhye mai-svara-maye varsane tul-varopary upaviya llay vibhrjamno bhagavn sa vartate
paymiI saw; drtat a distance; sadasaof an assembly hall; mahyasavast; madhyein the midst; maiof jewels; svaraand gold; mayemade; vara excellent; saneon a throne; tula cushion; vara excellent; uparion; upaviyasitting; llay
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playfully; vibhrjamnaresplendent; bhagavnthe Personality of Godhead; saHe; vartatewas present. From a distance I saw the Personality of Godhead, brilliantly manifest. At leisure in a vast assembly hall, He sat on the excellent cushion of an excellent throne made of gold and jewels. Commentary: The hall was known as Sudharm. TEXT 6

vaikuha-nthasya vicitra-mdhursrea tensty akhilena sevita kenpi kenpy adhikdhikena so mumd api r-bhara-sacayena ca
vaikuha-nthasyaof the Lord of Vaikuha; vicitramanifold; mdhurof the charm; srea essence; tenaby that; astiHe was; akhilenaall; sevitaserved; kena api kena apiby some various; adhika-adhikenagreater and greater; saHe; amumtthan these; apialso; r-bharaof splendors; sacayenaby multitudes; caand. He was served by all the many quintessential charms of the Lord of Vaikuha, and by many different splendors, greater and greater, that even that Lord does not possess. Commentary: Many of the attractive features of Lord Nryaa are also visible in Ka, the Lord of Dvraka beautiful mouth, eyes, and so on, fine ornaments, opulent paraphernalia, and such pastimes as chewing pn and sitting on a throne. Ka displays these charms even more attractively than Lord Nryaa, and what to speak of Kas own unique ways of attracting His devotees. TEXT 7

kaiora-obhrdrita-yauvanrcito bhaktev abhivyajita-cru-dor-yuga mdhurya-bhag-hriyama-sevakasvnto mahcarya-vinoda-sgara

kaioraof adolescence; obhby the charm;
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rdritasoftened; yauvanaby mature youth; arcita worshiped; bhakteuto the devotees; abhivyajita revealed; crubeautiful; do-yugatwo arms; mdhuryaof attractiveness; bhagby gestures; hriyamastealing; sevakaof His servants; svaantathe inner selves; mah-caryasupremely wonderful; vinodaof pastimes; sgarathe ocean. Revealing His two beautiful arms for His devotees, Lord Ka, the ocean of supremely wonderful pastimes, was worshiped by youthful maturity softened by a touch of adolescent grace. His sublime gestures stole the hearts of His servants. Commentary: Young adults are especially beautiful, but in Ka the mature beauty of youth is made even sweeter by traces of childlike innocence. Never leaving Him unattended, this special mixture of charm serves Him with pure devotion, like a faithful worshiper of His Deity form. Since the devotees in Dvrak are Kas dearest servants, they can enjoy seeing His beauty constantly. And whereas devotees of Viu see their Lord with four arms, the more intimate among the residents of Dvrak generally see Him with only two. Gopakumra saw how Kas smiles, His pleasant words, His sidelong glances, and the movements of His eyebrows charmed the Dvrak-vss in the Sudharm hall. Only devotees favored by the Lord can know the effect on the heart of such gestures, for it cannot be adequately described in words. The eternally deep ocean of Kas playful pastimes goes beyond the delimiting power of words and the mind. In this narration, Gopa-kumra can only hint at such charms. TEXT 8

vettapatra vitata virjate tasyoparit vara-cmara-dvayam prva-dvaye vibhramad agrato sya ca r-pduke haka-pha-mastake
vetawhite; tapatraman umbrella; vitatambroad;
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virjateshone; tasyaHim; uparitabove; vara excellent; cmara-dvayama pair of cmara fans; prva-dvayeat His two sides; vibhramatwaving; agratain front; asyaof Him; caand; rdivine; pduketwo slippers; hakagolden; phaof a stool; mastakeon the top. Above Him shone a broad white umbrella, at His two sides waved a pair of excellent yak-tail fans, and in front of Him upon a golden footstool sat His divine slippers. Commentary: Gopa-kumras attention now turned to r Kas royal paraphernalia. The Lords white umbrella, large and finely crafted, was held above His head. The cmaras with which He was being adroitly fanned on either side were also large and white. TEXT 9

r-rja-rjevaratnurp paricchadl parito vibhti nijnurp paricrak ca tath mah-vaibhava-paktayo pi

rdivine; rja-rjaof kings of kings; varat for being the ruler; anurpbefitting; paricchadalvarious paraphernalia; paritaon all sides; vibhtiwere visible; nijafor Himself; anurp suitable; paricrakservants; caand; tathand; mah-vaibhavaof transcendental opulences; paktayarows; apialso. All around Him were various symbols of royalty befitting the ruler of kings among kings, and there were servants qualified to attend Him, and transcendental opulences standing in rows before Him. Commentary: Various weapons and other symbols of royalty stood near the Lord. Of course, the opulences of the Lord of Dvrak are all purely spiritual and even more sublime than those of the Lord of Vaikuha, but for the sake of poetic
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comparison they are described as befitting a worldly emperor. In a very real sense, moreover, Ka in Dvrak is the king of all kings. Before describing the principal devotees present in the assembly hall, Gopa-kumra mentions the devotees tending the Lord at His side. The attendants who stood on the four sides of the Lord were nijnurpaunequaled in splendor and therefore qualified to serve the Supreme Lord. The opulences arrayed in rows before the Lord included His chariot and horses, His prijta flower and other playthings, and the personified arts of song, dance, and so forth. TEXT 10

sva-svsane r-vasudeva-rmkrrdayo dakiato nivi vme sya prve gada-styak ca puro nidhydhipam ugrasenam
sva-svaeach on his own; saneseat; r-vasudeva r Vasudeva; rmaBalarma; akrraAkrra; daya and so on; dakiataon the right; nivi seated; vmeleft; asyaHis; prveon the side; gadaGada; styakand Styaki; caalso; purain front; nidhyabeing placed; adhipamthe king; ugrasenamUgrasena. r Vasudeva, Balarma, Akrra, and others sat to His right, each on his own seat, Gada and Satyki to His left, and just before Him King Ugrasena. Commentary: Besides Kas father, His elder brother, and His respected friend Akrra, others also sat on His right, including His gurus Sndpani and Garga. Ugrasena sat on a throne directly in front of Ka because Ugrasena was the king. TEXT 11

mantr vikadru ktavarma sama tatraiva vi-pravarai parair api r-nrado narma-sugta-v726

vdyair amu krati hsayan sa

mantrHis minister; vikadruVikadru; ktavarma with Ktavarm; samamtogether; tatrathere; eva indeed; vi-pravaraiwith the best Vis; paraiothers; apialso; r-nradar Nrada; narmawith clever words; su-gtafine singing; v-vdyaiand the music of his v; amumHim; kratiplayed; hsayanmaking smile; sahe. Also nearby was the Lords minister Vikadru, with Ktavarm and several other prominent Vis. r Nrada was entertaining the Lord, making Him smile with clever words, fine singing, and the music of his v. Commentary: Vikadru, the trusted advisor, and Ktavarm, the head of the army, also had privileged seats near Kas throne. The same Nrada whom Gopa-kumra had seen in Vaikuha was wandering about the assembly, praising various Ydavas with good humor. TEXT 12

tihan pura r-garuo sti ta stuvan pdbja-savhana-kt tathoddhava rahasya-vrtbhir asau priybhi santoayann asti nijevara tam
tihanstanding; purain front; r-garuar Garua; astiwas; tamHim; stuvanpraising; pdaabjato His lotus feet; savhana-ktgiving a massage; tathand; uddhavaUddhava; rahasya confidential; vrtbhiwith comments; asauhe; priybhiaffectionate; santoayangratifying; astiwas; nijahis; varamLord; tamHim. r Garua stood before the Lord, glorifying Him with prayers. And Uddhava massaged the Lords lotus feet and pleased Him with affectionate intimate remarks. Commentary: As Kas dearest friend in Dvrak, Uddhava has the privilege of massaging the Lords feet in the Sudharm assembly hall. Being so close
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to the Lord, he can say things that others present should not overhear. He is also a disciple of Bhaspati, the master of speech, so he is a perfect scholar and Kas favorite advisor. Even if someone were to stand close enough to hear what he was telling Ka, his speech was so circumspect that its confidential gist was beyond guessing. Although the Lord to whom Uddhava was speaking had submitted Himself to Uddhavas influence, that Lord was nijevaram, the supreme controller, what to speak of being most clever and resourceful. TEXT 13

nirkya drghtma-didkitspada dre pata prema-bharea mohita sa tdbhaa-sneha-rasena prito man-nyanyoddhavam didea
nirkyaseeing; drghafor a long time; tmamy own; didkitaof the desire to see; spadamthe goal; dreat a distance; apatamI fell down; prema-bhareaby the burden of love; mohitamade unconscious; saHe; tuand; udbhaaexalted; snehaof affection; rasenawith the transcendental mood; pritafilled; matme; nyanyato bring; uddhavamUddhava; dideainstructed. Seeing from a distance the goal I had long desired to see, I fell unconscious, overburdened by love. Then the Lord, brimming with the exalted rasa of affection, told Uddhava to bring me close. TEXT 14

mm uddhavo gopa-kumra-veam lakya ho drutam gato sau utthpya yatnd atha cetayitv pyor ghtvnayad asya prvam
mmme; uddhavaUddhava; gopa-kumraof a cowherd boy; veamin the dress; lakyaseeing; ha delighted; drutamquickly; gatacame; asauhe; utthpyaraising; yatntwith endeavor; athaand; cetayitvbringing to full awareness; pyoin his
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two hands; ghtvtaking; anayatbrought; asya His; prvamto the side. Uddhava quickly came forward, delighted to see me in the dress of a cowherd boy. He carefully lifted me from the ground, brought me back to full awareness, and led me to the Lords side with both hands. Commentary: Since Uddhava has a special attachment to the residents of Gokula, he at once recognized Gopa-kumras dress. And he quickly left his service of massaging Kas feet to carry out the Lords order. TEXT 15

nijntike man-nayanrtham tmanaivotthtu-kmena puro rpitasya pdmbujasyopari mac-chiro balt sva-pinkya batoddhavo nyadht
nijato Himself; antikeclose by; matme; nayanaarthamfor the purpose of bringing; tmanby Himself; evaindeed; utthtuto lift; kmenawith the desire; purafilled; arpitasyaoffered; pdaambujasyaof His lotus feet; uparion; matmy; irahead; baltby force; svahis own; pin with the hand; kyapulling; bataah; uddhava Uddhava; nyadhtplaced. Then the Lord, wanting to lift me up and draw me to His side, placed His feet close to me. Andoh! Uddhava, with his own hand, firmly touched my head to those lotus feet. Commentary: In all of Gopa-kumras travels throughout the material and spiritual worlds, he had never experienced such mercy from the Supreme Lord. TEXT 16

sa pra-ntha sva-karmbujena me span pratkn parimrjayann iva va mamdya kard vilokayas t sthito ri sjan mahrta-vat
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saHe; pra-nthathe Lord of my life; svaHis own; kara-ambujenawith the lotus hand; memy; spantouching; pratknlimbs; parimrjayan cleaning; ivaas if; vamflute; mamamy; dya taking; kartfrom my hand; vilokayanlooking; tmsilent; sthitaremained; aritears; sjanshedding; mah-rta-vatas if very much distressed. The Lord of my life then stroked me with His lotus hand, as if to cleanse each of my limbs. He took the flute from my hand, looked at it, and apparently distressed remained silent, shedding tears. Commentary: Although Ka was in the august assembly of royalty, He was unable to check His emotions when Gopa-kumra came near Him. Ka surely knows how to deal lovingly with His devotees, and in front of the Ydava princes He tried His best to control Himself, but it was obvious He was becoming agitated. TEXT 17

kat tava kemam anmayo si ki na tatra kaccit prabhaved amagalam eva vadann eva da sa km api vrajan kto mantri-varea dhairya-vn
katafter a moment; tavayour; kemamwellbeing; anmayahealthy; asiyou are; kimwhether; nanot; tatrathere; kaccitanything; prabhavethas an influence; amagalaminauspicious; evamthus; vadansaying; evajust; dama state; saHe; km apisome; vrajanobtaining; ktamade; mantrivareaby his chief advisor (Uddhava); dhairya-vn calm. The next moment He asked, Is all well with you? Is your health good? I hope the place you came from is free from any influence of misfortune. While speaking this way, He again began to feel disturbed, and Uddhava had to calm Him.
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Commentary: As soon as Uddhava saw ecstatic symptoms appear in Kas body, such as tears and choking of the voice, he took steps to calm the Lord. Kas agitation was caused by the questions He had asked about Gopa-kumras hometown. Strictly speaking, inauspicious forces cannot enter the Dvrak of Vaikuha, where Gopa-kumra was present; they can enter only the Vndvana and Dvrak on earth. But r Ka is always in the mood of His abodes on earth, which are ultimately identical with His abodes in the spiritual sky. r Nrada will later elaborate on this esoteric truth. TEXT 18

agrato darits tena saketena sabh-sthit ydav vasudevdy np devs tatharaya

agratain front; daritshown; tenaby him; saketenawith a gesture; sabhin the assembly; sthitpresent; ydavthe Ydavas; vasudeva Vasudeva; dyand so on; npkings; dev demigods; tathalso; ayasages. With a gesture, Uddhava indicated to the Lord those present before them in the assemblyVasudeva and the other Ydavas and many kings and demigods and sages. Commentary: Uddhava moved his eyebrows to remind Ka of the presence not only of Vasudeva and the other Yadus but also of kings like Yudhihira, demigods like Indra, and sages like Gargcrya. As we have understood from the philosophical explanation by Nrada, these kings, demigods, and sages are all eternal associates of the Lord who reside in the Dvrak within Vaikuha, just as they reside in the Dvrak on earth, to enhance the Lords enjoyment of His pastimes. Gopa-kumra will see many of these devotees again when he reaches Goloka. TEXT 19
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unmlya padma-netre tn lokygre prayatnata so vaabhyead tmna purntar gantum udyata

unmlyaopening; padma-netreHis lotus eyes; tnat them; lokyaglancing; agrebefore Him; prayatnatawith difficulty; saHe; avaabhya calming; atsomewhat; tmnamHimself; puraHis quarters; antainside; gantumto go; udyatagot up. The Lord opened His lotus eyes and glanced at the people in front of Him. With difficulty He somewhat calmed Himself and then got up to enter His inner quarters. TEXT 20

cird abha nija-jvitea tathbhilabhya pramadbdhi-magna kim cari pravadni v kim iti sma jnmi na kicanham
cirtfor a long time; abhamwho was yearned for; nijamy own; jvita-amLord of the life; taththus; abhilabhyaobtaining; pramadaof great joy; abdhiin an ocean; magnaimmersed; kimwhat; carishould I do; pravadni should I say; v or; kimwhat; itithus; sma jnmi nadid not know; kicanaat all; ahamI. Because I had now attained the Lord of my life, for whom I had yearned for so long, I was immersed in an ocean of joy. I had no idea what to say or what to do. TEXT 21

tato bahir nisarato yadttamn sammnya tmbula-vilepandibhi vidhtya m dakia-pinjalau rmoddhavbhym aviat purntaram
tatathen; bahiout; nisaratawho were going; yadu-uttamnthe chiefs of Yadus; sammnya
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honoring; tmbulawith pn; vilepanasandalwood paste; dibhiand so on; vidhtyataking; mmme; dakia-pinby the right hand; ajalauby the folded palms; rmawith Balarma; uddhavbhymand Uddhava; aviatHe entered; pura-antaramthe inner palace. As the chiefs of the Yadus began leaving, the Lord honored them with items such as pn and sandalwood paste. Holding my joined palms in His right hand, He took me with Him as He entered the inner palace with Balarma and Uddhava. Commentary: Kas standing up ended the official business of the assembly, so the Yadus all began to leave. Gopa-kumra, however, was escorted by the Lord Himself into the Lords private quarters. The Lord took hold of Gopa-kumras hand very firmly. TEXT 22

var puras-ktya sa-rohik r-devak sa-atottari prabhu sahasry atha oagre bhyayu sa-bhty pramud mahiya
varmthe mother-in-law; purain front; ktya placing; sa-rohikmalong with Rohi; rdevakmr Devak; sa-aaplus eight; atauttariplus one hundred; prabhumthe Lord; sahasrithousands; athathen; oaasixteen; agreforward; abhyayuproceeded; sa-bhtywith their maidservants; pramudhappily; mahiyathe queens. The Lords 16,108 queens happily followed their husband, along with their maidservants. And in front the queens placed their mothers-in-law, r Devak and Rohi. Commentary: Immediately after Ka entered His quarters, His queens and their attendants followed Him. They showed proper respect to the mothers of Ka and Balarma by having them enter first. TEXT 23
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rukmi satyabhm s dev jmbavat tath klind mitravind ca saty bhadr ca lakma
rukmiRukmi; satyabhmSatyabhm; sshe; devthe goddess; jmbavatJmbavat; tathalso; klindKlind; mitravindMitravind; caand; satySaty; bhadrBhadr; caand; lakma Lakma. Among the queens were the goddesses Rukmi, Satyabhm, and Jmbavat, and Klind and Mitravind, and Saty, Bhadr, and Lakma. Commentary: The word dev, supreme ruling goddess, here refers specifically to Satyabhm, who is especially dear to Ka, but it also refers to all these queens. TEXT 24

any ca rohi-mukhys tasyaivocitat gat sarv sarva-prakrea tulya-ds-garcit

anyothers; caand; rohiRohi; mukhyheaded by; tasyafor Him; evajust; ucitatm gatfit; sarvall; sarva-prakreain all ways; tulya suitable; dsof maidservants; gaaby groups; arcithonored. The Lords other queens followed, headed by Rohi, all of them fit in every way to be His consorts and all honored by groups of suitably qualified maidservants. Commentary: This Rohi is different from Lord Balarmas mother. r ukadeva Gosvm confirms that Rohi was the leading princess rescued from the fortress of Bhaumsura. In rmad-Bhgavatam (10.61.18), after listing the sons of Kas first eight queens, ukadeva says, dptims tmrataptdy/ rohiys tanay hare: Dptimn, Tmratapta, and others were the sons of Lord Ka
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and Rohi. All of Kas queens, beginning with r Rukmi, are fully qualified to be His consorts. We can deduce, therefore, that they are superexcellent in all ways, just as He is. When the queens entered the inner palace, maidservants followed them, each maidservant exactly suited to her queens personality. For the service of the queens, these attendants carried such items as palanquins, cmara fans, and boxes containing pn. TEXT 25

tbhym ambhi ca sa-lajjam vta kumra-vargair api obhito viat prsdam tmyam athsanottame nihnutya bhva niasda ha-vat
tbhymby them (His queens); ambhithe two of them (His mothers); caand; sa-lajjamshyly; vtasurrounded; kumra-vargaiby groups of sons; apialso; obhitafurther graced with splendor; aviatHe entered; prsdamthe palace; tmyamHis own; athathen; sana-uttameon the best of thrones; nihnutyaconcealing; bhvamHis ecstasy; niasdaHe sat down; ha-vatapparently pleased. With His two mothers and all these queens surrounding Him shyly, the Lord entered His own palace, followed also by several groups of young sons, who added to the splendor of that procession. Within His palace, He concealed the emotions He was feeling, and with apparent pleasure He sat down on the best of thrones. Commentary: Last in the procession that entered the Lords quarters were His sons, led by r Pradyumna and Smba. Upon entering, Ka hid the agitation He felt, brought on by vividly remembering Gokula, and sat down on His throne. To satisfy His mother Devak and the queens, but especially to put Gopakumra in a good mood, He outwardly appeared happy (ha-vat). In any case, having Gopa-kumra with
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Him was almost as good as being back in Gokula, and so He had reason to be happy. TEXT 26

ta r-yaodkhila-gopa-sundargoprbha-vargair iva bhita tv aham payan samaka dhta-veum tmano dhyeya punar hara-bharea mohita
tamHim; r-yaodby r Yaod; akhilaall; gopa-sundarof beautiful gops; gopa-arbhaof cowherd boys; vargaiand by groups; ivaas if; bhitamdecorated; tubut; ahamI; payanseeing; samakambefore my eyes; dhtaholding; veumHis flute; tmanamy own; dhyeyamobject of meditation; punaagain; hara-bhareadue to the excess of delight; mohitafainted. But I saw the Lord appearing before me as if adorned by the company of r Yaod and all the beautiful young gops and many young cowherd boys. Seeing the object of my own meditation, holding His flute in His hand, I again fainted, overwhelmed by delight. Commentary: In his meditation, Gopa-kumra had always worshiped r Madana-gopladeva, who unlike Lord Ka in Dvrak always carries His flute. But now Ka had just taken Gopa-kumras flute in His hand and was still holding it. That peculiar circumstance set off a special ecstasy in Gopakumra, a mood in which he saw Devak as mother Yaod, Kas queens as gops, and the Lords sons like Pradyumna and Smba as young cowherd boys. In Gopa-kumras rapture, Kas own beauty remained unchanged, and so did that of r Balarmas mother, Rohi, who has the same personality in both Vndvana and Dvrak. The only feature of Kas that differed here in Dvrak was the sacred yajopavta thread given to Him by Sndpani Muni at the time of His initiation, but this thread was concealed by Kas upper cloth. TEXT 27
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kp-bhara-vyagra-man sa-sambhrama svaya samutthya sa nanda-nandana karmbuja-spara-balena me karot prabodham agni muhur vimrjayan
kp-bharaby an excess of compassion; vyagra agitated; manHis mind; sa-sambhramamhastily; svayamHimself; samutthyagetting up; saHe; nanda-nandanathe son of Mahrja Nanda; karaambujaof the lotus hand; sparaof the touch; balenaby the force; memy; akarotmade; prabodham return to consciousness; agnimy limbs; muhu again; vimrjayancleaning. Then Nanda-nandana Himself, His mind moved by abundant compassion, quickly got up. And by the powerful touch of His lotus hand He brought me back to consciousness and carefully cleaned the limbs of my body. Commentary: Though He be a powerful prince in Dvrak, Ka is always the same Nanda-nandana, the darling son of Nanda Mahrja and all the cowherds of Vraja. His prime concern is always to keep the devotees of Vraja happy. Therefore He could not help but feel anxious for Gopa-kumra. Although He could have brought Gopa-kumra back to consciousness simply by His omnipotent desire, Ka wanted to take personal care of him. TEXT 28

vtte bhojana-kle pi bhoktum icchm akurvat mtm graheaiva ktya mdhyhika ktam
vttecoming; bhojanaof eating; klethe time; apiand; bhoktumto eat; icchmthe desire; akurvatby Him who did not have; mtmof His mothers; graheaby the insistence; evaonly; ktyamHis duties; mdhya-ahikamnoontime; ktam were performed. The time had come for lunch, but the Lord didnt
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feel like eating. Only at the insistence of His mothers did He perform His noontime duties. Commentary: The pain of separation Ka felt from remembering Gokula spoiled His appetite. But His mothers, not only Devak but also Vasudevas several other wives, wouldnt let Him go without eating. First, however, He took His noontime bath and performed His other normal duties. TEXT 29

daivak-nandanentha tena kicit sva-pin bhojito ha svaya pacd bhukta santoaya me

daivakof Devak; nandanenaby the darling son; athathen; tenaby Him; kicitsomething; svapinwith His own hand; bhojitafed; ahamI; svayamHimself; pactafter; bhuktamate; santoayafor the satisfaction; memy. That darling son of Devak fed me something with His own hand and only then took something Himself, for my satisfaction. Commentary: Devaks dear son agreed to eat because He wanted to please His mother. But He also wanted His friends to eat, which they would do only in His presence. TEXT 30

kumra-maal-madhye niveya nijam agrajam pariveayat svena prva-vad blya-llay

kumraof boys; maala circle; madhyewithin; niveyaseating; nijamHis; agra-jamelder brother; pariveayatserving; svenaHimself; prva-vatas before; blya-llayin His childhood pastimes. The Lord sat His elder brother down within a circle of boys and fed them, just as He had before in His childhood pastimes. Commentary: In the middle of the circle of young
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Yadus sat Lord Balarma, like the whorl of a lotus in bloom. Previously Ka and Balarma had enjoyed noon meals like this in Vndvana in the company of the cowherd boys, amid clever conversation and laughter. The Tenth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (10.13.11) describes those pastimes: bibhrad veu jahara-paayo ga-vetre ca kake vme pau masa-kavala tat-phalny agulu tihan madhye sva-parisuhdo hsayan narmabhi svai svarge loke miati bubhuje yaja-bhug bla-keli Ka is yaja-bhukthat is, He eats only offerings of yajabut to exhibit His childhood pastimes He now sat with His flute tucked between His waist and His tight cloth on His right side and with His horn bugle and cow-driving stick on His left. Holding in His hand a very nice preparation of yogurt and rice, with pieces of suitable fruit between His fingers, He sat like the whorl of a lotus, looking forward toward all His friends, personally joking with them and creating jubilant laughter among them as He ate. At that time, the denizens of heaven were watching, struck with wonder at how the Personality of Godhead, who eats only in yaja, was now eating with His friends in the forest. In this portrait from the Tenth Canto, Ka eats with His friends instead of serving the meal, because on this day His elder brother, Balarma, is not present. TEXT 31

mah-prasdam ucchia bhuktv sva-gham nayat bhagavad-bhva-vijo sv uddhavo m bald iva

mah-prasdamspecially graced by having been eaten by the Lord; ucchiamthe remnants; bhuktv eating; svahis own; ghamto the house; nayat led; bhagavatof the Lord; bhvaof the ecstasies;
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vijathe expert knower; asauhe; uddhava Uddhava; mmme; baltby force; ivaas if. Uddhava knew the Lords ecstasies very well. So he ate some of Kas mah-prasda remnants and then took me somewhat by force to his own house. Commentary: Ka was thinking that Gopa-kumra would not feel completely at ease in a palace filled with royal opulence. Therefore He decided that it would be better for Gopa-kumra to stay with Uddhava at Uddhavas house, since Uddhava had a unique affinity with the residents of Vraja. Uddhava knew what the Lord was thinking without the Lords having to say anything, so as soon as Uddhava ate some of Kas remnants, he took Gopakumra with him, without so much as a word. Since Gopa-kumra was still dazed, Uddhava had to drag him away. TEXT 32

tadnm eva yto ha samyak saj tato khilam tatrnubhta viman muhur ntyann amasy ada
tadnmat that time; evaonly; ytacame; ahamI; samyakcomplete; sajmto consciousness; tata then; akhilameverything; tatrathere; anubhtam experienced; vimanreflecting on; muhu repeatedly; ntyandancing; amasiI thought; ada as follows. Only then did I completely return to normal consciousness. Reflecting on what I had seen happen, I danced for a long time and then began to think. Commentary: In the more normal situation of Uddhavas house, Gopa-kumra was able to gather his thoughts. He was delighted to have the opportunity to be with Ka and His devotees there in Dvrak. TEXT 33

mano-rathn parama kilntam

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aho gato dyaiva yad ia-devam prpto paroka-vraja-ngara ta hd-dhyyamnkhila-mdhurbhi

mana-rathnmof my desires; paramamultimate; kilaindeed; antamthe perfection; ahooh; gata achieved; adyatoday; evaindeed; yatsince; iadevammy worshipable Deity; prptaobtained; aparokavisible to my eyes; vraja-ngaramthe romantic hero of Vraja; tamHim; htin my heart; dhyyamnabeing meditated on; akhilawith all; mdhurbhiHis charms. I said to myself, Indeed, today I have achieved the ultimate perfection of all my desires, for with my very eyes I have seen with all His attractive charms the hero of Vraja, upon whom I have always meditated in my heart. Commentary: This is the form of the Absolute Truth that for so long had filled Gopa-kumras heart in his meditationsthe audacious enjoyer of Vrajabhmi who attracts His devotees in countless ways. TEXT 34

prasthyoddhava-sagaty sva-prabhu ta vilokayan naka hara-vaivayt kicit kartu para tata

prasthyasetting off; uddhava-sagatyin the company of Uddhava; sva-prabhummy Lord; tamHim; vilokayanseeing; na aakamI was not able; hara with delight; vaivaytbecause of being beside myself; kicitanything; kartumto do; paramelse; tatathan that. The next day I went with Uddhava and saw my Lord, but I was so beside myself with delight that I was unable to do more than that. Commentary: On this second day, Gopa-kumra was still so disoriented by the ecstasy of the new state of affairs that he was unable to render any service other than taking darana of Ka.
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TEXTS 3536

vicitra tasya kruyabhara santatam pnuvan vasas tatra mahnandaprn anubhavmi yn te nirpaa kartu vc cittena v jana brahmyupi ka akto bhagavad-bhaktimn api
vicitramvarious; tasyaHis; kruyaof the mercy; bharamthe abundance; santatamconstantly; pnuvan receiving; vasanresiding; tatrathere; mahnandaof supreme ecstasy; prnfloods; anubhavmiI experienced; ynwhich; temof them; nirpaamthe description; kartumto do; vcby words; cittenaby the mind; vor; janaa person; brahmaof Lord Brahm; yuwith a duration of life; apieven; kawho; aktacapable; bhagavatbhakti-mnpossessing pure devotion to the Supreme Lord; apieven. While residing there in Dvrak I constantly, abundantly received Lord Kas wonderful mercy. I tasted such a flood of supreme ecstasy that no one could tell of it in words, or even think of it within the mind, not even a pure devotee of the Lord with a lifetime of Brahm. Commentary: The glories of Ka in Dvrak are surely beyond the comprehension of the greatest scholars and mystic yogs. Only rarely can even surrendered devotees approach those glories with the mind or words. TEXT 37

moke sukha nanu mahat-tamam ucyate yat tat koi-koi-guita gadita vikuhe yukty kaycid adhika kila koaly yad dvrak-bhavam ida tu katha nirpyam
mokein liberation; sukhamthe happiness; nanu
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perhaps; mahat-tamamsupreme; ucyateis said; yat which; tatthat; koi-koimany millions of times; guitammultiplied; gaditamsaid; vikuhein Vaikuha; yuktyby a logic; kaycitsome; adhikamgreater; kilaindeed; koalymin Ayodhy; yatwhich; dvrakin Dvrak; bhavamborn; idam this; tubut; kathamhow; nirpyamdescribable. The happiness found in liberation is said to be supreme. Multiplied many millions of times, it might be said to equal the joy in Vaikuha. And if any joy still greater can be conceived, it is that which is found in Ayodhy. But the joy born in Dvrakhow can anyone even begin to describe it? Commentary: The devotees of impersonal liberation consider the nullifying of material existence the highest possible perfection, its happiness greater than any other. They are unaware of the existence of a transcendental world in which there is a happiness much greater, although the Vaiavas openly proclaim that happiness to anyone willing to hear. Among the Vaiavas, those with especially fine powers of discrimination know and describe an even greater happiness, which is found in Lord Rmacandras kingdom of Ayodhy. But no ones power of logic can surmise the superexcellent degree of happiness relished by Ka and His companions in Dvrak. Powerful thinkers have studied the Vedas and pondered the supreme happiness of liberation. But thinkers with still finer intelligence recognize that the happiness of impersonal liberation is nothing but the absence of material misery and so there must be something greater, namely the happiness of Vaikuha. They presume, moreover, that the ultimate limit of happiness lies in Vaikuha, because otherwise they would face the logical flaw of an endless regress of different degrees of happiness. Be that as it may, in the spiritual abode of Ayodhy the Supreme Lords servants have such exclusive devotion for Him and
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such determination to satisfy Him with their service that the happiness there is palpably greater than that of Vaikuha. Even better, however, is the happiness of Dvrak. No speculator can find a methodology to analyze it, but it exists nonetheless. It is not a mere creation of devotees sentiments, for many reliable authorities have perceived it for themselves. TEXT 38

tatrpi tac-cira-didkita-jviteaprpty tad-eka-dayitasya janasya yat syt vtty kaystu vacaso manaso pi vtta tad vai vidus tad-ucittmani tad-vidas te
tatrain that (happiness); apiindeed, moreover; tatof him; cirafor a long time; didkitawhom he has wanted to see; jvita-athe Lord of his life; prptyby achieving; tatto Him; ekaexclusively; dayitasyadear; janasyaof the person; yatwhich; sytcan occur; vttyby a faculty; kaywhich; astucan there be; vacasaof words; manasaof the mind; apieven; vor; ttamgrasped; tatthat (happiness); vaicertainly; viduunderstand; tat for that; ucitafit; tmaniin their minds; tat that; vidawho are fit to know; tethey. Indeed, the joy a resident of Dvrak feels from having gained the only Lord of his life after a long time yearning to see Him, no faculty of mind or speech can grasp. Only those whose minds are fit can know it. Commentary: Persons with strong intelligence but weak faith in devotional service to Ka may doubt whether happiness greater than found in Ayodhy can exist. But although such doubters may be unable to know the happiness of Dvrak, what right do they have to declare it nonexistent? There are other, more qualified persons who know the taste of it. Even though words and the mind can hardly comprehend the transcendental bliss known by the Dvrak-vss, it has been described with logical
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supporting arguments for the benefit of Kas aspiring worshipers to fortify their enthusiasm for unalloyed devotional service. Just as the devotees of Ayodhy taste greater happiness in their intimate moods of service than the nryaa-bhaktas of Vaikuha, the devotees of Dvrak enjoy happiness still greater because they are personally connected to Ka in the mood of friendship. And when we extend this thinking a step further, we can understand that the happiness of Goloka, resting as it does on the topmost prema known only there, is greater stilland no happiness is greater. TEXT 39

eva vasanta m tatra rmad-ydava-pugav viva-bhyntar-nandadidkrdra-hdo bruvan

evamthus; vasantamwho was living; mmto me; tatrathere; rmat-ydavaof the divine Ydavas; pugavthe best; vivafor the whole world; bhyainternal; antaand external; nandabliss; didkwith eagerness to see; rdramelted; hda whose hearts; abruvanspoke. After I had lived for some time there in Dvrak, some of the best of the divine Ydavas said something to me, their hearts melted with eagerness to see everyone in the world happy within and without. Commentary: What Gopa-kumra is speaking to his disciple is not merely theoretical. While residing in Dvrak Gopa-kumra had tasted enough of Dvraks unique happiness to rightfully claim knowledge of it. On one occasion during his stay, he had been approached by some concerned residents who only wanted the greatest possible happiness for everyone, both externally in the form of good food, clothing, ornaments, and other means for enjoyment and internally in the form of the priceless treasure of prema and its ecstasies.
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TEXT 40

r-ydav cu vaikuhato py uttama-bhti-prite sthne tvam etytra sakhe smad-anvita yad vanya-veena sudna-vad vaser manymahe sdhu na tat kathacana
r-ydav cuthe divine Ydavas said; vaikuhatacompared with Vaikuha; apieven; uttamasupreme; bhtisplendor; pritewhich is full of; sthneto the place; tvamyou; etya coming; atrathis; sakheO friend; asmatof us; anvitain the company; yatthe fact that; vanyaof the forest; veenain dress; su-dna-vatlike a very wretched person; vaseyou reside; manymahe we think; sdhugood; nanot; tatthat; kathacana at all. The divine Ydavas said: Dear friend, you have come to this place, which is more full in supreme splendor than even Vaikuha, and you are now our companion. We think it hardly fitting that you continue to dress like a miserable forest dweller. Commentary: Of course, Gopa-kumra was beyond material misery, as the Ydavas expressed by speaking of him as sudna-vat, as if very miserablenot actually miserable. Still, they felt that Gopa-kumras incongruous dress and behavior were depriving him of many of the joys of residing in Dvrak. TEXT 41

citte dukham ivsmkam api kicid bhaved ata svata siddha tam asmkam iva vedika tanu
cittein the mind; dukhamdistress; ivaas if; asmkamfor us; apialso; kicitsome; bhavetthere is; atatherefore; svata-siddhamautomatically available; tamthat; asmkamour; ivalike; veadikamdress and so on; tanuplease assume.
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This troubles our minds, so please take on our type of dress and looks, which are naturally available to anyone who lives here. Commentary: The citizens of Dvrak know only the highest constant ecstasy, but these devotees felt a little unhappy to see Gopa-kumra in an apparently wretched condition. By nature they were intolerant of even an outward semblance of misery. Gopa-kumra should not wonder where to get the right dress and capabilities for enjoying like a Dvrak-vs, because the very atmosphere of Dvrak readily provides these to any resident who wants them. TEXT 42

r-gopa-kumra uvca te tatrgrahepi sva-cittasycyutasya ca alabdhv sva-rasa teu nckicana-vat sthita

r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; tem their; tatrathere; graheawith the insistence; apieven; sva-cittasyaof my mind; acyutasyaof Lord Acyuta; caand; alabdhvnot obtaining; svarasamthe special taste; teuamong them; ncaone who is poor; akicanaand without possessions; vat like; sthitaremained. r Gopa-kumra said: Even though these Ydavas insisted, I stayed like a poor, simple devotee because in their dress I would not have been able to taste the special mood that appealed to my mind, and to Lord Acyutas. Commentary: Gopa-kumra preferred to stay inferior to these prominent Ydavas. To him, more important than keeping up appearances was to protect his personal rasa with Ka. TEXT 43

snasya sabh-madhye sevitasya maharddhibhi prve bhagavato thha

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gantu lajje bibhemi ca

snasyawho was seated; sabh-madhyein the midst of the assembly hall; sevitasyaserved; mahddhibhiby vast opulences; prveto the side; bhagavataof the Personality of Godhead; atha then; ahamI; gantumto go; lajjeI was ashamed; bibhemiI was afraid; caand. I then became shy and feared to go to the side of the Personality of Godhead when He was seated in His court and being served by His transcendental opulences. Commentary: To maintain his unbroken inner mood of service, Gopa-kumra declined to follow the Ydavas suggestion that he change his dress. But this further disturbed his heart. Now that the matter had been brought to his attention, he began to feel uncomfortable about appearing before Lord Ka in the assembly hall; he thought his own appearance incongruent and was apprehensive that he might do something wrong. Not only was he embarrassed, he was also daunted by the great opulence he saw in the Sudharm hall and the huge crowds of kings, sages, and demigods. His uneasiness at coming before Ka while the Lord was seated on His throne in the royal court made Gopa-kumra begin thinking again about going somewhere else. TEXT 44

catur-bhutvam apy asya payeya tatra karhicit na ca kr-viea ta vraja-bhmi-kta sad

catu-bhutvamhaving four hands; apialso; asya His; payeyamI would see; tatrathere; karhicit sometimes; nanot; caand; krthe pastimes; vieamspecial; tamthose; vraja-bhmiin Vrajabhmi; ktamperformed; sadalways. Sometimes I would see the Lord with four hands. I
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couldnt always see the special pastimes He performs in Vraja-bhmi. Commentary: When devotees like r Rukmi were present, Gopa-kumra found it difficult to envision Ka as He is in His Vndvana pastimes. When the Lord was talking with Nrada Muni or Arjuna, Gopakumra could hardly see Him tending His cows. Sometimes Gopa-kumra could see Him as if in Vndvana, but not often enough. TEXT 45

kadcid ea tatraiva vartamnn adrata pavn kitu gacched ekk priya-bndhavn

kadcitsometimes; eaHe; tatrathere; eva indeed; vartamnnwho were staying; adratanot far away; pavnthe Pavas; kitumto see; gacchetwould go; ekkalone; priyadear; bndhavnHis friends. Sometimes the Lord would go alone to visit His dear friends the Pavas, who stayed nearby. Commentary: On earth the Pavas lived a good distance away from Dvrak, in Hastinpura, so Ka had to make a long journey to meet them. In Vaikuha, however, the situation is different. Even if the residence of the Pavas is physically distant from Dvrak-pur, in the spiritual realm there are no limitations of time and space. By the power of the Lords desire, any place to which He wishes to travel is at once nearby. TEXT 46

ittha cirantanbhsamprty me vyatheta ht tdg-rpa-guasysya dyaivthpi myati

itthamthus; cirantanalong-sustained; abhamy desires; asamprtybecause of not being fulfilled; memy; vyathetawould be tormented; htheart;
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tdksuch; rpaof the beauty; guasyaand qualities; asyaHis; dyby seeing; evaonly; atha apihowever; myatiit would be pacified. And so, because of desires long held but unfulfilled, my heart would feel tormented. But when I could see His beauty and qualities once again, my heart would again become peaceful. Commentary: Being unable for even a short time to see Kas beauty and His kind behavior would throw Gopa-kumra into anxious turmoil. But as soon as Ka would return, Gopa-kumra would recover his composure. TEXT 47

tasya vg-amtais tais tai kpbhivyajanair api bhavet sukha-vieo yo jihv spatu ta katham
tasyaHis; vkof speech; amtaiby the varieties of nectar; tai taithem; kpcompassion; abhivyajanaiwhich revealed; apialso; bhavet there would be; sukhahappiness; vieaunique; yawhich; jihvthe tongue; spatucould touch; tamthis; kathamhow. His nectarean words revealed His mercy. How can my tongue even touch the unique happiness they created? TEXT 48

evam uddhava-gehe me dinni katicid yayu yadi syt ko pi okas ta savomy avahitthay
evamthus; uddhavaof Uddhava; gehein the house; memy; dnnidays; katicitseveral; yayupassed; yadiif; sytthere would be; ka apiany; oka unhappiness; tamthat; savomiI would conceal; avahitthayby feigning. During the several days I spent this way in the
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house of Uddhava, if there were any unhappiness I would conceal it by feigning happiness. Commentary: Besides Kas occasional absence from Dvrak, another cause of anxiety for Gopa-kumra was the tendency to remember the land of his birth. Although being unable to see his worshipable Lord playing in the pastimes of Vraja made Gopa-kumra unhappy, he tried hard to conceal this because he knew that the Dvrak-vss couldnt tolerate seeing anyone in pain and also because he was reluctant to make a show of his private ecstasies. TEXT 49

ekad nrada tatrgata vkya praamya tam harea vismayepi veito vocam dam
ekadonce; nradamNrada; tatrathere; gatamwho had come; vkyaseeing; praamyabowing down; tam to him; hareawith joy; vismayeawith amazement; apialthough; veitaenveloped; avocamI spoke; damin this way. One day I saw Nrada come. I bowed down to him, and in utter joy and amazement I spoke to him in the following way. Commentary: To help Gopa-kumra achieve his longcherished goal, Nrada appeared at just the right moment to tell him about the glories of r Goloka and how to achieve Goloka. TEXT 50

munndra-vea prabhu-pradottama svargdi-lokeu bhavantam dam vaikuha-loke tra ca hanta sarvata paymy aho kautukam voti mm
muni-indraof an exalted sage; veawhose dress; prabhuof the Lord; pradaof the associates; uttamaO best; svarga-diof heaven and so on; lokeuin the worlds; bhavantamyou; damlike this; vaikuha-lokein Vaikuha-loka; atrahere;
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caalso; hantaindeed; sarvataeverywhere; paymiI see; ahooh; kautukamsurprise; voti is enveloping; mmme. O Nrada, best of the Lords associates though in dress an exalted sage, I see you just everywherein the heavenly planets, in Vaikuha, and now here looking just the same. How fascinated I am to see this! Commentary: Inspired by the joy of seeing Nrada Muni, Gopa-kumra wants to hear more about Nradas glories from Nradas own mouth and hear further details about the special powers of the Supreme Lords associates in Vaikuha, powers Nrada has briefly mentioned before: eva vicitra-deeu svapndv apy anekadh dyamnasya kasya pradn padasya ca ekatvam apy anekatva satyatva ca su-sagatam Thus although Ka, His associates, and His abode are seen in various forms in different places, and in dreams and other special states of consciousness, they are with perfect consistency one although many, and they are always real. (Bhad-bhgavatmta 2.4.161162) Nrada dresses in saffron like a lifelong brahmacr, but the true extent of his glories goes far beyond strict celibacy. In the words of Gopakumra, Nrada is the best of the Supreme Lords intimate associates. Gopa-kumra is amazed that he meets Nrada almost everywhere and sees him always the same, with the same v in hand and the same unabashed humor. But as Gopa-kumra has already heard from Nrada, even when Nrada expands himself to be present in many different locations he is still one and the same person.
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TEXT 51

r-nrada uvca gopa-blaka evsi satyam adypi kautuk prvam eva mayoddiam etad asti na ki tvayi
r-nrada uvcar Nrada said; gopa-blakaO cowherd boy; evaindeed; asiyou are; satyam indeed; adyanow; apieven; kautukplayful; prvambefore; evaeven; mayby me; uddiam explained; etatthis; asti nahas not been; kim whether; tvayito you. r Nrada said: My dear young cowherd, surely you have always been a curious boy, and so you are even now. Havent I explained all this to you before? Commentary: Like Nrada, Gopa-kumra has his own peculiar ways; he dresses and acts like a cowherd boy regardless of where he is. Moreover, it seems curious to Nrada that Gopa-kumra still doubts the ability of powerful devotees of the Lord to expand themselves into multiple forms, especially since Nrada has explained this truth scientifically and Gopa-kumra has seen tangible evidence of it with his own eyes. Gopa-kumra may insist that he is honestly confused and not simply trying to make some game of expressing doubt, but Nrada reasserts that Gopa-kumra, however briefly, has already heard him elucidate the subject. TEXT 52

yath hi bhagavn eka r-ko bahu-mrtibhi bahu-sthneu varteta tath tat-sevak vayam
yathas; hicertainly; bhagavnthe Supreme Lord; ekaone; r-kar Ka; bahuwith many; mrtibhiforms; bahuin many; sthneuplaces; vartetacan be present; tathso; tat-sevakHis servants; vayamwe.
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Just as the one Personality of Godhead r Ka exists in many forms and many places, so also do we, His servants. TEXT 53

r-supardaya sarve rmad-dhanmad-daya uddhavo pi tathaivya td ydavdaya

r-suparar Garua; dayaand others; sarve all; rmat-hanmatrmn Hanumn; dayaand others; uddhavaUddhava; apiand; tath evaalso; ayamwe; tdlike this; ydavathe Ydavas; dayaand others. So it is with all of usr Garua and other attendants, devotees like rmn Hanumn, and our friend Uddhava, and others too, like these Ydavas. Commentary: Devotees like Garua and ea are associates of the Lord of Vaikuha, whereas Hanumn, Jmbavn, and others are servants of Lord Rmacandra. Hanumn sings the glories of Lord Rma in the Kimpurua-loka of the Bhloka region and simultaneously in the Ayodhy of Vaikuha. And Uddhava, whom Gopa-kumra can see right before him, is simultaneously one of the principal companions of Ka in Dvrak on earth, along with the Ydavas, the Pavas, and others. Considering the topic too confidential to bring up just now, Nrada chooses not to mention Kas devotees in r Goloka. TEXT 54

sarve pi nitya kila tasya prad sev-par kranaknurp praty-ekam ete bahu-rpavanto py aikya bhajmo bhagavn yathsau
sarveall; apieven; nityamalways; kilaindeed; tasyaHis; pradassociates; sevto His service; parfully dedicated; kranakalike playthings; anurpsuitable; prati-ekameach one;
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etethey; bahumany; rpa-vantapossessing forms; apialthough; aikyamoneness; bhajmamaintain; bhagavnthe Lord; yathas; asauHe. All the Lords personal associates are at His hand like playthings. They are always fully dedicated to His service. Each assumes a variety of forms yet stays essentially one, just like the Lord Himself. Commentary: As r Kacandra, the original Supreme Person, expands Himself into innumerable forms of Godhead, when required for service to the Lord His eternal associates can also expand themselves into many forms. Perpetually dedicated to worshiping Him, they are willing instruments in the enactment of His pleasure pastimes. Whatever gives the Lord happiness is also their satisfaction. So when He expands Himself and His abode into all sorts of forms, they accompany Him in suitably corresponding forms. Gopa-kumra should therefore not be amazed that Nrada appears in more than one place at once for the service of the Lord. TEXT 55

nn-vidhs tasya paricchad ye nmni ll priya-bhmaya ca nityni satyny akhilni tadvad ekny anekny api tni viddhi
nn-vidhof various kinds; tasyaHis; paricchadparaphernalia; yewhich; nmninames; llpastimes; priyafavorite; bhmayaabodes; caand; nitynieternal; satynireal; akhilni all; tadvatin that same way; eknione; anekni many; apieven; tnithem; viddhiplease understand. The Lords names, His pastimes, and His favorite abodes and everything that has to do with His service can assume various forms. And you should know that just as all these are eternally real, each of them is simultaneously one and many. Commentary: While still on the topic of multiple
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expansions, Nrada takes the opportunity to mention that the Personality of Godheads pastimes, His dear abodes such as r Mathur, and His paraphernalia like the Kaustubha gem and Sudarana weapon display the same power of expansion. Here the word bhmi refers not only to the earth but to any location, and so indicates other spiritual realms, such as Vaikuha. The Supreme Lords personal property, His names, His pastimes, and the places of His appearance are all by nature pure sac-cid-nanda, just as He is. TEXT 56

caryam etat tvam apdg eva san prva-svabhva tanue tra llay para mahcaryam ihpi lakyase tptrta-cet iva sarvad may
caryamamazing; etatthis; tvamyou; apieven; dkthus; evajust; sanbeing; prvaformer; svabhvamcharacter; tanueyou are maintaining; atrahere; llayplayfully; parammost; mahcaryamvery astonishing; ihahere; apieven; lakyaseyou appear; atptadissatisfied; rtaand distressed; cetin your heart; ivaas if; sarvadalways; mayby me. What amazes me is that you still appear like this, playfully showing your same character as before. And even here you seem always discontent and distressed at heart. That is most astonishing to me. Commentary: Gopa-kumra too is spiritually potent, so he also should be able to assume different forms in different places. Instead, however, he always remains the same innocent cowherd boy, even in Vaikuha and Dvrak. Nrada thinks that Gopakumra is simply playing a game, pretending to be ignorant even though he knows the reality. This is very surprising to Nrada. And even more surprising is that everywhere they have met, Nrada has seen in Gopa-kumra a persistent dissatisfaction, shown
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by his downturned face and distracted glance. TEXT 57

r-gopa-kumra uvca may sa-pda-graham ea natv sa-dainyam ukto bhagavas tvam eva jnsi tat sarvam itdam ha smitv nirkynanam uddhavasya
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; may by me; sa-pda-grahamwith taking hold of his feet; eahe; natvbowing down; sa-dainyamwith humility; uktawas addressed; bhagavanO lord; tvamyou; evaindeed; jnsiknow; tatthat; sarvamall; itithus; idamthis; hahe said; smitvsmiling; nirkyalooking; nanamat the face; uddhavasyaof Uddhava. r Gopa-kumra said: Taking hold of Nradas feet, I bowed down and humbly told him, My lord, you know everything about this. Then Nrada smiled and spoke, looking at Uddhavas face. Commentary: Gopa-kumra was most grateful that Nrada fully understood the cause and scope of his minds discontent. Since Gopa-kumra honestly recognized his own inferior, dependent position, he bowed down and touched Nradas feet. Nrada was happy to see this because it meant that Gopa-kumra was approaching perfection. So he smiled at Gopakumras eagerness to receive the most confidential truth and turned to Uddhava, who would properly reveal it. TEXTS 5859

r-nrada uvca uddhavyam aho gopaputro govardhanodbhava md tvdn ca mgyan vastu nu durlabham itas tato bhraman vyagra kadcid api kutracit
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ntikrmati cittntarlagna ta okam rti-dam

r-nrada uvcar Nrada said; uddhavaO Uddhava; ayamthis; ahoah; gopa-putrason of a cowherd; govardhana-udbhavaborn at Govardhana; mdmby me; tvdnmby persons like you; ca and; mgyanseeking; vastuan object; nuindeed; durlabhamdifficult to obtain; ita tatahere and there; bhramanwandering; vyagraagitated; kadcit apiat any time; kutracitanywhere; na atikrmati he does not rise above; citta-antainside his heart; lagnamfix; tamthat; okamdistress; rtidamgiving pain. r Nrada said: Just see, Uddhava. This cowherds son, born at Govardhana, is seeking something unachievable for persons like you and me. Greatly agitated, he wanders here and there, never anywhere transcending the painful distress that is fixed in his heart. Commentary: This seeker, the son of a cowherd, has wandered all over the material and spiritual worlds, his heart full of indescribable pain, and now he has taken shelter in Uddhavas house. He has not been able to find peace, because his desired goal is beyond the reach of even great Vaiavas like Nrada and Uddhava. Why Gopa-kumra has such an unlikely ambition Nrada explains with the phrase govardhanodbhava (born at Govardhana). TEXT 60

tad ena bata tatratyaloknugraha-ktara bhavn api na prva-stha pratibodhayate kaam

tattherefore; enamthis person; bataoh; tatratya of that place; lokafor the people; anugrahato favor; ktarawho are anxious; bhavnyour good self; api nawhy not; prva-sthampresent at your side; pratibodhayateenlighten; kaamfor a moment.
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Indeed, Uddhava, you are always anxious to favor the residents of Vraja. Then why not spend a moment to enlighten this boy who is present right beside you? TEXT 61

pada dra-tara tad vai tat-sukhnubhavas tath tat-sdhanam api prrthyam asmkam api durghaam
padamabode; dra-taramvery far; tatthat; vai indeed; tatthere; sukhaof happiness; anubhava the experience; tathalso; tatit; sdhanamthe means to achieve; apialso; prrthyamto be prayed for; asmkamby us; apialso; durghaamdifficult to obtain. The abode of Goloka is very far away, and the happiness relished there is inaccessible to us. And even the means to achieve that abode is so rarely obtained that we can only pray for it. Commentary: Although time and space do not exist in the spiritual realm, Goloka is still considered far away in the sense that the common residents of Vaikuha cannot approach it. Nor can they enjoy the pleasure of seeing r Nanda-nandana and taking part in His childhood play. Even the intimate companions of Lord Nryaa worship the good fortune of the devotees in Goloka, a place they can approach only in prayer. TEXT 62

rmad-uddhava uvca vraja-bhmv aya jtas tasy gopatvam carat goplopsan-niho viio sman mahayam
rmat-uddhava uvcarmn Uddhava said; vrajabhmauin Vraja-bhmi; ayamhe; jtaborn; tasym there; gopatvamthe occupation of a cowherd; carathe carried out; goplaof Lord Gopla;
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upsanto the worship; nihadedicated; viiaspecial; asmatcompared to us; mahayama great soul. rmn Uddhava said: He was born in Vraja-bhmi, and there he was engaged as a cowherd. And he is firmly established in the worship of Lord Gopla. He is surely a much greater soul than you and I. Commentary: Nrada has just told Uddhava that r Goloka is a place that he and Uddhava can hardly approach. This statement somewhat disturbed Uddhava because he disliked the implication that he himself was better than everyone else in Vaikuha. Still, he wanted to please Nrada by enlightening Gopakumra as requested. So he first gave his opinion that Gopa-kumra was the most spiritually advanced person present, not himself or even Nrada. After all, Gopa-kumra was a native of Govardhana, a lifelong tender of the cows in the holy dhma, and a worshiper of r Madana-gopla and His tensyllable mantra. Moreover, wherever Gopa-kumra went he remained dissatisfied because he couldnt find his worshipable Lord. TEXT 63

sotsham ha ta hart tac chrutvliya nrada yathya labhate bha tathopdia satvaram
sa-utshamwith enthusiasm; hasaid; tamto him; hartwith delight; tatthat; rutvhearing; liyaembracing; nradaNrada; yathso that; ayamhe; labhateobtains; abhamhis desire; tathso; updiaplease give instruction; satvaramquickly. Nrada was delighted to hear this. He embraced Uddhava and enthusiastically told him, Please hurry and instruct him so that he may fulfill his desires. TEXT 64
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abravd uddhavo jty katriyo ha mah-mune upadea-pradne tan ndhikr tvayi sthite
abravtsaid; uddhavaUddhava; jtyby caste; katriyaa warrior; ahamI; mah-muneO great sage; upadeaof instructions; pradnefor giving; tatthus; nanot; adhikra qualified person; tvayiyou; sthitebeing present. Uddhava replied, O great sage, since I am a katriya by birth, in your presence I have no right to instruct him. Commentary: Uddhava considers himself second class by birth and character. Nonetheless, he might be reminded that katriyas are also allowed to teach. According to the dharma-stras, katriyas may engage in the same duties prescribed for brhmaas, except for receiving charity. This is confirmed in the Seventh Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (7.11.14): viprasydhyayandni a-anyasypratigraha For a brhmaa there are six occupational duties. A katriya should not accept charity, but he may perform the other five. Though not denying this authoritative statement, Uddhava is still reluctant to speak in the presence of Nrada, the di-guru for the process of devotional service. TEXT 65

nrado nitarm uccair vihasyvadad uddhavam na vaikuhe py apetsmin katriyatva-matis tava

nradaNrada; nitarmvery; uccailoudly; vihasyalaughing; avadatsaid; uddhavamto Uddhava; nanot; vaikuhein Vaikuha; apieven; apet

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stopped; asminin this place; katriyatvaof being a katriya; matithe mentality; tavayour. Nrada laughed very loudly and said to Uddhava, Even here in Vaikuha you cant stop thinking yourself a katriya! Commentary: In the material world, particularly within Bharata-vara, the distinctions of caste and occupation are prevalent, but in Vaikuha these distinctions should not be considered, because everyone there has a purely spiritual body. The positions of brhmaa, katriya, and so on are designations of bodies that are limited and temporary, but Vaikuha bodies are never subject to the limits imposed by material nature. TEXT 66

uddhava sa-smita prha ki bry s na mdm apeteti kilsmka prabhor apy apayti na
uddhavaUddhava; sa-smitamsmiling; prhasaid; kimwhat; brymcan I say; sthat (mentality); nanot; mdmfor those like me; apetgone away; itithus; kilaindeed; asmkamour; prabhofor the Lord; apieven; apaytiit goes away; nanot. Smiling, Uddhava told him, What can I say? How can someone like me stop thinking himself a katriya when even our Lord does not? TEXT 67

yath tatra tathtrpi sad-dharma-pariplanam grhasthyri-jaya-jyehavipra-sammnandikam

yathas; tatrathere; tathso; atrahere; api also; sat-dharmaof civilized religious principles; pariplanamthe maintenance; grhasthyathe proper behavior of a family man; ariover enemies; jaya victory; jyehato elders; vipraand brhmaas; sammnanashowing respect; dikamand so on.
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Here in Vaikuha the Lord maintains the religious principles of civilized people, just as He does on earth. He behaves like a proper family man, conquers His enemies, shows respect to elders and brhmaas, and so on. Commentary: In Dvrak, both on earth and in Vaikuha, r Kadeva thinks and acts like a proper householder and katriya. He dutifully does everything expected of a responsible householder, goes forth with relish into battle to subdue opposing kings, and sincerely honors the brhmaas and His spiritual masters and His elders like Balarma. The word di (and so on) implies other daily duties He performs as a ghastha-katriya, such as rising during the early hours of the brhma-muhrta. TEXT 68

tad-ukty nrado harabharkrnta-man hasan utplutyotplutya ckroann idam ha su-vismita

tatby those; uktywords; nradaNrada; harabharaby an excess of joy; krntaovercome; man his mind; hasanlaughing; utplutya utplutyajumping high again and again; caand; akroanshouting; idamthis; hasaid; su-vismitavery surprised. These words filled Nradas mind with pleasure, and he laughed, jumped up and down, and shouted in joy. Astonished, he spoke as follows. TEXT 69

r-nrada uvca aho bhagavato llmdhurya-mahimdbhuta tad-eka-nih-gmbhrya sevakn ca tdam

r-nrada uvcar Nrada said; ahooh; bhagavataof the Personality of Godhead; llof the pastimes; mdhuryathe charm; mahimand glory;
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adbhutaamazing; tatto Him; eka-nihof the exclusive commitment; gmbhryamthe seriousness; sevaknmof His servants; caand; tdamsuch. r and And His Nrada said: glory of the see in those devotees are Indeed, just see the amazing charm Personality of Godheads pastimes! pastimes how seriously committed to serving Him, and Him alone! TEXT 70

aho ala kautukam etad kyate yathaia vikrati martya-loka-ga tathaiva vaikuha-padopari sthito nija-priy paritoa-hetave
ahooh; alamvery; kautukamcurious; etatthis; kyateis seen; yathhow; eaHe; vikrati plays; martya-lokato the world of mortals; ga coming; tathso; evajust; vaikuhaof Vaikuha; padathe abode; upariabove; sthitasituated; nijaHis own; priymof the dear devotees; paritoaof the satisfaction; hetavefor the purpose. Oh, how very curious that this Lord plays in the highest abode above Vaikuha the same way as in the world of mortals, just to satisfy His dear devotees! TEXT 71

yal-llnubhavenya bhrama syn mdm api vaikuha-dvraky ki martye vartmahe tha v

yatwhich; llof the pastimes; anubhavenaby experiencing; ayamthis; bhramabewilderment; sytarises; mdmfor persons like me; apieven; vaikuhain Vaikuha; dvrakymand in Dvrak; kimwhether; martyein the material world; vartmahewe are present; athahere; vor. Even experienced devotees like me are bewildered to see such pastimes, which make us wonder whether we
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are in the Dvrak of Vaikuha or the Dvrak of the material world. TEXT 72

yukta tad ek prabhu-pda-padmayo saprema-bhaktir bhavatm apekit bhakta-priyasysya ca bhakta-kmitaprapraa kevalam iam uttamam
yuktamfitting; tatthat; ekonly; prabhuof the Lord; pda-padmayofor the lotus feet; sa-premabhaktiloving devotional service; bhavatmby you; apekitdesired; bhakta-priyasyawho is affectionate to His dear devotees; asyaHis; ca and; bhaktaof the devotees; kmitathe ambitions; prapraamfulfilling; kevalamthe only; iam goal; uttamamfinal. It is quite fitting that you devotees care only for prema-bhakti, pure loving devotional service to the Lords lotus feet. Such prema-bhakti for the Lord, who is very affectionate to His devotees, fulfills all their ambitions and is alone their final goal. Commentary: If Ka deals virtually the same way with His devotees in both the spiritual and material worlds, what is special then about Vaikuha? Nradas answer is that in the quality of the relationships between the Lord and His devotees there is no practical difference between the material and spiritual worlds. In either realm the Lord and the devotees achieve the fulfillment of all their desires, so whatever they do is just apt for the time and place in which they happen to be. For devotees, nothing is as important as the opportunity to always serve His lotus feet in pure love. And likewise for the Personality of Godhead nothing is as important as satisfying His devotees. Since nouns in Sanskrit may be either singular, dual, or plural and since the word bhavatm (by you) is plural, here the word indicates that Nrada is speaking not only to Uddhava and Gopakumra but to all the fully devoted servants of the
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Lord. TEXT 73

vaikuha-vsocitam hita na vo no martya-loka-sthiti-yogyam apy ata aivarya-yogya na hi loka-bandhut yukta ca tasypi bhaved apekitam
vaikuhain Vaikuha; vsafor residence; ucitam suitable; hitamactivities; nanot; vaby you; na unor; martya-lokain the material world; sthiti for being situated; yogyamsuitable; apieven; atathus; aivaryafor opulence; yogyamfitting; nanot; hiindeed; lokaworldly; bandhut friendship; yuktamsuitable; caand; tasyaby Him; apieven; bhavetis; apekitamdesired. You have no great interest in acting as residents of Vaikuha or sojourners in the material world, and He has no great interest in showing His opulence or getting involved in mundane relationships. Commentary: Because the Supreme Lord and His pure devotees are interested only in pleasing one another, it makes little difference to them where they happen to be. The devotees may be in Vaikuha, endowed with sac-cid-nanda spiritual bodies and the corresponding powers and comforts to enjoy, or they may be ghasthas or whatever in the material world, with bodies made of the physical elements, and may worship the Lord in a form of His that also seems material. But in any case, the Lord and His devotees are never distracted from their pure loving exchanges of rasas, not even when the Lord fully expands His opulences or His complete self-satisfaction or seems to establish worldly affinities by becoming a father, a son, or some other relative of His devotees. Since the devotees are exclusively devoted to the Lord, their hearts are satisfied simply by relishing His pastimes and transcendental qualities. Similarly, the Lord is interested only in making His devotees happy. These
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ambitions of the Lord and His devotees can be fulfilled equally well in Vaikuha or in the material world, so there is no substantial difference between the two realms. TEXT 74

saprema-bhakte paramnukla dainya mah-pui-kara sad va tasypi tat-prema-vibhvane la bhogkula-grmya-vihra-jtam

sa-premaloving; bhakteof devotional service; paramamost; anuklamappropriate; dainyam humility; mahgreatly; puisuccess; karam producing; sadalways; vafor you; tasyafor Him; apialso; tatthat; premaof the pure love; vibhvanefor evoking; alamsufficient; bhogafor obtaining sense gratification; kulaof one who is agitated; grmyaworldly; vihrain pastimes; jtamborn. You always live in utter humility, which most favorably nourishes devotion in pure love. And the Lords pastimes of seeming absorbed in worldly pleasure amply evoke such love. Commentary: In Vaikuha the Lord and His devotees have purely spiritual bodies with which to enjoy transcendental reciprocations. But when Ka descends to the material world He seems to have the body of an ordinary human being, and that is even more conducive to the full blossoming of premabhakti. In Vaikuha Lord Nryaa expands unlimited opulence, but on earth Ka acts even more wonderfully by simply being the friend of His devotees and satisfying them in every possible way. Nrada here congratulates the Lords devotees for their humility, which more than anything else helps them achieve all success in loving devotional service. TEXT 75

premodreka-parpkamahim kena varyatm

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ya kuryt paramea ta sad-bandhum iva laukikam

premaof pure love; udrekaof the perfection; parpkaof the maturity; mahimthe greatness; kenaby whom; varyatmcan be described; ya which; kurytcan make; parama-amthe Supreme Lord; tamHim; satgood; bandhuma friend; ivaas if; laukikamordinary. Who can describe the greatness of the mature perfection of love of God, which makes the Supreme Lord act as if an ordinary good friend? Commentary: The Supreme Lords appearance as a cowherd boy in Gokula is no false trick of My. It is the highest truth, manifest in response to the purest forms of absolute love. The mature stage of prema shared by Ka and His devotees in Gokula is beyond the power of words to describe. It is so exalted that it impels the Lord to forget His supremacy and behave like an ordinary person to fulfill the desires of His devotees. This marvel cannot be an illusion created by My, because the My of the material world has no power to delude either Ka or His devotees. TEXT 76

aho laukika-sad-bandhubhva ca staumi yena hi gauravder vilopena ke sat-prema tanyate

ahooh; laukikaworldly; sat-bandhuof a good friend; bhvamthe mood; caand; staumiI praise; yenaby which; hiindeed; gauravaof reverence; deand so on; vilopenaby the eclipse; kein Ka; sat-premapure love; tanyateis expanded. Oh, let me praise Kas mood as an ordinary friend, which does away with the respect and reverence of His devotees and expands their pure love for Him! Commentary: After hearing what Nrada has just
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said, some Vaiavas may remain doubtful, thinking that love of God can develop to its full potential only by specific knowledge of the Supreme Lords greatness, not by conceptions of Him in worldly relationships, such as that of a son. In fact, such devotees might argue that to view the Personality of Godhead in such relationships is a serious error. After all, in rmad-Bhgavatam (10.85.19) Kas own father r Vasudeva prayed: tat te gato smy araam adya padravindam panna-sasti-bhaypaham rta-bandho etvatlam alam indriya-llasena martytma-dk tvayi pare yad apatya-buddhi Therefore, O friend of the distressed, I now approach Your lotus feet for shelterthe same lotus feet that dispel all fear of worldly existence for those who have surrendered to them. Enough! Enough with hankering for sense enjoyment, which makes me identify with this mortal body and think of You, the Supreme, as my child. In this prayer, Vasudeva begs to be relieved of the delusion that compels him to imagine that God is his son. Vasudeva might be advised, You are very happy, so why are you complaining? But he counters this idea by describing his pitiable confusion, in which out of greed for sense enjoyment he thinks that he is the body and that the Supreme Lord is his son. Vasudeva also tells Ka in the Viu Pura (5.20.99): spahnava mama mano yad etat tvayi jyate devaky ctmaja-prty tad atyanta-viambanam That both Devak and I are bewildered into loving You like our own child is so absurd! Vasudeva feels he should be the butt of jokes for daring to
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consider the Supreme Lord his son. But here Nrada explains that this exceptional attitude and behavior, even though they appear to follow the pattern of mundane human relationships, expand the limits of the most perfect love for Ka. The key to understanding how this kind of devotional service works is to comprehend that it does away with the restrictions of respect, fear, and reverential faith toward the Supreme Lord. Awe and reverence may be indispensable in Vaikuha, but they only inhibit the expression of prema between Ka and His intimate devotees. This has already been discussed in r Bhad-bhgavatmta and will be made even clearer later on. Gopa-kumra understands from what Nrada has said that the most beneficial and sensible thing to do is whatever will strengthen ones pure love for the Personality of Godhead. r Vasudeva was lamenting because he had focused his attention on the idea that the Lord was his son, rather than simply act in affection for Him like r Nanda and Yaod. Or alternatively, Vasudeva, as an extremely humble Vaiava, suffered from the self-dissatisfaction that naturally arises when bhakti becomes intense. He is of course a perfect devotee who has all the Lords blessings. TEXT 77

r-gopa-kumra uvca eva vadan prema-bharbhiyantrito vikra-jta vividha bhajan muni tm abhd rtam athha m puna spekam lakya nijopadeane
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; evam thus; vadanspeaking; premaof pure love; bharaby the weight; abhiyantritaoverwhelmed; vikraof ecstatic transformations; jtamkinds; vividham various; bhajanassuming; munithe sage; tm silent; abhtbecame; rtamtroubled; athathen; hahe said; mmto me; punaagain; sa-apekam interested; lakyanoting; nijahis; upadeanefor
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the instructions. r Gopa-kumra continued: After saying this, the sage was overwhelmed by the weight of love. Swept up in various ecstatic transformations, he remained silent a while. Then he spoke to me again, perceiving that I was troubled and keen for his instructions. Commentary: When Nrada stopped he felt ecstatic and showed symptoms like trembling, tears, and standing of the bodily hairs. But soon he noticed that Gopa-kumra was ill at ease and waiting for further instructions. TEXT 78

r-nrada uvca gopla-deva-priya gopa-nandana rmn ito dra-taro virjate goloka-nmopari sarva-sma-go vaikuhato dea-viea-ekhara
r-nrada uvcar Nrada said; gopla-devaof Gopla-deva; priyaO dear devotee; gopa-nandanaO son of a cowherd; rmnsplendid; itafrom here; dra-tarafar away; virjateshines forth; golokanmnamed Goloka; uparihigher; sarvaall; sma limits; gacrossing; vaikuhatathan Vaikuha; deaof places; vieaspecial; ekharathe topmost. r Nrada said: Dear devotee of Lord Gopladeva, O son of a cowherd, far away from here lies the most exalted of all places, called Goloka. It is full of all splendor and beyond the borders of all other regions, including Vaikuha. Commentary: Gopa-kumra is gopla-deva-priya in two ways: Lord Gopla is dear to him, and he is dear to Lord Gopla. This is because Gopa-kumra is gopanandana, a young cowherd boy from r Govardhana Hill. Goloka stands above all the other spiritual planets because it is superior in every way. The Brahma771

sahit (5.43) states: goloka-nmni nija-dhmni tale ca tasya dev-mahea-hari-dhmasu teu teu te te prabhva-nicay vihit ca yena govindam di-purua tam aha bhajmi Lowest of all lies Dev-dhma [the mundane world], next above it is Mahea-dhma [the abode of Mahea], above Mahea-dhma is Hari-dhma [the abode of Hari], and above them all is Kas own realm, named Goloka. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who has allotted their respective authorities to the rulers of those graded realms. The eight coverings of the universe over which Durg presides, and the abode of Lord iva, and the Vaikuha kingdom of Lord Hari all stand below Goloka. TEXT 79

sa mthura-r-vraja-bhmi-rpas tatraiva dev mathur-pur ca vndvandi-vraja-bhmim tmasra vin sthtum aprayant

sait; mthurain the district of Mathur; rvraja-bhmiof the blessed land of Vraja; rpa having the form; tatrathere; evaonly; dev divine; mathur-purMathur City; caand; vndvanaof Vndvana; diand so on; vrajabhmimVraja-bhmi; tmaher (Mathurs) own; sramessence; vinwithout; sthtumto remain; aprayantunable. That same Goloka takes the form of the divine Vraja-bhmi of the district of Mathur. And the city of Mathur is also there, unable to stay apart from her own essenceVndvana and the other forests of Vraja-bhmi. Commentary: According to this statement, Mathur is not separate from Vraja-bhmi like Ayodhy and other abodes of the Lord. One might ask: Although
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the district of Mathur is nondifferent from r Goloka, what about the city of Mathur? Mathur City is dev in the sense that she is effulgent and splendid, and she is included in Goloka. Even though Mathur has her own distinct identity, she cannot bear to be apart from the forests of Vrajabhmi. According to the spiritual geography of Goloka, the Mathur district includes Vndvana and the other Vraja forests, which are the most essential parts of Mathur. TEXT 80

s go-pradhna-deatvt sarv r-mathurocyate goloka iti gho pi vikhyta sa hi sarvata

sthat; goby cows; pradhnapredominated; deatvtbecause of being a region; sarventire; r-mathurr Mathur; ucyateis called; goloka Goloka; itithus; ghaconfidential; api although; vikhytafamous; sait; hicertainly; sarvataeverywhere. Because the entire region of r Mathur is a land of cows, it is called Goloka. Though a confidential place, it is famous everywhere. Commentary: The transcendental abode that includes the city of Ayodhy is also called Ayodhy. Why then is the abode that includes the city of Mathur called Goloka rather than Mathur? The answer is that the entire Mathur district, with its city, towns, and forests, is full of cows. Furthermore, the Goloka of the spiritual world is famous by that name. The intimate pastimes of the Personality of Godhead are a well-kept secret, but the name Goloka is known everywhere. Lord Indra, for example, refers to Goloka by name in his prayers to r Ka in the Hari-vaa. So there is no reason to doubt the glories of Goloka on the grounds that it is an obscure, unknown place. TEXT 81
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sa ca tad-vraja-lokn rmat-premnuvartin ke uddha-tareaiva bhvenaikena labhyate

sathat (Goloka); caand; tatof that; vraja Vraja; loknmof the residents; rmat-premathe sublime love; anuvartinwhich follows; keto Ka; uddha-tareapurest; evaindeed; bhvenaby the ecstatic mood; ekenaonly; labhyateis obtained. That abode can be reached only through the purest sentiments, in which one follows the sublime love held for Ka by the residents of Vraja. Commentary: Goloka can by reached only by prema free of fault, untouched by jna, karma, or any other material endeavor, and concentrated on the son of Nanda Mahrja. And to learn this kind of prema, one must carefully study the examples of Vraja-vss like r Nanda and Yaod, and especially the ideal example of r Rdh and Her companions. TEXT 82

tdg bhagavati prem pramaivarya-dita sad sampadyate naiva bhaya-gaurava-sambhavt

tdksuch; bhagavatifor the Personality of Godhead; prempure love; prama-aivaryaof supreme power; ditaby a vision; sadalways; sampadyate nacannot be achieved; evaindeed; bhayaof fear; gauravaand reverence; sambhavt because of the likelihood. Such pure love for the Personality of Godhead one can never achieve by concentrating on His supreme power, because in that mood one invariably feels fear and reverence. TEXT 83

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kevala laukika-prasuhd-buddhy sa sidhyati loklokottaro yo sv ati-lokottaro pi ya

kevalamonly; laukikaordinary; pra-suhtas dear friend; buddhyby thinking; sait; sidhyatiis achieved; lokathe material world; alokaand the coverings of the universe; uttarabeyond; ya which; asauthat; ati-lokathe transcendental world; uttarabeyond; apialso; yawhich. One achieves that love only by thinking of the Lord as ones ordinary dear friend. That love is higher than found in the material worlds and the outer coverings of the universe, and higher than in the spiritual kingdom beyond. Commentary: Only by considering Ka ones lifelong friend in one of the spiritual relationships can a devotee rise to the level of the pure love known only in Vraja. This vraja-prema is not an inferior version of love of God; it is not love in the mode of worldly affection. It is in fact superior to any feeling known in loka (the fourteen worlds of the material universe), aloka (the elemental coverings of the universe), or atiloka (the Vaikuha planets beyond those coverings). Vraja-prema is the essential nature of the highest of all worlds; the Lord who is its object is supreme, and the sweetness it embodies is also supreme. TEXT 84

loknugpi snyonya priyattta-laukik madhurty-adbhutaivaryalaukikatva-vimirit

lokathe ordinary world; anugimitating; api although; sthat; anyonyammutual; priyat affection; ttabeyond; laukikordinary dealings; madhursweet; ati-adbhutaextremely wonderful;
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aivaryawith opulence; laukikatvaand worldly simplicity; vimiritcombined. Although that reciprocal affection seems to follow the ways of the ordinary world, it is beyond the world. It combines intimate sweetness, amazing opulence, and worldly simplicity. Commentary: Golokas Lord and its residents care for one another as do people of the material world, yet their prema transcends the limits of mundane love. The loving dealings of Vraja are like nothing ever seen in this world. When Mother Yaod simply remembers Ka, milk flows from her breasts. And Nanda Mahrja is constantly drenched in a flood of his own tears of love for Ka. The cowherd men use everything they have, even their wives and children, only for Kas pleasure, never their own. And some of the old ladies of Vraja adopt the mood of Yaod, while others disguise themselves as their own young daughters to please Ka. Kas friends are constantly desirous of seeing Him, so much so that they cannot tolerate even the momentary obstruction caused by Kas passing behind a tree. And the blessed cowherd girls have no interest in life other than Him; whether separated from Him, or going out to meet Him, or enjoying His company, they relish all sorts of extraordinary ecstasy. In these ways the prema of Vraja is both amazing and sweet, combining within itself the majestic opulence of the spiritual world and the simple sweetness of the material world. The devotees of Vraja possess superworldly opulence, and at the same time they are the most simple people. By their opulent power they are expertly able to understand and take part in all the various aspects of the Lords countless pastimes. And like ordinary people, the Vraja-vss, it is well known from the accounts of their lives, enjoy food and drink, the company of friends and relatives, and so on. And even the Personality of Godhead, though showing His
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opulence, shows it in the pastimes of an ordinary child. During His infant pastimes, for example, Ka drank milk from the breast of Ptan and sucked out the life air from that powerful witch, who had never suspected He could do so. And in countless other ways also, the Lord, though showing His opulence, acted like an ordinary human being. As the narration of Bhad-bhgavatmta continues, this will all be thoroughly explained. With such ideas in mind, r ukadeva Gosvm said: eva nightma-gati sva-myay goptmajatva caritair viambayan reme ram-llita-pda-pallavo grmyai sama grmya-vad a-ceita In this way the Supreme Lord, whose soft lotus feet are personally attended by the goddess of fortune, concealed His transcendental opulences by His internal potency and acted like the son of a cowherd. Yet even while enjoying like a village boy in the company of other village residents, He often exhibited feats only God could perform. (Bhgavatam 10.15.19) The word viambayan in this Tenth Canto verse is a form of the verb viamb (to imitate) as a present participle (imitating). This participial form, however, can also sometimes mean for the purpose of, as it does herefor the purpose of imitating. Thus the verse can be construed to say that Ka hides His supremacy (nightma-gati) by His own special potencies (sva-myay) for the purpose of imitating or assuming the nature of a cowherd boy (goptmajatvam). He hides His godly powers (tma-gati) so that He can act like an ordinary human, but His absolute power is still discernible in the extreme limit of the perfect sweetness He displays in each of His pastimes. He enjoys having His feet massaged by the supreme goddess of fortune, and He does things only God can do (a-ceita), and yet He plays like an
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ordinary village boy (grmya-vat) in the company of other villagers. TEXT 85

vyavahro sya te ca so nyonya prema-vardhana vaikuhe paramaivaryapade na kila sambhavet

vyavahrathe dealings; asyaHis; temtheir; ca and; sait; anyonyammutual; prema-vardhana increasing their love; vaikuhein Vaikuha; paramasupreme; aivaryaof opulence; padethe abode; nanot; kilaindeed; sambhavetis possible. In Goloka the dealings between the Lord and His devotees increase their mutual love in a way not possible in Vaikuha, the abode of supreme opulence. Commentary: Nrada has said that Goloka lies far away from Vaikuha, and now he explains why. The Supreme Lord simply cannot behave with His devotees in Vaikuha with the same familiarity as in Goloka. TEXT 86

td spy ayodhyeya dvrakpi tato dhik ata sa loka kena drata parikalpita
tdsimilar; sthat; apialso; ayodhyAyodhy; iyamthis; dvrakDvrak; apialso; tatathan them; adhikgreater; atatherefore; sathat; lokaplanet; kenaby Ka; dratafar away; parikalpitalocated. Ayodhy and Dvrak resemble Vaikuha, but Goloka is even greater. Therefore Ka has arranged for it to be far away. Commentary: Ayodhy and Dvrak are somewhat secret portions of Vaikuha, but as Gopa-kumra has already seen, they retain the basic Vaikuha mood of reverence for the Personality of Godheads
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supremacy. Dvrak is far superior to Ayodhy, which is superior to the other Vaikuha planets, but the superiority of both Ayodhy and Dvrak is due to their being even more opulent than the rest of Vaikuha. Therefore neither Lord Rmacandra in Ayodhy nor Lord Ka in Dvrak is free to subordinate Himself fully to the control of His devotees love. TEXT 87

sukha-kr-vieo sau tatratryn ca tasya ca mdhuryntyvadhi prpu sidhyet tatrocitspade

sukha-krpleasure pastimes; vieaspecial; asauthose; tatratrynmof the residents of that place; caand; tasyaHis; caand; mdhuryaof the sweetness; antyaultimate; avadhithe limit; prputhey have obtained; sidhyetis realized; tatrathere; ucitadelightful; spadein the abode. In that most delightful abode, the residents share special pleasure pastimes with the Lord and realize the ultimate limit of sweetness. Commentary: Here Nrada does not get specific about what makes the pastimes of Goloka unique. He refers to them only by mentioning sukha-kr-vieo sau (that special kind of enjoyment). The pronoun asau (that), normally used to point out something visible but distant, indicates that those pastimes are beyond the power of words to delimit and also that they are the fixed goal of all of Gopakumras endeavors. Only in Goloka can the Lord and His devotees enjoy pastimes in which the servants and the served equally dominate one another. TEXT 88

aho kila tad evha manye bhagavato hare sugopya-bhagavatty sarva-sra-prakanam

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ahooh; kilaindeed; tatthat; evaindeed; ahamI; manyeconsider; bhagavataof the Supreme Lord; hareHari; su-gopyamost confidential; bhagavattyof the status of being God; sarva complete; sraof the essence; prakanamthe displaying. Indeed that world, I think, displays the complete essence of Lord Haris most confidential Godhood. Commentary: Goloka is even more splendidly opulent than Vaikuha. Someone may doubt, then, how Goloka could appear like an ordinary place of the finite world. Despite this doubt, r Goloka is factually the one spiritual realm where the Supreme Lord shows the essential perfection of His beauty, personality, and sporting pastimes. This highest perfection is also the most confidential mystery, which only few fortunate souls are privileged to understand. Goloka holds the supreme position among all the Lords abodes, for there the Lord constantly displays perfections never seen anywhere else. Goloka is greater than all other spiritual abodes, and Ka in Goloka is greater than all other forms of Godhead. Ka in Goloka is especially known as Hari, the Lord who steals the heart of everyone with His beauty, personality, and pastimes. TEXT 89

vaikuhopari-vttasya jagad-eka-iromae mahim sambhaved eva golokasydhikdhika

vaikuha-upariabove Vaikuha; vttasyawhich is situated; jagatof the worlds; ekaone; iramaeof the crest jewel; mahimthe glories; sambhavetcan be possible; evaonly; golokasyaof Goloka; adhika-adhikasuperlative. Standing above Vaikuha, only Goloka, the unique crest jewel of all worlds, can show such
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superlative glories. Commentary: Why is Goloka so glorious? Because it is the most perfect of all worlds. And why is that? Because Goloka is even higher than Vaikuha. Goloka stands above Vaikuha because its excellences surpass those of Vaikuha. TEXT 90

martya-lokntara-sthasya mathur-gokulasya ca mhtmya sarvata reham carya kena varyatm

martya-loka-antarawithin the material world; sthasyawhich is situated; mathurin Mathur district; gokulasyaof Gokula; caand; mhtmyam the greatness; sarvatacompared to everything; rehamsupreme; caryam wonder; kenaby whom; varyatmcan be described. And the Gokula of the Mathur district within the material world is again so supremely great that no one can properly describe its astonishing glories. Commentary: Gokula, Golokas direct expansion on earth, is also greater than Vaikuha. TEXT 91

u kayate jihv mameya capal sakhe ratnam udghaymy adya hn-majurpita cirt
uplease listen; kayateis itching; jihv tongue; mamamy; iyamthis; capalunsteady; sakhe O friend; ratnama jewel; udghaymiI will uncover; adyanow; htof my heart; majuin the treasure chest; arpitamkept; cirtfor a long time. Please listen, dear friend. My unsteady tongue is itching to speak. I shall now uncover a jewel I have long kept stored in the treasure chest of my heart. Commentary: Nrada considers his tongue too bold,
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but in fact such eagerness to glorify Ka is an admirable quality, in him or anyone else. Nrada, in any case, cannot check his tongue from disclosing more, and so he is going to describe something he has kept hidden in his heart for a long time. He has not discussed this with anyone before. TEXT 92

tat-tan-mah-prema-vihra-kma kasminn api dvpara-kla-ee goloka-ntho bhagavn sa ka ktsna-pro vataraty amumin

tat-tatvarious; mahmost exalted; premain pure love; vihrapastimes; kmadesiring; kasmin apia certain; apiindeed; dvpara-klaof a Dvpara age; eeat the end; goloka-nthathe Lord of Goloka; bhagavnthe Personality of Godhead; saHe; kaKa; ktsnaall; aawith His partial expansions; pracomplete; avataratidescends; amuminin that place (the district of Mathur on earth). When the Personality of Godhead Ka, Lord of Goloka, wants to enjoy His various pastimes of the highest pure love, at the end of a certain Dvpara age He descends to the material world in that special place, complete with all His partial expansions. Commentary: Beginning with this verse and continuing through Text 172, Nrada now describes the most confidential glories of Bhauma-vndvana, Golokas manifestation on earth. To prepare the grounds for establishing these glories, in texts 92 through 101 he first demonstrates the superexcellence of the Lord of that abode. The current verse explains why and when Lord Golokantha appears on earth in Mathur Gokula. The reason He descends is to satisfy His own desires; He is eager to taste the pleasures of supercharged prema. And the time He descends is during the final
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earthly years of Dvpara-yuga, the age that from its dawn to its dusk lasts 2,400 years of the demigods. But as we know from authoritative scriptures, Ka comes to earth not at the end of every Dvpara-yuga but only during the twentyeighth Dvpara-yuga of the seventh manv-antara in a day of Brahm. TEXTS 9394

nntvam ptair iva vartamnai sarvai svarpai samam advaya san vaikuha-lokdikam u hitv nity ca tatratya-paricchaddn sva-pramaivaryam api prasakta drd upekya riyam apy ananym asmdo nanya-gat ca bhtyn sarvn andtya sa yti tatra
nntvamvariegatedness; ptaiwhich have obtained; ivaas if; vartamnaipresent; sarvai all; svarpaiwith His personal expansions; samam equal; advayanondifferent; sanbeing; vaikuhaloka-dikamVaikuha-loka and so on; usuddenly; hitvabandoning; nityneternal; caand; tatratya belonging to that place; paricchada-dn paraphernalia and associates; svaHis own; pramaaivaryamsupreme power; apieven; prasaktam devoted; drtfar away; upekyaneglecting; riyamHis opulence; apialso; ananymexclusive; asmdalike us; ananyano other; gatnwhose goal; caand; bhtynservants; sarvnall; andtyadisregarding; saHe; ytigoes; tatra there. Though the Lords personal expansions assume many different appearances, the Lord is one with them all. And that Lord suddenly abandons Vaikuha and His other abodes, He abandons His things and His people of those abodes, and His own supreme power, and He leaves far behind His consort and servants
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like us, who are exclusively devoted to Him and have no other shelter. Neglecting us all, He goes to the material world. Commentary: All the expansions of Viu are included within the original Godhead Ka. Thus when Ka descends to Mathur Gokula in the material world He takes all His expansions with Him. They are nondifferent from Him, yet each of them also has His own individual identity. As indicated by the word -dikam (and so on) in the phrase vaikuha-lokdikam, when Ka comes to earth He leaves aside all His other abodes, from Indras heaven up to Vaikuha. He abandons His paraphernalia of those abodesHis ornaments, palaces, weapons, thrones. And as indicated by the second and so on, in the phrase tatratyaparicchaddn, He also leaves behind His servants and attendants. He loses interest in His innate powers like self-satisfied renunciation and puts them aside too. He even neglects the goddess Mahlakm and His eternal associates, not inviting them to accompany Him even though they are exclusively devoted to Him. TEXT 95

anyai sahnyatra na labhyate yal labdhu sukha r-mathur-vraje tat tatratya-lokair ucita-svabhvai ska yatheccha nitar vihtya
anyaiothers; sahawith; anyatraelsewhere; na labhyatecannot be obtained; yatwhich; labdhumto obtain; sukhamthe happiness; r-mathurin r Mathur; vrajeof Vraja; tatthat; tatratya belonging to that place; lokaiwith the people; ucitasuitable; svabhvaiwhose natures; skam together; yath-icchamas He desires; nitarm freely; vihtyasporting. To enjoy a happiness unobtainable in any other company, He sports freely in the Vraja of r Mathur with its residents, who have natures
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exactly suited to His own. Commentary: The purpose of Kas descent was mentioned in Text 92 as His wanting to enjoy His various pastimes of the highest pure love (tattan-mah-prema-vihra-kma). This is further elaborated upon in the current verse. The devotees of Vraja-bhmi are able to satisfy Ka by joining Him in His favorite pastimes. Thus the earthly Gokula sometimes displays perfections not found even in Goloka in the spiritual sky. TEXT 96

tadtann dha-bhakti-bhgyaviea-bhj jagat hi skt dyo bhaven nnam ananya-klaprduktentma-kp-bharea

tadtannmof that time; dhafirm; bhaktiof devotion; bhgyathe good fortune; viea exceptional; bhjmwho possess; jagatmof the people of the universe; hiindeed; sktdirectly; dyavisible; bhavetbecomes; nnamindeed; ananyaat no other; klatime; prduktena revealed; tmaHis own; kpof the mercy; bharea by the abundance. By an abundance of His mercy never disclosed before, He then becomes directly visible to the people of the universe who have the exceptional good fortune of firm devotion for Him. TEXT 97

ato vaikuha-nthasya vaikuhe pi kadcana darana naiva labhyeta bhavatpy anvabhvi tat
atatherefore; vaikuha-nthasyaof the Lord of Vaikuha; vaikuhein Vaikuha; apieven; kadcanasometimes; daranamthe sight; nanot; evaindeed; labhyetais obtained; bhavatby you; apiindeed; anvabhvihas been experienced; tat that.
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And so it is that sometimes the Lord of Vaikuha is not seen in Vaikuha. You have found this out for yourself. Commentary: Sometimes Lord Nryaa sneaks away from His abode to visit the material world, as Gopa-kumra discovered when staying in Vaikuha. TEXT 98

ata evarayas tat-talloka-vttnta-tatpar vaikuha-nyaka kecit sahasra-irasa pare

ata evathus; ayasages; tat-tatof various; lokaworlds; vttntain the history; tat-par engrossed; vaikuha-nyakamthe master of Vaikuha; kecitsome; sahasra-irasamthe thousand-headed Lord; pareothers. Sages concerned with the history of various worlds therefore describe Lord Ka in different ways. Some say He is the master of Vaikuha and others the thousand-headed Purua. TEXTS 99100

nryaa nara-sakha ke pi viu ca kecana kroda-yina tv anye keava mathur-pure avatra vadanty ry sva-sva-maty-anusrata nirtevara-mhtmyamdhurydy-avalocant
nryaamNryaa; nara-sakhamthe friend of Nara; ke apisome; viumViu; caand; kecanasome; kra-udain the Ocean of Milk; yinamHe who lies; tuand; anyeothers; keavamKeava; mathurpurein Mathur City; avatramdescended; vadanti say; rythe followers of progressive Vedic culture; sva-svaeach their own; mati-anusrata according to the understandings; nirta
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ascertained; varaof the Supreme Lord; mhtmya the supremacy; mdhuryasweetness; diand so on; avalocantby having studied. Some sages think that the Lord who has descended in Mathur City is Lord Nryaa, the friend of Nara, others think Him Lord Viu, and yet others Lord Keava, who lies in the Ocean of Milk. Thus the followers of progressive Vedic culture describe Kas descent, each in accord with his own understanding, from what they have ascertained about the Lords supremacy and His sweetness and His other qualities. Commentary: The great sages of the Vedic culture are all individuals, each with his own spiritual realizations and opinions, which are reflected in the mantras of the Vedas. In the Vedic hymns we hear the sages various understandings of who Ka is. In accordance with such statements as kas tu bhagavn svayamKa is the original Personality of Godhead (rmad-Bhgavatam 1.3.38)some think that it is the Lord of Vaikuha who incarnates in Mathur City. Others quote sahasra-irasa brahmalokdhihtramThe Lord with thousands of heads rules over the planet of Brahmand identify Ka with the thousand-headed form of Lord Viu. Still others, following their reading of a verse from the Fourth Canto of the Bhgavatam (4.1.59), consider Ka an incarnation of Nara-Nryaa, the sons of Dharma and Mrti: tv imau vai bhagavato harer av ihgatau bhra-vyayya ca bhuva kau yadu-kurdvahau These two partial expansions of Nara and Nryaa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, have now appeared in the dynasties of Yadu and Kuru in the forms of Ka and Arjuna to mitigate the burden of the world.
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Yet other sages say that Ka is the same Lord Keava who lies on the Ocean of Milk. They cite as evidence for their understanding the words of the Bhgavatam (2.7.26) sita-ka-kea, which some commentators explain to mean that Lord Krodakay Viu created Balarma and Ka from two strands of His own hair, one white (sita) and the other black (ka). Lord Krodaka-y Viu is called Keava because His hair is especially beautiful. And the Viu Pura states more explicitly, ujjahrtmana keau sita-kau mahmune: O great sage, the Lord pulled out two of His own hairs, one white and one black. rla Rpa Gosvm, however, in his Laghu-bhgavatmta (1.5.155164), gives the definitive understanding of these passages about the hairs. He says that Ka has beautiful black hair (ka-kea), which is always nicely combed (sita). And since the Lord has an eternally youthful form, He never appears old enough to have white hairs. Each sage, having focused his attention on a particular aspect of the Supreme Lords glories, has realized a particular form of the Lord in meditation. So the sages naturally describe as having descended to earth as Ka the particular form of the Lord they have realized. Since all the expansions of Godhead, with their individual features, are included within Ka, technically there is no fault in saying that one of Kas expansions has come to earth and become Ka. In effect, however, what all this indicates is that Ka is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and all other forms of God emanate from Him. One might ask how these all-knowing sages can have so many differing opinions about Kas identity. This is not difficult to explain: the sages speak according to their own realizations, and authorities discuss whichever aspect of the Supreme Lord they understand. But shouldnt such knowers of the revealed scriptures be able to understand the
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full reality as it is? Yes, but they are ryas, which can be understood to mean men of simple intelligence; the subtle logic that analyzes the identify of Ka is too difficult for them to comprehend. Or, taking the idea of simplicity a different way: the sages know very well the truth about Ka, but they express their views as they do because they assume, thinking simply, that glorifying any one of the Lords incarnations glorifies all His incarnations. TEXT 101

kintu svaya sa eva rgolokeo nija padam bhr-loka-stham api krvieair bhayet sad
kintubut; svayamHimself; saHe; evaindeed; rgoloka-athe divine Lord of Goloka; nijamHis own; padamabode; bh-lokaon the earth; stham situated; apieven; krby pastimes; vieai special; bhayet adorns; sadperpetually. But in truth the divine Lord of Goloka eternally adorns His own abode upon the earth, enjoying His own unique pastimes. Commentary: After mentioning several other opinions about Kas appearance on earth, Nrada now states his own. TEXT 102

ntra ko py asti bhinno yat tatratya-jana-vallabha uddhavas tva ca tatratyas tad gopya kicid ucyate
nanot; atrahere; ka apianyone; astithere is; bhinnaalien; yatwho; tatratyawho belong to that place; janato the people; vallabhabeloved; uddhavaUddhava; tvamyou; caand; tatratyaa resident of that place; tatso; gopyam confidential; kicitsomething; ucyatecan be said. No one in this house is an outsider. Uddhava is
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very dear to the residents of Vraja, and you are from Vraja yourself. Therefore I can say something confidential. Commentary: In the previous verse Nrada referred to the glories of the Lord of Goloka, and in the next verse he begins elaborating on the supreme opulence that in Goloka the Lord displays. In Text 88 Nrada mentioned this topic briefly when he said Indeed that world, I think, displays the complete essence of Lord Haris most confidential Godhood. Nrada can speak freely in Uddhavas house because everyone present is fit to hear such topics. Everyone sitting there has the right kind of special love for the Personality of Godhead. TEXT 103

khm amutraiva par prabhor gat sphu vibhtir vividh kplut su-rpatea-mahattva-mdhur vilsa-lakmr api bhakta-vayat
khmthe limit; amutrathere; evaonly; parm ultimate; prabhoof the Lord; gatachieved; sphuvisibly; vibhtiopulence; vividhvarious; kplutcompassion; su-rpatbeauty; aeaof all; mahattvaHis glories; mdhurthe sweetness; vilsaof His pastimes; lakmthe splendor; api and; bhakta-vayatHis subservience to His devotees. In that Vraja-bhmi the Lords opulences have visibly achieved their final perfection, and so also, in many various ways, have His mercy, His beauty, the sweetness of all His excellent qualities, the splendor of His pastimes, and His subservience to His devotees. TEXT 104

vraja sa nandasya guai svakyair vilsa-bhr sa mah-vibhte yasy kakea jagad-vibhtir vaikuha-nthasya ghevar y
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vrajathe pasture; sathat; nandasyaof Nanda; guaiwith its qualities; svakyaiown; vilsabhthe place of pastimes; sahas become; mahvibhteof topmost opulence; yasyof which (opulence); kaa-akeaby the sidelong glance; jagatof the material world; vibhtithe opulence; vaikuha-nthasyaof the Lord of Vaikuha; ghavarthe mistress of its household; ywho. The pastures of Nanda Mahrja, unique in their features, have become the land in which the Lords highest opulence personally sports, the opulence whose mere sidelong glance creates all the glories of the material world and who serves as mistress of the household for the Lord of Vaikuha. Commentary: Nrada now begins to explain in detail each feature of Kas glories in Gokula. In this verse and the next, Nrada talks about Kas godly opulence. So attractive is the land of Vraja, where the gopas headed by Nanda graze their cows, that the supreme goddess of fortune Mah-lakm has chosen it as the place of her pastimes. Even though her mere sidelong glance empowers the great controllers of the universe, beginning with Brahm and Rudra, the gentle charms of Vraja attract her. And if Gokulas opulences enchant Mah-lakm, who enchants everyone in the material world, then those opulences must be much greater than those of Brahm, Rudra, and all the demigods. Moreover, since the same Mah-lakm who comes to Vraja on earth is also the wife of the Lord of Vaikuha, the opulences of Vraja must be even greater than those of Vaikuha. In Vaikuha, Lakm has many responsibilities in the household of Lord Nryaa, but in Vraja she is free to enjoy herself all the time. So the opulences of Lakm are most fully manifest in Vraja. As ukadeva Gosvm describes in the Tenth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (10.5.18): tata rabhya nandasya
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vraja sarva-samddhimn harer nivstma-guai ramkram abhn npa O Mahrja Parkit, the home of Nanda Mahrja is eternally the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His transcendental qualities and is therefore always naturally endowed with the opulence of all wealth. Yet beginning from Lord Kas appearance there, it became the place for the pastimes of the goddess of fortune. TEXT 105

yasyaika-vko pi nijena kenacid dravyea kms tanute rthino khiln tathpi tat tan na sad prakayed aivaryam a sva-vihra-vighnata
yasyaof which (Vraja-bhmi); ekaone; vkatree; apieven; nijenaown; kenacitby its own; dravyea substances; kmnthe desires; tanutesupplies; arthinaof one who has desires; akhilnall; tath apinonetheless; tat tatall those; nanot; sad always; prakayetHe displays; aivaryamHis power; athe Lord; svaHis; vihrato the pastimes; vighnatabecause of obstruction. In the land of Vraja any tree with any of its parts can fulfill all the desires of anyone who asks. Yet the Lord does not always display His opulences in Vraja, because that might obstruct the enjoyment of His pastimes. Commentary: As a simple example of how opulent is the land of Vraja, even the trees there can satisfy all desires with a single fruit, a single flower, or any part of their bodies. In other words, a person who approaches those trees has his lifes ambitions fulfilled. This is described in rmadBhgavatam (10.22.34) by the Personality of Godhead Himself: patra-pupa-phala-cchy792

mla-valkala-drubhi gandha-nirysa-bhasmsthitokmai kmn vitanvate These trees fulfill ones desires with their leaves, flowers and fruits, their shade, roots, bark, and wood, and also with their fragrance, sap, ashes, pulp, and shoots. If even the trees in Vraja display such wonderful powers, how could the opulences of Vraja be kept secret? And how then could Vraja be a suitable place for the Supreme Lord to enjoy pastimes as an ordinary person? Vraja is suitable because the Lord reveals those opulences only in select instances, when they are useful for His purposes. If there is no special need for them He keeps them hidden. Thus the opulences of Godhead are only occasionally seen in Vraja, though the Lords charming pastimes as the darling of the cowherds are always visibly expanding. TEXT 106

sad-vea-mtrea hi bla-ghtin t rkas mt-gati ninya sa tad-bndhavn muktim aghsurdikn sdhu-druhas tda-llaynayat
satof a respectable person; veabecause of the dress; mtreamerely; hiindeed; bla-ghtinmthe child-killer; tmher; rkasmthe demoness (Ptan); mtof a mother; gatimto the destination; ninyabrought; saHe; tather; bndhavnfamily members; muktimto liberation; agha-asurathe demon Agha; diknand so on; sdhu of pious devotees; druhaenemies; tdasimilar; llayby pastimes; anayatbrought. Simply because Ptan, the child-killing demoness, disguised herself as a respectable person, the Lord bestowed upon her the destination of being His mother. By similar pastimes He also gave liberation to her family membersAghsura and otherseven
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though they were enemies of the pious devotees. Commentary: In these pastimes Ka demonstrates the extent of His kindness. Ptan dressed herself very nicely, so that Yaod and the other ladies of Vraja would accept her as one of them, a cultured Vaiava. This was enough to satisfy Ka, who, even though Ptan was a most wicked demon, arranged for her to achieve an auspicious destination equal to that of Mother Yaod. Uddhava therefore declared in rmad-Bhgavatam (3.2.23): aho bak ya stana-kla-ka jighsaypyayad apy asdhv lebhe gati dhtry-ucit tato nya ka v daylu araa vrajema Alas, how shall I take shelter of one more merciful than He who granted the position of mother to a she-demon [Ptan] although she was unfaithful and she prepared deadly poison to be sucked from her breast? Not only Ptan but also many of her demon friends and relatives, like Agha, Baka, and Kasa, were liberated simply by being drawn to Kas supremely charming childhood pastimes. As described by Lord Brahm in his prayers to Ka: sad-ved iva ptanpi sa-kul tvm eva devpit yad-dhmrtha-suht-priytma-tanaya-prays tvat-kte You have already arranged to give Yourself to Ptan and her family members in exchange for her disguising herself as a devotee. So what is left for You to give these devotees of Vndvana, whose homes, wealth, friends, dear relations, bodies, children, and very lives and hearts are all dedicated only to You? (rmad-Bhgavatam 10.14.35) TEXT 107

go-dma-vthbhir udkhalghrau
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svasyodare bandhanam dade sau protshanena vraja-yoit tanntydika t ca nidea-vartitm

goof cows; dmafor tying; vthbhiby ropes; udkhalaof a grinding mortar; aghrauto the base; svasyaHis; udareby the abdomen; bandhanamthe binding; dadeaccepting; asauHe; protshanenaas the way of enlivening; vraja-yoitmthe women of Vraja; tatHis; ntya-dikamdancing and so on; tmthat; caand; nideaaccording to orders; vartitmthe acting. He allowed His belly to be tied to the base of a grinding mortar by ropes for tying cows. And to enliven the women of Vraja, He danced, entertained them in other ways, and carried out their orders. Commentary: In Text 103, when Nrada listed Kas excellences in Vraja-bhmi, he placed Kas subservience to His devotees last, but here he takes the opportunity to elaborate on this topic out of sequence, since it closely bears on the topic of Kas mercy. When Mother Yaod wanted to punish Ka by tying Him up, she joined all the ropes available, including the ones used for tying the cows at milking, but still she could not make a rope long enough to bind her son: eva sva-geha-dmni yaod sandadhaty api gopn su-smayantn smayant vismitbhavat Thus Mother Yaod joined whatever ropes were available in the household, but still she failed in her attempt to bind Ka. Mother Yaods friends, the elderly gops in the neighborhood, were smiling and enjoying the fun. Similarly, Mother Yaod, although laboring in that way, was also smiling. All of them were struck with wonder. (Bhgavatam
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10.9.17) Finally Ka agreed to let Himself be tied, but in such a waywith His waist on one end of the rope and a large grinding mortar on the otherthat He could later turn the mortar over and climb its wide base to steal more butter. In rmad-Bhgavatam (10.9.1819) r ukadeva Gosvm narrates: sva-mtu svinna-gtry visrasta-kabara-sraja dv parirama ka kpayst sva-bandhane eva sandarit hy aga hari bhtya-vayat sva-vaenpi kena yasyeda sevara vae Because of Mother Yaods hard labor, her whole body became covered with perspiration, and the flowers and comb were falling from her hair. When child Ka saw His mother thus fatigued, He became merciful to her and agreed to be bound. O Mahrja Parkit, this entire universe, with its great, exalted demigods like Lord iva, Lord Brahm, and Lord Indra, is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yet the Supreme Lord has one transcendental attribute: He comes under the control of His devotees. This was now exhibited by Ka in this pastime. The ladies of Vraja delighted in witnessing these pastimes, and Ka further encouraged their love for Him by performing antics for their pleasure and by submitting to their commands. This too is described by ukadeva Gosvm: gopbhi stobhito ntyad bhagavn bla-vat kvacit udgyati kvacin mugdhas tad-vao dru-yantra-vat

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The gops would say, If You dance, my dear Ka, then I shall give You half a sweetmeat. By saying these words or by clapping their hands, all the gops encouraged Ka in different ways. At such times, although He was the supremely powerful Personality of Godhead, He would smile and dance according to their desire, as if He were a wooden doll in their hands. Sometimes He would sing very loudly, at their bidding. In this way, Ka came completely under the control of the gops. bibharti kvacid japta phakonmna-pdukam bhu-kepa ca kurute svn ca prtim vahan Sometimes Mother Yaod and her gop friends would tell Ka, Bring this article or Bring that article. Sometimes they would order Him to bring a wooden plank, wooden shoes, or a wooden measuring pot, and Ka, when thus ordered by the mothers, would try to bring them. Sometimes, however, as if unable to raise these things, He would touch them and stand there. Just to invite the pleasure of His relatives, He would strike His body with His arms to show that He had sufficient strength. darayas tad-vid loka tmano bhtya-vayatm vrajasyovha vai hara bhagavn bla-ceitai To pure devotees throughout the world who could understand His activities, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Ka, exhibited how much He can be subdued by His devotees, His servants. In this way He increased the pleasure of the Vraja-vss by His childhood activities. (Bhgavatam 10.11.79) By these pastimes Lord Ka sent a clear message to the jns who think they know Him very well as the Absolute Truth: To achieve Me through the
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process of knowledge is not at all easy. Only by bhakti am I readily obtained. TEXT 108

rpasya tasya mahimnam ala na ko pi vaktu tathpi kathaymi yathtma-akti tasypi vismaya-kara yad udkya bhva ta go-dvija-druma-lat-taravo py agacchan
rpasyaof the beauty; tasyaHis; mahimnamthe glories; alamcapable; na ka apino one; vaktumto describe; tath apinonetheless; kathaymiI speak; yathas far as; tma-aktimy power; tasyato Him; apieven; vismayaamazement; karamcausing; yat which; udkyaseeing; bhvamecstasy; tamthat; gothe cows; dvijabirds; drumabushes; lat creepers; taravatrees; apiand; agacchan attained. No one can describe the glories of His beauty, but still I shall speak about them as far as I am able. His beauty amazes even Him. Seeing Him, the cows, birds, bushes, creepers, and trees all became ecstatic. Commentary: Beauty is next in the list of the Supreme Lords opulences in Gokula. In texts 108 through 111, Nrada speaks of that beauty. Because the beauty Ka showed during his appearance in Vndvana had never before been seen in this world, no one was able to explain it in terms of previous experience. Uddhava describes that astounding beauty in the Third Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (3.2.12): yan martya-llaupayika sva-yogamy-bala darayat ghtam vismpana svasya ca saubhagarddhe para pada bhaa-bhagam Lord Krsna in His eternal form, just suitable for His pastimes, appeared in the mortal world by His internal potency, Yogamy. His pastimes were
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wonderful for everyone, even for those proud of their own opulence, including Ka Himself in His form as the Lord of Vaikuha. Thus r Kas transcendental body is the ornament of all ornaments. Upon seeing Ka, the moving and nonmoving creatures of Vndvana would show the symptoms of prema, including the sttvika ecstasies of horripilation, floods of tears, and so on. As the young gops told Ka at the beginning of their rsa-ll: k stry aga te kala-padyata-veu-gtasammohitrya-caritn na calet tri-lokym trailokya-saubhagam ida ca nirkya rpa yad go-dvija-druma-mg pulakny abibhran Dear Ka, what woman in all the three worlds wouldnt deviate from religious behavior when bewildered by the sweet, drawn-out melody of Your flute? Your beauty makes all three worlds auspicious. Indeed, even the cows, birds, trees, and deer manifest the ecstatic symptom of bodily hair standing on end when they see Your beautiful form. (Bhgavatam 10.29.40) TEXT 109

yat tta tsm api dhairya-moaka y vai kula-str-kula-pjitghraya rpea lena guena karma raihya gat hanta mah-riyo pi y
yatwhich (beauty); ttamy dear boy; tsmof those women; apialso; dhairyaof the soberness; moakamthe robber; ywho; vaiindeed; kulaof respectable families; str-kulaby hordes of women; pjitaworshipable; aghrayawhose feet; rpeaby their beauty; lenaby their behavior; guenaby their virtues; karmaby their activities; raihyam gatexcelling; hantaoh; mah-riya the supreme goddess of fortune; apieven; ywho.

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My dear boy, in beauty, character, virtues, and behavior the women of Vraja excelled even the supreme goddess of fortune. All women of respectable families worshiped their feet. Yet even so, Kas beauty robbed the women of Vraja of their sobriety. Commentary: To inspire Gopa-kumra to listen carefully to this important narration, Nrada here uses the affectionate word tta (my dear boy). Kas beauty shook the gops determination to uphold their religious principles, but not because the gops were simply women, who by nature are supposedly unsteady. The gops of Vraja were reputable cultured ladies in a respectable society, so they were not inclined to careless behavior. They were equal to Lakm, the best of women, and even better: They were more beautiful, and more sublime in their gravity and shyness, they were more capable of making proper decisions, maintaining firm determination, and expertly dealing with all kinds of situations, and they were more competent in the various activities of worshiping their beloved. Nrada therefore uses the interjection hanta (indeed) to express his surprise and delight. TEXT 110

yad-darane pakma-kta apanti vidhi sahasrkam api stuvanti vchanti dktva sakalendriy k k da v na bhajanti lok
yatwhich (beauty); daranewhile seeing; pakmaof eyelids; ktamthe creator; apantithey curse; vidhimBrahm; sahasra-akamthe thousand-eyed (Indra); apiand; stuvantithey praise; vchanti they hanker for; dktvamthe power of seeing; sakalaon the part of all; indriymthe senses; km kmwhich various; damstates; vand; na bhajantithey would not achieve; lokthe people. Seeing His beauty, people would curse Brahm, the
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creator of eyelids, and praise Indra, who has a thousand eyes, and hanker for all their senses to become eyes. What extraordinary states would anyone not attain upon seeing His beauty? Commentary: r Gopladevas beauty not only stole the sobriety of the gops, His dearmost girlfriends, but also drove other people to extraordinary states of consciousness. The Vrajavss cursed Brahm for creating lids on their eyes that made it more difficult to see Ka constantly. And even though Indra had committed many offenses against Ka and was deformed because of Gautama is curse, the Vraja-vss glorified him, for they admired his having a thousand eyes on his body, eyes with which he could enjoy seeing Ka that much more. The Vraja-vss prayed that all their own senses change into eyes so that with those eyes they could see Ka even more and no competing senses would distract their eyes from the sight of Kas beauty. TEXT 111

ki varyat vraja-bhuvo mahim sa tasy yatraiva tat sa bhagavn vitanoti rpam yat tda-praktinpy amun samet nnyatrik dadhati bhvam ime pi tadvat
kimhow; varyatmcan be described; vraja-bhuva of Vraja-bhmi; mahimglories; sathose; tasy of it (Vraja); yatrawhere; evaonly; tatthat (beauty); saHe; bhagavnthe Personality of Godhead; vitanotiexpands; rpambeauty; yatwhich (glories and beauty); tdasame; praktinwho has the nature; apialthough; amunof Him; sametin the company; nado not; anyatrik persons of other places; dadhatihave; bhvam ecstasy; imethey; apieven; tadvatsuch. How can I describe the greatness of the land of Vraja, where the Personality of Godhead displayed His own beautiful form? He may possess the same transcendental nature everywhere, but even in His
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company the devotees in other places dont feel the same ecstasy. Commentary: The beauty r Ka displays in Vrajabhmi is never seen anywhere else. No matter where He goes His transcendental nature is changeless, and He is always the same person; but devotees in other places, like Vaikuha and Dvrak, do not taste from seeing Him and being with Him the same exquisite feelings of love as the Vraja-vss. Thus we should understand that the Personality of Godhead reveals selected aspects of His special greatness in particular times and placesand Vrajabhmi is supremely glorious. For one reason or another, Ka chooses in some instances to show His eternal glories and in others to allow His personal energies to conceal them. Nradas sentiment to this effect was closely paralleled by the words Gopa-kumra had earlier heard on Janoloka from Pippalyana i: nandaka-svabhvo pi bhakti-mhtmya-darant bhaktn harayitu kuryd durghaa ca sa vara The Supreme Lord, by nature the bestower of ecstasy, creates such unlikely situations to delight His devotees by showing them the greatness of devotional service. (Bhad-bhgavatmta 2.2.100) Nrada has now concluded his description of Kas special beauty in Vndvana. TEXT 112

vaya ca tac chaiava-obhayrita sad tath yauvana-llaydtam manoja-kaiora-davalambita prati-kaa ntana-ntana guai
vayaage; caand; tatthat; aiavaof childhood (the kaumra age); obhayby the charm; ritam sheltered; sadalways; tathalso; yauvanaof
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mature youth; llayby the pastimes; dtam honored; manojaattractive; kaiora-da adolescence; avalambitampartaking of; pratikaamat every moment; ntana-ntanamnewer and newer; guaiby His qualities. Whatever age He appears to be, He always maintains the special charm of childhood, He accepts service from the pastimes of mature youth, and He also partakes of the attractiveness of adolescence. And at every moment His personal qualities appear newer and newer. Commentary: Since youth is a cause of beauty, Nrada now takes the liberty to discuss the variety of ages in which Ka performs His pastimes. No matter how old Ka may be, He always has the special qualities of childhoodextreme gentleness, naughty behavior, absence of facial hair, and so on. Still, Ka is always clever and skillful like a mature young adult, and yet He always displays the qualities of a fifteen-year-old adolescent. With such an extraordinary combination of attractive features from all stages of young life, Ka enchants His devotees more and more at every moment. Thus, attraction to Ka never becomes stale, and those who see Him are never satiated. Although Nrada here mentions mature youth (yauvana), Krsna doesnt appear in that age until after He leaves Vraja. In Vraja Ka appears in three ageskaumra (from birth till the end of the fifth year), paugaa (after five years up to the end of the tenth), and kaiora (after ten years until the end of the fifteenth). In both of the two earlier ages, He performs pastimes more appropriate to the later, kaiora age, and then, after killing the demon Ke, He actually enters that age. For this reason, and because Nrada is particularly attracted to Ka at the kaiora age, Nrada especially describes it. TEXT 113

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yad yan na prva ktam asti kenacit svaya ca tenpi kathacana kvacit tat tat kta sundara-blya-ceay tatra vraje yac ca pursa dukaram
yat yatwhat various things; nanot; prvambefore; ktamdone; astiwere; kenacitby anyone; svayam Himself; caand; tenaby Him; apieven; kathacana in any way; kvacitanywhere; tat tatall that; ktamdone; sundarabeautiful; blyaof childhood; ceayby His activity; tatrathere; vrajein Vraja; yatwhich; caand; purpreviously; sawas; dukaramimpossible to do. What no one before had ever done, what He Himself had never done under any pretext or in any circumstance, and what till then had been impossible for anyoneall this He did in Vraja during His all-attractive childhood pastimes. Commentary: Of the topics listed in Text 103, two remain to be discussed: aea-mahattva-mdhur (the sweetness of all His excellent qualities) and vilsa-lakm (the splendor of His pastimes). Following the principle of madhurea sampayet (One should end on a sweet note), rla Santana prefers to save his description of aea-mahattvamdhur for last. Thus he now enters the topic of vilsa-lakm. No person of the material world, not even Lord Brahm, Rudra, or any demigod, has ever done anything similar to the wonderful deeds Ka performed in Vndvana. Not even the Supreme Lords other incarnations, including r Nsihadeva and r Rmacandra, have pastimes that can compare to Kas. In Vaikuha the Supreme Lord has never enacted these pastimes or even tried to make a show of imitating them. Before the Lord unveiled in Vndvana His all-attractive childhood activities, He never so easily killed demons and distributed His pure devotional service. TEXT 114
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tat-tad-vinodmta-sgarntara bibhety ala me rasanvaghitum sadaiva tat-tan-madhura-priypi yat karmay aakye na jana pravartate
tat-tatall those; vinodaof the pastimes; amta of the nectar; sgarathe ocean; antaramwithin; bibhetiis afraid; alamalas; memy; rasantongue; avaghitumto delve deeply; sadalways; eva indeed; tat-tatof those (pastimes); madhurato the sweetness; priyfondly disposed; apialthough; yatwhich; karmaiin an activity; aakye impossible; nanot; janaa person; pravartate proceeds. All those pastimes are an ocean of nectar, and though my tongue is always eager to relish their sweetness, it is terrified of drowning in them. A person should never proceed with something impossible. Commentary: Here Nrada shifts the blame for his rash eagerness to his uncontrollable tongue, but in fact the greed to relish the rasa of Kas vndvana-ll is his own. Nrada may think that his tongue is fearful of saying too much, either because it is incapable of speaking properly or because it is embarrassed to speak in front of others. Either way, in fact it would be perfectly proper for his tongue to drown in the nectar ocean of Kas pastimes. Nradas speech is but poetic irony. His tongue is not at all ashamed of what it is about to do. TEXT 115

pta sakt llmta pravartitu lajj na

kara-puena tat-talkasya haren na ceta vchati tatra tasml raket kila lolat hi

ptamdrunk; saktjust once; kara-puenaby the earholes; tat-tatof those various; llpastimes; amtamthe nectar; kasyawhose; haret nafails to
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steal; cetamind; pravartitumto proceed; vchatiit wants; tatrathere; tasmttherefore; lajjmhumility; na raketwill not maintain; kila indeed; lolatrestlessness; hicertainly. Whose heart would not be stolen when he has drunk even once through his earholes the nectar of all those pastimes? My tongue therefore wants to proceed. And its restlessness no longer lets me maintain my shyness. TEXT 116

trai-msiko ya akaa babhaja sthla ayno mdun padena stanyya rodity uta ya pras dvivrau mukhe darayati sma vivam
trai-msikathree months old; yawho; akaama cart; babhajabroke; sthlamlarge; aynalying; mduntender; padenawith His foot; stanyyafor breast milk; roditicried; utaand then; yawho; prasmto His mother; dvi-vrautwo times; mukhein His mouth; darayati smashowed; vivamthe universe. At the age of three months, Ka lay under a large cart and broke it with His tender foot, and then He cried for breast milk. On two occasions He showed His mother the whole universe within His mouth. Commentary: In texts 116 through 137, Nrada summarizes many of the pastimes of Ka described in the Tenth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam. Anyone who wants more details about these pastimes can consult that greatest of scriptures. The first major pastime, the deliverance of Ptan, Nrada has already mentioned while glorifying Kas merciful nature. The summary begins, therefore, with the breaking of the cart. The cart that infant Ka was lying under was a large one, as indicated here by the word sthlam. As ukadeva Gosvm describes, it was so big that several strong cowherd men were needed to lift it up again
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after Ka had knocked it down: prva-vat sthpita gopair balibhi sa-paricchadam The strong, stout cowherd men assembled the pots and paraphernalia on the handcart and set it up as before. (Bhgavatam 10.7.12) After His miraculous deed of knocking down the cart, Ka cried for His mother to come and feed Him her milk. It is amazing to contemplate that a person with such unequaled power can also cry for His mothers breast milk. And from another point of view, it is amazing also that Ka dared ask His mother for milk after destroying the cart that was virtually the most valuable possession of the household. Baby Ka twice showed Mother Yaod the universe within His mouth: once while drinking from her breast and again after she accused Him of eating dirt. How much more amazing it is, then, that a person who can perform such miracles can also cry for His mothers milk. Although after the killing of the Tvarta demon Mother Yaod had visions of the universal form within Kas mouth on two different occasions, they are mentioned together in this verse to highlight how wonderful it is that this powerful Ka was crying helplessly for milk. Kas Gokula Vndvana pastimes are supremely splendid and charming because they combine the ultimate display of Gods power with the ultimate display of His sweetness. TEXT 117

y s tvarta-vadhena ll tasytha y rigaa-bhagikbhi tv ptu gop-gaa-toaya kt ca y go-rasa-moaena

ywhich; sthat; tvarta-vadhenaby the killing of Tvarta; llpastime; tasyaHis; athaand; ywhich; rigaaof crawling; bhagikbhiby the
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charming sports; tvmyou; ptumay it protect; gop-gaaof the gops; toayafor the satisfaction; ktdone; caand; ywhich; go-rasa of milk products; moaenaby the stealing. May you be protected by His pastimes of killing Tvarta and crawling around in charming ways and stealing butter and yogurt to satisfy the gops. Commentary: The pronouns y s (those very same) imply that these pastimes are extremely famous, extremely amazing, and extremely attractive. r Nrada prays that these pastimes protect Gopakumraprotect him from all kinds of fear, and perhaps from becoming too bewildered by the ecstasy that arises from hearing the pastimes of Kas infancy. Nrada Munis presentation now focuses on the sweetness of Kas pastimes in Vndvana. He skips mentioning pastimes that do not highlight this sweetness, such as the name-giving ceremony performed by Garga i. Ka did not do anything special in that pastime, in which Garga told Nanda and Yaod of Kas glories. TEXT 118

gop-gakroanato janany skd-bhaylokana-ctur s m ptu md-bhakaa-kautuka tat kr ca mtur dadhi-manthane s

gop-gaaof the gops; akroanatabecause of the complaints; jananyat his mother; skt directly; bhayafearful; lokanaof glancing; cturcleverness; sthat; mmme; ptumay it protect; mt-bhakaaof eating dirt; kautukam entertainment; tatthat; krgames; caand; mtuby His mother; dadhiof yogurt; manthane during the churning; sthose. May I be protected by the clever glances He cast at His mother in apparent fear when the gops complained to her, by the delight He showed in
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eating dirt, and by the games He played while His mother churned yogurt. Commentary: Like an ordinary child, Ka exposed His fear by glancing quickly from side to side. r Nrada has already described that when Mother Yaod rebuked Ka for eating dirt, He showed her the universe within His mouth. After that pastime, rmad-Bhgavatam continues with a glorification of Nanda and Yaods good fortune, but in that narration Ka is not active, so Nrada does not refer to it. Next comes the all-auspicious dmodara-ll, described in this and the following two texts. Nrada did mention this pastime earlier, but only briefly to help illustrate how Ka submits Himself to the control of His devotees. While Mother Yaod churned yogurt, baby Ka would play such pranks as holding on to the churning rod. TEXT 119

tad rodana tad dadhi-bha-bhajana tac chikya-ptrn nava-nta-moaam tan mt-bhti-dravaa bhaykullokekaatva ca mahdbhuta prabho
tatthat; rodanamcrying; tatthat; dadhi-bhaof yogurt pots; bhajanambreaking; tatthat; ikyaon ropes suspended from the ceiling; ptrtfrom vessels; nava-ntaof newly churned butter; moaamstealing; tatthat; mtof His mother; bhtiin fear; dravaamrunning; bhayawith fear; kuladistraught; lokalook; kaatvamin whose eyes; caand; mah-adbhutamvery wonderful; prabhoof the Lord. The Lords crying, His breaking the yogurt pots, His stealing new butter from storage pots hanging from the ceiling, His running away in fear of His mother, and His restlessly looking about with fear in His eyes are all very wonderful. TEXT 120

karaa yat tad ulkhalasya

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baddhasya pair jahare janany ceto haren me rjuna-bhajana tat tasy day ca vara-pradnam
karaamdragging; yatwhich; tatthat; ulkhalasyaof the grinding mortar; baddhasyawho was bound; paiby ropes; jahareto His belly; jananyby His mother; cetathe mind; haretmay it steal; memy; arjunaof the arjuna trees; bhajanambreaking; tatthat; tasymin that; daymcondition; caand; varaof a benediction; pradnambestowing. May my mind be enchanted by His dragging the mortar that His mother had tied around His belly with ropes, by His felling the arjuna trees, and by His bestowing a benediction even while tied in that way. Commentary: While still bound tightly to the mortar with the strong ropes used to bind cows, Ka graciously blessed the reformed sons of Kuvera: tad gacchata mat-paramau nalakvara sdanam sajto mayi bhvo vm psita paramo bhava O Nalakvara and Maigrva, now you may both return home. Since you desire to be always absorbed in My devotional service, your desire to develop love and affection for Me will be fulfilled, and now you will never fall from that platform. (Bhgavatam 10.10.42) TEXT 121

vndvane taraka-craena krann ahan vatsa-bakau tath ya m veu-vdydi-guru sa vanyaveo vatj jantu-rutnukr
vndvanein Vndvana; tarakathe calves; craenawhile grazing; kranplaying; ahan killed; vatsa-bakauthe demons Vatsa and Baka;
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tathand; yawho; mmme; veu-vdyaof flute playing; di-guruthe first of gurus; saHe; vanyaof the forest; veawhose dress; avattmay protect; jantuof the animals; rutaof the sounds; anukrthe imitator. While playing and tending the calves in the Vndvana forest, He killed Vatsa and Baka. He adorns Himself in forest dress and imitates the sounds of the animals. May that first guru in the art of flute playing protect me. Commentary: Ka performed His earliest pastimes, just described by Nrada, in the forest called Mahvana. This verse begins the description of His pastimes in the largest of Vrajas twelve forests, Vndvana. Nrada calls Ka the di-guru of flute players because it was during these pastimes that Ka perfected the art of playing the flute. While in the forest, Ka and His friends would collect the peacock feathers, guj berries, and other items with which Ka would be decorated. TEXT 122

prta sa-vatsa sakhibhi pravio vndvana yn akarod vihrn tat-tat-parmara-mahhi-vaktrapraveandn sa-rasn bhaje tn
prtaearly in the morning; sa-vatsawith His calves; sakhibhiand the cowherd boys; pravia entered; vndvanamVndvana; ynwhich; akarot did; vihrnpastimes; tat-tatin various ways; parmarapondering; mah-ahiof the giant serpent; vaktrathe mouth; praveanaentering; dnand so on; sa-rasnrelishable; bhajeI worship; tnthem. I worship the pastimes He performed in the early mornings when He entered the Vndvana forest with His calves and friendsmost relishable pastimes, such as entering the mouth of a great serpent after pondering in various ways . Commentary: On what began as a typical cow-grazing
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morning, the mighty demon Agha in the form of a gigantic snake confronted Kas cowherd friends. The boys, having decorated themselves with festive forest attire, were in a very playful mood. After amusing themselves by stealing one anothers lunch bags and teasing the monkeys and other animals, they were looking for another game when they spotted Agha lying on the path with his gaping mouth inviting them to enter. Ka watched helplessly as they marched into the demons mouth, and He began to think: ktya kim atrsya khalasya jvana na v am ca sat vihisanam dvaya katha syd iti savicintya jtvviat tuam aea-dg ghari Now what is to be done? How can both the killing of this demon and the saving of the devotees be performed simultaneously? Ka, being unlimitedly potent, decided to wait for an intelligent means by which He could simultaneously save the boys and kill the demon. Then He entered the mouth of Aghsura. (Bhgavatam 10.12.28) These pastimes are filled with all the different rasas of loving exchange, and thus they enchant the heart of whoever hears them. TEXT 123

saras-tae dvala-jemane y ll samkarati s mano me tath prabhos taraka-mrgae y dadhy-odana-grsa-vilsi-pe

saraof a lake; taealong the shore; dvalaon the grass; jemanewhile eating; ywhich; ll pastime; samkaratitotally enchants; sit; manathe mind; memy; tathand; prabhoof the Lord; tarakafor the calves; mrgaewhile searching; ywhich; dadhiof yogurt; odanaand rice; grsawith a morsel; vilsiadorned; pe whose hand.
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My mind is utterly enchanted by the Lords pastime of taking lunch on the grassy shore of a lake and then going off to search for the calves, His hand adorned with a lump of rice mixed with yogurt. Commentary: Lord Brahm wanted to test Kas greatness, so when Ka left His friends during lunch to go into the dense forest to find the wandering calves, Brahm took the opportunity to kidnap the calves and the cowherd boys as well. Ka had just taken from a friends plate a lump of yogurt rice and was still carrying it when He went looking for the calves. ukadeva Gosvm says: vme pau masa-kavala tat-phalny agulu He was holding in His hand a very nice preparation of yogurt and rice, with pieces of suitable fruit between His fingers. (Bhgavatam 10.13.11) ity uktvdri-dar-kujagahvarev tma-vatsakn vicinvan bhagavn ka sapi-kavalo yayau Let Me go and search for the calves, Ka said. Dont disturb your enjoyment. Then, carrying His yogurt and rice in His hand, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Ka, immediately went out to search for the calves of His friends. To please His friends, He began searching in all the mountains, bushes, mountain caves, and narrow passages. (Bhgavatam 10.13.14) In fact, Ka was still holding that morsel in His hand a year later, when Brahm came to apologize. Lord Brahm said: naumya te bhra-vapue taid-ambarya gujvatasa-paripiccha-lasan-mukhya vanya-sraje kavala-vetra-via-veulakma-riye mdu-pade paupgajya

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My dear Lord, You are the only worshipable Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore I offer my humble obeisances and prayers just to please You. O son of the king of the cowherds, Your transcendental body is dark blue like a new cloud, Your garment is brilliant like lightning, and the beauty of Your face is enhanced by Your guj earrings and the peacock feather on Your head. Wearing garlands of various forest flowers and leaves, and equipped with a herding stick, a buffalo horn, and a flute, You stand beautifully with a morsel of food in Your hand. (Bhgavatam 10.14.1) TEXT 124

brahmpi y vkya vilsa-mdhur mumoha t varayitu nu ko rhati kva stma-vatsrbhaka-rpa-dhrit kva mugdha-vat tat sakhi-vatsa-mrgaam
brahmLord Brahm; apieven; ymwhich; vkya seeing; vilsaof pastimes; mdhurmthe charm; mumohabecame bewildered; tmthem; varayitumto describe; nuindeed; kawho; arhatiis able; kva where; sthat; tmaby His own power; vatsaof the calves; arbhakaand boys; rpaof the forms; dhritthe assuming; kvawhere; mugdha-vatlike an innocent child; tatthat; sakhifor His friends; vatsaand calves; mrgaamsearching. Who can describe the charm of those pastimes, which bewildered even Brahm when he saw them? Ka Himself assumed the forms of the calves and cowherd boys, and yet He went to search for His friends and calves like an innocent child. Commentary: This pastime is doubly bewildering: Ka does something possible only for the supreme mystic, yet He acts like a naive child. Nrada Muni feels so charmed by this pastime that he doubts his ability to describe it. TEXT 125

tat-tad-vilsspada-gokulasya sa
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brahmaiva mhtmya-viea-vittama astaut tath yo bhagavantam darn mrto mah-prema-raso vrajasya ya

tat-tatall those; vilsaof the pastimes; spada the abode; gokulasyaof Gokula; sahe; brahmLord Brahm; evaindeed; mhtmyaof the glories; vieaspecial; vit-tamathe best knower; astaut praised; tathalso; yawho; bhagavantamthe Supreme Lord; dartwith reverence; mrta embodied; mah-premaof pure love; rasathe taste; vrajasyaof Vraja; yawho. Lord Brahm grew to understand better than anyone else the special glories of Gokula, the abode of all those pastimes, so with great respect he praised the Supreme Lord who embodies the exalted tastes of pure love in Vraja. Commentary: Brahms defeat by Ka in their match of wits not only humbled Brahm but also elevated him in understanding of Kas pastimes in Gokula, so much so that Nrada calls him mhtmya-vieavittama, the best of those who know the special glories of Gokula. We find evidence of Brahms understanding in his solemn prayer to Ka: tad bhri-bhgyam iha janma kim apy aavy yad gokule pi katamghri-rajo-bhiekam yaj-jvita tu nikhila bhagavn mukundas tv adypi yat-pada-raja ruti-mgyam eva My greatest possible good fortune would be to take any birth whatever in this forest of Gokula and have my head bathed by the dust falling from the lotus feet of any of its residents. Their entire life and soul is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mukunda, the dust of whose lotus feet is still being searched for in the Vedic mantras. (Bhgavatam 10.14.34) Brahm became qualified to praise Ka suitably by realizing Him as the reservoir of all the ecstatic
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moods of vraja-prema. In many verses of rmadBhgavatam r ukadeva Gosvm expertly describes those varieties of rasa. For example: tan-mtaro veu-rava-tvarotthit utthpya dorbhi parirabhya nirbharam sneha-snuta-stanya-paya-sudhsava matv para brahma sutn apyayan The mothers of the boys, upon hearing the sounds of the flutes and bugles being played by their sons, immediately rose from their household tasks, lifted their boys onto their laps, embraced them with both arms, and began to feed them with their breast milk, which flowed forth because of extreme love specifically for Ka. Actually Ka is everything, but at that time, expressing extreme love and affection, they took special pleasure in feeding Ka, the Parabrahman, and Ka drank the milk from His respective mothers as if it were a nectarean beverage. (Bhgavatam 10.13.22) Brahm himself also very competently described these rasas in his prayers: aho ti-dhany vraja-go-ramaya stanymta ptam atva te mud ys vibho vatsatartmajtman yat-tptaye dypi na clam adhvar O almighty Lord, how greatly fortunate are the cows and ladies of Vndvana, the nectar of whose breast-milk You have happily drunk to Your full satisfaction, taking the form of their calves and children! All the Vedic sacrifices performed from time immemorial up to the present day have not given You as much satisfaction. (Bhgavatam 10.14.31) TEXT 126

goplanengraja-mnanena vndvana-r-stavanena csau tenli-gnbhinaydinpi

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prabhur vyadhd y bhaja t su-llm

go-planenaby tending the cows; agra-jaHis elder brother; mnanenaby honoring; vndvanaof Vndvana; rthe beauty; stavanenaby praising; caand; asauHe; tenaby that; aliof the bees; gnaof the son; abhinayaby imitating; dinand so on; apialso; prabhuthe Lord; vyadhtenacted; ymwhich; bhajayou should worship; tmthose; sullmwonderful pastimes. Please worship the wonderful pastimes the Lord enacted, such as tending the cows, honoring His elder brother, glorifying the beauty of Vndvana, and imitating the singing of the bees. Commentary: This verse begins the recounting of Kas paugaa-ll, the pastimes of years six through ten. Besides imitating the bees, Ka and His friends would also imitate the chattering of parrots, call out in deep voices to the distant cows, and enjoy naps on beds of soft leaves. TEXT 127

tl-vane yvirabhc ca ll y dhenuka-jti-vimardane ca sya vraja-str-gaa-sagame pi stotu na aknomy abhivdaye tm

tl-vanein the Tlavana forest; ywhich; virabhtwas exhibited; caand; llpastime; y which; dhenukaof the ass Dhenuka; jtithe friends; vimardanein killing; caand; syamat dusk; vrajaof Vraja; str-gaathe women; sagame in the meeting; apiand; stotumto praise; na aknomiI am not able; abhivdayeI offer my respects; tmto them. The Lord disposed of Dhenuka and his relatives in the Tlavana and met at dusk with the women of Vraja. These pastimes I cannot adequately praise; I can only offer them my respects. Commentary: Because the cowherd boys wanted to eat the fruits of the tla trees and play with them as
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balls, they asked Ka and Balarma to rid the Tlavana forest of the ass demons who refused to allow anyone to enter, and Ka and Balarma did so. After such sports, when Ka came home in the evening, at the entrance of Nanda Mahrjas village He would be greeted by His family and friends, including the young gops: ta go-raja-churita-kuntala-baddha-barhavanya-prasna-rucirekaa-cru-hsam veu kvaantam anugair upagta-krti gopyo didkita-do bhyagaman samet Lord Kas hair, powdered with the dust raised by the cows, was decorated with a peacock feather and forest flowers. The Lord glanced charmingly and smiled beautifully, playing upon His flute while His companions chanted His glories. The gops, all together, came forward to meet Him, their eyes very eager to see Him. ptv mukunda-mukha-sragham aki-bhgais tpa jahur viraha-ja vraja-yoito hni tat sat-kti samadhigamya vivea goha savra-hsa-vinaya yad apga-mokam With their beelike eyes, the women of Vndvana drank the honey of the beautiful face of Lord Mukunda, and thus they gave up the distress they had felt during the day because of separation from Him. The young Vndvana ladies cast sidelong glances at the Lordglances filled with bashfulness, laughter, and submissionand r Ka, completely accepting these glances as a proper offering of respect, entered the cowherd village. (Bhgavatam 10.15.4243) Nrada feels unable to describe such intimate exchanges between Ka and His devotees, either because words are incapable of capturing the essence of these pastimes or because Nrada fears that if he says more than a few words about each
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pastime he will become too ecstatic and lose control of himself. Now, therefore, unable to freely offer elaborate service to these pastimes, he simply offers them obeisances with his words. TEXT 128

yo vai vihro jani kliyasya hrade yaod-tanayasya tasya ta smartum o na bhavmi okaprahara-vegt katham lapni
yawhich; vaiindeed; vihrasport; ajani occurred; kliyasyaof Kliya; hradein the lake; yaod-tanayasyaof the son of Yaod; tasyaHim; tamthat; smartumto remember; acapable; na bhavmiI am not; okaof sorrow; praharaand joy; vegtdue to the force; kathamhow; lapnican I speak. The sport that the son of Yaod enjoyed in the lake of Kliya disturbs me so much with both sorrow and joy that I cant bear to remember it. How then can I recount it to you? Commentary: Remembering the violence done by Kliya made Nrada sad, but remembering how Ka tamed Kliya by dancing on his hoods enlivened him. TEXT 129

kva dua-ceasya khalasya tasya daas tad krodha-bharea krya kva connate tat-phaa-varga-rage ntyotsavo hara-bharea tdk
kvawhere; duaevil; ceasyawhose behavior; khalasyacruel; tasyaof him (Kliya); daathe punishment; tadthen; krodhaof anger; bhareaby the swelling; kryacaused; kvawhere; caand; unnatewhich was upraised; tathis; phaa-vargaof the row of hoods; rageon the stage; ntyaof dancing; utsavathe festival; haraof joy; bhareawith an abundance; tdksimilar. When the Lords anger swelled, what a punishment He gave to that wicked, cruel-hearted creature! And
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what joy the Lord felt when He performed His festival of dancing on the stage of that serpents upraised hoods! Commentary: Kliya had the arrogance to grasp with his filthy coils the divine body of the Supreme Person, thus causing great anxiety to the Lords devotees. Kliyas heart was full of wicked pride, and he felt no shame raising his hoods high in the air. Therefore Ka gave him a fitting punishment: He turned Kliyas hoods into a dancing stage and gleefully pummeled the serpent into submission. TEXT 130

kva nigrahas tdg anugraha kva v eo pi ya varayitu na aknuyt tan nga-patn-nivahya me nama stuty-arcane yo kta kliyya ca
kvawhere; nigrahapunishment; tdksuch; anugrahamercy; kvawhere; vand; eaAnanta ea; apieven; yamwhich; varayitumto describe; na aknuytis not able; tatthat; nga-patnof wives of the serpent; nivahyato the crowd; memy; namaobeisances; stutiprayers; arcaneand worship; yawho; aktaoffered; kliyyato Kliya; caand. Even Ananta ea is unable to describe such punishment and mercy! To the serpents many wives, who offered Ka prayers and worship, and to Kliya himself, I bow down. Commentary: Kliya received the severe punishment of having his heads crushed by the Supreme Lords heels and simultaneously the exquisite mercy of obtaining the dust of Kas lotus feet on those same heads. The dust of Kas feet is the rarest treasure. Even the original thousand-headed serpent, Ananta ea, has difficulty, therefore, expressing the glories of the mercy Kliya received. But Kliyas wives managed to describe it in their humble prayersTEXT 131

tre hradasysya davnalena y

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krdbhut maju-vane py ato dhik bhra-sakrana-ctur ca s jyehasya krtyai racit tanotu am

treon the shore; hradasyaof the lake; asyaHis; dava-analenawith the forest fire; ywhich; kr pastime; adbhutwonderful; maju-vanein the Maju forest; apialso; atathan that; adhikeven greater; bhrain the Bhra forest; sakranaof sporting; cturthe clever arrangement; caand; swhich; jyehasyaof His elder brother; krtyaifor the glory; racit created; tanotumay it expand; amgood fortune. The pastime of the forest fire took place on the shore of that same lake, and a fire even greater in the forest known as Maju. In the Bhra forest the clever arrangements for sporting magnified the glories of Balarma, the Lords elder brother. May all these pastimes expand our good fortune. Commentary: Ka twice saved the cowherd boys from a forest fire, but the second fire was even more amazing than the first. In that emergency Ka told His friends to simply close their eyes and He would save them, and then suddenly they found themselves transported to Bhravana. While the boys played in that forest, Lord Balarma especially showed His glories. Ka, defeated in wrestling, carried rdma on His back, and victorious Balarma carried Pralambsura, whom Balarma then killed. TEXT 132

manohar prvi y hi ll mahruhkrayadik s jyd vraja-str-smara-tpa-dtr arad-vana-r-bhara-vardhit ca

mana-harenchanting; prviin the rainy season; ywhich; hiindeed; llpastimes; mah-ruhaof trees; akaat the base; rayaaresting; dik and so on; sthese; jytshould be glorified; vrajaof Vraja; strto the women; smaraof Cupid;
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tpathe torment; dtrwhich give; aratautumnal; vanaof the forests; r-bharaby the great beauty; vardhitenhanced; caand. All glories to His pastimes in the rainy season, like His resting at the feet of trees, and to His autumnal pastimesenhanced by the beauty of the forestswhich heaped the pain of Cupids torment on the women of Vraja. Commentary: During the rains, Ka enjoyed such seasonal pastimes as sitting at the bases of trees, eating white radishes, and joining His friends on the tops of big rocks to feast on yogurt rice. When the next season commenced, the beauty of the forest increased luxuriantly, expanding the pleasure of Kas pastimes and increasing the disturbance the girls of Vraja felt from the arrows of Cupid. As described by ukadeva Gosvm in rmad-Bhgavatam (10.20.45): liya sama-toa prasna-vana-mrutam jans tpa jahur gopyo na ka-hta-cetasa The people could forget their suffering by embracing the wind coming from the flower-filled forest, a wind neither hot nor cold. But the gops could not, for their hearts had been stolen by Ka. TEXT 133

s vanya-bh sa ca veu-vdyamdhurya-pro khila-citta-hr tad gopa-yoid-gaa-mohana ca may kadsynubhaviyate ddh

sthat; vanyaof the forest; bhadornment; sa that; caand; veu-vdyaof flute playing; mdhuryaof sweetness; prathe flood; akhilaof everyone; cittathe hearts; hrwhich steals; tat that; gopa-yoit-gaaof all the cowherd women;
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mohanamthe enchanting; caand; mayby me; kad when; asyaHis; anubhaviyatewill be experienced; addhdirectly. When will I see with my own eyes the way He dresses in forest attire, steals everyones heart with the downpour of sweetness from the music of His flute, and enchants all the cowherd girls? Commentary: About the Personality of Godheads forest dress, ukadeva Gosvm says: barhpa naa-vara-vapu karayo karikra bibhrad vsa kanaka-kapia vaijayant ca mlm randhrn veor adhara-sudhayprayan gopa-vndair vndraya sva-pada-ramaa prviad gta-krti Wearing a peacock-feather ornament upon His head, blue karikra flowers on His ears, a yellow garment as brilliant as gold, and the Vaijayant garland, Lord Ka exhibited His transcendental form as the greatest of dancers as He entered the forest of Vndvana, beautifying it with the marks of His footprints. He filled the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips, and the cowherd boys sang His glories. (Bhgavatam 10.21.5) The most expert analysts of the glories of Kas flute are the gops, and many of their authoritative statements about those glories are recorded in the Tenth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam for example, in the Twenty-first Chapter, in the eight texts beginning with this one (Text 9): gopya kim carad aya kuala sma veur dmodardhara-sudhm api gopiknm bhukte svaya yad avaia-rasa hradinyo hyat-tvaco ru mumucus taravo yathry My dear gops, what auspicious activities must the flute have performed to enjoy the nectar of Kas lips independently and leave only a taste for us gops, for whom that nectar is actually meant! The
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forefathers of the flute, the bamboo trees, shed tears of pleasure. His mother, the river on whose bank the bamboo was born, feels jubilation, and therefore her blooming lotus flowers are standing like hair on her body. The gops, in their constant praise of Ka, frequently return to the theme of the enchanting power of His flute: g gopakair anu-vana nayator udraveu-svanai kala-padais tanu-bhtsu sakhya aspandana gati-mat pulakas tar niryoga-pa-kta-lakaayor vicitram My dear friends, as Ka and Balarma pass through the forest with Their cowherd friends, leading Their cows, They carry ropes to bind the cows rear legs at the time of milking. When Lord Ka plays on His flute, the sweet music makes the moving living entities become stunned and the nonmoving trees tremble with ecstasy. These things are certainly very wonderful. (Bhgavatam 10.21.19) More than anything else, the sound of Kas flute most fully expresses the essence of His sweetness (mdhurya), so the wonders of Kas flute-playing will be elaborated even more in the description of the sweetness of all of Kas excellent qualities (aea-mahattva-mdhur). It was particularly in the autumn that Ka stole the hearts of the gops by playing the flute. While speaking about the arrival of autumn in Vndvana, r ukadeva Gosvm says: tad vraja-striya rutya veu-gta smarodayam kcit paroka kasya sva-sakhbhyo nvavarayan When the young ladies in the cowherd village of Vraja heard the song of Kas flute, which
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arouses the influence of Cupid, some of them privately began describing Kas qualities to their intimate friends. (Bhgavatam 10.21.3) TEXT 134

kvho sa kanymbara-moaotsava s npa-mrdhany adhirohaa-tvar narmi tny ajali-vandanrthana tat svsa-ntuka-dtt ca s

kvawhere; ahooh; sathat; kanyof the girls; ambaraof the clothing; moaaof stealing; utsavathe festival; sthat; npaof the kadamba tree; mrdhanito the top; adhirohaain climbing; tvarthe speed; narmijoking words; tnithose; ajaliwith joined palms; vandanaa gesture of respect; arthanamand requests; tatthat; sva-asa on His own shoulder; ntaplaced; aukaof the garments; dttgiving; caand; sthat. How wonderfully He enjoyed the festival of stealing the clothes of the young girls! He climbed quickly to the top of a kadamba tree and spoke joking words to the girls. And after they offered respects with joined palms and submitted their requests, He gave back the garments He had placed on His shoulder. Commentary: In the festival of stealing the gops clothes, Ka had the opportunity to share with the gops some humorous words: atrgatybal kma sva sva vsa praghyatm satya bravi no narma yad yya vrata-karit My dear girls, you may each come here as you wish and take back your garments. Im telling you the truth and am not joking with you, since I see youre fatigued from executing austere vows. (Bhgavatam 10.22.10) Ka ordered the girls to come forward one by one and ask for their garments:
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bhagavn hat vkya uddha-bhva-prasdita skandhe nidhya vssi prta provca sa-smitam When the Supreme Lord saw how the gops were struck with embarrassment, He was satisfied by their pure loving affection. Putting their clothes on His shoulder, the Lord smiled and spoke to them affectionately. yya vivastr yad apo dhta-vrat vyaghataitat tad u deva-helanam baddhvjali mrdhny apanuttaye hasa ktv namo dho-vasana praghyatm You girls bathed naked while executing your vow, and that is certainly an offense against the demigods. To counteract your sin you should offer obeisances while placing your joined palms above your heads. Then you should take back your lower garments. (Bhgavatam 10.22.1819) TEXT 135

t yajva-vipraudana-ycan ca tat patn-gakaraam apy amuya tn bhavasthiti-vk-prasdn e tad anndana-pava ca

tmthem; yajva-viprafrom the sacrificial brhmaas; odanaof rice; ycanmbegging; caand; tatthat; patn-gaaof their wives; karaam attraction; apialso; amuyaby Him; tnthose; bhaaHis ornaments; avasthititheir placement; vkHis speech; prasdnand His mercy; eI glorify; tatthat; annathe food; adanain eating; pavamthe expertise; caand. I glorify His pastimes of begging food from the sacrificial brhmaas, attracting the brhmaas wives, and gracefully eating the food the wives offered. I glorify how He decorated Himself and how
826

He stood, spoke, and bestowed His mercy. Commentary: In the course of ukadeva Gosvms vivid description of Kas pastimes, he highlights several of Kas special attractive features. He tells of Kas ornaments: yma hiraya-paridhi vana-mlya-barhadhtu-pravla-naa-veam anuvratse vinyasta-hastam itarea dhunnam abja karotpallaka-kapola-mukhbja-hsam Wearing a peacock feather, colored minerals, sprigs of flower buds, and a garland of forest flowers and leaves, He was dressed just like a dramatic dancer. His complexion was dark blue and His garment golden. He rested one hand upon the shoulder of a friend and with the other twirled a lotus. Lilies graced His ears, His hair hung down over His cheeks, and His lotuslike face was smiling. (Bhgavatam 10.23.22). ukadeva Gosvm also describes how Ka spoke: svgata vo mah-bhg syat karavma kim yan no didkay prpt upapannam ida hi va Welcome, O most fortunate ladies. Please sit down and make yourselves comfortable. What can I do for you? That you have come here to see Me is most appropriate. (Bhgavatam 10.23.25) We also hear about the special mercy Ka showed the brhmaas wives by blessing them: patayo nbhyasyeran pit-bhrt-sutdaya lok ca vo mayopet dev apy anumanvate Rest assured that your husbands will not be inimical toward you, nor will your fathers,
827

brothers, or sons, your other relatives, or the general populace. I will personally advise them of the situation. Indeed, even the demigods will express their approval. (Bhgavatam 10.23.31) The love the wives of those Vedic brhmaas had for Ka far exceeded the standards of worldly affection. Even the brhmaas themselves recognized this. As ukadeva Gosvm tells us: dv str bhagavati ke bhaktim alaukikm tmna ca tay hnam anutapt vyagarhayan Taking note of their wives pure, transcendental devotion for Lord Ka, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and seeing their own lack of devotion, the brhmaas felt most sorrowful and began to condemn themselves. (Bhgavatam 10.23.39) The remorseful brhmaas were unable to lovingly approach Ka as did their wives, but they did learn to admire their wives Ka consciousness: aho payata nrm api ke jagad-gurau duranta-bhva yo vidhyan mtyu-pn ghbhidhn Just see the unlimited love these women have developed for Lord Ka, the spiritual master of the entire universe! That love has broken for them the very bonds of deaththeir attachments to family life. (Bhgavatam 10.23.42) Ka also demonstrated noble grace in accepting food as charity from the brhmaas wives: bhagavn api govindas tenaivnnena gopakn catur-vidhenayitv svaya ca bubhuje prabhu

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Govinda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, fed the cowherd boys with that food of four varieties. Then the all-powerful Lord Himself partook of the preparations. (Bhgavatam 10.23.36) TEXT 136

govardhandre rucirrcan tath sva-vma-hastena mahdri-dhraam tad gopa-santoaam indra-sntvana vande sya govindataybhiecanam
govardhana-adreof Govardhana Hill; ruciraallattractive; arcanmworship; tathand; svaHis; vmaleft; hastenawith the hand; mah-adriof the great mountain; dhraamholding; tatthat; gopaof the cowherds; santoaamsatisfying; indraof Indra; sntvanampacifying; vandeI offer homage; asyaHis; govindatayas Govinda; abhiecanamto the royal ceremonial bath. I offer my homage to His all-attractively worshiping Govardhana Hill, His holding the great hill with His left hand, His satisfying the cowherds, consoling Indra, and accepting coronation as Govinda, the Lord of the cows. Commentary: Kas intention is always to please His devotees. After He held Govardhana Hill aloft for seven days just for their benefit, their satisfaction knew no bounds: ta prema-vegn nirbht vrajaukaso yath samyu parirambhadibhi gopya ca sa-sneham apjayan mud dadhy-akatdbhir yuyuju sad-ia All the residents of Vndvana were overwhelmed with ecstatic love, and they came forward and greeted r Ka according to their individual relationships with Himsome embracing Him, others bowing down to Him, and so forth. The cowherd women presented water mixed with yogurt and unbroken barleycorns as a token of honor, and they showered
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auspicious benedictions upon Him. (Bhgavatam 10.25.29) Kas miraculous feat of lifting Govardhana Hill left the Vraja-vss confused about who Ka really was. But Nanda Mahrja was able to dispel their bewilderment and give them great satisfaction by repeating what Garga Muni had said at Kas name-giving ceremony about Kas identity. iti nanda-vaca rutv garga-gta vrajaukasa mudit nandam narcu ka ca gata-vismay Having heard Nanda Mahrja relate the statements of Garga Muni, the residents of Vndvana became enlivened. Their perplexity was gone, and they worshiped Nanda and Lord Ka with great respect. (Bhgavatam 10.26.24) As we hear from r Parara i in the Viu Pura (5.13.1012), after Ka lifted Govardhana He also satisfied the Vraja-vss with encouraging words: mat-sambandhena vo gop yadi lajj na jyate lghyo ha vai tata ki vo vicrea prayojanam yadi vo sti mayi prti lghyo ha bhavat yadi tadtma-bandhu-sad buddhir va kriyat mayi nha devo na gandharvo na yako na ca dnava aha vo bndhavo jto nta cintyam ato nyath My dear cowherds, if you are not embarrassed to be related to Me and if I deserve praise, then why get
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perplexed? If you have affection for Me and Im worthy of your praise, then just think of Me as your dear relative. I am no god or Gandharva or Yaka or Dnava, but am simply your family member. You should not think otherwise. TEXT 137

vrajasya vaikuha-padnudarana lokc ca nandnayana pracetasa na vaktum arhmi parnta-sma-g vakye katha t bhagavattva-mdhurm
vrajasyato the people of Vraja; vaikuha-padathe abode of Vaikuha; anudaranamshowing; loktfrom the world; caand; nandaof Nanda Mahrja; nayanambringing back; pracetasaof Varua; na not; vaktumto speak; arhmiI am able; para-anta final; smato its limit; gmgone; vakyeI should speak; kathamhow; tmabout that; bhagavattvaof Godhood; mdhurmthe sweetness. I am unable to properly describe His superexcellent pastimes of showing the abode of Vaikuha to the residents of Vraja and rescuing Nanda Mahrja from Varuas realm. And how can I ever express in words the sweet way He showed Himself to be the Supreme Godhead? Commentary: Ka proved Himself God in one way when He revealed Vaikuha to the Vraja-vss and another way when He commanded the powerful demigod Varua to release His father. But Ka displayed His supremacy in the greatest way when He conducted the all-attractive pastimes of charming the gops with His flute song and enjoying with them in the rsa dance. This will be discussed later on, under the topic of aea-mahattva-mdhur (the sweetness of all of Kas excellent qualities). TEXT 138

vcya kim e vraja-ceitn ya sarvata raihya-bharo vicrai tad-akar ravae praved

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udeti hi prema-bhara prakty

vcyapossible to be described; kimwhether; em of these; vrajaof Vraja; ceitnmactivities; yawhich; sarvataall-around; raihyaof excellence; bharathe expanse; vicraiwith careful thought; tatthose; akarmof the syllables; ravaein the ears; pravetby the entering; udetiarises; hicertainly; premaof love; bharaa flood; praktynaturally. What can I say about these activities of the Lord in Vraja? One who thinks about them carefully will conclude them supreme in all respects. As soon as words describing those pastimes enter the ears, a flood of pure love spontaneously arises in the heart. Commentary: This verse and the next summarize the topic of vilsa-lakm (the splendor of Kas pastimes). Anyone who gives thoughtful attention to the pastimes of Vraja will conclude that they are more wonderful than the deeds of all the other incarnations of the Supreme Lord. Even the mere words that narrate those Vraja pastimes, beginning with the deliverance of Ptan, have a magical power to awaken prema in the heart. Prema begins to awaken when those narrations simply enter ones ears, what to speak of what happens when a thoughtful devotee contemplates them with attention. Without doubting, we should accept that such an effect is possible by the innate potency of the words themselves (prakty). Certain combinations of words have a natural power to evoke spiritual emotions, just as fire has its natural inalienable potencies of heat and light. TEXT 139

kehitnm akhilottama yas tarkai prakara tanute sa dhanya te darkarana-mtrato ya syt prema-pras tam aha nammi
ka-hitnmof Kas activities; akhila832

uttamamsupermost; yawho; tarkaiby logical arguments; prakaramthe excellence; tanute disseminates; sahe; dhanyavery fortunate; temof them; daraa little; karanaby hearing; mtratasimply; yawho; sytbecomes; premaprafull of ecstatic love; tamto him; ahamI; nammibow down. Very fortunate is one who uses logical arguments to make known the supreme glories of Kas pastimes. And to one who becomes full of prema simply by hearing a few words about those pastimes, I offer my humble obeisances. Commentary: It is wonderful when pure love of God is inspired by thoughtful analysis of the meaning of Kas pastimes. Much more wonderful, however, is the spontaneous response of pure devotees who are overcome by a flood of prema as soon as they hear the bare syllables of those pastimes. Such devotees need only hear the name Ptan or a few words from rmad-Bhgavatam for a sequence of ecstatic memories to arise in their hearts. Nrada considers those devotees his worshipable superiors, for they have the priceless treasure of natural responsiveness to ka-kath. TEXT 140

aho kilea-vilakaasya tad-eka-yogyasya sad karbje vikratas tat-priya-vastuno pi sprau mahattva rasan kim e
ahooh; kilaindeed; aeafrom everything else; vilakaasyawhich is distinct; tatfor Him; eka only; yogyasyasuitable; sadalways; kara-abjein His lotus hand; vikrataresting playfully; tat that; priyadear; vastunaof the possession; api even; spraumto touch; mahattvamthe greatness; rasanmy tongue; kimhow; ecan desire. How can my tongue dare try to touch the greatness of Kas dearmost possession, which stands out
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from all else, which befits only Him, and which always rests playfully in His lotus hands? Commentary: The sound of Kas flute attracted the young gops to join Ka in the rsa dance, and after the rsa dance that sound lingered in their memory. In rmad-Bhgavatam, Chapter Thirtyfive, the gops remembrance of that flute song is captured in eleven pairs of verses, of which this pair is the first: r-gopya cu vma-bhu-kta-vma-kapolo valgita-bhrur adharrpita-veum komalgulibhir rita-mrga gopya rayati yatra mukunda vyoma-yna-vanit saha siddhair vismits tad upadhrya sa-lajj kma-mrgaa-samarpita-citt kamala yayur apasmta-nvya The gops said: When Mukunda vibrates the flute He has placed to His lips, stopping its holes with His tender fingers, He rests His left cheek on His left arm and makes His eyebrows dance. At that time the demigoddesses traveling in the sky with their husbands, the Siddhas, become amazed. As those ladies listen, they are embarrassed to find their minds yielding to the pursuit of lusty desires, and in their distress they are unaware that the belts of their garments are loosening. (Bhgavatam 10.35.23) Glorifying Kas flute, rla Santana Gosvm here begins a seventeen-verse discussion of the next topic, aea-mahattva-mdhur (the sweetness of all of Kas excellent qualities). Texts 140 through 149 specifically glorify Kas flute. Everything about Kas flute is exceptional. Since there is no other object like it in the entire world, there is nothing to compare it to. One can understand the greatness of that flute only
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by studying the amazing effects its sound produces. No one but Ka could own such a flute, and indeed Ka never lets it out of His hands; rather, He takes every opportunity to allow the flute to drink the nectar of His lips. TEXT 141

athpi tat-prasdasya prabhveaiva kicana yath-akti tad khymi bhavatv avahito bhavn
atha apinonetheless; tatHis; prasdasyaof the mercy; prabhveaby the power; evaonly; kicana something; yath-aktiaccording to my capability; tatthat; khymiI will say; bhavatuplease try to be; avahitaattentive; bhavnyour good self. Still, by the power of the Lords mercy I will say something about it, as far as I am able. Please listen carefully. TEXT 142

na r-mukhenopanian-mukhai kta yad veda-vkyair aparair vaco-mtai tat tasya bimbdhara-yoga-mtrata s drav mohana-vaik karot
nanot; rdivine; mukhenaby the mouth; upaniat by the Upaniads; mukhaiheaded; ktamcreated; yatwhich; vedaof the Vedas; vkyaiby the words; aparaiother; vacaof speech; amtaiby the nectar; tatthat; tasyaHis; bimba-adharaof the lips like bimba fruit; yoga-mtratasimply by the contact; sthat; dravwooden object; mohana enchanting; vaikthe little bamboo flute; akarotcreated. The words of the Upaniads and the other Vedic texts come forth from the Lords own divine mouth. But simply by contact with His bimba-red lips, that wooden object, the all-enchanting little bamboo flute, has created a sound more nectarean than the words of the Vedas and any other form of speech.
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Commentary: Nrada has great admiration for Kas flute, and so he calls it by the affectionate diminutive name vaik (little bamboo flute). At the same time, however, he cannot help but feel jealous of the flutes intimate relationship with Ka, which someone like himself can never have; therefore he also uses the somewhat derogatory term drav (wooden object). TEXT 143

vimna-yn sura-siddha-sagh sama vadhbhi praayd amuhyan mahendra-rudra-druhidayas tu mugdh gat vismta-tattvat te
vimnain airplanes; yntraveling; suraof demigods; siddhaand perfected mystics; sagh hordes; samamalong with; vadhbhitheir wives; praaytout of loving affection; amuhyanbecame bewildered; mah-indraLord Indra; rudraLord iva; druhiaLord Brahm; dayaand others; tuand; mugdhbewildered; gatbecame; vismta forgetful; tattvatmabout reality; tethey. Hearing that sound of the flute, all the demigods and perfected mystics flying in their airplanes were bewildered in divine love, and so were their wives. Indra, iva, Brahm, and other demigods were so confused they could no longer tell fact from illusion. Commentary: Flying over the earthly Vndvana, the demigods and sages in their vimnas, the subtle vehicles that carry them all over the universe by the power of air, were helplessly attracted by Kas flute, and their wives succumbed to the charms of Cupid. In rmad-Bhgavatam (10.21.12) the gops describe that scene: ka nirkya vanitotsava-rpa-la rutv ca tat-kvaita-veu-vivikta-gtam devyo vimna-gataya smara-nunna-sr bhrayat-prasna-kabar mumuhur vinvya
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Kas beauty and character create a festival for all women. Indeed, when the demigods wives flying in airplanes with their husbands catch sight of Him and hear His resonant flute-song, their hearts are shaken by Cupid, and they become so bewildered that the flowers fall out of their hair and their belts loosen. When the demigods and sages in their vimnas approached Vndvana, they first heard the faint sound of Kas flute from a distance. Then, as they came closer and the sound became more audible, even Brahm, iva, and Indra were bewildered: vividha-gopa-caraeu vidagdho veu-vdya urudh nija-ik tava suta sati yaddhara-bimbe datta-veur anayat svara-jt savanaas tad upadhrya sure akra-arva-paramehi-purog kavaya nata-kandhara-citt kamala yayur anicita-tattv O pious Mother Yaod, your son, who is expert in all the arts of herding cows, has invented many new styles of flute-playing. When He takes His flute to His bimba-red lips and sends forth harmonious tones in variegated melodies, Brahm, iva, Indra, and other chief demigods become confused upon hearing the sound. Although they are the most learned authorities, they cannot ascertain the essence of that music, and thus they bow down their heads and hearts. (Bhgavatam 10.35.1415) The principal demigods and sages were so confused they couldnt even remember their own identities. They thought, Now we can no longer be certain whether the Brahman we know from the Upaniads is actually the Absolute Truth. Perhaps the sound of this flute is the Absolute Truth instead, because it seems to be the supreme embodiment of pure ecstasy.
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TEXT 144

samdhi-bhago tha mah-munn vikra-jtasya ca janma teu tat-kla-cakra-bhramanuvarticandrdi-nityu-gater nirodha

samdhiof the meditation; bhagadisruption; athaand; mah-munnmof the great sages; vikrajtasyaof various transformations; caand; janma development; teuin them; tatthat; klaof time; cakraof the wheel; bhramaarotation; anuvartiwho follow; candra-diof the moon and other planets; nityaperpetual; uswift; gateof the motion; nirodha cessation. The great sages, their meditations breaking, felt transformations of ecstasy arising within themselves. And the motions of the moon and other planets, swift and unceasing, which strictly follow the whirling wheel of time, just stopped. Commentary: Not only the faithful theists among the demigods and sages but also the self-contented impersonalists were enchanted by Kas flute. Those impersonalists also experienced the sttvikabhvas of love of Godtrembling, horripilation, floods of tears, and so onwhich they could never have dreamt of while philosophizing on the bliss of Brahman. And apart from those independent sages, also overcome by prema were the planets in space, whose motions are normally dictated by the rule of time. The planets felt the sttvika-bhva of being stunned, as indicated by the words of the gops: Brahm, iva, Indra, and other chief demigods become confused upon hearing the sound. (Bhgavatam 10.35.15) The other chief demigods referred to include Candra, Srya, and the other rulers of the planets. rla ukadeva Gosvm also mentions the ecstasy of the planets in his account of the rsa-ll: ka-vikrita vkya
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mumuhu khe-cara-striya kmrdit aka ca sa-gao vismito bhavat The wives of the demigods, observing Kas playful activities from their airplanes, were entranced and became agitated with lust. Indeed, even the moon and his entourage, the stars, became astonished. (Bhgavatam 10.33.18) TEXT 145

gop ca ke rpita-deha-daihiktmano nijcra-vicra-cacal loka-dvayrthev anapekitdt bhrym api svasya namanti tat-priym
gopthe cowherds; caand; keto Ka; arpita dedicated; dehawhose bodies; daihikafamilies; tmanaand souls; nijatheir own; craabout the customs; vicraand personal concerns; cacal indifferent; loka-dvayaof the two worlds (this life and the next); artheuto the goals; anapekita-dtpaying no respect; bhrymto their wives; apieven; svasyaown; namantithey offer obeisances; tatto Him; priymwho are dear. The cowherds dedicated to Ka everything they hadtheir bodies, families, and property and their very selves. Those cowherds, indifferent to their own customs and needs, paying no regard to success in this world or the next, had so much respect for Ka that they even bowed down to their own wives, because those wives were dear to Him. Commentary: Persons unfamiliar with Ka were not the only ones bewildered by His charms; even His own close friends and family members were confused. The gopas of Vraja offered everything they had to Ka, including their children and wives. Thus in the Hari-vaa (2.12.46) the gopas tell r Nanda Mahrja: adya-prabhti gopn
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gav gohasya cnagha patsu araa ka prabhu cyata-locana From today onward, O sinless one, in dangerous situations broad-eyed Ka will be the shelter for the cowherds, the cows, and our whole community. He will be the master of us all. The phrase our whole community implies that the gopas meant to include in their statement the young gops but were too embarrassed to mention Kas relationship with them directly. As the gopas well know, even their own wives belong to Ka; therefore, when the gopas refer to them as bhry, the women they are responsible to maintain, they mean for Kas enjoyment, not their own. TEXT 146

tad-blak saga-rat hi tasya chy ivmu kaam apy adv dre gata kautukata kadcid rt ramante tvaray spanta
tatof them (the cowherds); blakthe sons; saga-ratattached to the association; hiindeed; tasyaHis; chyHis shadow; ivalike; amumHim; kaamfor a moment; apieven; advnot seeing; dreto a distance; gatamgone; kautukataon a whim; kadcitsometime; rtdistressed; ramante they delighted; tvarayrapidly; spanta touching. So attached to Kas company were the cowherds little sons that they acted just like His shadow. If even for a moment they couldnt see Himif He sometimes went away on a whimthey were filled with distress. And when He returned they would rejoice and rush to touch Him. Commentary: Kas cowherd friends were with Him constantly. Sometimes, however, Ka would leave them for a short while to pursue some other interest, like seeing the beautiful sights of
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Vndvana. In rmad-Bhgavatam (10.12.6) ukadeva Gosvm describes how when Ka returned from those excursions His friends would greet Him: yadi dra gata ko vana-obhekaya tam aha prvam aha prvam iti saspya remire Sometimes Ka would go to a somewhat distant place to see the beauty of the forest. Then all the other boys would run to meet Him, each one saying, I shall be the first to run and touch Ka! I shall touch Ka first! In this way they enjoyed life by repeatedly touching Ka. TEXT 147

rdhdys t parama-bhagavatyas tu patytmajdn lokn dharmn hriyam api parityajya bhva tam pt yenjasra madhura-kaukair vykuls tadvikrair mugdh kicit taru-gatim it nnusandhtum
rdh-dyr Rdh and the others; tthey; paramasupremely; bhagavatyafortunate; tuand; patitheir husbands; tmajasons; dnand so on; lokndestinations in the next life; dharmn religious duties; hriyamshyness; apialso; parityajyaabandoned; bhvam tam that ecstatic love; ptattained; yenaby which; ajasram constantly; madhurasweet; kaukaiwith plaintive cries; vykuldistressed; tatof that (ecstatic love); vikraiby the transformations; mugdh bewildered; kicitanything; taru-gatimthe fate of trees; itattaining; nanot; anusandhtumto understand; capable. r Rdh and the other supremely fortunate gops abandoned their husbands, children, and other
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relatives, their goals for the next life, their religious principles, and even their shyness; and the states of ecstatic love they attained left them always distraught. In such states they complained pitifully in sweet voices and went through upheavals in which they sometimes lost consciousness, stunned like trees, unable to understand anything. Commentary: r Rukmi and the other queens of Dvrak are the consorts of Bhagavn, the Personality of Godhead, but the gops headed by rmat Rdhr are the favorite devotees of Parama-bhagavn, the Personality of Godhead in His highest feature. Their love for Ka drives them to extreme states of ecstasy, as they tell in their own words: nija-padbja-dalair dhvaja-vajranrajkua-vicitra-lalmai vraja-bhuva amayan khura-toda varma-dhurya-gatir ita-veu vrajati tena vaya sa-vilsavkarpita-manobhava-veg kuja-gati gamit na vidma kamalena kavara vasana v As Ka strolls through Vraja with His lotuspetal feet, marking the ground with the distinctive emblems of flag, thunderbolt, lotus, and elephant goad, He relieves the distress the ground feels from the cows hooves. As He plays His renowned flute, His body moves with the grace of an elephant. Thus we gops, who become agitated by Cupid when Ka playfully glances at us, stand as still as trees, unaware that our hair and garments are becoming loose. (rmad-Bhgavatam 10.35.16 17) Nrada speaks of the gops complaints as madhurakaukai, bittersweet, for those who hear them are overwhelmed both by joy and by sorrow. Everyone
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living in Vraja during Kas presence was constantly immersed in intense prema, but when Ka played His flute the ecstasy of that prema grew unlimitedly, affecting not only those already in love with Ka, but all beings, living and inert. TEXT 148

carya vai u pau-ga buddhi-hnatvam pt gvo vats va-vana-mg pakio vkavs dre kr-rata-jala-khag sthvar jnany nadyo megh api nija-nija tatyajus ta svabhvam
caryamwonder; vaiindeed; uplease hear; pau-gathe many animals; buddhiof intelligence; hnatvamlack; ptwho had; gva cows; vatscalves; vabulls; vanaof the forest; mgand beasts; pakiabirds; vkain the trees; vswhose residence; dreat a distance; kr-rataabsorbed in sporting; jalakhagwater fowl; sthvarliving beings unable to move; jna-nyunconscious; nadyarivers; meghclouds; apieven; nija-nijameach their own; tatyajuwould abandon; tamthat; svabhvam specific nature. Listen, and I will tell you the most wonderful thing: Upon hearing Kas flute, the many animals, born without intelligence, abandoned their own natures. The cows did, and the bulls and calves, and the wild beasts of the forest, and the birds living in the trees, and the water birds sporting in distant lakes, and so too did the trees and plants and even the inanimate beings like rivers and clouds. Commentary: One would expect the Vraja-vss, expert in the arts of rasa, to respond ecstatically
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to the sound of Kas flute. What is amazing is that dull animals and even lesser beings shared that ecstasy. The creatures of Vndvana mentioned in this verse are listed in order of decreasing intelligence. Along with the cows, bulls, and calves, the village animals also included buffaloes, sheep, and goats. Those domestic animals kept company with Ka every day. The deer and other forest animals saw Him less often, but even they tasted the ecstasies of prema when they heard Kas flute. The birds frequenting the Vndvana forest, who knew Ka from the times He had rested beneath their trees, and even the birds who lived in lakes far away, had the divine intelligence to come nearby when Ka played His flute. The unmoving creaturesthe trees, bushes, and vinesand even the nonliving rivers also joined this festival of ecstasy initiated by Kas flute song. And apart from all the beings present in Vraja on the surface of the earth, those who joined in that festival included even the clouds in the sky. TEXT 149

car sthiratva carat sthir gat sa-cetan moham acetan matim nimajjit prema-rase mahaty aho vikra-jtkramit sadbhavan
carmobile creatures; sthiratvamimmobility; caratmmobility; sthirunmoving beings; gat attained; sa-cetanconscious beings; moham unconsciousness; acetansenseless beings; matim consciousness; nimajjitdrowned; prema-rasein the blissful nectar of pure love; mahativast; aho oh; vikra-jtaby many kinds of transformations; kramitovercome; sadalways; abhavanthey were. The moving creatures became immobile, the inanimate beings moved; the conscious beings lost consciousness, and the unconscious gained it. Constantly, indeed, these creatures and objects
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were submerged in a vast flood of prema-rasa, overwhelmed by many transformations of ecstasy. Commentary: Animals, stunned by ecstasy, lost their power to move. Trees and other plants became mobile, trembling and erupting with new leaves. Conscious creatures no longer showed external expressions of life, and unconscious logs and stones appeared to come alive by sprouting leaves and rolling about in the wind. All these extraordinary phenomena were signs of the ecstasy evoked by the song of Kas flute. In the words of the gops: g gopakair anu-vana nayator udraveu-svanai kala-padais tanu-bhtsu sakhya aspandana gati-mat pulakas tar niryoga-pa-kta-lakaayor vicitram Dear friends, as Ka and Balarma pass through the forest with Their cowherd friends, leading Their cows, They carry ropes to bind the cows rear legs at the time of milking. When Lord Ka plays on His flute, the sweet music causes the moving living entities to become stunned and the nonmoving trees to tremble with ecstasy. These things are certainly very wonderful. (Bhgavatam 10.21.19) TEXT 150

rso hi tasya bhagavattva-viea-gopya sarvasva-sra-pripka-mayo vyanakti utkat-madhurimpara-sma-nih lakmy manoratha-atair api yo durpa
rsathe rsa dance; hiindeed; tasyaHis; bhagavattvathe status of God; vieaunique; gopyaand most confidential; sarva-svaof everything He possesses; sraof the essence; pripka-mayacomprising the perfection; vyanakti reveals; utkatof His superexcellence; madhurimand of His sweetness; apara-sma-nihm the final limit; lakmyby the goddess Lakm; manorathawith aspirations; ataihundreds; api
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even; yawhich; durpaimpossible to obtain. The Lords rsa dance discloses the most confidential essence of His Godhood. It embodies the perfection of everything most dear to Him. It reveals the final limit of His supremacy and sweetness. The goddess Lakm couldnt enter that dance, even after aspiring to do so in hundreds of attempts. Commentary: Lakm, the consort of Lord Nryaa, desired with all her heart to join the rsa dance, but all the austerities she performed to gain this privilege proved futile. As Uddhava sings in rmad-Bhgavatam (10.47.60): nya riyo ga u nitnta-rate prasda svar-yoit nalina-gandha-ruc kuto ny rsotsave sya bhuja-daa-ghta-kahalabdhi ya udagd vraja-vallabhnm When Lord r Ka was dancing with the gops in the rsa-ll, the gops were embraced by the arms of the Lord. This transcendental favor was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune or other consorts in the spiritual world. Indeed, never was such a thing even imagined by the most beautiful girls in the heavenly planets, whose bodily luster and aroma resemble those of the lotus. And what to speak of worldly women who are very beautiful by mundane estimation? The gops who enjoy Kas embraces in the rsa dance are clearly much more fortunate than Lakm, and the rsa dance is clearly the most glorious of the Supreme Lords pastimes. TEXT 151

aho vaidagdh s madhura-madhur rbhagavata samkaraty uccair jagati ktina kasya na mana kula-str ts vana-bhuvi tathkaraam
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atho tath vk-cturya sapadi rudita tbhir api yat

ahooh; vaidagdhskill; sthat; madhurathan the sweetest; madhursweeter; r-bhagavataof the Supreme Lord; samkaratiattracts; uccai powerfully; jagatiin this world; ktinaof the pious person; kasyawhich; nanot; manathe mind; kula-strmof the women of good families; tsm them; vana-bhuviin the region of the forest; taththus; karaamthe attracting; atha uand thus; taththus; vkof speech; cturyamthe cleverness; sapadiat once; ruditamthe crying; tbhiby them; apiand; yatwhich. Oh, this most sweet skill of the Lord in loving dealings! What pious mind would not be utterly entranced by Kas attracting women of good families to join Him in the forest, by the clever words He spoke to them, and by the way they responded by at once breaking into tearful sobs? Commentary: Texts 151 through 156 elaborate on the glories of Kas rsa-ll, following r ukadeva Gosvms description in the five chapters of rmad-Bhgavatam called rsa-pacdhyya. TEXT 152

lghe vahitth-ktit hares t tat-kku-jtd yadi s sthit syt vyakttma-bhva kaata sa reme t mohayan kma-kalvalbhi
lgheI praise; avahitthin concealing; ktitm the expertise; hareof Lord Hari; tmthat; tatof them (the gops); kkufrom the complaints; jtt born; yadiif; sthat; sthitsteady; sytwould be; vyaktarevealed; tmaHis own; bhvatrue feelings; kaataat once; saHe; remeenjoyed; tthem; mohayanenchanting; kmaof Cupid; kalavalbhiwith all the arts. I could praise the Lords expertise in concealing
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His mind from the gops had He been able to keep it concealed after they pitifully complained. But once they began to cry He showed them His true feelings and enjoyed with those gops, enchanting them with all the arts of Cupid. Commentary: Pure worship of the Supreme Personality of Godhead has the power to awaken the transcendental Cupid sleeping in the hearts of all conditioned souls. To introduce such worship was Kas main purpose for coming into the material world, and so it is that His pastimes on earth resemble the activities of ordinary people. But in the course of performing His intimate pastimes, He also displays His complete opulences. As mentioned by r ukadeva at the very end of the Tenth Canto (Bhgavatam 10.90.48), su-smita-r-mukhena/ vrajapura-vanitn vardhayan kma-devam: His blissful smiling face always increases the lusty desires of the gops of Vndvana. Commenting on this verse, rla rdhara Svm notes, This Cupid is effulgent (deva) in the sense that He intends to conquer the material world. In other words, He bestows liberation by means of transcendental sense enjoyment. ukadeva Gosvm also discloses this transcendental pleasure in the Tenth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam, chapters 29 through 33, which are dedicated to the rsa-ll: bhu-prasra-parirambha-karlakorunv-stanlabhana-narma-nakhgra-ptai kvelyvaloka-hasitair vraja-sundarm uttambhayan rati-pati ramay cakra Ka threw His arms around the gops and embraced them. He aroused Cupid in the beautiful young ladies of Vraja by touching their hands, hair, thighs, belts, and breasts, by playfully scratching them with His fingernails, and also by joking with them, glancing at them, and laughing with them. In this way the Lord enjoyed His pastimes.
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(Bhgavatam 10.29.46) TEXT 153

antardhna tasya tad vipralambhall-dakasynia ko na gyet yat ts tdg-dhairya-gmbhrya-bhjo nait t tm uktim h da ca

antardhnamdisappearance; tasyaHis; tatthat; vipralambhaof separation; llin pastimes; dakasyawho is expert; aniamconstantly; kawho; na gyetwill not sing about; yatwhich; tthem (the gops); tdksuch; dhairyaof composure; gmbhryaand sobriety; bhjapossessors; anait brought; tm tmto all these; uktimspeech; hm behavior; damstates of consciousness; caand. Who can avoid constantly chanting the glories of the Lords disappearance from the rsa dance? He is so expert in pastimes of separation. Though the gops were endowed with great composure and sobriety, that separation transported them to extraordinary ways of speaking and acting and extraordinary states of heart. Commentary: Ka is especially skillful in making His devotees feel agony in separation from Him. More than once He subjected the gops to such sorrow by abandoning them. When He disappeared from the rsa dance, the gops apparently went insane and inquired from the animals and plants whether they knew where Ka had gone: do va kaccid avattha plaka nyagrodha no mana nanda-snur gato htv prema-hsvalokanai O avattha tree, O plaka, O nyagrodha, have you seen Ka? That son of Nanda Mahrja has gone away after stealing our minds with His loving smiles and glances. (Bhgavatam 10.30.5) Speaking thus, the intimate gops began to act out Kas
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pastimes, and they reached the highest limits of mah-bhva, the devotional ecstasy known only by rmat Rdhr and Her most intimate associates. TEXT 154

bibhemy asmd dhanta durbodha-llt kva tat tasy sra-saubhgya-dnam kva sadyo ntardhnato rodanbdhv anthy ytanaikkin y
bibhemiI am frightened; asmtby Him; hantaalas; durbodhaunfathomable; lltwhose pastimes; kva whereas; tatthat; tasyto them (the gops); sraessential; saubhgyaof good fortune; dnam the granting; kvawhereas; sadyasudden; antardhnataby His disappearance; rodanaof lamentation; abdhauin an ocean; anthyof a person who has lost her master; ytanthe torment; ekkinexclusive; ywhich. So inconceivable are His pastimes that they frighten me! How could He grant the gops the very essence of all good fortune and then suddenly cast them into an ocean of grief, a torment known only to a woman deprived of her life and soul? Commentary: Nrada considers Kas rsa-ll beyond his comprehension. As hard as he tries, he cannot fully understand it. He can only offer respects to Ka, who graced rmat Rdhr with His greatest favor by taking Her away alone from the rsa dance but who then suddenly disappeared, abandoning Her to Her own lamentation. At that moment even Her girlfriends, too far away to hear Her cries, were unable to help Her. TEXT 155

tsm rty gta-vad-rodand ya prdurbhynanda-pra vyadhatta ya prannm uttara tad dadau ca svasyaritva-sthpaka so vatu tvm
tsmtheir; rtyin distress; gta-vatsonglike; rodantbecause of the crying; yawho (Ka);
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prdurbhyaappearing; nandaof bliss; pramin an inundation; vyadhattaplaced them (the gops); ya who; prannmof their questions; uttaramthe answer; tatthat; dadaugave; caand; svasyaHis; itvaindebtedness; sthpakamwhich established; saHe; avatumay protect; tvmyou. Their sorrowful songlike crying made Ka reappear, to flood them with pure ecstasy. The answer He then gave to their questions proved His indebtedness. May that Lord protect you. Commentary: Moved by their cries of trepidation, Ka returned to the rsa dance and immersed all the gops in a flood of indescribable bliss. The gops then asked Ka about the mystery of His attitude toward them: bhajato nubhajanty eka eka etad-viparyayam nobhay ca bhajanty eka etan no brhi sdhu bho Some people reciprocate the affection only of those who are affectionate toward them, while others show affection even to those who are indifferent or inimical. And yet others will not show affection toward anyone. Dear Ka, please properly explain this matter to us. (Bhgavatam 10.32.16) In response to this question, Ka told the gops: na praye ha niravadya-sayuj sva-sdhu-ktya vibudhyupi va y mbhajan durjara-geha-khal savcya tad va pratiytu sdhun I am not able to repay My debt for your spotless service, even within a lifetime of Brahm. Your connection with Me is beyond reproach. You have worshiped Me, cutting off all domestic ties, which are difficult to break. Therefore please let your
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own glorious deeds be your compensation. (Bhgavatam 10.32.22) The full purport of this statement will be discussed toward the end of r Bhadbhgavatmta. TEXT 156

s maal-bandhana-ctur prabho s ntya-gtdi-kalsu dakat sprva-obhdhikat-parampar muti ceto mama viva-mohin

sthat; maalof circles; bandhanain forming; cturcleverness; prabhoof the Lord; sthat; ntyaof dance; gta-disong and so on; kalsuin the arts; dakatexpertise; sthat; aprva unprecedented; obhof splendor; adhikatkinds of abundance; paramparone after another; muti steals away; cetamind; mamamy; vivathe universe; mohinwhich enchant. The Lords cleverness at expertly arranging the gops in a circle, His expertise in arts like dance and songthe perfections of splendor, one after another, that were never seen beforethose wonders steal away my heart and enchant the entire world. Commentary: As expressed by the word di (and so on) in the phrase ntya-gtdi-kalsu, Ka not only artistically danced and sang with the gops but also played wonderful water sports with them in the Yamun. These pastimes enchant great sages like Nradaand enchant everyone in the world. TEXT 157

kghri-padma-makaranda-nipna-lubdho jnti tad-rasa-lih parama mahattvam brahmaiva gokula-bhuvm ayam uddhavo pi gop-gaasya yad imau laata sma tat tat
kaof Ka; aghri-padmaat the lotus feet; makarandathe sweet sap; nipnafor drinking; lubdhaone who is greedy; jntiknows; tatthat; rasanectar; lihmof those who lick; paramam
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supreme; mahattvamthe greatness; brahmLord Brahm; evaindeed; gokula-bhuvmof those born in Gokula; ayamthis person; uddhavaUddhava; api also; gop-gaasyaof the gops; yatinasmuch as; imauthese two (Brahm and Uddhava); laata sma hankered; tat tatfor all of that. One who is greedy to drink the nectar at Kas lotus feet knows how exalted are the devotees who relish it. Lord Brahm therefore longs to come in touch with the greatness of those born in Gokula, and our friend Uddhava with the special greatness of the gops. Commentary: While describing the glories of r Mathur Gokula, Nrada has already pointed out the glories of the Vraja-vss, but now he wants to discuss their greatness in more detail. First he dispels all doubts about the Vraja-vss exaltedness. In the opinion of wise spiritual authorities like Brahmj and Uddhava, the residents of Vraja are the most fortunate persons. Brahm showed in his prayers to Ka in Vndvana that he is eager not only to become Kas servant but more specifically to be given a little of the good fortune possessed by the Vraja-vss. Brahm said: tad bhri-bhgyam iha janma kim apy aavy yad gokule pi katamghri-rajo-bhiekam yaj-jvita tu nikhila bhagavn mukundas tv adypi yat-pada-raja ruti-mgyam eva My greatest possible good fortune would be to take any birth whatever in this forest of Gokula and have my head bathed by the dust falling from the lotus feet of any of its residents. Their entire life and soul is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mukunda, the dust of whose lotus feet is still being searched for in the Vedic mantras. (Bhgavatam 10.14.34) When Uddhava visited Vndvana he spoke similar
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praise of the gops:

sm aho caraa-reu-jum aha sy vndvane kim api gulma-latauadhnm y dustyaja sva-janam rya-patha ca hitv bhejur mukunda-padav rutibhir vimgym
The gops of Vndvana have given up the association of their husbands, sons, and other family members, who are very difficult to give up, and have forsaken the path of chastity to take shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, Ka, which one should search for by Vedic knowledge. Oh, let me be fortunate enough to be one of the bushes, creepers, or herbs in Vndvana, because the gops trample them and bless them with the dust of their lotus feet. (Bhgavatam 10.47.61) One should not think that Brahms aspiration for any birth at all in Vndvana is better than Uddhavas specific desire for a birth in which he can have on his head the dust from the gops feet. Brahm, after all, is the appointed ruler of the material world, and simply to become a pure servant of Ka would be a great success for him. Uddhava, however, being already Kas intimate servant and friend, will be satisfied only by becoming one of Kas dearmost devotees. As a general rule, people desire what they lack. The prayers of both Brahm and Uddhava, each in their own way, are completely fitting. TEXT 158

ye hi yad-vastuni bhti lobhas te tadvat bhgya-bala vadanti gopyo mukunddhara-pna-lubdh gyanti saubhgya-bhara muraly
yemof whom; hiindeed; yatfor which; vastuni the object; bhtiis manifest; lobhagreed; te they; tadvatmof those who possess it; bhgyaof the good fortune; balamthe strength; vadantitalk about; gopyathe gops; mukundaof Ka; adhara
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the lips; pnafor drinking; lubdhgreedy; gyantising; saubhgyaof good fortune; bharam about the abundance; muralyof His flute. Those who yearn for something praise the good luck of those who have it. So the gops sing of the extreme good fortune of Mukundas flute because they too are greedy to drink the nectar of His lips. Commentary: Here Nrada mentions that the gops admired Kas flute because it had what they wanted: gopya kim carad aya kuala sma veur dmodardhara-sudhm api gopiknm bhukte svaya yad avaia-rasa hradinyo hyat-tvaco ru mumucus taravo yathry Dear gops, they said, what auspicious activities must the flute have performed to enjoy the nectar of Kas lips independently and leave only a taste for us gops, for whom that nectar is actually meant! The forefathers of the flute, the bamboo trees, shed tears of pleasure. His mother, the river on whose bank the bamboo was born, feels jubilation, and therefore her blooming lotus flowers are standing like hair on her body. (Bhgavatam 10.21.9) TEXT 159

tad-goha-lokeu mahdbhutsysakti sad prema-bharea teu yay gata jyeha-suta stuvanta vidhi namanta na didkate pi
tatHis; goha-lokeufor the company of friends; mah-adbhutmost amazing; asyaHis; sakti affection; sadconstant; premaof love; bharea with an excess; teufor them; yaydue to which; gatamwho had come; jyehaeldest; sutamthe son; stuvantamoffering prayers; vidhimBrahm; namantambowing down; na didkateHe does not care
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to notice; apieven. Ka is always so profoundly attached to His dearmost companions for their overwhelming love that He doesnt even care to notice His eldest son, Brahm, offering prayers to Him and bowing down. Commentary: In Vndvana Ka gives Himself entirely to His dear friends and family. So when great demigods and sages come to visit He hardly pays them any attention. After Brahm was defeated in his attempt to steal the boys and calves and humbly approached Ka to beg forgiveness, Ka wasnt even interested in looking at him, what to speak of acknowledging his eloquent prayers or starting a conversation with him. Later, after Indra tried to destroy Vndvana and then came with the Surabhi cow to apologize, Ka chose to speak to him, but only because Indra was terrified of losing his heavenly post. Another reason Ka agreed to pay attention to Indra is that Ka was pleased with being anointed Lord of the cows and given two new names, Govinda and Upendra. Ka was further pleased because Surabhi, the ancestor of all cows, accompanied Indra; because the great devotee Surabhi requested Ka to forgive the penitent demigods offenses, Ka dealt kindly with Indra. TEXT 160

tat-pda-padmaika-gat ca mdn sambhitu notsahate pi sa kaam tair mohito sau kila goha-ngaro vanyair vicitrauadhi-mantra-vittamai
tatHis; pda-padmalotus feet; ekaonly; gatn whose goal in life; caand; mdnpersons like me; sambhitumto converse with; na utsahatehas no enthusiasm; apieven; saHe; kaamfor a moment; taiby them; mohitaenchanted; asauHe; kilaindeed; gohaof the cowherd community; ngarathe romantic hero; vanyaibelonging to the forest; vicitravarious; oadhiof herbs; mantra
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and incantations; vit-tamaithe best knowers. Not even for a moment is Ka keen to talk with persons like me whose only goal in life is His lotus feet. Indeed, that romantic hero of the cowherds is enchanted by some forest-dwellers who know all sorts of herbs and mantras. Commentary: Ka might not care much about demigods with official status like Brahm, but what about Nrada, who is a simple devotee with no material position? Nrada has no shelter other than Ka, yet he laments that Ka is too busy with the Vraja-vss even to say hello to him, what to speak of offering the proper greeting for a respectable sage. Nradas jealousy impels him to suspect that the Vraja-vss are controlling Ka with herbs and mantras. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, of course, can never succumb to such material influences, but Nrada in his ecstasy thinks like that. The only power that can subdue Ka is the Vraja-vss pure love. Another indication of Nradas jealousy is his ironically speaking of Ka as goha-ngara, the romantic hero of the cowherd village. This name also implies that although Ka is very clever, the Vraja-vss are even more clever, since they have Him under their control. TEXT 161

te tad-saktir api kva vcy ye nanda-gopasya kumram enam prem vidanto bahu sevamn sad mahrtyaiva nayanti klam
temtheir; tatfor Him; saktithe attachment; apiand; kvahow; vcycan be described; yewho; nanda-gopasyaof the cowherd Nanda; kumramas the young son; enamHim; premin pure love; vidanta know; bahufully; sevamnbeing served; sad always; mah-rtyin great distress; evaonly; nayantithey spend; klamtheir time.

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Who can describe the Vraja-vss attachment to Ka? In their pure love they know Him only as the young son of Nanda Gopa. And though fully blessed with that love, they spend all their time in great distress. Commentary: The previous verses have described Kas affection for the Vraja-vss, and now we hear about their attachment to Him. The residents of Vraja are the greatest Vaiavas because they are motivated only by absolutely pure love, undiluted by reverence. Such intense love shows unique symptoms that to untrained eyes appear to be signs of unhappiness. This has already been discussed in previous chapters of Bhadbhgavatmta, and later it will be analyzed even more explicitly. TEXT 162

kltt jna-sampatti-bhjm asmka ye pjya-pd samantt vaikuhasynuttamnanda-prabhjm e ydavnm apjy

kla-atttranscendental to time; jnaof knowledge; sampattithe asset; bhjmwho possess; asmkamof us; yewho; pjyaworshipable; pd whose feet; samanttin all respects; vaikuhasya of Vaikuha; anuttamaunexcelled; nandaof ecstasy; praof the flood; bhjmwho possess; emfor these; ydavnmYdavas; apialso; ijy worshipable. The residents of Vraja have transcended time. For those of us blessed with the opulence of wisdom their feet are deserving of worship in every way. Even the Ydavas here, who know the unexcelled flood of the ecstasy of Vaikuha, worship those residents of Vraja. Commentary: It would be wrong to think that the Vraja-vss consider Ka one of their own because they are ignorant of His absolute position as God. The devotees of Vraja are not ignorant, nor do they
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ever suffer or waste time. They act as they do only because of their pure prema, for which the exalted Vaiavas of Dvrak, including Uddhava, hold them in the highest regard. TEXT 163

kena na vraja-jan kila mohits te tai sa vyamohi bhagavn iti satyam eva gatv mayaiva sa hi vismta-deva-kryo nusmrita kim api ktyam aho kathacit
kenaby Ka; nanot; vraja-janthe people of Vraja; kilaindeed; mohitbewildered; tethey; taiby them; saHe; vyamohihas been bewildered; bhagavnthe Personality of Godhead; itithus; satyamtrue; evaonly; gatvhaving gone to Him; mayby me; evaindeed; saHe; hiindeed; vismta forgotten; devafor the demigods; kryaduty to be done; anusmritareminded; kim apisomething; ktyamto be done; ahooh; kathacitsomehow. The people of Vraja are not bewildered by Kathe truth is that He is bewildered by them. When He forgot what He had to do for the demigods, I had to go to Him myself and somehow remind Him, Oh, You have some unfinished business! Commentary: After Ka killed the demon Ke, Nrada Muni went to Vndvana and convinced Ka that Ka had to leave for Mathur to slay Kasa and other enemies of His devotees. With clever praise and arguments, Nrada reminded Ka that Ka had promised the demigods led by Brahm to rid the earth of its burden of demonic kings: sa tva bhdhara-bhtn daitya-pramatha-rakasm avatro vinya sdhn rakaya ca You, the creator, have now descended on earth to annihilate the Daitya, Pramatha, and Rkasa demons who are posing as kings, and also to protect the
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godly. cra muika caiva malln any ca hastinam kasa ca nihata drakye paravo hani te vibho In just two days, O almighty Lord, I will see the deaths of Cra, Muika, and other wrestlers, and of the elephant Kuvalaypa and King Kasaall by Your hand. (Bhgavatam 10.37.13, 15) TEXT 164

katha katham api prjena akrrea bald iva vrajn madhu-pur nto yadn hitam icchat
katham katham apisomehow or other; prjenawise; akrreaby Akrra; baltby force; ivaas if; vrajtfrom Vraja; madhu-purmto Mathur City; ntabrought; yadnmof the Yadus; hitamthe benefit; icchatwho desired. Somehow or other the wise Akrra, desiring to promote the welfare of the Yadus, took Him from Vraja to Madhupur as if by force. Commentary: By telling Ka about the suffering of His parents, Vasudeva and Devak, Akrra convinced Him to come to Mathur: vddhau tavdya pitarau para-bhtyatvam gatau bhartsyete tvat-kte tena kasenubha-buddhin Your elderly parents have now become dependent servants, and because of You they are being harassed by evil-minded Kasa. (Hari-vaa 2.26.16) TEXT 165

sa tn vraja-jann htu
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aknuyn na kadcana abhka yti tatraiva vasati krati dhruvam

saHe; tnthem; vraja-jannthe people of Vraja; htumto abandon; aknuyt nais not able; kadcanaever; abhkamagain and again; yti goes; tatrathere; evaindeed; vasatiresides; kratisports; dhruvamcertainly. Ka can never abandon the people of Vraja. He surely returns there again and again to reside and enjoy His pastimes. Commentary: In His eternal pastimes, Ka again and again goes to Mathur to help the Yadus, and again and again returns home to Vndvana. And when He comes back to Vndvana He resumes His Vndvana pastimes. With the word dhruvam (certainly), Nrada assures Gopa-kumra that there is no reason to doubt these words. TEXT 166

para parama-kautuk viraha-jta-bhvormito vrajasya vividhehita nija-manorama vkitum nikuja-kuhare yath bhavati nma so ntarhitas tath vividha-llaypasarati chalt karhicit
parambut; paramamost; kautukcurious; viraha from separation; jtaborn; bhvaof ecstasy; rmitadue to the waves; vrajasyaof the devotees of Vraja; vividhavarious; hitamthe behavior; nijato Himself; manoramamcharming; vkitumto see; nikujaof a grove; kuharein a cave; yath as; bhavatiis; nmaindeed; saHe; antarhita hidden; tathso; vividhavarious; llayas pastimes; apasaratigoes away; chalton a pretext; karhicitsometimes. But Ka is most curious to see how the devotees
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of Vraja respond to the waves of ecstasy born of separation. Indeed, seeing this gives Him great pleasure. So just as He sometimes hides in a cave in the forest groves, on some pretext He sometimes goes away from Vraja while playing in His various pastimes. Commentary: If Ka never abandons the Vrajavss, how is it they experience separation from Him? The answer is that although Ka is always with them He sometimes hides from them for a while just to see the extreme ecstasies found only in separation. He does this to increase both their pleasure and His own. TEXT 167

manye ham eva parama-priyebhyas tebhya pradeyasya su-durlabhasya dravyasya kasypi samarparho vadnya-mauler vyavahra ea
manyeconsider; ahamI; evamthus; paramapriyebhyato the most dear friends; tebhyathem; pradeyasyaworth presenting; su-durlabhasyararely obtained; dravyasyaof an object; kasya api certain; samarpaathe presentation; arha befitting; vadnyaof magnanimous persons; maule of the crest jewel; vyavahrabehavior; eathis. This way of acting, I think, just befits the most generous, the most magnanimous person, for He presents to His dearmost friends the most desirable object, the most rarely obtained. Commentary: No one should criticize Ka for His behavior with the devotees of Vndvana, who cannot tolerate His absence even for a fraction of a second. Here Nrada says he has no such complaint against Ka, although some persons may. Nrada understands that Kas leaving is actually His way of giving the Vraja-vss the most rare treasure of vipralambha-bhva. No one else in creation is worthy of that gift, so the Vraja-vss are greatly distinguished to be its recipients.
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Thus in rmad-Bhgavatam (10.47.27) Uddhava told Kas girlfriends: sarvtma-bhvo dhikto bhavatnm adhokaje virahea mah-bhg mahn me nugraha kta You have rightfully claimed the privilege of unalloyed love for the transcendental Lord, O most glorious gops. Indeed, by exhibiting your love for Ka in separation from Him, you have shown me great mercy. Although Ka is the transcendental Godhead, Adhokaja, imperceptible to the material senses, the gops of Vraja have conquered Him by their exclusive devotion. Thus in no way can He ever abandon them. Uddhava recognized the gops to be the most fortunate and generous souls, who felt the pangs of separation from Ka even while enjoying with Him face to face. TEXT 168

yath krati tad-bhmau goloke pi tathaiva sa adha-rdhvatay bhedo nayo kalpyeta kevalam
yathas; kratiplays; tatin that; bhmauland; golokein Goloka; apialso; tath evajust so; sa He; adha-rdhvatayin terms of being below and above; bhedathe difference; anayobetween the two; kalpyetais imagined; kevalamonly. Just as Ka plays in this Vraja-bhmi on earth, so also does He play on Goloka. The two realms are only imagined to be different, one above the other. Commentary: The whole purpose of this discourse has been to enlighten Gopa-kumra about the glories of r Goloka, the topmost spiritual world. What Nrada has said about Gokula on earth is also true of the original Goloka. The difference between the two is slight: Although one is located on a planet
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in the middle of the material universe and the other is above Vaikuha, there is no substantial difference between them. TEXT 169

kintu tad-vraja-bhmau sa na sarvair dyate sad tai r-nanddibhi srdham arnta vilasann api
kintubut; tatthat; vraja-bhmauin Vraja-bhmi; saHe; nanot; sarvaiby all; dyateis seen; sadalways; taiby them; r-nanda-dibhiwith r Nanda and others; srdhamtogether; arntam incessantly; vilasanplaying; apieven though. But in this earthly Vraja-bhmi not everyone can see Him all the time, even though He forever enjoys in the company of r Nanda and others. Commentary: Only once in a day of Brahm, at the end of a certain Dvpara-yuga, can everyone see Ka in Gokula. At other times He is visible only occasionally, and only to a few. In Goloka, however, everyone can see Him all the time. TEXT 170

r-supardayo yadvad vaikuhe nitya-prad goloke tu tath te pi nitya-priyatam mat

r-supara-dayar Garua and others; yadvat just as; vaikuhein Vaikuha; nityaeternal; pradassociates; golokein Goloka; tuand; tathso; tethey; apialso; nityaeternally; priya-tammost dear; matconsidered. Just as devotees like r Garua are the Lords eternal associates in Vaikuha, in Goloka the devotees of Vraja, we understand, are His eternal dear companions. Commentary: Nanda Mahrja and the other Vrajavss live with Ka not only on earth but also in the eternal kingdom of Goloka.
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TEXT 171

te hi sva-pra-nthena sama bhagavat sad lokayor eka-rpea viharanti yadcchay

tethey; hiindeed; sva-praof their own lives; nthenawith the Lord; samamtogether; bhagavat with the Personality of Godhead; sadalways; lokayoin both worlds; eka-rpeain the same one way; viharantienjoy; yadcchayas they desire. They enjoy pastimes with the Lord of their lives, the Personality of Godhead, in the same way in both worldsVraja-bhmi on earth and Goloka in the spiritual realmaccording to their pleasure. TEXT 172

r-goloka gantum arhanty upyair ydgbhis ta sdhaks tdai syu drau akt martya-loke pi tasmis tdk-kra su-prasanna prabhu tam
r-golokamto r Goloka; gantumto go; arhanti are able; upyaiby disciplines; ydgbhiby which; tamto it; sdhakpracticing devotees; tdaiof that sort; syuwould be; draumto see; aktable; martya-lokein the material world; apialthough; tasminin that; tdkof the same kind; kramwith pastimes; su-prasannam completely satisfied; prabhumthe Lord; tamHim. The disciplines by which devotees in practice can reach r Golokathose very same disciplines let them see the Lord performing pastimes like those of Gokula, completely satisfied, in Vraja-bhmi in the mortal world. Commentary: To search out the Lord in Gokula, Gopakumra need not go down to the earth, but he does need to learn the sdhana, the special practices, for attaining Kas personal abode. For intimate associates like Nanda Mahrja no spiritual
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practice is needed, because they are eternal Vrajavss. But for everyone else, careful endeavor is required. On this path, not everyone attains the same level of success. A devotee may develop Ka consciousness to the point of being able to see Ka but may not be able to see Him busily enjoying the special pastimes of Vndvana (tdkkram) with His intimate devotees. When more advanced, a Vaiava may occasionally see Ka engaging in His Vndvana pastimes but not displaying the full scope of His blissful enjoyment (su-prasannam). And even such a Vaiava may not be fortunate enough to enter Kas eternal pastimes and play with Ka in absolute freedom. The highest perfection of Ka consciousness is rarely achieved. TEXT 173

tta tda-gopladeva-pda-sarojayo vinoda-mdhur t tm utsuko skitu katham

ttadear boy; tdasuch; gopla-devaof Gopladeva; pda-sarojayoof the two lotus feet; vinoda of the pastimes; mdhurthe kinds of sweetness; tm tmvarious; utsukaeager; asiyou are; kitumto see; kathamhow. My dear boy, how is it that are you so eager to take shelter of the lotus feet of this Gopla-deva and see all those sweet pastimes? Commentary: Nradas mind is perplexed by the thought that this simple boy Gopa-kumra is intent on gaining the realization most rarely achieved. TEXT 174

satya jnhi re bhrtas tat-prptir ati-durgha tat-sdhana ca nitarm ea me nicaya para

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satyamcertainly; jnhiyou should know; re bhrtaO brother; tatof that; prptithe attainment; ati-durghavery difficult; tatfor that; sdhanamthe discipline; caand; nitarm especially; eathis; memy; nicayaconviction; paratotal. Dear brother, you must understand that to attain Him is exceedingly difficult, especially because of the devotional discipline required. Of this I am fully convinced. Commentary: Gopa-kumra may argue that with the blessings of pure saints like Nrada, nothing is impossible. But Nrada warns him: so difficult is the goal that even Nradas mercy will not be of much help. By saying this, Nrada hopes to increase Gopa-kumras eagerness to reach Goloka. TEXT 175

prina pryaa ny hithita-vivecanai nar v katicit teu santv cra-vicria

prinaliving entities; pryaafor the most part; nydevoid; hita-ahitabetween good and bad; vivecanaiof discrimination; narhuman beings; vor; katicita few; teuamong them; santuthere may be; craproper behavior; vicriawho can ascertain. Most living entities have no ability to discern good from bad. Only a few human beings can ascertain the proper way to behave. Commentary: The vast majority of conditioned jvas live in subhuman forms of life. In the bodies of lower species like animal, bird, and insect, they have no higher intelligence with which to judge ethical values. Human beings normally have some concept of right and wrong, but only a few apply that understanding consistently in how they act. TEXT 176
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dyante thpi bahvas te rtha-kma-parya svarga-sdhaka-dharmeu rats tu katicit kila

dyanteare seen; atha apinonetheless; bahva many; teof them; arthato wealth; kmaand sense gratification; paryadevoted; svargafor heaven; sdhakastrivers; dharmeuabout the principles of religion; ratserious; tubut; katicitsome few; kilaonly. Among them, most are seen devoted to wealth and enjoyment. Only very few are serious about religious life for entering into heaven. Commentary: Most people who regulate the way they act are driven by desires for wealth, power, and sense gratification, not by true respect for religion (dharma). Of the few who follow dharma, most do so merely for the sake of public esteem. And even fewer desire elevation to Svarga-loka. TEXT 177

te katipaye syur v rat nikma-karmasu tathpy argias te kecid eva mumukava

temof them; katipayea few; syuare; vor; ratserious; nikma-karmasuabout duties performed without selfish desires; tath api moreover; argiaselfless workers; temamong them; kecita few; evaonly; mumukavaeager for liberation. Of those candidates for heaven, only a few are intent upon working without selfish desire, and among them fewer still want liberation. Commentary: Although it is true that the process of nikma-karmaworking without attachment to the fruits of workencourages the spirit of renunciation, just how effectively it does so varies among individuals. Only a few nikma-karma868

yogs are renounced in their hearts and therefore eager for liberation. TEXT 178

te paramahas ye mukt syu kecid eva te kecin mahays teu bhagavad-bhakti-tatpar

temamong them; parama-hasself-realized persons; yewho; muktliberated; syuare; kecit a few; evaonly; tethey; kecitsome; mah-ay wise transcendentalists; teuamong them; bhagavatbhaktito the devotional service of the Supreme Lord; tatpardedicated. Of the aspirants for liberation, hardly a few are transcendental, liberated souls, and of those exalted transcendentalists only a few are dedicated to the devotional service of the Lord. Commentary: Persons firmly fixed in the practice of yoga are called hasas, and those who have factually realized the self are called paramahasas. Paramahasas are liberated, but even most of them are still enjoying the remnants of their accumulated karma. Among all paramahasas, only a few are completely perfect, and of those perfected beings fewer still have no desire other than the selfless devotional service of the Personality of Godhead. Those most rare persons have the sharpest intelligence and gravest purpose; by the grace of the Supreme Lord they understand how insignificant liberation is. They are called mahayas, wise souls, by virtue of their unbounded and unalloyed enthusiasm for bhakti-rasa. As r Parkit Mahrja told ukadeva Gosvm in the Sixth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (6.14.35): rajobhi sama-sakhyt prthivair iha jantava te ye kecanehante reyo vai manujdaya
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In this material world there are as many living entities as atoms. Among these living entities, a very few are human beings, and among them, few are interested in following religious principles. pryo mumukavas te kecanaiva dvijottama mumuk sahasreu kacin mucyeta sidhyati O best of the brhmaas, ukadeva Gosvm, out of many persons who follow religious principles, only a few desire liberation from the material world. Among many thousands who desire liberation, one may actually achieve liberation, giving up material attachment to society, friendship, love, country, home, wife, and children. And among many thousands of such liberated persons, one who can understand the true meaning of liberation is very rare. muktnm api siddhn nryaa-paryaa su-durlabha pranttm koiv api mah-mune O great sage, among many millions who are liberated and perfect in knowledge of liberation, one may be a devotee of Lord Nryaa, or Ka. Such devotees, who are fully peaceful, are extremely rare. To call the Vaiavas pranttm, persons of peaceful mind, is an understatement because the satisfaction of Ka consciousness reaches far beyond ordinary ideas of peace. TEXT 179

rman-madana-goplapda-padmaika-sauhde rattmno hi nitar durlabhs tev api dhruvam

rman-madana-goplaof rmn Madana-Gopla; pda870

padmato the lotus feet; eka-sauhdein exclusive friendship; rataabsorbed; tmnawhose hearts; hiindeed; nitarmextremely; durlabhrare; teu among them; apialso; dhruvamwithout a doubt. And even among the Supreme Lords devotees, those eager to give their hearts in exclusive friendship to the lotus feet of rmn Madana-gopla are by far the most rare, without a doubt. Commentary: As mentioned above, Parkit Mahrja also confirmed that among great souls devotees of Ka are the most rare. He therefore said: vtras tu sa katha ppa sarva-lokopatpana ittha dha-mati ka st sagrma ulbae Vtrsura was situated in the blazing fire of battle and was an infamous, sinful demon, always engaged in giving troubles and anxieties to others. How could such a demon become so greatly Ka conscious? (Bhgavatam 6.14.6) TEXT 180

eva tat-tat-sdhann rtir apy avagamyatm taj-jpakn str vacann ca td

evamthus; tat-tatof the various; sdhannm disciplines for achieving success; rtithe methodology; apiindeed; avagamyatmshould be understood; tatof this (methodology); jpaknm which are teachers; strmof the scriptures; vacannmof the statements; caand; td likewise. The methods of discipline and the scriptural statements that teach them should be understood to differ according to the different goals to be achieved.
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Commentary: Because some goals of life are more popular than others, the disciplines the Vedic scriptures recommend for various ambitions vary in prominence. The stras teach more about economic development, somewhat less about sense gratification, still less about religiosity, less again about liberation, and the least about devotional service. For artha and kma there are numerous engagements of the body, speech, and mind; for dharma, fewer practices, involving charity, pilgrimages, proper behavior, and vows of austerity; and for liberation only a few methods, such as aga-yoga. And still fewer and lesser known are the simple sdhanas of bhakti-yoga, beginning with hearing and chanting. Thus we can understand that pure devotional service, especially service given exclusively to the lotus feet of r Madana-gopladeva, is difficult to achieve. And so too, therefore, is the spiritual realm of Goloka; it is obtainable only by unalloyed devotion to Madana-gopla. TEXT 181

tatrpi yo vieo nya kecit ko pi vartate lokn kila tasyham khyne ndhikravn
tatra apimoreover; yawhich; vieadistinction; anyaother; kecitamong some; ka apiwhatever; vartateexists; loknmamong persons; kilaindeed; tasyathat; ahamI; khynein describing; nanot; adhikra-vnqualified. Among some of the devotees of r Madana-gopla there are further distinctions still, but I am unfit to describe them. Commentary: Here Nrada hints at the superexcellent devotion to r Madana-gopla found in the devotees whose service follows in the mood of the blessed gops. Nrada considers Uddhava more qualified than himself to talk about this most confidential topic.
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TEXT 182

r-gopa-kumra uvca ity uktvoddhavam ligya sa-dainya kku-cubhi yayce nradas tasya kicit tva kathayeti sa
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; iti thus; uktvspeaking; uddhavamUddhava; ligya embracing; sa-dainyamwith great humility; kkucubhiwith a plaintive and prayerful voice; yayceimplored; nradaNrada; tasyaabout this; kicitsomething; tvamyou; kathayaplease tell; itithus; sahe. r Gopa-kumra said: Having spoken thus, Nrada embraced Uddhava and begged him with great humility, in a plaintive and prayerful voice, Please tell us something about this. TEXT 183

jagau premtura roddhavo ncair muhur naman vande nanda-vraja-str pda-reum abhkaa
jagauspoke; prema-turaagitated by pure love; rwith his head; uddhavaUddhava; ncai bending it low; muhurepeatedly; namanpaying respects; vandeI offer obeisances; nanda-vrajaof Nandas cow pastures; strmof the women; pda from the feet; reumto the dust; abhkaa constantly. Uddhava, moved by pure love, bowed his head low again and again. He then said: At every instant, I offer my respects to the dust from the feet of the women of Nandas Vraja. Commentary: Uddhava knew exactly what Nrada was referring to. With intense feeling, he bowed his head to the floor and then lifted his head and began to sing the glories of the gops. The words

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he speaks in this verse appear in the Tenth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (10.47.63). TEXT 184

kan mahrtito vyagro ghtv yavasa radai nradasya padau dhtv hari-dso vadat puna
katafter a short moment; mah-rtitavery distressed; vyagraexcited; ghtvholding; yavasama blade of grass; radaiby his teeth; nradasyaof Nrada; padauthe feet; dhtvtaking hold of; hari-dsaUddhava, the great servant of Hari; avadatspoke; punaagain. For a moment that servant of Hari appeared agitated and greatly distressed. Placing between His teeth a blade of grass and taking hold of Nradas feet, he spoke again. Commentary: Uddhava expected that his touching Nradas feet would assure the success of his own prayer. TEXT 185

sm aho caraa-reu-jum aha sy vndvane kim api gulma-latauadhnm y dustyaja sva-janam rya-patha ca hitv bhejur mukunda-padav rutibhir vimgym
smof the gops; ahooh; caraa-reuthe dust of the lotus feet; jumdevoted to; aham symlet me become; vndvanein Vndvana; kim apiany one; gulma-lat-oadhnmamong the bushes, creepers, and herbs; ythey who; dustyajamvery difficult to give up; sva-janamfamily members; rya-patham the path of chastity; caand; hitvgiving up; bhejuworshiped; mukunda-padavmthe lotus feet of Mukunda, Ka; rutibhiby the Vedas; vimgymto be searched for. The gops of Vndvana have given up the association of husbands, sons, and other family members, who are very difficult to give up, and
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have forsaken the path of chastity, to take shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, Ka, which one should search for by Vedic knowledge. Oh, let me be fortunate enough to be one of the bushes, creepers, or herbs in Vndvana, because the gops trample them and bless them with the dust of their lotus feet. Commentary: This is a verse spoken by Uddhava in the Tenth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (10.47.61). Uddhava will now explain this verse briefly, and later more elaborately. TEXT 186

atha prema-parpkavikrair vividhair vta sa-camatkram utplutya so gyat punar uddhava

athathen; prema-parpkaof fully blossomed prema; vikraiwith emotional transformations; vividhai various; vtafilled; sa-camatkramfull of astonishment; utplutyajumping up; sahe; agyat sang; punaagain; uddhavaUddhava. Then Uddhava, filled with all sorts of emotions of fully blossomed love, jumped up and continued to sing, full of wonder. TEXT 187

nya riyo ga u nitnta-rate prasda svar-yoit nalina-gandha-ruc kuto ny rsotsave sya bhuja-daa-ghta-kahalabdhi ya udagd vraja-sundarm
nanot; ayamthis; riyaof the goddess of fortune; ageon the chest; ualas; nitnta-rate who is very intimately related; prasdathe favor; svaof the heavenly planets; yoitmof women; nalinaof the lotus flower; gandhahaving the aroma; rucmand bodily luster; kutamuch less; anyothers; rsa-utsavein the festival of the rsa dance; asyaof Lord r Ka; bhuja-daaby the arms; ghtaembraced; kahatheir necks;
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labdha-imwho achieved such a blessing; ya which; udagtbecame manifest; vraja-vallabhnmof the beautiful gops, the transcendental girls of Vraja-bhmi. When Lord r Ka was dancing with the gops in the rsa-ll, the gops were embraced by the arms of the Lord. This transcendental favor was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune or other consorts in the spiritual world. Indeed, never was such a thing even imagined by the most beautiful girls in the heavenly planets, whose bodily luster and aroma resemble those of the lotus. And what to speak of worldly women who are very beautiful by mundane estimation? Commentary: This is another verse from the fortyseventh chapter of the Tenth Canto (10.47.60). Nrada will explain this verse thoroughly later on. Uddhava cites these texts from rmad-Bhgavatam to give his words more authority. TEXT 188

tato ti-vismayvio nrado bhagavn puna nirkyamo mm rta sa-sambhramam ida jagau
tatathen; ati-vismayain extreme surprise; viaimmersed; nradaNrada; bhagavnthe great personality; punaagain; nirkyama looking; mmat me; rtamwho was distressed; sasambhramamwith great respect; idamthis; jagau sang. Then the great Nrada, immersed in utter surprise, looked at me again in my distress and spoke to me with great respect. Commentary: After hearing from Uddhava, Nrada could understand even better how difficult it would be for a less qualified person like himself to attain the prema of Goloka. He therefore felt somewhat discouraged.
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TEXT 189

r-nrada uvca reyas-tamo nikhila-bhgavata-vrajeu ys padmbuja-rajo bahu vandamna ys padbja-yugalaika-rajo-bhimarasaubhgya-bhk-ta-janim uta ycate yam
r-nrada uvcar Nrada said; reya-tamathe topmost; nikhilaof all; bhgavata-vrajeuthe devotees of the Lord; ysmof which (gops); padaambujaof the lotus feet; rajathe dust; bahu much; vandamnaglorifying; ysmwhose; padaabjaof the lotus feet; yugalatwo; eka-rajaa single particle of dust; abhimaraby touching; saubhgyagood fortune; bhkattaining; taas a blade of grass; janimbirth; utaeven; ycateprays for; ayamhe. r Nrada said: Uddhava is the very best among all the devotees of the Personality of Godhead because He is so much absorbed in glorifying the dust of the gops lotus feet. Indeed, to have the good fortune of being touched by a single particle of dust from those feet, he has prayed for birth as a blade of grass. TEXT 190

saubhgya-gandha labhate na ys s rukmi y hi hari-priyeti khytcyutsta-kulna-kanydharmaika-narmokti-bhiy mteva

saubhgyaof the good fortune; gandhama trace; labhate nadoes not attain; ysmwhose; sshe; rukmiRukmi; ywho; hiindeed; hari-priydear to Lord Hari; itithus; khytrenowned; acyutaof Ka; by the desire; astaabandoned; kulnakanyof an aristocratic maiden; dharmwhose religious principles; ekaonly; narmajoking; ukti caused by some words; bhiyout of fear; mtdead; ivaas if. Rukmi is renowned as the dearest queen of Hari,
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but despite having abandoned the religious principles of an aristocratic maiden just to satisfy Lord Acyutas desire, and despite having once almost died of fear from a few of His joking words, she cannot obtain a trace of the gops good fortune.Commentary: In the previous verse, Nrada commented on two of Uddhavas statements (texts 183 and 185): At every instant, I offer my respects to the dust from the feet of the women of Nandas Vraja and Oh, let me be fortunate enough to be one of the bushes, creepers, or herbs in Vndvana. Now, in this verse and the next, he comments on the statement (made in Text 187) This transcendental favor was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune. The name r in that text (nya riyo ga) can be understood to refer either to the consort of Lord Nryaa or to Rukmi, Kas first queen in Dvrak. When Uddhava first spoke this verse, during his visit to Gokula, Rukmi and Ka were not yet married, but in the present context, because Uddhava is reciting this verse again in the Dvrak of Vaikuha, the name r may fittingly indicate Rukmi. Or perhaps when Uddhava first spoke this verse he had the mystic foresight to know that Rukmi would be Kas wife. In any case, Mah-lakm is Rukmis expansion, so Lakm and Rukmi are nondifferent. Both of them, therefore, may be called Hari-priy. And because rmat Rukmi is a greater devotee than Lakm, that the gops are much greater than Lakm is implied. Rukmi abandoned the standards of behavior acceptable for unmarried girls, just because Ka wanted her to. Ignoring the rule that an aristocratic girl should be offered in marriage by her father, she invited Ka to kidnap her. And when Ka once teased her, she almost died of fear that He was rejecting her. On that occasion Lord Ka had said: athtmano nurpa vai
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bhajasva katriyarabham yena tvam ia saty ihmutra ca lapsyase Now you should definitely accept a more suitable husband, a first-class man of the royal order who can help you achieve everything you want, both in this life and in the next. (Bhgavatam 10.60.17) And r ukadeva Gosvm describes: tasy su-dukha-bhaya-oka-vinaa-buddher hastc chlathad-valayato vyajana papta deha ca viklava-dhiya sahasaiva muhyan rambheva vyu-vihato pravikrya ken Rukmis mind was overwhelmed with unhappiness, fear, and grief. Her bangles slipped from her hand, and her fan fell to the ground. In her bewilderment she suddenly fainted, her hair scattering all about as her body fell to the ground like a plantain tree blown over by the wind. (Bhgavatam 10.60.24) TEXT 191

kva svar-devya iva str madhye reha-tam api klind-satyabhmdy kva cny rohi-mukh
kvawhere; sva-devyathe women of heaven; iva like; strmladies; madhyeamong; reha-tam the best; apieven; klindKlind; satyabhm Satyabhm; dyand others; kvawhere; caand; anyothers; rohi-mukhheaded by Rohi. Though as attractive as the women of heaven, how can even the best of Kas queens compare to the gops, even the main queenslike Klind and Satyabhmor the others, headed by Rohi? Commentary: Despite possessing all heavenly beauty and good character, Kas eight principal queens cannot hope for even a slight trace of the gops good fortune. So what to speak of Kas other
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16,100 queens? Indeed, svar-yoit nalina-gandharuc kuto ny: Never was such good fortune even imagined by the most beautiful girls in the heavenly planets, whose bodily luster and aroma resemble those of the lotus. (Bhgavatam 10.47.60) The supreme goddess of fortune, r Rukmi, sometimes embraces the chest of Ka, but she cannot achieve the same favor Ka bestows upon the gops. Therefore, since Klind and the other queens are inferior to Rukmi, how can those queens expect such favor? TEXT 192

aha varka ko nu sy ts mhtmya-varane tathpi capal jihv, mama dhairya na rakate

ahamI; varkaan insignificant person; kawhat; nuindeed; symam; tsmof them; mhtmyathe glories; varanein describing; tath apieven so; capalill-mannered; jihvtongue; mamamy; dhairyamsobriety; na rakatedoes not maintain. I am just an insignificant creature. What right do I have to even try to describe the glories of the gops? Even so, my ill-mannered tongue cannot stay still. TEXT 193

bho gopa-putra vraja-ntha-mitra he tat-prema-bhakta-pravaro yam uddhava tat-sra-kruya-viea-bhgyatas ts vraje prema-bhara tam aikata
bho gopa-putraO son of a cowherd; vraja-nthaof the Lord of Vndvana; mitra heO friend; tatHis (Kas); prema-bhaktaof the devotees in pure love; pravaramost exalted; ayamthis; uddhava Uddhava; tatHis; sraessential; kruyaof mercy; vieaspecial; bhgyataby the good fortune; tsmof them; vrajein Vraja; prema-bharamthe fullness of love; tamthat; aikatahe saw.
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O son of a cowherd, dear friend of the Lord of Vraja, among Kas devotees in pure love this Uddhava is the most exalted. By his good fortune he has attained the essence of the Lords mercy: In Vraja he has seen the extent of the gops love for Ka. TEXT 194

ts prasdtiayasya gocaras tat-sagato vismta-ka-sagama nirdhram eta vyavahram da kurvan vaded yat tad atva sambhavet
tsmof them (the gops); prasdaof the mercy; atiayasyaextreme; gocaraa recipient; tattheir; sagataby association; vismtaforgotten; kasagamahis association with Ka; nirdhram conclusion in his mind; etamthis; vyavahramand behavior; damlike this; kurvandoing; vadet would speak; yatwhat; tatthat; atvavery much; sambhavetis feasible. Uddhava received from the gops such mercy that in their company he even forgot about his companionship with Ka. So whatever he concludes about them, and whatever he does or says, will be altogether right. Commentary: Uddhava, being the best prema-bhakta of Lord Vrajantha, is blessed with Kas exceptional mercy. Ka has drawn Uddhava very close to Him because the Lord considers Uddhava especially worthy of His kindness. Uddhava attained this perfection by seeing in Vndvana the exalted love the gops have for Ka and by obtaining the gops blessings. The gops disclosed to Uddhava their most confidential ecstasies. In Uddhavas own words: sarvtma-bhvo dhikto bhavatnm adhokaje virahea mah-bhg mahn me nugraha kta
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O most glorious gops, you have rightfully claimed the privilege of unalloyed love for the transcendental Lord. Indeed, by exhibiting your ecstasy of separation from Him, you have shown me great mercy. (Bhgavatam 10.47.27) rla rdhara Svm, in his commentary on this verse, gives his paraphrase, bhagavat-prema-sukha-pradaranena mamaiva mahn anugraha kta: By showing the joy of your love for the Supreme Lord, you have greatly favored me. Being in the company of the gops and staying in Gokula for a long time strongly affected Uddhava, so much so that he forgot his association with Ka, with whom he had been friends since childhood. TEXT 195

vaphalka-putro bhagavat-pitvya sa nrasa-jna-viuka-cet vddho dayrdrntarat-vihna kasasya dautye bhirato vraje yan
vaphalka-putrason of vaphalka; bhagavatpitvyapaternal uncle of the Supreme Lord; sahe (Akrra); nrasatasteless; jnaby knowledge; viukadried up; cetwhose heart; vddhaan old man; dayby mercy; rdramelted; antaratthe state of having ones heart; vihnadevoid of; kasasyaof Kasa; dautyein the service as a messenger; abhiratadiligently engaged; vrajeto Vraja; yangoing. Akrra, son of vaphalka and paternal uncle of Lord Ka, was an old man whose heart had dried up from lifeless knowledge. His heart was so devoid of the softness of mercy that he came to Vraja as the diligent order-carrier of Kasa. Commentary: Akrras name means not cruel, but by taking Ka away from Vndvana he committed cruel offenses against the Vraja-vss. He may have been Kas uncle, but according to Uddhava his heart was completely dried up by knowledge untouched by
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the rasas of devotional service. Being an old man, Akrra couldnt even make an outward show of being a connoisseur of rasas. And therefore, because he had no appreciation for the ecstatic mood of vrajaprema, he accepted the task of dragging Ka away from Vraja. TEXT 196

sacintayan ka-padmbuja-dvaya tasya prakartiaya nyavarayat gop-mahotkara-bharnuvaranais tal-lolito dhryam abhvayan hdi
sacintayanthinking; kaof Ka; pada-ambuja of the lotus feet; dvayamabout the pair; tasya His; prakara-atiayamsuperexcellence; nyavarayathe described; gopof the gops; mahutkarathe glories; bharaextensive; anuvaranai by describing; tatby them; lolitaunsettled; dhryamhis audacity; abhvayanunaware of; hdi in his heart. Yet while meditating on the two lotus feet of Ka, he began to speak of Kas supremacy. And with his heart tossing and turning from describing the superexcellent glories of the gops, he was blind to his own audacity. TEXT 197

yad arcita brahma-bhavdibhi surai riy ca devy munibhi sa-stvatai go-craynucarai carad vane yad gopikn kuca-kukumcitam
yatwhich (lotus feet); arcitamworshiped; brahmabhavaby Brahm and iva; dibhiand other; suraidemigods; riyby r; caalso; devythe goddess of fortune; munibhiby the sages; sastvataialong with the devotees; gothe cows; crayafor tending; anucaraitogether with His companions; caratmoving about; vanein the forest; yatwhich; gopiknmof the cowherd girls; kuca from the breasts; kukumaby the red kukuma
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powder; kitammarked. [Akrra thought:] Those lotus feet are worshiped by Brahm, iva, and all the other demigods, by the goddess of fortune, and also by the great sages and Vaiavas. Upon those lotus feet the Lord walks about the forest while herding the cows with His companions, and those feet are smeared with the kukuma from the gops breasts. Commentary: This verse from rmad-Bhgavatam (10.38.8) expresses one of the thoughts Akrra had while on the road to Vndvana. The persons of whom Akrra speaks he mentions one after another in order of their increasing greatness. Were he not to mention them in this way, his praise would be as ridiculous as praise given to the same person first for being a great brhmaa and then a great king. Competent poets disapprove of such awkward sequences; such poets generally glorify related subjects in order, from the least significant to the most. That Brahm and other demigods worship Kas lotus feet indicates that those feet are the supreme worshipable Deity and that Ka is the supreme controller. The goddess Lakm, who bestows all riches simply by her sidelong glance, also worships Kas feet, which indicates that Kas feet possess the extreme limit of good fortune. Mystics who are self-satisfied (tmrma) are indifferent to the favor of the goddess of fortune, yet they also worship Kas lotus feet. This means that to obtain Kas feet is the highest goal of life. And apart from great mystics, also worshiping Kas feet are the devotees interested only in pure devotional service to the Supreme Person. Such devotees are much greater than the tmrma mystics because pure devotees do not care even for liberation. This also implies that Ka is the most generous giver of charity because to such pure devotees He gives away even His very self.
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Sages busy in the cultivation of karma and jna have no time to worship the Personality of Godheads lotus feet. They lack the special knowledge that would inspire them to begin such worship, and they also lack the spiritual strength needed for devotional service. But karm and jn sages who associate with pure Vaiavas can receive the Vaiavas mercy and thus acquire the requisite knowledge and strength. In other words, the devotees of the Supreme Lord are superior to nondevotee sages. By referring to the goddess r as dev (demigoddess) rather than bhagavat (beloved of Bhagavn), Akrra indicates that he is talking not about Lord Nryaas wife Mah-lakm but about the partial expansion of Mah-lakm who rules the opulences of the material world. Vaiavas worship the original Mah-lakm as the dearmost consort of the Supreme Lord, which means that the Vaiavas accept her as greater than themselves. Akrra contemplates Ka going to the forest with His companions, the young cowherd boys, and in this way thinks of Kas absolute affection and compassion for His devotees. The forest is Vndvana, the place of Kas greatest pleasure pastimes, and the purpose of His entering that forest is to tend His cows, a pastime of supreme happiness. It is not precisely right to think that the words arcitam and anucarai together mean worshiped by His companions. There may be some grammatical justification for such an understanding, but because the cowherd boys are Kas intimate friends, their worship of His lotus feet differs from the worship usually indicated by the word arcitam. Akrra says that Kas lotus feet are smeared with kukuma from the breasts of the gops. This not only points toward an uncommon mode of worshiping the Supreme Lord but also indicates how
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Ka sports romantically and bestows the highest form of His mercy by coming under the control of pure love. The gops are mentioned last in this comparative sequence because they are the greatest of all of Kas worshipers, and the word yad is repeated a second time in the last line to highlight the special nature of their worship. The sweetness invoked by the image of Kas feet smeared with the gops kukuma suggests that His loving exchanges with the gops are the most important purpose for which He descended as an avatra; His favoring the gops by submitting to their love is the most glorious thing He ever does. In this way Akrra compares various worshipers of Kas lotus feet in exactly the fitting order: Lord Brahm is greater than the demigods, Lord iva greater than Brahm, the goddess r greater than iva, the self-contented sages greater than r, the pure Vaiavas greater than the sages, and Kas cowherd friends and finally the gops greater than all others. Thus Akrra became ecstatic as he approached Vndvana, thinking: athvarha sapadayo ratht pradhna-puso caraa sva-labdhaye dhiy dhta yogibhir apy aha dhruva namasya bhy ca sakhn vanaukasa Then I will at once alight from my chariot and bow down to the lotus feet of Ka and Balarma, the Supreme Personalities of Godhead. Theirs are the same feet that great mystic yogs striving for self-realization bear within their minds. I will also offer my obeisances to the Lords cowherd boyfriends and to all the other residents of Vndvana. (Bhgavatam 10.38.15) TEXT 198

apy aghri-mle patitasya me vibhu irasy adhsyan nija-hasta-pakajam dattbhaya kla-bhujga-rahas

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prodvejitn araaii nm
apifurthermore; aghriof His feet; mleat the base; patitasyawho have fallen; meof me; vibhu the almighty Lord; irasiupon the head; adhsyat will place; nijaHis own; hastahand; pakajam lotuslike; dattawhich grants; abhayam fearlessness; klatime; bhuja-agaof the serpent; rahasby the swift force; prodvejitnmwho are greatly disturbed; araashelter; eimsearching for; nmto persons. And when I have fallen at His feet, the almighty Lord will place His lotus hand upon my head. For those who seek shelter in Him because they are greatly disturbed by the swift, powerful serpent of time, that hand removes all fear. Commentary: Akrra also speaks this verse and the next in the Tenth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (10.38.1617). The words kla-bhujga suggest that persons who are serious about achieving liberation fear the force of time. In another sense, however, the words kla-bhujga refer to liberation itself, comparing it to an all-devouring python or (still another meaning of bhujga) a profligate man. A profligate man may boldly enter another persons house and refuse to leave, even if the owner tries to expel him; similarly, even though by the strength of Vaiava association a liberated soul may come to understand the paltriness of liberation and try to reject it, liberation may still persist in its hold on him. TEXT 199

samarhaa yatra nidhya kauikas tath bali cpa jagat-trayendratm yad v vihre vraja-yoit rama sparena saugandhika-gandhy apnudat
samarhaamthe respectful offering; yatrainto which; nidhyaby placing; kauikaPurandara; tathas well as; baliBali Mahrja; caalso; paattained; jagatof the worlds; trayathree;
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indratmrulership (as Indra, the King of heaven); yatwhich (lotus hand of the Lord); vand; vihre during the pastimes (of the rsa dance); vrajayoitmof the ladies of Vraja; ramamthe fatigue; sparenaby their contact; saugandhikalike an aromatic flower; gandhifragrant; apnudatwiped away. By offering charity to that lotus hand, Purandara and Bali earned the status of Indra, king of heaven, and during the pleasure pastimes of the rsa dance, when the Lord wiped away the gops perspiration and removed their fatigue, the touch of their faces made that hand as fragrant as a sweet flower. Commentary: Having described how Ka removes all fear from persons who take shelter of Him, Akrra now describes how Ka awards His devotees success in life, whether or not they still have material desires, and how He gives Himself away to His most surrendered devotees. Both Indra, while performing sacrifice, and Bali, while fulfilling Lord Vmanas request for charity, sanctified their acts by placing items of worship in the Supreme Lords hand. That was the right way for them to proceed, because no one can have a fruitful ritualistic performance without making some offering to the Supreme Lord. Here the word kauika refers to Indra Purandara, who is called Kauika because he is a descendant of Kuika i, but Kauika is also another name of the sage Vivmitra. During the pastimes of Lord Rmacandra, Vivmitra made various offerings to the Lord, such as teachings in stra and mantras, and various items of hospitality in his rama, including sanctified food. It is well known how Vivmitra thus became great in several ways, especially by attaining intense devotion to the Lords lotus feet. Thus Vivmitra became as prominent among the sages as Indra among the demigods.
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Ka blessed the gops with the highest joy and became subservient to the dictates of their love because they considered Him their very life and soul. The word vihra (sport) indicates that Kas pastimes with the gops were very enjoyable. The words vraja-yoitm (of the women of Vraja) suggest that it was fitting for Ka to grant them His favor because these women of Vraja the gopswere so affectionate to Him. The word ramam (fatigue) implies that Ka reciprocated with the gops very skillfully, giving them the greatest pleasure, which compensated for the effort the gops spent in singing and dancing. That He removed their fatigue by His touch (sparena) implies the coolness of His touch, and that His hand is saugandhika-gandhi (fragrant like a flower) implies that His hand is supremely attractive and has the power to create happiness. In the same way that the subtle fragrance of a flower may be perceivable only by certain people, Kas beauty and charm are fully relished only by devotees as dear to Him as the Vraja gops. TEXT 200

pitmaho sau kuru-pavn bhad-vrato dharma-paro pi bhma vrajganotkara-nirpaena tam anta-kle bhagavantam astaut
pitmahathe grandfather; asauhe; kuruof the Kurus; pavnmof the Pavas; bhat-vratathe executor of the great vow of lifelong celibacy; dharma-paradevoted to the principles of religion; apialso; bhmaBhma; vraja-aganof the young women of Vraja; utkarathe excellence; nirpaenaby describing; tamHim; anta-kleat the time of passing away; bhagavantamthe Personality of Godhead; astautpraised. [Nrada continued:] The grandfather of the Kurus and PavasBhma himself, sworn to the great vow of lifelong celibacy and strictly true to the
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principles of religionat the time of passing away, praised the Personality of Godhead by telling of the excellence of the young women of Vraja. Commentary: As wonderful as it is that Akrra appreciated the gops, it is even more amazing that Bhma, a warrior and lifelong celibate who should know nothing about such things, also glorified these young girls. As Bhma lay on a bed of arrows on the Kuruketra battlefield, just before he left his body, he sang the glories of Kas girlfriends in Vndvana. This was the same Bhma who was a strict naihika-brahmacr, a katriya more interested in warfare than romantic concerns, the same Bhma who dueled with his own guru, Paraurma, the Supreme Lords incarnation, and shot cruel arrows at Ka, Arjunas chariot driver. Such a great authority is Bhma that if he considers the gops so elevated, surely they must be. TEXT 201

lalita-gati-vilsa-valgu-hsapraaya-nirkaa-kalpitoru-mn ktam anuktavatya unmadndh praktim agan kila yasya gopa-vadhva

lalitaattractive; gatimovements; vilsa fascinating acts; valgu-hsasweet smiling; praayaloving; nirkaalooking upon; kalpita mentality; uru-mnhighly glorified; ktam anuktavatyain the act of copying the movements; unmada-andhgone mad in ecstasy; praktim characteristics; aganassumed; kilacertainly; yasyawhose; gopa-vadhvathe cowherd damsels. Let my mind be fixed upon Lord r Ka, whose motions and smiles of love made the gops of Vrajadhma feel greatly honored. Those gops, in blind ecstasy, imitated the activities of Ka and became just like Him. Commentary: This verse from rmad-Bhgavatam (1.9.40) is among those that impart Bhmas final
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words. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Ka favored the gops with the highest honor by worshiping them with His own graceful movements and gestures during His rsa-ll and other pastimes. Therefore the gops should be understood to be the greatest devotees of the Supreme Lord, greater than all the recipients of the Lords gifts of sense enjoyment, power, liberation, and devotion, and greater even than Mah-lakm. When Ka left the gops at the beginning of the rsa dance, in their ecstatic madness they became as if blind; in other words, they lost their ability to see the means and ends of happiness in this world and the next. In that state they acted out His pastimes, like the lifting of Govardhana Hill, and became just like Him. That is to say, they entered a special kind of trance in which their bodies assumed many of His excellent qualities (praktim agan). The gops, fixed in the sac-cid-nanda spiritual nature, then appeared worthy of worship by the entire world, able to deliver the universe, and full of compassion for everyone. Or, taking the meaning of the word prakti to be mind and agan to be entered, when Ka was away from the rsa dance the gops deeply entered His mind, and because of their extreme devotion while feeling His absence they became the object of His deep meditation. Therefore the gops are glorified in this way: viyoginnm api paddhati vo na yogino gantum api kamante yad dhyeya-rpasya parasya puso yya gat dhyna-pada durpam Even great yogs are not able to pursue your method of worshiping the Supreme Lord with the feeling of His absence. He is the proper object of meditation, but you have become the object of His. This is a perfection nearly impossible to attain.
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(Padyval of rla Rpa Gosvm, 351) Though Ka is the supreme goal, rarely achieved, of powerful lords of the universe like Brahm and other demigods, of self-satisfied yogs like Sanaka and his brothers, of pure devotees like Nrada, and of beloved consorts like the goddess Lakm, Ka truly worships the gops, endeavoring to attract them with His unprecedented and splendid pastimes. When the gops are maddened in the height of their love in separation, they cannot discern right from wrong. And so they imitate Kas activities and invade Kas own mind. Thus they are surely the greatest of all Vaiavas, and to be the only object of desire for these greatest of Vaiavas, Ka must be the Supreme Person. Thinking like this, Bhma, filled with ecstasy at the time of his passing away, prayed that r Gopntha be present before his eyes as he left his body. TEXT 202

ts tathaivhur anyonya kauravendra-pura-striya payantyo bhagavanta ta gacchanta sva-pura tata

tthey; tath evain the same way; huspoke; anyonyamto one another; kaurava-indraof the king of the Kauravas; puraof the capital city; striya the ladies; payantyawatching; bhagavantamthe Supreme Lord; tamHim; gacchantamleaving; svaHis; puramfor the city; tatathus. The ladies of the capital of King Yudhihira spoke the same way among themselves while watching that very Personality of Godhead leave for His own capital: Commentary: Since the greatly learned Bhma knew about the glories of the Personality of Godhead, it is understandable that he should have spoken such praise of the gops. More surprising, however, is that women without such specialized knowledge could
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glorify the gops in the same way, as did the women of Hastinpura. As described in the First Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (1.10.20): anyonyam st sajalpa uttama-loka-cetasm kauravendra-pura-str sarva-ruti-mano-hara Absorbed in the thought of the transcendental qualities of the Lord, who is glorified in select poetry, the ladies on the roofs of all the houses of Hastinpura began to talk of Him. This talk was more attractive than the hymns of the Vedas. rla rdhara Svm explains: The prayers of the ladies in Hastinpura attracted the attention of all the Vedas, and thus the personified Upaniads congratulated those ladies. Because the ladies belonged to the capital of r Yudhihira, the Kaurava king, it is implied that by their connection with him they certainly could have spoken such realizations. What is more, the women of Hastinpura expressed those realizations at a moment of painful crisis for them, when Ka was leaving the Kaurava capital for His own city, Dvrak. Kas influence is so wonderful that even while Ka was abandoning them they could glorify their rivals in Dvrak and Vndvana. TEXT 203

nna vrata-snna-hutdinevara samarcito hy asya ghta-pibhi pibanti y sakhy adharmta muhur vraja-striya sammumuhur yad-ay
nnamcertainly in the previous birth; vratavow; snnabath; hutasacrifice in the fire; dinby all these; varathe Personality of Godhead; samarcitaperfectly worshiped; hicertainly; asya His; ghta-pibhiby the married wives; pibanti relish; ythose who; sakhiO friend; adhara893

amtamthe nectar from His lips; muhuagain and again; vraja-striyathe damsels of Vraja-bhmi; sammumuhuoften fainted; yat-ayexpecting to be favored in that way. O friends, just think of His wives, whose hands He has accepted. How they must have undergone vows, baths, fire sacrifices, and perfect worship of the Lord of the universe to constantly relish now the nectar from His lips [by kissing]. The damsels of Vraja-bhmi would often faint just by expecting such favors. Commentary: This verse appears in the song by the Hastinpura ladies in the First Canto of rmadBhgavatam (1.10.28). In the opinion of these ladies, r Kas queens in Dvrak must in previous lives have disciplined themselves and worshiped Him in many ways to have gained Him as their husband, for those queens can regularly taste the nectar of Kas lips. But the gops of Vndvana are even greater because they always think about that nectar within their hearts. The nectar of Kas lips must be exceedingly pleasant, since the gops, those most respectable girls, are enchanted by it. Thus it is proven once again that Ka is the Supreme Person and that because of the extreme love the divine gops of Vraja have for Him they are superior even to r Rukmi and Kas other wives. Surely the gops also had the privilege of drinking the adharmta, the nectar from Kas lips; but beyond even that, they would become bewildered just by remembering it. Although one can also achieve r Goloka by developing love in the mood of Mother Yaod, Nanda Mahrja, and other Vraja-vss, it is mainly by developing love that follows the mood of the gops that one can attain the special perfection in which all ones ambitions are fulfilled. r Uddhava speaks another verse glorifying the gops in the Third Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam
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(3.2.14): yasynurga-pluta-hsa-rsallvaloka-pratilabdha-mn vraja-striyo dgbhir anupravttadhiyo vatasthu kila ktya-e The damsels of Vraja, after pastimes of laughter, humor, and exchanges of glances, were anguished when Ka left them. They used to follow Him with their eyes, and thus they sat down with stunned intelligence and couldnt finish their household duties. Nrada, however, chose to forgo reciting this verse, because he wished to avoid making the pure devotees who were present remember the pain the gops felt after Ka left Vndvana. TEXT 204

r-gopa-kumra uvca eva vadan sa bhagavn parirabdhavn m prembdhi-kampa-pulakru-taraga-magna dav radais tad-anuvarana-lola-jihv ntyan vicitram agamad vividhm avasthm
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; evam thus; vadansaying; sahe (Nrada); bhagavnthe spiritually potent person; parirabdhavnembraced; mmme; prema-abdhiin an ocean of love of God; kampaof trembling; pulakahorripilation; aruand tears; taragain the waves; magnaimmersed; davbiting; radaiwith the teeth; tatthat (topic); anuvaranafor describing; lolaeager; jihvmhis tongue; ntyandancing; vicitram wonderfully; agamatassumed; vividhmvarious; avasthmecstatic states. r Gopa-kumra said: After speaking thus, the great sage Nrada embraced me. Immersed in waves of an ocean of love of Godhead, he trembled and wept, and his hairs stood on end. He bit his tongue, a tongue uncontrollably eager to keep speaking. And he danced wonderfully and showed many symptoms of
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ecstasy. Commentary: Nrada wanted to hold back from elaborating any further on the many-faceted glories of the gops because he was afraid of losing control of himself in ecstasy. As it was, he was already beginning to lose control; in fact, right in front of Gopa-kumra and Uddhava he rolled on the ground, jumped about, and shouted and cried like a madman. TEXT 205

kat svsthyam ivsdya dv m dna-mnasam sntvayan lakay vc munndra punar ha sa

katafter a moment; svsthyamnormal consciousness; ivaas if; sdyaobtaining; dv seeing; mmme; dnadiscouraged; mnasamin my mind; sntvayanconsoling; lakaysweet; vc with words; muni-indrathe best of sages; puna again; haspoke; sahe. A moment later, he came back to more or less normal. Seeing me feeling discouraged, that best of sages spoke again, consoling me with sweet words. Commentary: Seeing Nrada go mad in ecstasy made Gopa-kumra worry that his own goal might be difficult to achieve. TEXT 206

r-nrada uvca ida tu vtta sarvatra gopanya sad satm vieato mahaivaryaprkaya-bhara-bhmiu
r-nrada uvcar Nrada said; idamthis; tu but; vttamsubject matter; sarvatraeverywhere; gopanyamto be kept private; sadalways; satm for saintly persons; vieataespecially; mahaivaryaof supreme opulences; prkaya-bharaof extensive display; bhmiuin the places.
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r Nrada said: This subject should always be kept private, to be spoken only among saintly devotees. And it should especially be avoided in places where the Lords supreme opulence is displayed. Commentary: Thus Nrada asked Gopa-kumra never to repeat in an unsuitable place what Nrada had just told him about various topics, beginning with the position of Goloka and ending with the glories of the gops. TEXT 207

atas tadn vaikuhe na may te prakitam para tvad-bhva-mdhuryalolito trvada kiyat

ataso; tadnmat that time; vaikuhein Vaikuha; nanot; mayby me; tethese matters; prakitamrevealed; paramonly; tvatyour; bhva of the ecstatic love; mdhuryaby the charm; lolitadriven; atrahere; avadamI have spoken; kiyata little. That is why I didnt reveal these things to you in Vaikuha. Only here, moved by the charm of your ecstatic love for the Lord, have I spoken of them a little. Commentary: Not in Vaikuha but only here in Dvrak in Uddhavas house had it been appropriate to tell Gopa-kumra something about Goloka and its devotees. TEXT 208

svasyoddhavasya te py ea ktvha apatha bruve dusdhya tat pada hy atra tat-sdhanam api dhruvam
svasyaon behalf of myself; uddhavasyaand Uddhava; teto you; apiand; eathis; ktvmaking; aham I; apathamvow; bruvesay; dusdhyamvery difficult to achieve; tatthat; padamabode; hi indeed; atrahere; tatfor achieving that;
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sdhanamthe discipline; apialso; dhruvam certainly. On my own behalf and that of Uddhava I testify to you that from here that abode of the Lord is in fact most difficult to achieveand so too is the discipline that leads to it. Commentary: By using the words hy atra (indeed here), Nrada hints at the confidential truth that one can achieve this most difficult goal by residing in Mathur Vraja-bhmi on earth. TEXT 209

kintpadea hitam ekam eta matta u r-puruottamkhyam ketra tad atrpi vibhty adre prva tvay yad bhuvi dam asti
kintubut; upadeampiece of advice; hitam beneficial; ekamone; etamthis; mattafrom me; uplease hear; r-puruottama-khyamnamed r Puruottama; ketramthe holy abode; tatit; atra here; apialso; vibhtiis present; adrenot far; prvampreviously; tvayby you; yatwhich; bhuvi on earth; damseen; astiwas. But please hear from me this one piece of advice: Not far from here lies the Lords holy abode known as r Puruottama-ketra, which you visited before on earth. Commentary: The transcendental abode of Lord Jaganntha on earth is also present in Vaikuha. TEXT 210

tasmin subhadr-balarma-sayutas ta vai vinoda puruottamo bhajet cakre sa govardhana-vndakavkalindaj-tra-bhuvi svaya hi yam
tasminthere; subhadrby Subhadr; balarmaand Balarma; sayutajoined; tamHe; vaiindeed; vinodamin sports; puruottamaLord Puruottama; bhajetengages; cakreperformed; saHe; govardhanaof Govardhana; vndaka-aavthe forest
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of Vndvana; kalinda-jof the Yamun; traalong the shores; bhuvion the land; svayamHimself; hi certainly; yamwhich. There, in the company of Subhadr and Balarma, Lord Puruottama enjoys the same sports He enacted at Govardhana and in the Vndvana forest and on the shores of the Yamun. Commentary: Lord Jaganntha is Ka Himself. By visiting Puruottama-ketra in Vaikuha, Gopakumra will be able to see the object of his worship, Lord Ka, enjoying His favorite pastimes. TEXT 211

sarvvatraika-nidhna-rpas tat-tac-caritri ca santanoti yasmai ca roceta yad asya rpa bhaktya tasmai khalu darayet tat
sarvaall; avatraof incarnations; eka-nidhnathe one source; rpawhose form; tat-tatall the various; caritripastimes; caand; santanotiHe expands; yasmaito whom; caand; rocetais attractive; yatwhich; asyaHis; rpamform; bhaktyato that devotee; tasmaihim; khaluindeed; darayetwill show; tatthat. His transcendental form, the one source of all incarnations, expands all of His various pastimes. Whichever of His forms a devotee finds attractive, that form the Lord shows him. Commentary: Within Lord Jaganntha, Gopa-kumra will be able to see all the different forms of the Supreme Lord, for Lord Jaganntha shows Himself as one incarnation of Viu or another, at suitable times and places, by displaying that incarnations pastimes. Gopa-kumra may doubt whether all his desires can be fulfilled by Lord Jaganntha, whose form differs from that of Madana-gopla. After all, Gopa-kumras heart belongs only to Madana-gopla, who alone can attract him. To remove this doubt,
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Nrada speaks the second half of this verse. Lord Jaganntha will surely respond to Gopa-kumras particular mood of devotion by appearing as his worshipable Lord Gopla. TEXT 212

r-ka-devasya sad priya tat ketra yath r-mathur tathaiva tat-pramaivarya-bhara-prakaloknusri-vyavahra-ramyam

r-ka-devasyaof r Kadeva; sadeternally; priyamdear; tatthat; ketramholy abode; yath just as; r-mathurr Mathur; tath evaso; tatHis; prama-aivaryaof His supreme opulence; bharacompleteness; prakawith the display; loka the ordinary world; anusrifollowing; vyavahra with behavior; ramyamcharming. Eternally as dear to r Kadeva as His beautiful Mathur-dhma is that Puruottama-ketra. There the Lord displays His supreme opulence and yet charms His devotees by acting like an ordinary person of the world. Commentary: Gopa-kumra may still insist that Ka reveals Himself in full sweetness only in His favorite abode, Vraja-bhmi. And Gopa-kumra may therefore not want to go anywhere else. But here Nrada explains that in Puruottama-ketra, nondifferent from Vraja, Ka also manifests all His powers of Godhead and all His sweetness. Lord Jagannthas being the complete, omnipotent Personality of Godhead is confirmed in r iva Pura: ste nanto vyayo viu pura-puruottama mukti dadti yo deva saptadh bhakta-vatsala smarad bhakad ynt tath nmnukrtant
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ketre vsd asu-tygd daranc ca yath tath The unlimited infallible Viu, the primeval Supreme Person, abides there [in Pur]. That Lord, who is very kind to His devotees, bestows liberation in seven ways: His devotees in Pur are liberated by remembering Him, by eating remnants of His food, by making a pilgrimage, by repeatedly chanting His names, by living in that abode, by giving up their life airs, or by seeing Him. r Skanda Pura confirms: yasmd arthj jagad ida sambhta sa-carcaram so rtho dru-svarpea ketre jva iva sthita The same Being who created this universe with all its moving and nonmoving creatures is present in r Ketra in a form of wood. Therefore, since Ka enjoys with the same freedom in Pur as in Vraja-bhmi, Gopa-kumra should be able to achieve in Pur everything he desires. TEXT 213

gatas tatra na santpyes tasya daranato pi cet tad tatrnutihes tva nijea-prpti-sdhanam
gatahaving gone; tatrathere; na santpyeyou are not satisfied; tasyaHis; daranataby the seeing; apieven; cetif; tadthen; tatrathere; anutiheshould remain; tvamyou; nija-iayour own goal; prptifor achieving; sdhanamas the means. And if you are still not fully satisfied after going there and seeing Him, then at least stay there some time as the means to achieve your desired goal.

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TEXT 214

tac ca r-ballav-prantha-pda-sarojayo premaiva tad-vraja-premasajtya na cetarat

tatthat (goal); caand; r-ballavof the divine gops; pra-nthaof the life and soul; pdasarojayofor the lotus feet; premapure love; eva only; tatHis; vrajaof Vraja; prema-sajtyamin the mood of the love; nanot; caand; itaratany other. Of course, your ultimate goal is pure love for the lotus feet of Ka, the divine gops life and soullove that follows the mood of the Lords own Vraja-bhmi. You seek no other goal than that. Commentary: Here Nrada defines both Gopa-kumras desired goal and the correct means for achieving it. The only effective means of achieving Ka in Goloka is pure love. And the only proper objects of that love are the two lotus feet of r Gopntha. TEXT 215

nidna tu para prema r-ka-karu-bhara kasypy udety akasmd v kasyacit sdhana-kramt

nidnamthe cause; tumoreover; paramprime; premaof pure love; r-kaof r Ka; karu-bharathe complete mercy; kasya apifor someone; udetiit arises; akasmtcauselessly; v or; kasyacitfor someone; sdhanaof practice; kramtby gradual development. But the prime cause of pure love for r Ka is Kas full mercy, which in someone may arise spontaneously and in someone else by gradual practice of devotional service. TEXT 216

yathodrn milaty anna

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pakva v pka-sdhanam sdhakasyocyate stragatyya sdhana-krama

yathas; udrtfrom a generous donor; milatione receives; annamfood; pakvamcooked; vor; pkasdhanamthe means of cooking; sdhakasyaof a practitioner; ucyateis said; stra-gaty according to the opinions of scripture; ayamthis; sdhanaof devotional practice; kramastep-by-step procedure. Just as from a generous donor one might receive food already cooked or the means and ingredients for cooking food oneself, so according to the opinions of scripture one receives Kas mercy through a method of devotional practice [either regulative or spontaneous]. Commentary: Though all perfection in bhakti comes only by Kas mercy, there is still a need for different methods of sdhana. To illustrate the point, we may consider the hungry people who should receive charity. Some should be given food already cooked and offered to the Supreme Lord. Others, like strict brhmaas who eat only what they have cooked themselves and offered to their own Deities, should be given rice, other ingredients, and pots and fuel for cooking. Similarly, most aspiring Vaiavas need to be purified from material contamination by regulative devotional practice; only a few souls, already pure, can enter directly into spontaneous loving service. TEXT 217

tat tu laukika-sad-bandhubuddhy prema bhaydi-jam vighna nirasya tad-gopagop-dsyepsayrjayet

tatthat (goal); tuand; laukikaordinary; satbandhuof a close friend; buddhywith the idea; premapure love; bhaya-difear and so on; jamborn out of; vighnamobstacles; nirasyadismissing; tat
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His; gopaof the cowherd boyfriends; gopand cowherd girlfriends; dsyathe service attitude; psaywith the desire of attaining; arjayetone can earn. Once one has overcome the obstacles on the path that arise from frailties like fear, one can then achieve pure love in which one thinks of the Lord like a close friend in the ordinary world. For this one must have a strong desire to serve the Lord in the manner of His gopas and gops. Commentary: When a serious devotee first sets his aim on following in the footsteps of the Golokavss, the goal may seem far away. He may begin his endeavor still encumbered by many material desires. But the more he carefully studies the transcendental reality, the more he renounces his unsuitable desires. He then rises above the misgivings born of fear, reverence, distrust, and shame. The real beginning of spiritual life, therefore, is to become free from material desires. Until the obstacles are overcome, the devotee sees the object of his devotion only as the supreme powerful and so remains too fearful and respectful to have any real love for Him. But later, when the devotee swims in the vast ocean of bhakti, the superficial waves of contrary impulses recede, and he is granted the superintelligence for friendship with the Supreme. The devotee then approaches the Lord with such apparently worldly moods as that of a consort or a son and serves His lotus feet accordingly. He renders pure devotional service, as defined in the Padma Pura: ananya-mamat viau mamat prema-sayut bhaktir ity ucyate bhmaprahldoddhava-nradai When one develops an unflinching sense of ownership or possessiveness in relation to Lord
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Viu, or, in other words, when one thinks Viu and no one else to be the only object of love, such an awakening is called bhakti by exalted persons like Bhma, Prahlda, Uddhava, and Nrada. TEXT 218

tad dhi tat-tad-vraja-krdhyna-gna-pradhnay bhakty sampadyate prehanma-sakrtanojjvalam

tatthat; hiindeed; tat-tatvarious; vraja-kr the pastimes in Vraja; dhynameditation on; gna and singing about; pradhnayconsisting primarily of; bhaktyby devotional service; sampadyate develops; prehawhich are beloved; nmaof the names; sakrtanaby the ecstatic chanting; ujjvalammade brilliant. One develops that love by practicing the devotional service whose main ways are meditation on and singing about the many Vraja pastimes of the Lord. That service becomes brilliant by sakrtana of the Lords most beloved holy names. Commentary: Vaidh-sdhana-bhakti, which consists of nine basic devotional practices, beginning with hearing, chanting, and remembering, prepares a devotees heart for the awakening of prema, love of God. Dhyna and gnathe general methods of remembering and chanting about the Supreme Lord and His pastimestransform, in the advanced stages of sdhana, into preha-nma-sakrtana, ecstatic absorption in the nectarean names of ones worshipable Lord. This sakrtana is the most essential means for achieving prema. By nmasakrtana one easily realizes the full glories of Ka and His pleasure potency. TEXT 219

tad-eka-rasa-lokasya sage bhivyaktat svata praysyad api tad vastu

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gopanya prayatnata
tatthat; ekaonly; rasarelishing the taste; lokasyaof people; sagein the association; abhivyaktatmmanifestation; svatanaturally; praysyatcoming to be obtained; apiand; tatthat; vastuobject (pure love); gopanyammeant to be concealed; prayatnatawith effort. In the company of people whose only taste is for devotional service in pure love, that love appears of its own accord. Yet one must try hard to keep it concealed. Commentary: The quickest way to achieve prema is to stay in the company of those who know its value. The association of first-class pure Vaiavas has the power to evoke prema in an aspirants heart. But when love for Ka begins to mature, a devotee must be careful not to make a public show of his ecstasy. There is a saying, gopayet mt-jra-vat: One should keep prema hidden, as one would conceal that ones mother has a paramour. A devotee actually experiencing prema would never divulge his inner ecstasies just to establish a reputation for himself among Vaiavas. Still, as indicated here by the word svata (of its own accord), the situation of an ecstatic devotee is like that of an ordinary person separated from a loved one long enough for time to have covered the pain yet not so long that meeting friends of his beloved wont suddenly plunge him again into agony. The word pryasyat is in a future tense, which implies that the injunction to keep prema hidden applies only before prema has fully appeared. Once fully developed, prema cannot be checked from showing itself whenever it wants. TEXT 220

tad vai tasya priya-krvana-bhmau sad raha nivasas tanuyd eva sampadyetcird dhruvam
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tatthat (prema); vaiindeed; tasyaHis; priya favorite; kr-vanaof the pastime forests; bhmauin the land; sadalways; rahain seclusion; nivasanresiding; tanuytwill develop; evamthus; sampadyetawill be fully achieved; acirtsoon; dhruvamcertainly. When one resides always in seclusion in the land of the Lords favorite pastime forests, surely such love will soon develop and mature. Commentary: Sdhana-bhakti performed in Kas holy dhma is especially conducive to the awakening of prema. TEXT 221

tat karma-jna-yogdisdhand drata sthitam sarvatra nairapekyea bhita dainya-mlakam

tatthat; karma-jna-yoga-disuch as karma, jna, and yoga; sdhantfrom disciplines; drataby far differently; sthitamsituated; sarvatrain all stages; nairapekyeawith indifference to other things; bhitamdecorated; dainyautter humility; mlakamhaving as its foundation. That loving devotional service is far different from disciplines such as karma, jna, and yoga. At every stage it is decorated by indifference to them, and its root is dainya, utter humility. Commentary: The question here is whether prescribed duties and other methods of purification should be continued along with devotional service. Should one keep on with karma (the following of varrama regulations) or jna (the cultivating of discrimination between spirit and matter)? What about the eightfold practice of yoga and meditation in samdhi? And what about renunciation, chanting mantras, and other disciplines? Here Nrada answers that although these disciplines, starting with
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karma, may all assist in the sdhana of love of God, only in the very early stages of devotional practice are they of much use. Once sdhana-bhakti has yielded its fruitrgnuga-bhakti, spontaneous devotionand especially once prema has appeared, the fruit of rgnuga-bhakti, there is no longer any place in a devotees life for those other practices. The fact is that prema is not achievable by other methods, such as karma and jna. Devotees should therefore disregard those methods and simply busy themselves with the devotional service of hearing, chanting, remembering, and so on. This point has already been discussed in detail at the end of the Second Chapter of this part of Bhad-bhgavatmta, in the context of the glories of bhakti. Great authorities have said: kyena dre vrajina tyajant japantam anta-karae hasant samdhi-yoge ca bahir bhavant sandyate kpi mukunda-bhakti Devotional service to Lord Mukunda can be seen personified as it runs far away from those who perform fruitive rituals, and laughs at those who chant silent mantras in their minds, and avoids those who practice meditational yoga. Bhakti-yoga in all its phases of practice and achievement, in this life and the next, is always decorated with the ornament of indifference to material desires. This holds true whether bhakti is performed internally with the subtle body or externally with ones physical body and senses and the bodys external possessions. When one allows secondary means and goals to become prominent, one deviates from bhakti. The most essential support and a candidate for pure bhakti must always take help from itis utter humility. TEXT 222

yensdhraakt908

dhama-buddhi sadtmani sarvotkarnvite pi syd budhais tad dainyam iyate

yenaby which; asdhraaexceptional; aaktaof being incapable; adhamaand fallen; buddhithe mentality; sadalways; tmaniin oneself; sarva with all; utkaraexcellences; anviteendowed; api even; sytis; budhaiby the wise men; tatthat; dainyamutter humility; iyateis called. Wise men define dainya as the state in which one always thinks oneself exceptionally incapable and low, even when endowed with all excellences. Commentary: Nradas own definition of dainya distinguishes his use of the word from other possible meanings, such as poverty, becoming selfless by not accepting charity, and being free from egotism. Someone might say that the quality of thinking oneself very fallen may also be seen in persons who are simply lazy or those who abandon auspicious work or indulge in sinful acts. Therefore Nrada specifies that one who actually has dainya is endowed with all good qualities; for instance, such a person observes positive and negative regulations, he is free of false ego, and he has a healthy fear of material life. Furthermore, though Nrada doesnt say so, transcendental dainya is a state of extreme agitation that can lead to tears and other ecstatic outbreaks. TEXT 223

yay vcehay dainya maty ca sthairyam eti tat t yatnena bhajed vidvs tad-viruddhni varjayet
yayby which; vclanguage; hayand behavior; dainyamutter humility; matyby which mode of thinking; caand; sthairyamfirmness; etiattains; tatit; tmthat; yatnenawith endeavor; bhajet should cultivate; vidvnan intelligent person;
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tatto that; viruddhniobstacles; varjayethe should avoid. An intelligent person should carefully cultivate speech, behavior, and thinking that fix him in utter humility, and anything that stands in the way of it he should avoid. TEXT 224

dainya tu parama prema parpkea janyate ts gokula-nrm iva ka-viyogata

dainyamutter humility; tuand; paramamthe highest degree; premaof pure love; parpkeawith the full maturity; janyateis generated; tsmthose; gokulaof Gokula; nrmof the women; ivaas; ka-viyogatain separation from Ka. Dainya at its most exalted comes forth when prema, pure love of God, reaches full maturity, as it did in the women of Gokula when they were separated from Ka. Commentary: Ordinary dainya can be developed by human effort, but there is also a type of dainya, beyond the mundane, that comes from receiving the Supreme Lords favor. The word tu in this verse contrasts these distinct kinds of dainya. Almost everyone in the material world is separated from Ka, but most people never experience dainya because they have no prema. Therefore they can never become free from suffering and attain true happiness. To achieve transcendental dainya, one must learn to love Ka in the mood felt by the gops, led by r Rdh, when Ka left them to go to Mathur. We can understand from the example of the gops viraha-bhva, their feelings of love in separation, that this special dainya arises only when, by r Kas exceptional mercy, a devotee who has realized Kas sweetness develops extraordinary prema in his heart in the mood of
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separation. As prema appears in degrees of excellence, so does dainya. TEXT 225

paripkea dainyasya premjasra vitanyate paraspara tayor ittha krya-kraatekyate

paripkeaby the maturity; dainyasyaof dainya; premapure love; ajasramwithout limit; vitanyate develops; parasparammutual; tayoof both (dainya and prema); itthamin this way; krya-kraatthe relationship of cause and effect; kyateis seen. When dainya fully matures, prema unfolds without limit. And so we see dainya and prema acting in a relationship in which each is both cause and effect. Commentary: If prema is supposed to be the final result of all devotional endeavors, how can dainya be a consequence of prema? In answer: Yes, prema is the final goal, but dainya is not altogether different from prema. Dainya is an integral component of prema, and both foster one another. It is a misunderstanding to think that because there is always another level of perfection to achieve, one can never reach the supreme goal of life. What the progressive development of prema shows is not that there is no goal but that in spiritual life there is endless variety. By pure love for the lotus feet of r Gopntha, the fruit one achieves is the attainment of r Goloka; by that attainment, the direct sight of r Gopntha; by that direct vision, His special mercy; by that mercy, the highest ecstasies of viraha-bhva, and so on. This endless sequence is not a fault but simply the unfolding of spiritual variety. Even in Vaikuha, what to speak of Goloka, the bliss of devotional service unfolds in an infinite variety that puts the happiness of liberation to shame. TEXT 226
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bhrta prema svarpa yat tad dhi jnanti tad-vida yasya cittrdrat-jta bhya kampdi-lakaam
bhrtadear brother; premaof love of God; svarpamthe essential nature; yatwhich; tatthat; hiindeed; jnantiknow; tad-vidathose who have realized it; yasyawhose; cittaof the heart; ardratfrom the condition of melting; jtamborn; bhyamexternally; kampatrembling; diand so on; lakaamwhose symptoms. Dear brother, those who know the essence of prema recognize its presence when the melting of a devotees heart gives rise to trembling and other such outward signs. Commentary: This statement settles a possible doubt over the nature of prema. Since prema develops from feelings of utter helplessness (dainya), is prema a mood of wretchedness? Or since prema is considered the greatest of all goals, is it a special mood of bliss that comes from getting free from all causes of wretchedness? According to Nrada, only those who have realized prema can distinguish its real nature. The essence of prema cannot be defined in mere words. At best it can be recognized by its secondary characteristics (taastha-lakaa). Thus we can understand the presence of prema by its external symptoms like trembling, floods of tears, and standing erect of the bodily hair. Softening of the heart (cittrdrat) also counts as an external symptom because it is knowable by the mind, even though it is also said to be internal because it is not a directly visible object. TEXT 227

davnalrcir yamunmta bhavet tath tad apy agni-ikheva yadvatm via ca pyuam aho sudh via mti sukha jvanam rti-vaibhavam
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dva-analaof a forest fire; arcithe flames; yamunof the Yamun; amtamthe nectar; bhavet becomes; taththat; tatthat; apialso; agniof a fire; ikhthe flames; ivaas if; yat-vatmfor those who possess that (prema); viampoison; ca and; pyuamnectar; ahooh; sudhnectar; viam poison; mtideath; sukhamhappiness; jvanam life; rti-vaibhavaman expansion of misery. For those who have prema, the blazing conflagration of their agony is like the nectarean water of the Yamun and yet like the burning flames of a fire. To them poison is like nectar, and nectar like poison, death is happiness, and life but an expansion of misery. Commentary: In the intoxication of prema, sources of pleasure seem like those of pain, and vice versa. In other words, the difference between pleasure and pain becomes blurred. Things one should accept as auspicious and beneficial one abhors because they remind one of the very beloved one is trying to forget; and things that help one forget ones beloved one welcomes as auspicious. TEXT 228

yato vivektu na hi akyate ddh bheda sa sambhoga-viyogayor ya tathedam nanda-bhartmaka vtha v mah-oka-maya hi vastu
yatabecause; vivektumto be distinguished; na not; hiindeed; akyateis possible; addhclearly; bhedadifference; sathat; sambhogaof union; viyogayoand separation; yawhich; taththus; idamthis; nanda-bharaan abundance of ecstasy; tmakamconsisting; veither; atha vor else; mah-oka-mayamfull of great suffering; hiindeed; vastuobject. Indeed, because one cannot clearly tell between coming together with the object of prema and being separated from it, prema is full of both the
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greatest ecstasy and the worst of anguish. Commentary: A devotee under the influence of prema loses the power to discriminate between ecstasy and misery. For example, in the final chapter of rmad-Bhgavatams Tenth Canto we find that Kas queens, after enjoying water sports with Ka, lamented the pain of their separation from Him even though He was still present with them. The nature of bhakti is such that it generates all varieties of emotions, especially as it develops towards its extreme limits. Even in ordinary life, things taken to their extremes can seem to change into their opposites; the coldest ice may feel hot to the touch like fire. Devotees advanced in prema enjoy the company of the Personality of Godhead, the embodiment of supreme bliss. They delight in the special joy derived from taking part in His wonderful pastimes. But by the extraordinary nature of bhakti, in the very midst of that enjoyment appears the pain of separation. The ecstasy of separation, indeed, is the ripe fruit of fully developed prema and is one of its essential components, just as hunger is an essential part of the complete enjoyment of eating. However it may appear superficially, the happiness of prema in separation is the rarest treasure. In previous chapters of Bhad-bhgavatmta this has already been discussed, and in the last two chapters it will be clarified still further. TEXT 229

bhavanti sampatty-udayena yasya sad mahonmatta-viceitni na yad vin sajanayet sukha s nava-prakrpi mukunda-bhakti
bhavantiare; sampattiof the opulences; udayenaby the manifesting; yasyaof which (prema); sad always; mah-unmattaof a person utterly insane; viceitnivarious kinds of behavior; nanot; yat which; vinwithout; sajanayetproduces; sukham happiness; sthat; nava-prakrninefold; api
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even; mukunda-bhaktidevotional service to Lord Mukunda. When prema matures, one inevitably acts from time to time in the ways of an utter madman. And without such prema not even the nine kinds of devotional service to Lord Mukunda can bring real happiness. Commentary: The purpose of devotional service in regulative practice is to bring one to the stage of prema. Only by realizing the fullness of prema can one truly become happy. The symptoms of this prema are obvious and altogether different from those of any other kind of success: eva-vrata sva-priya-nma-krty jtnurgo druta-citta uccai hasaty atho roditi rauti gyaty unmda-van ntyati loka-bhya By chanting the holy name of the Supreme Lord, one comes to the stage of love of Godhead. Then the devotee is fixed in his vow as an eternal servant of the Lord, and he gradually becomes very much attached to a particular name and form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As his heart melts with ecstatic love, he laughs very loudly or cries or shouts. Sometimes he sings and dances like a madman, for he is indifferent to public opinion. (Bhgavatam 11.2.40) TEXT 230

yath hi ko lavaa vinaiva kudh vin bhogya-cayo yath ca vinrtha-bodhd iva stra-pha phala vinrma-gao yathaiva
yathlike; hicertainly; kavegetables; lavaamsalt; vinwithout; evaindeed; kudhm hunger; vinwithout; bhogya-cayamany eatables; yathlike; caand; vinwithout; artha-bodht understanding of the meaning; ivaas if; straphastudy of the scriptures; phalamfruit; vin
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without; rma-gaagardens; yathlike; eva indeed. Indeed, without prema the nine kinds of devotional service are like vegetables without salt, an elaborate meal without hunger, scriptural study without understanding, or gardens without fruit. TEXT 231

smnyata kicid ida mayokta vaktu vieea na akyate tat prem tu ke vraja-yoit yas tat tattvam khytum ala katha sym
smnyatain general; kicitsomething; idamthis; mayby me; uktamsaid; vaktumto speak; vieea in detail; na akyateis not possible; tatthat; premthe pure love; tubut; kefor Ka; vraja-yoitmof the women of Vraja; yawhich; tatthat; tattvamtruth; khytumable to explain; alamproperly; kathamhow; symI am. I am saying something general about this love, but it cannot be described in full detail. How can I adequately tell of the nature of the pure love the women of Vraja have for Ka? Commentary: The general characteristics of prema can be seen in devotees of some of Kas avatras and in the servants of r Vaikuhantha. But the love that r Rdhik and Her followers offer to r Nanda-nandana is so exceptional that Nrada feels he has no authority to speak about it. TEXT 232

ke gate madhu-pur bata ballavn bhvo bhavat sapadi yo laya-vahni-tvra premsya hetur uta tattvam ida hi tasya m tad-vieam apara bata boddhum iccha
keKa; gatewhen He went; madhu-purmto Mathur; bataalas; ballavnmof the cowherd women; bhvathe state; abhavatwas; sapadiat once; yawhich; layaof universal annihilation; vahnilike the fire; tvraacute; premaprema;
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asyaof this; hetuthe cause; utaindeed; tattvam truth; idamthis; hiindeed; tasyaof this matter; mnot; tatabout that; vieamdetail; aparam further; bataalas; boddhumto learn; icchayou should desire. When Ka went to Mathur City, the cowherd women were plunged at once into a state more intense than the fire of universal annihilation. The simple truth is that the cause of this state was prema. Please, I beg you, do not try to delve into this any deeper. Commentary: Feeling himself unqualified to explain the essence of the gops prema, Nrada here again says only a little about this prema in terms of its secondary characteristics. He is fearful of proceeding further because a further description might make both Gopa-kumra and himself lose control of their ecstasy. TEXT 233

s rdhik bhagavat kvacid kyate cet prem tadnubhavam cchati mrtimn sa akyeta ced gaditum ea tay tadaiva ryeta tattvam iha ced bhavati sva-akti
sShe; rdhikRdhik; bhagavatthe divine goddess; kvacitsomehow; kyateis seen; cetif; premlove; tadthen; anubhavamrealization; cchatiwill reach; mrti-mnin person; sait; akyetait will be possible; cetif; gaditumto be spoken about; eathis (prema); tayby Her; tad then; evaonly; ryetaone may hear; tattvamthe truth; ihain this matter; cetif; bhavatithere is; svain you; akticapacity. If ever you meet the divine goddess Rdhik, then you will see prema in person. And if ever She speaks about prema, only then can you hear the truth about it, if you are able to understand it. Commentary: Nrada can hardly describe the nature of the gops pure love, and even if with great
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endeavor he could, that love is something Gopakumras heart is not yet prepared to realize. But if Gopa-kumra were to meet a person who in truth possesses that love, then he would be able to perceive it directly. Of all the Lords gops, rmat Rdhr is famous as the most dear to the Lord. If Gopa-kumra could meet Her, She could explain the truth about Her love for Kahow supremely ecstatic it is, how supremely painful and distressing, and so on. Even if Nrada could receive such instructions from rmat Rdhr, he would not be able to repeat them to Gopa-kumra, because those instructions would render Nrada completely bewildered, like a madman. Thus Gopakumra will only be able to learn the mysteries of this most exalted science by seeing them for himself in the person of its original teacher, rmat Rdhr. TEXT 234

cet ka-candrasya mahvatras tdg nija-prema-vitna-kr syd v kadcid yadi rdhiky premnubhti tad upaity athpi
cetif; ka-candrasyaof Kacandra; mahavatraa complete incarnation; tdksuch; nija His own; premaof the pure love; vitnathe distribution; krdoing; sytthere were; vor; kadcitsometime; yadiif; rdhikyof Rdhik; prema-anubhtimthe experience of prema; tatthat; upaitiattains; atha apior else. Or should there ever be a full incarnation of r Kacandra to distribute pure ka-prema, or to experience the ka-prema of rmat Rdhik, you might be able to understand it. Commentary: Since rmat Rdhr is rarely seen by ordinary souls in this world, Gopa-kumra might doubt whether a modern person like himself could ever get Her favor and understand Her glories. But if She were not the only source of prema in this
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world, the conditioned souls would not need to be hopeless. To protect the hope of Gopa-kumra and other devotees to obtain love at the lotus feet of r Rdhik and the Lord of Her heart, here Nrada hints at the future appearance of r Caitanya Mahprabhu, the combined form of r r Rdh and Ka. For even subtly alluding to the merciful descent of Lord Caitanya, Nrada is all-glorious. TEXT 235

tad gaccha ghra tat ketra mthura vraja-bh-bhava nijrtha-siddhaye tva hi na mdk tad-daylaya
tattherefore; gacchaplease go; ghramquickly; tatto that; ketramholy place; mthuramthe replica of Mathur; vraja-bhin Vraja-bhmi; bhavayou who were born; nijayour; arthaof the desires; siddhayefor the fulfillment; tvamyou; hiindeed; na mdkunlike me; tatHis; dayof mercy; layaa repository. So, dear son of Vraja-bhmi, to fulfill your desires go quickly to Lord Jagannthas abode, the holy place that is an image of Mathur. Unlike me, you are surely a person in whom the Lord has reposed His mercy. Commentary: Gopa-kumra should not be discouraged that Nrada has declared the prema of Vraja extremely difficult to achieve. Nrada himself may not expect to attain such prema, but Gopa-kumra, born in Vraja and blessed with so much of Kas mercy, is more fortunate. TEXT 236

rmad-uddhava uvca ketra yath tat puruottama prabho priya tathaitat puram apy ado yath pareat-laukikatocitehitair vibhita tasya yathedam apy tam
rmat-uddhava uvcarmn Uddhava said; ketram
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the holy abode; yathas; tatthat; puruottamam Jaganntha Pur; prabhoto the Lord; priyamdear; tathso; etatthis; puramtranscendental city; apialso; adathat (Pur); yathas; para-at for the capacity of the supreme controller; laukikatand for the capacity of an ordinary person; ucitaappropriate; hitaiby activities; vibhitambeautified; tasyaHis; yathas; idam this; apialso; tamreal. rmn Uddhava said: Certainly as dear to our Lord as that Puruottama-ketra is this Dvrak-pur. Dvrak is as fully beautified by the deeds the Lord performs, both as the supreme controller and as an ordinary person of the world. Commentary: As a loyal devotee of Ka in His form of r Dvrakntha, Uddhava cannot agree with Nradas depiction of Dvrak as inferior to Puruottama-ketra, Jaganntha Pur. That the glories of Dvrak are real (ta) has been verified by the personal experience of countless reputable Vaiavas. TEXT 237

r-daivak-nandana ea na prabhus tad-rpa-dhr puruottame svayam sthairya bhajan krati tan-nivsin tat-prema-prrdra-hd sad mude
r-daivak-nandanathe son of Devak; eathis; naour; prabhuLord; tatthat; rpaform; dhr who assumes; puruottamein Puruottama-ketra; svayamHimself; sthairyamimmobility; bhajan assuming; kratiHe sports; tatof that place; nivsinmof the residents; tatfor Him; premaprain a flood of love; rdramelting; hdmwhose hearts; sadeternally; mudefor the pleasure. It is our own master, r Devak-nandana, who in Puruottama-ketra assumes the form of Lord Jaganntha. Standing motionless, He sports eternally for the pleasure of its residents, whose
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hearts melt in a flood of love for Him. Commentary: The same son of Devak whom the Yadus consider their master appears as dru-brahma, the Absolute Truth in wood, in His abode of Puruottama-ketra. Why does He do this? One reason is to give joy to the residents of that abode. TEXT 238

yat tatra sasidhyati vastv ihpi sampadyate tat kila nsti bheda kintv asya tatra vraja-bh-caritradi-rutibhy bhavit sa oka
yatwhich; tatrathere; sasidhyatiis available; vastureality; ihahere; apialso; sampadyateis manifest; tatthat; kilaindeed; na astithere is no; bhedadifference; kintubut; asyaHis; tatra there; vraja-bhof Vraja-bhmi; caritrathe pastimes; diby hearing; rutibhymand by seeing; bhavitthere will be; sasome; oka unhappiness. The same reality shown there is also found here, without any difference. But there, by seeing and hearing about His pastimes in Vraja-bhmi, you will feel a certain kind of sorrow. Commentary: Since both in Pur and in Dvrak the same Ka rules, Uddhava says, there is no reason to make the effort to travel from one place to the other. And being in Pur will have one disadvantage: There Gopa-kumra will see plays of Kas Gokula pastimes and hear those pastimes depicted in songs and recitations. Being reminded about his worshipable Lord yet being unable to see Him directly will cause Gopa-kumra pain. TEXT 239

tasmin jaganntha-mukhbja-darann mah-prasdvali-lbhata sad ytrotsavaughnubhavd api sphuraty ullsa evtmani naiva dnat
tasminthere; jagannthaof Lord Jaganntha; mukha921

abjathe lotus face; darantfrom seeing; mahprasdaof His mah-prasdam; valiheaps; lbhatafrom receiving; sadalways; ytraof excursions; utsavaand festivals; oghathe huge number; anubhavtfrom experiencing; apialso; sphuratiis experienced; ullsadelight; eva certainly; tmaniin your heart; nanot; evaat all; dnatthe feeling of lowliness. And by seeing there Lord Jagannthas lotus face, by getting plenty of His mah-prasdam, and by enjoying His frequent festivals and processions, you will certainly feel delight in your heart as wellbut not humility. Commentary: In Uddhavas opinion, the environment of Pur will be at once so disturbing and so enjoyable that Gopa-kumra will neither realize the happiness of ka-prema nor obtain his objective, Goloka. TEXT 240

t vinodeti na prema goloka-prpaka hi yat na ca tal-loka-lbhena vinsya svsthyam udbhavet

tmthat (dainyam); vinwithout; udeti nadoes not develop; premathe pure love; goloka-prpakam leading to entrance into Goloka; hiindeed; yat which; nanot; caand; tatthat; lokaof the world; lbhenathe attainment; vinwithout; asyaof that; svsthyampeacefulness; udbhavetarises. Without utter humility, the pure love that leads to entrance into Goloka will never arise. And until you attain that world, you will never be at peace. TEXT 241

punas tato sau para-dukha-ktara praheyati r-puruottamas tv imam sva-gokule r-mathur-vibhae tad ea tatraiva katha na clyate
punafurthermore; tatafrom there; asauHe; para
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of others; dukhaby the distress; ktarafeeling disturbed; praheyatiwill send away; rpuruottamaLord Jaganntha; tubut; imamthis place; svaHis own; gokulein Gokula; r-mathur of Mathur; vibhaewhich is the ornament; tat there; eathis (Gokula); tatrathere (in Mathur); evajust; kathamwhy; na clyateshould not be gone to. Whats more, Lord Puruottama, who feels sympathy for the distress of others, will surely send you from Jaganntha Pur to His own Gokula, the ornament of r Mathur. Then why not just go there directly? Commentary: Lord Jaganntha cannot tolerate seeing anyone suffer, especially not His very dear devotees. So just as before, He will again send Gopa-kumra to Vndvana. TEXTS 242243

atraivotpadyate dainya tat-prempi sad satm tat tac chnyam ivrayasarid-giry-di payatm sad hh-ravkrntavadann tath hdi mah-santpa-dagdhn sva-priya parimgyatm
atrathere; evaindeed; utpadyatearises; dainyam utter humility; tatfor Him; premapure love; api also; sadalways; satmof the devotees; tat tat all these; nyamempty; ivaas if; arayathe forests; saritrivers; girimountains; diand so on; payatmwho are seeing; sadalways; hhravawith cries of alas!; krntaovertaken; vadannmwhose mouths; tathsimilarly; hdiin their hearts; mah-santpaby the intense burning; dagdhnmwho are scorched; svatheir own; priyam beloved; parimgyatmwho are seeking.
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There in Gokula the pure devotees always feel humility and pure love for the Lord. In that mood, they see the forests, rivers, and hills as if an empty wilderness. Those devotees, their mouths filled with cries of lamentation, their hearts burning in absolute grief, are always searching for their beloved. Commentary: The mood of Gokula will assist Gopakumra in quickly achieving his desired goal. After all, humility and pure love are abundant in Gokula, where the forests like r Vndvana, the rivers like r Yamun, the mountains like r Govardhana, and the lakes and meadows are all decorated with the sports of Nanda-nandana. The devotees who live in Gokula are always in agony, searching for r Nanda-nandana and the nectar of seeing Him. All the ingredients of humility, therefore, are readily at hand, and this means that pure love can quickly grow to maturity. By achieving that pure love in Gokula, Gopa-kumra will very soon reach Goloka. Therefore he should depart for Gokula at once. TEXT 244

r-gopa-kumra uvca mantri-pravara-vkya tat sva-hdya nyya-bhitam niamya nitar prto bhagavn nrado bravt
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; mantri-pravaraof the best of counselors; vkyam the statement; tatthat; svato himself; hdyam congenial; nyyawith good reason; bhitamfilled; niamyahearing; nitarmextremely; prtapleased; bhagavnthe great personality; nradaNrada; abravtspoke. r Gopa-kumra said: The statements of that best of counselors were all reasonable, and they accorded with Nradas own heart. So when the great Nrada heard them he was extremely pleased. He then
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spoke in reply. Commentary: Though Uddhavas statement differed from Nradas, it reverberated sympathetically in Nradas heart. Nrada was happy to hear what he himself had not quite been able to say. TEXT 245

r-nrada uvca satyam uddhava tad-bhmilokeu prtimn asi yad asyv-ia-siddhy-artham ttha mantram ima hitam
r-nrada uvcar Nrada said; satyamtruly; uddhavaO Uddhava; tatof that; bhmiland; lokeu for the residents; prti-mnpossessing great affection; asiyou are; yatsince; asyaof him (Gopa-kumra); uquick; iaof what he wants; siddhi-arthamfor the achievement; tthayou have spoken; mantramadvice; imamthis; hitam beneficial. r Nrada said: O Uddhava! You truly must have great affection for the residents of that land, for you have spoken your good advice to help this boy quickly achieve what he desires. Commentary: Nrada admits that Vraja-bhmi is the best place for Gopa-kumra to advance further. In r Puruottama-ketra the same perfection could be achieved, but only gradually. TEXT 246

tasy vraja-bhuvo vetti bhavn eva mahihatm nijea-daivata ka tyaktv yatrvasac ciram
tasyof that; vraja-bhuvaof Vraja-bhmi; vetti knows; bhavnyour good self; evaindeed; mahihatmthe supreme greatness; nijayour own; ia-daivatamworshipable Deity; kamLord Ka; tyaktvleaving; yatrahere; avasatyou remained; ciramfor a long time.
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You know the supreme greatness of that Vraja-bhmi. You left Lord Ka, your worshipable Deity, and resided there a long time. Commentary: For not first recommending that Gopakumra return to Gokula on earth, Nrada excuses himself on the grounds that he doesnt know the special glories of Gokula as well as Uddhava. TEXT 247

r-gopa-kumra uvca parita punar lokya lakani ubhni sa ho mm ha sarva-jo nrado vaiava-priya
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; paritaon all sides; punaagain; lokyaseeing; lakanisigns; ubhniauspicious; sahe; hajoyfully; mmto me; hasaid; sarva-ja the all-knowing; nradaNrada; vaiava-priya the dear friend of the Vaiavas. r Gopa-kumra said: Nrada again looked all around. Beholding auspicious signs, that allknowing sage and dear friend of the Vaiavas addressed me joyfully. Commentary: Before taking the liberty to speak again, Nrada looked around him and noticed birds chirping and other auspicious omens. He wanted only the best for Gopa-kumra. TEXT 248

r-nrada uvca vraja-vra-priya rman svrtha viddhy u sdhitam etac csti mah-bhga puraivnumita may
r-nrada uvcar Nrada said; vraja-vraof the hero of Vraja; priyaO beloved; rmanO glorious one; sva-arthamyour goal; viddhiplease understand; usoon; sdhitamachieved; etatthis; caand; astiwas; mah-bhgaO most fortunate one;
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purbefore; evaeven; anumitamsurmised; mayby me. r Nrada said: O glorious one, beloved of the hero of Vraja, please know that soon your purpose will be achieved! Long ago, greatly fortunate one, I concluded that this would happen. TEXT 249

r-vaikuhe tula-sukha-bhara-prntasmspade syyodhy-pury tad-adhika-tare dvrakkhye pure smin ytasypi tava balate durghaa cittadukha svargdau ca prabhu-vara-padbjekaenpy abodha
r-vaikuhein r Vaikuha; atulaincomparable; sukha-bharagreat happiness; prnta-smaof the limit; spadein the abode; asyaHis; ayodhypurymin the transcendental city Ayodhy; tatthan that (Vaikuha); adhika-taremuch greater; dvrak-khyenamed Dvrak; purein the city; asminthis; ytasyawho have come; apiindeed; tavaof you; balateincreases in force; durghaam in an unlikely way; cittaof your mind; dukhamthe distress; svargain heaven; dauand so on; caand; prabhu-varaof the Lord; pada-abjalotus feet; kaenawhile seeing; apieven; abodhaignorance. Even when you came to r Vaikuha, the Lords abode of limitless, incomparable joy, and to His transcendental city of Ayodhy, and to this city of Dvrak, even greater than both, your hearts distress only multiplied in a most unlikely way. On Svarga and the other material planets you remained naive, even though seeing the lotus feet of your Lord. Commentary: It seems contrary that the dissatisfaction Gopa-kumra felt in Vaikuha, Ayodhy, and Dvrak was in fact a sign of his
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approaching the highest extreme of spiritual happiness, just as it seems contrary that on each planet in his earlier travels in the material worlds he had the personal association of Lord Viu in His various expansions and yet was unaware of higher realms. TEXT 250 tac cmu ca sva-dayita-vara-svmi-pdravindadvandve dye praaya-paal-vardhanyaiva manye smil loke katham itarath sambhaved dukha-hetus tasmis tasminn api mati-pade tatra tatrjat v tatthat (misery); caand; amumthis (ignorance); caand; svayour own; dayita-varamost beloved; svmiof the master; pda-aravindaof the lotus feet; dvandvefor the pair; dyevisible; praaya of love; paalof the abundance; vardhanyafor expanding; evaonly; manyeI consider; asminin this; lokeworld; kathamhow; itarathotherwise; sambhavetthere could be; dukhafor distress; hetucause; tasmin tasminin these various; api even; matiof wisdom; padein the realms; tatra tatrain those other (realms); ajatignorance; vor. I think all this occurred just to deepen your great love for the supreme object of your sight, those two lotus feet of your own dearest Lord. How else could there be any reason for distress in this realm, or ignorance in any of those abodes of knowledge? Commentary: The lotus feet of r Madana-gopla have long been visible in the core of Gopa-kumras heart, and he hopes that he will soon be able to see them with his very eyes. Other than to deepen his attraction to his Lords lotus feet, there would be no intelligible purpose for his sorrow in the spiritual world or his ignorance on the planets of the all-knowing sages. TEXT 251

yay ht-kobha-rhityn
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mah-kautukato pi te vtta bhva-vieea tat-tal-loke cyutekaam

yayby which (ignorance); htof the heart; kobhaof agitation; rhitytbecause of absence; mah-kautukatadue to the acute curiosity; api indeed; teyour; vttamoccurred; bhvawith ecstasy; vieeaspecial; tat-tatin each; loke world; acyutaof Lord Acyuta; kaamthe discovering. Your naivet let you feel the piqued curiosity of a simple heart free from agitation. Thus you enjoyed the special ecstasy of discovering Lord Acyuta on every planet. Commentary: Misery may sometimes intensify affection, but what is the use of ignorance? Nrada answers that on Mahar-loka and other planets Gopakumras simplicity allowed him to see in a very pure loving mood the Personality of Godhead. A mind filled with all kinds of knowledge becomes easily agitated by critical thoughts and is not free to enjoy enthusiasm like the mind of a simple person. Had Gopa-kumra been more sophisticated, he would not have been able to discover the Supreme Lord in His various aspects with as much sincere affection and would not have derived as much joy from the Lords darana. TEXT 252

tad gacchatu bhavn ghra sva-drghbha-siddhaye mdhur vraja-bhmi t dhar-r-krti-vardhinm

tattherefore; gacchatushould go; bhavnyour good self; ghramquickly; svayour; drghalong-held; abhaof the desire; siddhayefor the attainment; mdhurmsweet; vraja-bhmimto Vraja-bhmi; tm that; dharof the earth; rthe splendor; krti and fame; vardhinmwhich increases.

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So now go quickly to that most sweet Vraja-bhmi, which enhances the fame and splendor of the earth. Go fulfill the desire you have held for so long. Commentary: In Vndvana on earth Gopa-kumra will finally see the lotus feet of r Madana-gopla. How Vndvana increases the earths beauty and reputation is described by the gops of Vndvana: vndvana sakhi bhuvo vitanoti kti yad devak-suta-padmbuja-labdha-lakmi govinda-veum anu matta-mayra-ntya prekydri-snv-avaratnya-samasta-sattvam O friend, Vndvana is spreading the glory of the earth, having obtained the treasure of the lotus feet of Ka, the son of Devak. The peacocks dance madly when they hear Govindas flute, and upon seeing them from the hilltops other creatures all become stunned. (Bhgavatam 10.21.10) TEXT 253

tatraiva sdhana satya sdhu sampadyate cirt vaikuhopari vibhrjac chrmad-goloka-ypakam

tatrathere; evaindeed; sdhanamspiritual practice; satyamtruly; sdhuproperly; sampadyate is executed; acirtwithout delay; vaikuha-upari above Vaikuha; vibhrjatshining; rmat-goloka to r Goloka; ypakambringing. There, without delay, you will surely succeed in the spiritual practice that will bring you to the brilliant world above Vaikuhar Goloka. TEXT 254

r-gopa-kumra uvca tasya vk-sudhay prtas tatrha gantum utsuka antar bhagavad-jrth salakyokto mahtman
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r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; tasya his (Nradas); vkof the words; sudhayby the nectar; prtapleased; tatrathere; ahamI; gantumto go; utsukaeager; antawithin; bhagavatfrom the Supreme Lord; jpermission; arthanxious to obtain; salakyaperceiving; uktawas addressed; mah-tmanby the magnanimous soul (Uddhava). r Gopa-kumra said: Pleased by Nradas nectarean words, I was eager to go to Vraja-bhmi. But Uddhava perceived that within my heart I was anxious first to take permission from the Lord, and so the magmanimous Uddhava said something to me. Commentary: Uddhava could tell by looking at Gopakumra that he was anxious to ask permission from r Dvrakntha before going anywhere. TEXT 255

rmad-uddhava uvca tadaiva ydavendrjpeky syd yadi gamyate kutrpi bhavatnyatra s bhr hy asya mah-priy
rmat-uddhava uvcarmn Uddhava said; tad then; evajust; ydava-indraof the Lord of the Ydavas; jthe order; apekyto be honored; sytis; yadiif; gamyatewould be going; kutra apisomewhere; bhavatyou; anyatraelse; sthat; bhland; hibut; asyaHis; mah-priymost dear. rmn Uddhava said: If you were going anywhere else, the proper thing would be to take permission from the Lord of the Ydavas. But that land of His is most dear to Him. Commentary: As implied here by the word mah-priy (most dear), earthly Vndvana is Kas favorite abode. He favors it even more than His Dvrak in Vaikuha. TEXT 256

na skt sevay tasya

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y prtir iha jyate tad-vraja-sthna-vsena s hi sampadyate dh

nanot; sktdirectly; sevayby the service; tasyaof Him; ywhich; prtilove; ihahere (in Dvrak); jyateis born; tatthat; vraja-sthnain the land of Vraja; vsenaby residing; sthat; hi just; sampadyatedevelops; dhsolidly. Not even by direct service to the Lord here in Dvrak does the love arise that firmly develops if one merely lives in the land of Vraja. TEXT 257

ata evoita tasy vraja-bhmau cira may tatratya-tat-priya-privargasyvsana-cchalt

atatherefore; evaonly; uitamresiding was done; tasymin that; vraja-bhmauland of Vraja; ciram for a long time; mayby me; tatratyawho live in that place; tatHis; priyabeloved; pri-vargasya of those (devotees) left with only their lives; vsanaof the consoling; chalton the pretext. Therefore I spent a long time in Vraja-bhmi, on the pretext of consoling the Lords dear devotees, who lived there with nothing left but their lives. Commentary: In spending so much time in Vrajabhmi, wasnt Uddhavas purpose to console the Vraja-vss in their plight of having been abandoned by Ka? Externally it may have appeared so, but comforting the cowherd men and women was in fact only a pretext for Uddhavas visit. From his point of view there was no question of consoling the Vraja-vss. He went to Vndvana to learn from them how to love Ka. TEXT 258

manye mad-varo vetya kmam eta tavotkaam

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t neyaty ea bhmi tv svaya svasya priy priya

manyeI think; matmy; varaLord; avetya knowing; kmamdesire; etamthis; tavayour; utkaampowerful; tmto that; neyatiwill bring; eaHe; bhmimland; tvmyou; svayamHimself; svasyaHis own; priymdear (land); priyam(you who are) dear. I am sure my Lord already knows of your powerful desire. So He will personally bring you, His dear friend, to His dearest abode. Commentary: Gopa-kumra might concede that to travel he need not ask the Lords permission; but still, before leaving, he might simply want to have the Lords auspicious darana. Uddhava therefore tells Gopa-kumra that Ka will go with him on his journey. Vndvana is very dear to Ka, and so is Gopa-kumra. Therefore Ka Himself will surely take Gopa-kumra to Vndvana. TEXT 259

r-gopa-kumra uvca tad-vg-amta-pnena paramnanda-prita gato moham ivmutra kaa d nyamlayam

r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; tat his; vkof the words; amtathe nectar; pnenaby drinking; parama-nandawith topmost ecstasy; pritafilled; gata mohamI became unconscious; ivaas if; amutrathere (in Dvrak); kaamfor a moment; dmy eyes; nyamlayamI closed. r Gopa-kumra said: Filled with the highest ecstasy from drinking the immortal nectar of Uddhavas words, I seemed to lose consciousness. There in Dvrak, for a moment I closed my eyes. Commentary: Here the word iva implies that Gopakumra did not actually faint; he only lost his external vision for a moment because of closing his
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eyes. TEXT 260

kenacin nyamno smi kutrpti vitarkayan dv unmlya paymi kuje sminn asmi sagata
kenacitby someone; nyamnabeing carried; asmiI was; kutra apisomewhere; itithus; vitarkayan guessing; daumy eyes; unmlyaopening; paymiI saw; kujeto the grove; asminthis; asmiI have been; sagatabrought. Sensing that someone had taken me elsewhere, I then opened my eyes and saw that I had been brought to this grove. Commentary: With his eyes closed, Gopa-kumra couldnt see who was carrying him. Had he seen that it was Ka taking him to earth to leave him in Gokula, he would never have been able to give up the company of his Lord in Dvrak to attain Goloka, the ultimate destination. Uddhava had also discouraged Gopa-kumra from seeing Ka before leaving Dvrak because if Gopa-kumra had met Ka, to leave for Gokula Vndvana would have been impossible. Ka and His devotees were conspiring to assure Gopa-kumras ultimate success. Thus ends the fifth chapter of Part Two of rla Santana Gosvms Bhad-bhgavatmta, entitled Prema: Love of God.

6. Abha-lbha: The Attainment of All Desires

TEXTS 12
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[qGaaePaku-Maar ovac Taa& NaardqYaaMaNauSa*TYa iXa+aa& k*-Z<aNaaMaaiNa iNaJaiPa[Yaai<a ) SaqTaRYaNSauSvrMa}a l/Il/aSa( TaSYa Pa[GaaYaNauicNTaYa& )) TadqYal/Il/aSQal/JaaTaMaeTad( ivl/aek-YaN>aavdXae GaTaae Yae ) TaYaae" Svictae k-r<aeNa l/e k-Qa& PariSMaNk-QaYaaNYah& Tae ))

r-gopa-kumra uvca t nradym anustya ik r-ka-nmni nija-priyi sakrtayan su-svaram atra lls tasya pragyann anucintaya ca tadya-ll-sthala-jtam etad vilokayan bhva-dae gato ye tayo sva-citte karaena lajje katha parasmin kathayny aha te
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; tm those; nradymof Nrada; anustyafollowing; ikminstructions; r-kaof r Ka; nmnithe names; nijato myself; priyidear; sakrtayanchanting; su-svaramin a melodious voice; atrahere; llthe pastimes; tasyaHis; pragyansinging loudly; anucintayanremembering; caand; tadyaHis; ll-sthala-jtammany places of pastimes; etatthese; vilokayanseeing; bhvaan ecstatic mood; daeand state of excitement; gata obtaining; yewhich; tayoof them; sva-cittein my own mind; karaenaby expressing; lajjeI become embarrassed; kathamhow; parasminto another; kathaynican describe; ahamI; tethem. r Gopa-kumra said: Following Nradas instructions, here in Vraja I went to see the many places of Sri Kas pastimes. I sang His names most dear to me, I sang about His pastimes loudly
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and sweetly, I focused my mind upon themand I attained such a state of ecstasy and became so emotional that it embarrasses me even to think of it. How then can I describe this to anyone else? Commentary: In this Sixth Chapter, Gopa-kumra goes to Goloka and meets r Ka. Ka shows him special mercy, and Gopa-kumra joins the pastimes of that world. The first five verses show the good fortune Gopakumra gained by following the instructions of r Nrada. This good fortune will be his means of achieving Goloka. While visiting r Vndvana on earth, Gopa-kumra saw with his own eyes Ka performing His cowherd pastimes. As a result, Gopakumras mind reached a rare level of ecstasy and manifested such exceptional states as unmda (divine madness). TEXT 3 Sada MahaTYaaR k-<aSvrE dNa( NaYaaiMa ra}aqidRvSaa& k-aTar" ) Na vei YaTSauicradNauiTa& Sau%aYa va TataduTaaiTaRiSaNDave ))

sad mahrty karua-svarai rudan naymi rtrr divas ca ktara na vedmi yad yat su-cird anuhita sukhya v tat tad utrti-sindhave
sadconstantly; mah-rtyin great distress; karuapitiful; svaraiin tones; rudancrying; naymiI spent; rtrthe nights; divasdays; caand; ktaradistressed; na vedmiI did not know; yat yatall of which; su-cirtfor a long time; anuhitampracticed; sukhyafor happiness; vor; tat tatof that; utaotherwise; rtiof distress; sindhavefor (obtaining) an ocean. I spent my days and nights always crying in a pitiful whether the practice I had would lead me to happiness
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in great distress, voice, not knowing so long been following or cast me into an ocean

of distress. Commentary: It is difficult for Gopa-kumra to describe his embarrassing state, but because of his special affection for the Mathur brhmaa he will try to explain it to some extent. Gopa-kumra began his spiritual practice the day he left home as a young boy, and now all his practice seems to be reaching its culmination. But now he is uncertain whether the final result will be happy. Gopa-kumra expresses himself here in a narrative present tense. Thus he says na vedmiliterally, I do not know. But this clearly implies that this doubt has been with him for a long time and will continue for some time more. TEXT 4 k-QaidPYaak-l/YaaiMa NaETaTa( ik-Maez davaiGaniXa%aNTare_hMa( ) vSaaiMa ik&- va ParMaaMa*TaaC^= SauXaqTal/[qYaMauNaaJal/aNTa" ))

kathacid apy kalaymi naitat kim ea dvgni-ikhntare ham vasmi ki v parammtcchasu-tala-r-yamun-jalnta

kathacitsomehow; apialthough; kalaymi naI could not distinguish; etatthis; kimwhether; eathis; dva-agniof a forest fire; ikhthe flames; antarewithin; ahamI; vasmiwas living; kim vor whether; paramasupreme; amtaof the nectar; acchaclear; su-talaand very cool; ryamunof r Yamun; jala-antain the water. I couldnt tell whether I was living in the flames of a forest fire or in the supreme nectar of the clear, cool waters of r Yamun. TEXT 5 k-daicdev& ik-l/ iNaiNaaeMYah& Xa#=SYa hSTae PaiTaTaae_iSMa k-SYaicTa( )) Sada NYaMa& bhudu"%SaaGare Sau%SYa GaNDaae_iPa Na Maa& SPa*XaeTKvicTa( ))
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kadcid eva kila nicinomy aha ahasya haste patito smi kasyacit sad nyamaja bahu-dukha-sgare sukhasya gandho pi na m spet kvacit
kadcitsometimes; evamthus; kilaindeed; nicinomithought; ahamI; ahasyaof a cheater; hastein the hand; patitafallen; asmiI was; kasyacita certain one; sadconstantly; nyamajam I was being submerged; bahu-dukhaof great misery; sgarein an ocean; sukhasyaof happiness; gandha a trace; apieven; nanot; mmme; spetwould touch; kvacitever. Sometimes I thought I had fallen into the hands of some great deceiver. I was always submerged in a vast ocean of misery. Not even a drop of happiness ever touched me. TEXT 6 wTQa& vSaiaku-e_iSMaNv*NdavNaiv>aUz<ae ) Wk-da raedNaaM>aaeDaaE iNaMaGanae MaaehMav[JaMa( ))

ittha vasan nikuje smin vndvana-vibhae ekad rodanmbhodhau nimagno moham avrajam
itthamin this manner; vasanresiding; nikujein the grove; asminthis; vndvana-vibhaean ornament of Vndvana; ekadone day; rodanaof crying; mbhodhauin an ocean; nimagnadrowning; mohamunconsciousness; avrajamI obtained. In such a way I lived in this grove, this most attractive ornament of Vndvana. And one day, while immersed in an ocean of weeping, I fell unconscious. TEXT 7 dYaalu/cU@aMai<aNaaMauNaEv SvYa& SaMaaGaTYa k-raMbuJaeNa ) v&XaqrTaeNaaMa*TaXaqTale/Na
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Maa}aTaae MaaJaRYaTaa rJaa&iSa ))

daylu-cmainmunaiva svaya samgatya karmbujena va-ratenmta-talena mad-gtrato mrjayat rajsi

dayluof merciful persons; c-mainthe crown jewel; amunthat; evaonly; svayamin person; samgatyawho approached; kara-ambujenawith His lotus hand; vato the flute; ratenawhich was fondly attracted; amtalike nectar; talenacool; mat-gtratafrom my limbs; mrjayatwho was wiping; rajsithe dust. Then the crest jewel of all who are merciful appeared before me. With His own lotus hand, a hand cool like nectar and always pleased to hold His flute, He wiped the dust from my limbs. TEXT 8 NaqTaae_iSMa SaaLYa Mauhu" Sal/Il&/ Sa&ja& MahaDaUTaRvre<a YaaTa( ) NaaSaaPa[ivErPauraNau>aUTaEr( AaPaUYaR SaaEr>Ya>arE" Svk-IYaE" ))

nto smi saclya muhu sa-lla saj mah-dhrta-varea yatnt ns-praviair apurnubhtair prya saurabhya-bharai svakyai
ntabrought; asmiI was; saclyabeing stirred; muhuagain; sa-llamplayfully; sajmto consciousness; mah-dhrtaof great cheats; varea by the best; yatntwith some endeavor; nsmy nose; praviaiwhich entered; apurnever before; anubhtaiexperienced; pryafilling; saurabhya of fragrances; bharaiwith the abundance; svakyaiHis own. It wasnt easy, but that greatest of cheats playfully stirred me back to consciousness by filling my nostrils with His unique heady
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fragrances, which I had never known before. Commentary: r Madana-gopla-deva appeared in person before Gopa-kumra to award him the highest perfection. Gopa-kumra was in a deep swoon, oblivious to everything around him, but Kas presence awakened one of his senses, namely the sense of smell. Because Ka, the most expert enchanter, knows very well how to stir the senses of even an unconscious person, Gopa-kumra wants to acknowledge Kas omniscience by speaking of Him as mahbhija-vara (the best of those who know everything), but the ecstasy of his love transforms that original idea, and it comes out from his mouth as mah-dhrta-vara (the greatest of cheats). Gopa-kumras ecstasy forces him to reason, Although Ka may now be wiping my body with His own hands, soon enough that same Ka is just as likely to abandon me. TEXT 9 TadqYav-aBJaMaQaavl/aeKYa SaSaM>a[Ma& SaTvrMauiTQaTaae_hMa( ) AMau& ivDaTau| vrPaqTave SaMauTaae hzR>araicTaaTMaa ))

tadya-vaktrbjam athvalokya sa-sambhrama satvaram utthito ham amu vidhartu vara-pta-vastre samudyato hara-bharcittm
tadyaHis; vaktra-abjamlotus face; athathen; avalokyaseeing; sa-sambhramamin perplexity; satvaramquickly; utthitastanding up; ahamI; amumHim; vidhartumto take hold of; varasplendid; ptayellow; vastrethe garment; samudyata attempting; haraof joy; bharaa burden; cita accumulating; tmin my heart. Then, seeing His lotus face, I quickly stood up. Not knowing what I was doing, my heart filling with joy, I tried to catch hold of His splendid yellow cloth.
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TEXT 10 Sa NaaGareNd]ae_PaSaSaar Pa*Taae iNaNaadYa&STaa& Maurl/I& Svl/Il/Yaa ) A>aU ku-aNTairTa" SaPaSaaE MaYaa Na l/BDaae bTa DaavTaaPYal/Ma( ))

sa ngarendro pasasra phato nindayas t mural sva-llay abhc ca kujntarita sapady asau may na labdho bata dhvatpy alam
saHe; ngaraof heroes; indrathe king; apasasraescaped; phatabehind me; nindayan vibrating; tmthat; muralmflute; sva-llayin His playful way; abhtHe was; caand; kujaa grove; antaritawithin; sapadisuddenly; asauHe; mayby me; nanot; labdhaattained; bataah; dhvatrunning; apialthough; alama lot. That king of charming heroes blew His flute in His own playful way and escaped behind me. Suddenly He stepped into a grove. Andalas!though I ran about looking, I couldnt find Him. TEXT 11 ANTaihRTa& Ta& Tvivl/aeKYa MaUC^a| Pa[aae_PaTa& [qYaMauNaaPa[vahe ) WTaSYa veGaeNa SaMauMaaNaae l/Bev Sa&ja& VYaik-r& Svd*q ))

antarhita ta tv avilokya mrcch prpto pata r-yamun-pravhe etasya vegena samuhyamno labdhveva saj vyakira sva-d
antarhitamwho had disappeared; tamHim; tuand; avilokyanot seeing; mrcchmunconsciousness; prptaobtaining; apatamI fell; r-yamunof r Yamun; pravhein the swift current; etasyaits; vegenaby the force; samuhyamnabeing carried; labdhvregaining; ivaas if; sajmnormal consciousness; vyakiramI cast; sva-dmy
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glance. He had disappeared. Unable to see Him, I fainted and fell into the swift current of the Yamun. And as it forcefully carried me away, I seemed to regain normal awareness and looked around. Commentary: Gopa-kumra says that he seemed to regain consciousness (labdhv iva sajm) because he had not actually lost his awareness; his fainting was not a material disturbance but an external symptom of ecstasy. His recovery of normal consciousness was also only apparent, because the abnormal bewilderment of his prema had still not subsided. Two verses later he will describe his collecting his wits (cittam samdhya), which shows that now, at this earlier moment, he was still disoriented. TEXT 12 PaXYaaMYaiTa-aNTaMaNaaeJaveNa YaaNaeNa ke-NaaiPa MahaeDaRGaeNa ) ke-NaaiPa MaaGaeR<a MahauTaeNa deXaaNTare ku-}aicdaGaTaae_iSMa ))

paymy atikrnta-mano-javena ynena kenpi mahordha-gena kenpi mrgea mahdbhutena dentare kutracid gato smi
paymiI saw; atikrntawhich superseded; manajavenathe speed of the mind; ynenaby a vehicle; kena apisome; mah-rdhaway above; genawhich was going; kena apiby some; mrgeapath; mahadbhutenamost wonderful; dea-antareto another place; kutracitsomewhere; gatacome; asmiI was. I saw myself being transported to another place, along some wonderful path, by a vehicle flying faster than the mind and higher than one could imagine. Commentary: Gopa-kumra couldnt identify the vehicle that took him away, so he refers to it
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simply as a certain vehicle (ynena kenpi). He could only say that it was moving upward at a speed greater than that of the mind. The path the vehicle took was also unfamiliar and not able to be identified, so Gopa-kumra could only describe it as most amazing. It was utterly different from any road he had ever traveled before. TEXT 13 icta& SaMaaDaaYa Ma*XaaiMa Yaavd( vEku-<#=l/aek&- TaiMaTaae_iSMa TaavTa( ) Ta& iviSMaTaae vq+Ya vhNPa[hz| PaXYaYaaeDYaaidk-MaTYaGaa& TaTa( ))

citta samdhya mmi yvad vaikuha-loka tam ito smi tvat ta vismito vkya vahan prahara payann ayodhydikam atyag tat
cittammy mind; samdhyacollecting; mmiI noticed; yvatwhile; vaikuha-lokamworld of Vaikuha; tamthat; itafrom there; asmiI reached; tvatthen; tamthat; vismitaamazed; vkyaseeing; vahanexperiencing; praharam delight; payanwatching; ayodhy-dikamAyodhy and other regions; atyagmI passed; tatthem. Collecting my wits, I was amazed to see I was passing through Vaikuha-loka, and going beyond. I watched with great delight as I passed Ayodhy and other realms. Commentary: Without delay, the vehicle sped past the domain of Lord Nryaa, in which Gopa-kumra had previously resided, and then past other supreme abodes, including Ayodhy and Dvrak. TEXT 14 [qGaael/aek&- Ta& icraXaavl/Mb& Pa[aae >aaNTa& SavRl/aek-aePairaTa( ) AaSTae [qMaNMaaQaure Ma<@le/_iSMaNa( Yaad*KSav| Ta}a vE Taad*Gaev ))

r-goloka ta cirvalamba
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prpto bhnta sarva-lokoparit ste rman-mthure maale smin ydk sarva tatra vai tdg eva
r-golokamat r Goloka; tamthat; ciralongheld; of my desires; avalambamthe resort; prptaI arrived; bhntamshining; sarva-lokaall worlds; uparitabove; stewas; rmatdivine; mthure maalein Mathur-maala; asminthis; ydkas; sarvameverything; tatrathere; vai indeed; tdkso; evajust. I arrived at the shining world above all othersr Goloka, which I had long aspired to reach. Everything there appeared the same as in this divine Mathur-maala of the material world. Commentary: Gopa-kumra had long desired to attain Goloka, the land where his worshipable Lord, r Ka, eternally enjoys His pastimes. The Mathur brhmaa, Gopa-kumras disciple, lacks the spiritual vision to understand Goloka properly, but to give him some idea of the glories of Goloka, Gopa-kumra compares it to the transcendental abode where the two of them now sit. Golokas resemblance to the earthly Gokula is the very reason why Goloka does without the mood of reverence for Gods supremacy and displays instead the priceless treasure of superexcellent prema. TEXT 15 TaiSMaH[qMaQauraPae GaTva MaDauPaurqMahMa( ) A}aTYaaiMav Taa& d=*a ivSMaYa& hzRMaPYaGaaMa( ))

tasmi r-mathur-rpe gatv madhu-purm aham atratym iva t dv vismaya haram apy agm
tasminthat; r-mathurof r Mathur; rpein the prototype; gatvcoming; madhu-purmto Mathur City; ahamI; atratymlocated here (on earth); ivaas if; tmit; dvseeing; vismayam surprise; haramjoy; apiand; agmI experienced.
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In that original land of Mathur, I visited Mathur City. I was surprised and happy to see that it resembled the Mathur here on earth. Commentary: Gopa-kumra was astonished to see that even above Vaikuha things appeared as in the mortal world. He was pleased to find such arrangements for fulfilling his spiritual desires. TEXT 16 TaSYaaMaXa*<av& ced& iNaGa* iPaTar& SvYaMa( ) devk-I& vSaudev& c k&-Saae raJYa& k-raeiTa Sa" ))

tasym aava ceda nighya pitara svayam devak vasudeva ca kaso rjya karoti sa
tasymthere; aavamI heard; caand; idamthese; nighyaarresting; pitaramhis father; svayamon his own initiative; devakmDevak; vasudevam Vasudeva; caand; kasaKasa; rjyam karotiwas ruling; sahe. In that original Mathur, I heard that Kasa had taken it upon himself to arrest his father and Kas parents, Devak and Vasudeva, and was ruling the kingdom. Commentary: Kasa needed no introduction, especially to a person who hailed from Mathur City. The brhmaa must at least have read about him in the Puras and other scriptures. Later in this narration we will discover how persons like wicked Kasa, who in the material world had died long ago, could still be active in r Goloka. TEXT 17 TaSYa iPa[YaSauraiMa}aPairvarSYa XaYaa ) NaaeTSahNTae YaQaak-aMa& ivhTau| Yaadva" Sau%Ma( ))

tasya priya-surmitraparivrasya akay notsahante yath-kma vihartu ydav sukham

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tasyaof him; priyawere dear; sura-amitraand were enemies of the demigods; parivrasyawhose family and friends; akayout of fear; na utsahantedid not dare; yath-kmamas they might desire; vihartumto enjoy; ydavthe Ydavas; sukham freely. Out of fear of Kasa, whose family and friends were enemies of the demigods, the Ydavas dared not enjoy themselves freely. TEXT 18 TaSMaahuivDaa& baDaaMaiPa ivNdiNTa Tae_iNaXaMa( ) ku-}aaPYaPaSa*Taa" ke-icTSaiNTa ke-_iPa TaMaai[Taa" ))

tasmd bahu-vidh bdhm api vindanti te niam kutrpy apast kecit santi ke pi tam rit
tasmton account of him; bahu-vidhmof many kinds; bdhmaffliction; apialso; vindanti experienced; tethey; aniamconstantly; kutra api somewhere; apastfled; kecitsome; santiwere; ke apisome; tamof him; ritunder the shelter. Because of him they constantly suffered all sorts of affliction. Some of the Ydavas escaped elsewhere, and others took shelter of him. Commentary: Uddhava and other Ydavas went into exile in other districts. And some, like Akrra, became Kasas order carriers. As described in rmad-Bhgavatam (10.2.14): pralamba-baka-cratvarta-mahanai muikria-dvividaptan-ke-dhenukai anyai csura-bhplair ba-bhaumdibhir vta yadn kadana cakre
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bal mgadha-saraya Under the protection of Magadharja [Jarsandha], the powerful Kasa began persecuting the kings of the Yadu dynasty. In this he had the cooperation of demons like Pralamba, Baka, Cra, Tvarta, and Aghsura, and still othersMuika, Aria, Dvivida, Ptan, Ke, and Dhenuka, as well as Bsura and Naraksura and many other demonic kings on the surface of the earth. te pit niviviu kuru-pacla-kekayn lvn vidarbhn niadhn videhn koaln api eke tam anurundhn jtaya paryupsate Persecuted by the demonic kings, the Ydavas left their own kingdom and entered various others, like those of the Kurus, Paclas, and Kekayas, the lvas, Vidarbhas, and Niadhas, and the Videhas and Koalas. Some of the Ydavas, however, began to follow Kasas principles and act in his service. The Supreme Lord arranges for His pleasure pastimes to occur in Goloka just as on earth. Were this not so, the hearts of His unalloyed devotees would not be fully satisfied. TEXT 19 TaTaae_hMaiPa >aqTa" SaNk*-Taiv[aiNTaMaNa" ) iNa"Sa*TYa TvrYaaGaC^& [qMa*NdavNa& TaTa" ))

tato ham api bhta san kta-virnti-majjana nistya tvaraygaccha rmad-vndvana tata
tataso; ahamI; apialso; bhtaafraid; san being; ktahaving done; virntiat Virma-gha; majjanabathing; nistyaleaving; tvaray
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quickly; agacchamI went; rmat-vndvanamto rmad Vndvana; tatathen. I too was afraid of Kasa. So as soon as I finished bathing at Virnti-gha I hurriedly left Mathur and went to glorious Vndvana. Commentary: It was very good for Gopa-kumra that he was already assuming the character of the Goloka-vss, for that would lead him to his final perfection. TEXTS 2021 TaiSMaGaMYae_i%l/devTaaNaa& l/aeke-ra<aaMaiPa PaazRdaNaaMa( ) WTaSYa >aU>aarTavzRk-IYaa= YaaRvTaRdeXaSYa iNaPYa rqiTaMa( )) idVYaa& idNaeXaaeMaNaaidNaETaa& >aaEMaq=& Na*>aazacirTaaidNaaiPa ) MahacMaTk-ar>are<a ae NYaMaMaaNaNdrSaaMburaXaaE ))

tasminn agamye khila-devatn lokevarm api pradnm etasya bh-bhrata-varakyryvarta-deasya nirpya rtim divy dineodgamandinait bhaum n-bh-caritdinpi mah-camatkra-bharea ruddho nyamajjam nanda-rasmbu-rau
tasminthere; agamyeinaccessible; akhilaall; devatnmto the demigods; loka-varmto the rulers of the planets; apialso; pradnmto the Lords personal associates; etasyaof this (the ryvarta country); bhon earth; bhratavarakyaof Bhrata-vara; ryvarta-deasyaof the ryvarta country; nirpyanoticing; rtimthe ways; divymin the sky; dina-aof the sun (ruler of the days); udgamanaby the rising; dinand so on; etmthis; bhaummon the ground; nof humans;
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bhby the language; caritabehavior; dinand so on; apialso; mah-camatkraof extreme astonishment; bhareaby an excess; ruddha stunned; nyamajjamI drowned; nanda-rasaof ecstatic rasa; ambu-rauin an ocean. In that realm, beyond the reach of all the demigods, planetary rulers, and personal attendants of the Supreme Lord, I saw that life was going on just as here in this ryvarta country in Bhratavara on earth. The sun was rising and the other natural events were taking place every day in the sky, and on the land the people were speaking and behaving in the same way as here. I was stunned by astonishmentextreme astonishmentand immersed in an ocean of ecstatic rasa. Commentary: Demigods like Srya and Candra, planetary rulers like Indra and Brahm, and even associates of Lord Nryaa like r Garua cannot enter Goloka. Gopa-kumra, preparing his student for descriptions of life there, now gives him a glimpse of how Goloka resembles Vndvana on earth. Gopa-kumra saw for himself that the environment and culture of Goloka were just like those of ryvarta, north central India, refined in civilization, where Vraja-bhmi is located. What he saw in the sky (divym) and on the ground (bhaumm) could hardly be distinguished from the common experience of life on earth. This sight amazed him. He could now perceive the spiritual reality of rasa as something tangible, and the ecstasy of that rasa at once filled his heart and overflowed and left him swimming in an ocean of the nectar of devotion. TEXT 22 +a<aadPaXYa& >a[MaTaae GaaePaaiNav vNae NaraNa( ) PauZPaai<a icNvTaqv*Ra GaaePaqveXavTaqSTaQaa ))

kad apaya bhramato gopn iva vane narn pupi cinvatr vddh
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gop-vea-vats tath
katafter a few moments; apayamI saw; bhramatawandering; gopncowherds; ivaas if; vanein the forest; narnmen; pupiflowers; cinvatcollecting; vddhelderly women; gopvea-vatdressed as cowherdesses; tathand. After a few moments I saw some men, who might have been cowherds, wandering in the forest with some ladies, advanced in years and also wearing cowherd dress, who were picking flowers. Commentary: Gopa-kumra says that the men appeared as if cowherds (gopn iva). They certainly could not have been ordinary cowherds of the material world. Nor could he assume that the old women he saw were what they appeared. They were dressed as cowherd women, but what they actually were, Gopakumra leaves for his student to find out later. The younger gops were not there picking flowers, either because their feelings of separation from Ka disenabled them from such useful service or else because they were not allowed to leave the cowherd village. In any case, Gopa-kumra saw clearly that even the old people of Goloka had very special love for the Supreme Lord. TEXT 23 Tae c SaveR JaNaa" PaUvRd*SavRivl/+a<aa" ) ke-NaaiPa TaitaaSTaavVYaaku-l/a wv ))

te ca sarve jan prvada-sarva-vilaka kenpi hta-hd-vitts tad-bhva-vykul iva

tethey; caand; sarveall; janthe people; prva-daseen before; sarvafrom everyone; vilakadifferent; kena apiby someone; hta stolen; htof their hearts; vittthe wealth; tatfor him; bhvaby love; vykuldisturbed; ivaas if.

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The people there were different from anyone I had ever seen. Someone, it appeared, had stolen the wealth of their hearts and left them helplessly in love with him. Commentary: Since the beauty and good character of Golokas people were not to be found anywhere else, Gopa-kumra could hardly think of an adequate metaphor by which these people could be described. They seemed distracted, as if someone had stolen their hearts. The actual cause of this strange behavior was that they suffered from divine madness. They seemed distraught because a thief had stolen the treasure of their hearts. Or at least that was how things appeared on the surface (vykul iva); because Gopa-kumra had just been introduced to life in Goloka, he preferred to hold off on making a final judgment. TEXT 24 Taeza& dXaRNaMaa}ae<a Taad*Xa& >aavMaaPanuvNa( ) YaaEYaRiMavaSa*TYaaPa*C^& TaaiNadMaadraTa( ))

te darana-mtrea tda bhvam pnuvan yatnd dhairyam ivstypccha tn idam dart

temthem; daranaby seeing; mtreaonly; tdamof the same kind; bhvamloving affection; pnuvanobtaining; yatntwith endeavor; dhairyam composure; ivaas if; styassuming; apcchamI asked; tnthem; idamthis; dartwith respect. Simply by seeing them, I felt the same kind of loving affection. Trying hard, I composed myself and respectfully asked them the following questions. Commentary: The mere sight of these devotees made Gopa-kumra feel the same turbulent feelings they did. He managed to bring himself back to a condition almost sober (dhairyam iva stya), but not completely sober, otherwise he wouldnt have
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asked questions he could already answer. TEXT 25 ParMah&SaMaNaaerQadul/R>aE" ParMahzR>arE" PairzeivTaa" ) Pa[<aYa>a-JaNaE" k-Mal/aPaTae" ParMaYaaCYaTadqYadYaal/Yaa" ))

paramahasa-manoratha-durlabhai parama-hara-bharai parievit praaya-bhakta-janai kamal-pate parama-ycya-tadya-daylay

parama-hasaof the topmost sages; manorathain the imagination; durlabhairarely obtainable; parama supreme; haraof happiness; bharaiby the abundance; parievitserved; praayaloving; bhakta-janaiby the devotees; kamal-pateof the husband of the goddess of fortune; paramasupreme; ycyawhich is the object of prayer; tadyaHis; dayof the mercy; layreservoirs. O good people, you are served by a happiness so vast that the greatest sages cant obtain it even in dreams! You are reservoirs of the mercy of the Lord, the husband of the goddess of fortune, mercy for which His loving devotees always pray. Commentary: Before placing his questions, Gopakumra addresses the Goloka-vss in this way because he cannot comprehend how the hearts of such supremely fortunate devotees could be disturbed. The kind of happiness these pure souls know cannot be imagined by sages fixed in the conception of Brahman, for the devotees of Goloka are much greater than liberated sages and even greater than the servants of the Lord of Vaikuha, who love Lord Nryaa with pure intent. Though the devotees of Nryaa admire and pray for the same mercy bestowed upon the Goloka-vss, they never actually obtain it. TEXT 26 ParMadqNaiMaMa& Xar<aaGaTa&
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k-<aYaa bTa PaXYaTa PaXYaTa ) k-QaYaTaaSYa Na*Paae ivzYaSYa k-ae Ga*hMaMauZYa ku-Taae_SYa c vTMaR ik-Ma( ))

parama-dnam ima aragata karuay bata payata payata kathayatsya npo viayasya ko gham amuya kuto sya ca vartma kim
parama-dnammost wretched person; imamthis; araafor shelter; gatamwho has come; karuay with kindness; bataoh; payataplease look; payataplease look; kathayataplease tell; asyaof this; npathe king; viayasyaof the region; ka who; ghamthe residence; amuyahis; kutawhere; asyato it; caand; vartmathe road; kimwhich. Please, please look with kindness upon this most wretched person, who has come to you for shelter. Tell me, who is the king of this region? Where is his residence? Which road leads there? TEXT 27 >aae >aae" Sak-aku- Pa*C^NTa& DaNYaa" k*-PaYaTaa}a MaaMa( ) dta Pa[TYautar& ik-iTSaeTaeNaaiPa Sauv[Taa" ))

bho bho sa-kku pcchanta dhany kpayattra mm datta pratyuttara kicit saketenpi su-vrat
bho bhodear people; sa-kkuin pitiful tones; pcchantaminquiring; dhanyO most fortunate persons; kpayataplease be merciful; atrahere; mmto me; dattaplease give; pratyuttaraman answer; kicitsome; saketenaby a gesture; api even; su-vratO faithful ones. Dear, dear most fortunate people, please be merciful to me, who am asking you with mournful cries. Please give me some answer, O faithful devotees, if even only by gesture!
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Commentary: Not receiving an answer, Gopa-kumra first guesses that perhaps these Goloka-vss are nearly deaf. He therefore repeats his address more distinctly, saying loudly bho bho (dear people, dear people). He then realizes they are not deaf but simply paying no attention to him, so he tries to impress on them the sincerity of his request. He praises them as dhany (most fortunate) and suvrat (faithful followers of regulative principles). And if these devotees are following a vow of silence, at least they can answer him by hand signals. TEXT 28 Ahae bTa MahaTaRSYa Xa*<auTaaiPa vca&iSa Mae ) NaUNa& TaSYaEv DaUTaRSYa YaUYa& >aaveNa MaaeihTaa" ))

aho bata mahrtasya utpi vacsi me nna tasyaiva dhrtasya yya bhvena mohit
ahooh; bataalas; mahvery much; rtasyaof one who is tormented; utaplease hear; apiand; vacsithe words; memy; nnamcertainly; tasya for him; evaindeed; dhrtasyathe deceiver; yyam you; bhvenaby the behavior; mohitbespelled. Oh, please hear the words of this tormented soul! Alas, you must be under the spell of that clever cheat. Commentary: Even after Gopa-kumras fervent plea, the Goloka-vss didnt respond. They didnt even look at him. But Gopa-kumra, rather than become angry with them for their neglect, placed the blame on the enchanting Ka, who, after all, had deceived Gopa-kumra just as He had them. Ka is indeed the most expert cheat; only He (tasyaiva) could bewilder them like this, and no one else. TEXT 29 wTQa& Mauhu" Sak-aTaYa| SaMPa*C^&STaaiNaTaSTaTa" )
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d*XYaMaaNaaNPaurae >aUTva v[JaSQaaNaaNYavaPanuvMa( ))

ittha muhu sa-ktarya sampcchas tn itas tata dyamnn puro bhtv vraja-sthnny avpnuvam
itthamin this manner; muhurepeatedly; saktaryamanxiously; sampcchanasking; tnthem; ita tatahere and there; dyamnnwhom I saw; puraforward; bhtvgoing; vraja-sthnnithe pasturing grounds; avpnuvamI reached. In this way I moved here and there, anxiously questioning each person I met. And as I made my way forward, I came to the pasturing grounds of the cowherds. Commentary: The anxiety Gopa-kumra felt upon His arrival in Goloka was actually a symptom of dainya, the transcendental, unconditional humility that is the most important prerequisite for gaining eternal residence in Goloka. TEXT 30 PairTaal/Ya&+au" PaurqMaek-a& ivdUrTa" ) Ad]a+a& MaaDaurqSaarParqPaake-<a SaeivTaaMa( ))

parita claya caku purm ek vidrata adrka mdhur-sraparpkea sevitm

paritaaround; clayanmoving; cakumy eyes; purma town; ekmone; vidratafar away; adrkamI saw; mdhurof sweetness; sraof the essence; parpkeawith the mature perfection; sevitmadorned. Looking around in all directions, I spotted in the distance a town adorned with the essence of all sweetness. Commentary: The other realms Gopa-kumra had
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visited in the material and spiritual worlds were each great in their own way, but none of them, not even Vaikuha, was as attractive as this. TEXT 31 TaTPaaeR cai>aTaae_[aEz& GaaePaqNaa& GaqTaMauTaMa( ) dDNaa& MaQaNagaaeza!y& k-aNTa& >aUz<aiSaiTaE" ))

tat-prve cbhito raua gopn gtam adbhutam dadhn mathana-ghohya knta bhaa-sijitai
tatof it (the town); prveon a side; caand; abhitaall around; arauamI heard; gopnmof cowherd women; gtamsinging; adbhutamwonderful; dadhnmof yogurt; mathanaof churning; ghoaby the sound; hyamenhanced; kntamattractive; bhaaof ornaments; sijitaialong with the jingling. On one side of that town, all about I heard wonderful songs, sung by cowherd women, and the charming sound of the churning of butter, and the jingling of bangles. Commentary: Nowhere had Gopa-kumra ever heard such wonderful songs. Even though he was a liberated soul, with no interest in material sense gratification, he was attracted by the jingling sound of these womens bangles. TEXTS 3234 Pa[hzaRku-l/MaaTMaaNa& iv>Ya PaurTaae v[JaNa( ) Pa[aPanuv& k*-Z<a k*-Z<aeiTa SavEYaGa[y& iNarNTarMa( )) k-ITaRYaNTa& dNTa& c iNaiv& v*Maek-l/Ma( ) TaSMaaTPa[YacaTauYar[aEz& Gada+araTa( )) GaaeParaJaSYa NaNdSYa TaC^\qk*-Z<aiPaTau" PaurMa( ) TaC^Bd[uiTaMaa}ae<a VYaMau& hzRveGaTa" ))

praharkulam tmna viabhya purato vrajan

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prpnuva ka keti sa-vaiyagrya nirantaram krtayanta rudanta ca nivia vddham ekalam tasmt prayatna-cturyair araua gadgadkart gopa-rjasya nandasya tac chr-ka-pitu puram tac-chabda-ruti-mtrea vyamuhya hara-vegata
praharaby joy; kulamagitated; tmnammyself; viabhyabringing under control; purataforward; vrajanwalking; prpnuvamI found; ka kaO Ka! Ka!; itithus; sa-vaiyagryamwith intense emotion; nirantaramincessantly; krtayantamchanting; rudantamcrying; caand; niviamseated; vddhaman old man; ekalamone; tasmtfrom him; prayatnaby endeavors; cturyai skillful; arauamI heard; gadgadachoking; akartin syllables; gopa-rjasyaof the king of the cowherds; nandasya Nanda; tatit; r-ka-pituof Kas father; puramthe town; tatthose; abdawords; rutimtreajust by hearing; vyamuhyamI fainted; haraof my joy; vegataby the force. Trying to subdue my agitated joy, I walked forward and came across a seated elderly gentleman, sobbing profusely, incessantly chanting Ka! Ka! With some skillful effort I made him speak, and I heard him say, in a choked voice, that this town belonged to Nanda, the king of the cowherds, r Kas father. As soon as I heard those words I fainted, overcome with delight. Commentary: From this verse we can understand that Nanda Mahrja was officially the ruler of the
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district. TEXT 35 +a<aataeNaEv v*eNa ceiTaTaae_h& dYaalu/Naa ) DaavGa[e_i>aSa*TYaaSYaa NYazqd& GaaePaure Paur" ))

kat tenaiva vddhena cetito ha daylun dhvann agre bhistysy nyada gopure pura
katafter a moment; tenaby him; evaindeed; vddhenathe old man; cetitabrought back to consciousness; ahamI; daylunwho was compassionate; dhvanrunning; agreahead; abhistyaapproaching; asyof that; nyadamI sat down; gopurein a gateway; puraof the town. After a moment that compassionate old man revived me, and I ran ahead and approached a gateway of the town and sat there in the gate. TEXT 36 Ad*Ma[uTa& caNYaErSaM>aaVYa& VYal/aek-YaMa( ) bhuPa[k-arMaaYa| l/+aXaSTa}a k-aei$=Xa" ))

adam aruta cnyair asambhvya vyalokayam bahu-prakram carya lakaas tatra koia
adamunseen; arutamunheard of; caand; anyai by others; asambhvyamunimaginable; vyalokayamI saw; bahu-prakramof many kinds; caryamwonders; lakaaby the hundreds of thousands; tatrathere; koiaand by the tens of millions. And there I saw, by the hundreds of thousands and tens of millions, all sorts of wonders, unseen, unheard of, unimaginable by anyone of this world. Commentary: About the amazing things he saw, Gopakumra cannot say much to someone like the Mathur brhmaa, who has not seen anything comparable. But being kindly disposed toward this disciple, Gopa958

kumra will try to help him understand something. TEXT 37 iNaeTau& NaaXak&- ik&- Tae ParMaaNaNdiNav*RTaa" ) ik&- va du"%>arGa[STaa JaNaa" SaveR iJaaetaMa ))

nicetu naka ki te paramnanda-nirvt ki v dukha-bhara-grast jan sarve dvijottama

nicetumto determine; na aakamI was not able; kimwhether; tethey; paramathe highest; nanda bliss; nirvtenjoying; kim vor whether; dukha-bharaby terrible misery; grastgripped; janthe people; sarveall; dvija-uttamaO best of brhmaas. O best of brhmaas, I couldnt discern whether the people there were all enjoying the highest bliss or suffering in the grip of terrrible misery. TEXT 38 GaaeiPak-aNaa& c YaqTa& [UYaTae raedNaaiNvTaMa( ) TataaezSYa Xaucae vaNTYak-aYaeiTa Na buDYaTae ))

gopikn ca yad gta ryate rodannvitam tat-toasya uco vntyakhayeti na budhyate

gopiknmby the cowherd women; caand; yatwhat; gtamwas sung; ryatewas heard; rodana-anvitam accompanied by crying; tatthat; toasyaof satisfaction; ucaof lamentation; vor; antyakhayas the extreme limit; itithus; na budhyatewas not understood. I heard the gops songs, coupled with their crying, but were they songs of the greatest contentment or the greatest sorrow? I couldnt tell. Commentary: The behavior of the Goloka-vss, arising as the culmination of their wonderful love
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for Ka, puzzled Gopa-kumra. Such exalted prema is beyond the understanding of all but a few most fortunate persons. TEXTS 3940 Pad& TaTPaXYaTaa MaTYaRl/aeke-_SMaqTYaev MaNYaTae ) Yada Tau PaUvRPaUvaRNauSaNDaaNa& i-YaTae bhu )) Tadai%l/aNaa& l/aek-aNaaMal/aek-aNaaMauPaYaRiPa ) TaQaa l/aek-aiTal/aek-aNaa& vTaeRYaeTYavGaMYaTae ))

pada tat payat martyaloke smty eva manyate yad tu prva-prvnusandhna kriyate bahu tadkhiln loknm aloknm upary api tath lokti-lokn varteyety avagamyate
padamabode; tatthat; payatobserving; martyalokein the mortal world; asmiI am; itithus; eva indeed; manyatehe would consider; yadif; tu however; prva-prvaon various previous experiences; anusandhnamreflection; kriyateis done; bahusufficient; tadthen; akhilnmall; loknmmaterial planets; aloknmnonplanetary regions; upariabove; api also; tathand; loka-ati-loknmtranscendental abodes; varteyaI am present; itithus; avagamyate would be understood. A person seeing that place might think he was in the material world. But by carefully reflecting on whatever he had seen before, he would understand he was now somewhere above all material planets, all higher nonplanetary regions, and all the transcendental realms of the spiritual world. Commentary: Because Goloka in the spiritual sky and Mathur-maala here on earth are nondifferent, at first Gopa-kumra mistook one for the other.
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Reflecting back on his travels, however, he reconsidered. He had been to Vaikuha, Ayodhy, and Dvrak, and where he was now had all the signs of being even more exalted. Evidently this place was greater than the fourteen planetary systems of the material world (loknm), the outer coverings of the material universe (aloknm), and the transcendent spiritual realms of Vaikuha (loktiloknm). His present location, therefore, must be above all other worlds. TEXT 41 AQa Ta}aaGaTaaMaek-a& v*a& NaTvaiTak-aku-i>a" ) APa*C^& ivhrTYa KvaSaaE [qNaNdNaNdNa" ))

atha tatrgatm ek vddh natvti-kkubhi apccha viharaty adya kvsau r-nanda-nandana

athathen; tatrathere; gatmwho came; ekman; vddhmold lady; natvbowing down to; atikkubhiin an extremely plaintive voice; apccham I asked; viharatiplays; adyatoday; kvawhere; asauHe; r-nanda-nandanar Nanda-nandana. Then an elderly lady came by. I bowed down to her and asked in a plaintive voice where r Nandanandana was playing today. Commentary: Gopa-kumra was still sitting inside the gateway of Nanda Mahrjas cowherd village. TEXT 42 [qv*aevac Pa[aTaivRhTau| GahNa& Pa[ivae Gaaei>avRYaSYaE MahaGa[JaeNa ) Pa[a<aPa[daTaa v[JavaiSaNaa& Na" SaaYa& SaMaaYaaSYaiTa Saae_DauNaEv ))

r-vddhovca prtar vihartu gahana pravio gobhir vayasyai ca mahgrajena pra-pradt vraja-vsin na
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sya samysyati so dhunaiva

r-vddh uvcathe elderly lady said; prtain the morning; vihartumto play; gahanamthe dense forest; praviaentered; gobhiwith His cows; vayasyaiyoung friends; caand; mahrespected; agra-jenawith His elder brother; pra-pradtthe bestower of life; vraja-vsinmto the Vraja-vss; naus; syamin the evening; samysyatiwill return; saHe; adhuntoday; evaindeed. The elderly lady said: This morning that giver of life to us Vraja-vss went into the dense forest to play, with His cows and friends and His respected elder brother. Later, at dusk, He will return. Commentary: This old gop anticipates that when Ka returns home (samysyati) He will expertly fulfill the individual expectations of each Vrajavs. And if He doesnt come home on time, she further implies, we will all die from disappointment. TEXT 43 iTaiNTa YaiSMaNv]JavaiSaNaae JaNaa NYaSTae+a<aa vTMaRiNa YaaMauNae_i%l/a" ) WTae NaGaa YaSYa Tadq+a<aaeNMau%a" SaNTYauC^dE=reZYaiTa NaNvNaeNa Sa" ))

tihanti yasmin vraja-vsino jan nyasteka vartmani ymune khil ete nag yasya tad-kaonmukh santy ucchadair eyati nanv anena sa
tihantistand; yasminwhere; vraja-vsina residing in Vraja; janthe people; nyastafixed; kawhose eyes; vartmanion the path; ymune along the Yamun; akhilall; etethese; nag trees; yasyawhose; tatHim; kaafor seeing; unmukheager; santiare; ucchadaiwith erect leaves; eyatiwill come; nanucertainly; anenaby this (path); saHe.

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All the Vraja-vss are waiting on this path along the Yamun, their eyes transfixed on the road. These trees stand with leaves erect, eagerly awaiting the chance to see Him. Surely He will come along this path. Commentary: Discussing Kas imminent return has obviously enlivened the elderly gop. TEXT 44 [qGaaePaku-Maar ovac ParMaaMa*TaDaarai>ari>aiz- wva>avMa( ) TaYaa Ta& diXaRTa& MaaGaRMaek-d*ya VYal/aek-YaNa( ))

r-gopa-kumra uvca parammta-dhrbhir abhiikta ivbhavam tay ta darita mrgam eka-dy vyalokayan
r-gopa-kumra uvcar Gopa-kumra said; parama-amtaof most refined nectar; dhrbhiby a downpour; abhiiktaanointed; ivaas if; abhavamI became; tayby her; tamthat; daritamshown; mrgamat the path; eka-dywith one-pointed attention; vyalokayanI looked. r Gopa-kumra said: As if anointed by a downpour of the purest nectar, I gazed with one-pointed attention down the path the old lady had pointed out. TEXT 45 ParMaaNaNd>aare<a STaiM>aTaae" k-QaNa ) YaeNaaGa[e >avNdUre_Xa*<av& k-MaiPa iNaMa( ))

paramnanda-bhrea stambhitoru kathacana yatnengre bhavan dre ava kam api dhvanim
parama-nandaof the highest ecstasy; bhreaby the force; stambhitafrozen; urumy thighs;
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kathacanasomehow; yatnenawith effort; agre ahead; bhavangoing; dreat a distance; aavamI heard; kam apia certain; dhvanimsound. The sheer force of my ecstasy had frozen my thighs. But with some effort I moved on, and I heard from afar a certain sound. TEXT 46 Gava& haMbaravE" Saul/il/TaTar& MaaehMaurl/I= k-l&/ l/Il/aGaqTaSvrMaDaurraGae<a k-il/TaMa( ) JaGaEl/+a<YaaicTaivivDa>aqivl/iSaTa& v[JaSQaaNaa& Taeza& SaPaid ParMaak-zRbil/TaMa( ))

gav hmb-rvai su-lalita-tara mohamuralkala ll-gta-svara-madhura-rgea kalitam jagad-vailakaycita-vividha-bhagvilasita vraja-sthn te sapadi paramkarabalitam
gavmof the cows; hmbof mooing; rvaiby the loud sound; su-lalita-tarammost attractive; moha enchanting; muralof the flute; kalamthe reverberation; llsportingly; gtaplayed; svara with musical tones; madhurasweet; rgeaby a melody; kalitamenhanced; jagatfrom the entire world; vailakayaby distinction; citamarked; vividhavarious; bhagwith embellishments; vilasitamdecorated; vraja-sthnmof those present in the cowherd village; temthem; sapadiat once; paramasupreme; karawith attractive force; balitamempowered. Mixed with the mooing of cows, it was the supremely attractive murmur of Kas enchanting flute. That soundsweet melodies of sportingly played notes, diverse with musical embellishmentswas like nothing ever heard in the material world. Its attractive force at once overwhelmed everyone in
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the cowherd village. Commentary: The first sounds Gopa-kumra heard from Kas flute were sweet but not very clear. Such an indistinct musical sound is called kala. Then Gopa-kumra began to discern the different notes of the scale, and then coherent melodies like the mallra-rga. And then, as the sound came even closer, he could hear subtle embellishments known as mrchan (chromatic modulations). Meditating on the sound absorbed Gopa-kumras attention, and indeed that of everyone present. TEXT 47 YaSMaaTSauSTaivTaiTaTaae dqgaRDaara rSaaNaa& gaaezSQaaNaaMaiPa TaNau>a*Taa& Nae}aTaae_[uPa[vaha" ) TaNMaaTa<aaMaiPa ivvYaSaa& +aqrPaUra" STaNae>Ya" k-ail/Na Pa[cl/PaYaSaa& Tae NYavTaRNTa veGaa" ))

yasmt sasrus taru-vitatito drgha-dhr rasn ghoa-sthnm api tanu-bht netrato rupravh tan-mtm api vivayas kra-pr stanebhya klindy ca pracala-payas te nyavartanta veg
yasmtbecause of which; sasruthere flowed; taru of trees; vitatitafrom the rows; drghalong; dhrdownpours; rasnmof the various kinds of sap; ghoain the cowherd village; sthnmwho were situated; apijust; tanu-bhtmof the embodied beings; netratafrom the eyes; aruof tears; pravha mighty current; tatHis (Kas); mtmof the mothers; apialthough; vivayasm elderly; krawith milk; prfilled; stanebhya from the breasts; klindyof the Yamun; caand; pracalarapidly moving; payasmfrom the water; te it; nyavartantastopped; vegthe forceful currents.
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By the power of that sound, sap flowed in a downpour from the long rows of trees, a flood of tears fell from the eyes of every embodied being in the village of the cowherds, a shower of milk rained from the breasts of all of Kas mothers, even the elderly, and the rapid currents of the Yamun suddenly stood still. Commentary: As the living beings in the forest had all enjoyed the association of Ka during the day, now in the evening everyone who lived in the village delighted in seeing Him again. Not only Mother Yaod but many other mothers of Ka, including His aunts and nurses, responded ecstatically to the sound that promised His return. All the mothers of the cowherd boys and calves had in fact become Kas mothers when Ka had expanded Himself to replace the boys and calves stolen by Brahm. Normally, nothing can stop the current of r Yamun, but the sound of Kas flute is no ordinary force. TEXT 48 Na JaaNae Saa v&XYauiriTa Garl&/ vaMa*TarSa& Na JaaNae Taadae_PYaXaiNaPazae vaMbuMa*dul/" ) Na JaaNae caTYauZ<aae Jvil/TadhNaaeNduiXaiXarae YaTaae JaaTaaeNMaada MauMauhuri%l/aSTae v[JaJaNaa" ))

na jne s vay udgirati garala vmtarasa na jne tan-ndo py aani-paruo vmbumdula na jne cty-uo jvalita-dahand venduiiro yato jtonmd mumuhur akhils te vrajajan
na jne I did not know; sthat; vaflute; udgiratiemits; garalampoison; vor; amta-rasam the nectar of immortality; na jne I did not know;
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tatits; ndasound; apialso; aanilike a thunderbolt; paruahard; vor; ambulike water; mdulasoft; na jne I did not know; caand; atiuavery hot; jvalitablazing; dahantmore than a fire; vor; indulike the moon; iiracooling; yatabecause of which; jtabecoming; unmd insane; mumuhubecame bewildered; akhilall; te they; vraja-janthe inhabitants of Vndvana. I didnt know whether that flute gave out poison or the nectar of immortality, whether its sound was harsh like thunder or soft like water, hotter than blazing fire or cooler than the moon. I couldnt tell. But that sound drove all the Vraja-vss mad. All of them were utterly bewildered. TEXT 49 AQaaNauPaXYaaiMa Ga*haiiNa"Sa*TaaSa( TadqYaNaqraJaNavSTauPaa<aYa" ) Pa[YaaiNTa k-ai]JaYaaeizTaae_Para" iXarae_iPaRTaal/r<aaePa>aaeGYak-a" ))

athnupaymi ghd vinists tadya-nrjana-vastu-paya praynti kcid vraja-yoito par iro-rpitlakaraopabhogyak

athathen; anupaymiI saw; ghtfrom the houses; vinistcoming out; tadyaof Him; nrjanafor worshipful greeting; vastuwith items; payain their hands; prayntigo forth; kcitsome; vrajayoitawomen of Vraja; aparothers; iraon their heads; arpitaheld; alakaraaornaments for decorating; upabhogyakand food for offering. Then I saw some women of Vraja come out of their homes, bearing in their hands the things needed to greet Ka with worship. Others who passed by held ornaments and offerings of food on their heads. Commentary: Some of the ladies carried lamps, flowers, mustard seeds, and other articles for offering rati to Ka. Other ladies carried pots
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of butter on their heads and carried garlands and fragrant sandalwood pulp and sweet and spicy yogurt, all meant for Kas enjoyment. TEXT 50 ik-i k-aitvNaPae+aMaa<aa" SaM>a[aiNTaivganak-il/Taa" S%l/NTYa" ) DaaviNTa TaSYaa& idiXa Ya}a DaeNau= haMbarva ve<auiNaNaadiMa[a" ))

kicic ca kcit tv anapekam sambhrnti-vighnkalit skhalantya dhvanti tasy dii yatra dhenuhmb-rav veu-ninda-mir
kicitanything; caand; kcitsome ladies; tu but; anapekamnot paying attention to; sambhrntiof their frenzy of affection; vighnaby the obstacle; kalitweakened; skhalantya stumbling; dhvantithey ran; tasymin that; dii direction; yatrawhere; dhenuof the cows; hmbravthe sounds of the mooing; veuof the flute; nindawith the vibration; mirmixed. Other ladies, ignoring everything around them, ran toward the mingled sounds of the mooing of the cows and the song of the flute. In the frenzy of love for Ka, the ladies stumbled down the path. Commentary: When these gops attempted to run forward, nothing could interfere but their own eagerness. This was evidence of how purely they loved Ka. TEXT 51 k-aiiPaYaRGDa*Ta>aUz<aa YaYau" k-ai Naqvqk-cbNDaNaaku-l/a" ) ANYaa Ga*haNTaSTa>aavMaai[Taa" k-ai >aUMaaE NYaPaTaiNvMaaeihTaa" ))

kcid viparyag-dhta-bha yayu kcic ca nv-kaca-bandhankul any ghntas taru-bhvam rit kcic ca bhmau nyapatan vimohit
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kcitsome ladies; viparyakin disarray; dhta wearing; bhatheir ornaments; yayuwent; kcitsome; caand; nvtheir belts; kacabandhanaand the braiding of their hair; kul disordered; anyothers; gha-antainside their houses; taruof trees; bhvamthe condition; ritresorted to; kcitsome; caand; bhmauto the ground; nyapatanfell; vimohitunconscious. Some ladies ran with their ornaments in disarray, some could hardly keep their belts and hair tied, some stayed in their homes, stunned like trees, and others fell unconscious to the ground. TEXT 52 Maaeh& GaTaa" k-aNa NaqYaMaaNaa Da*Tva[ul/al/ad]RMau%a" Sa%qi>a" ) YaaNTaqTara" Pa[eMa>araku-l/aSTa& PaXYaETaiMaTYaail/i>aCYaMaaNaa" ))

moha gat kcana nyamn dhtvru-llrdra-mukh sakhbhi ynttar prema-bharkuls ta payaitam ity libhir ucyamn
moham gatwho fainted; kcanasome; nyamn while being carried; dhtvbeing held; aruwith tears; llaand saliva; rdrawet; mukhtheir faces; sakhbhiby girlfriends; yntiwent; itarothers; prema-bharaby the force of their love; kuldistressed; tamHim; payacome see; etamthis; itithus; libhiby their friends; ucyamnbeing told. Some of the women who had fainted, their faces wet with tears and saliva, were carried forward by their girlfriends. Other ladies, pained by the urges of their love for Ka, went ahead pressed on by their friendsCome see Him! Commentary: The gops had no need to specify to one another who the object of their attraction was. They simply referred to Ka as tam etam (Him,
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this person). Without any explicit description, they all knew whom they were talking aboutKa, the Lord of their life. TEXT 53 TadqYaNaaMaeihTaGaaNaTaTPara ivic}aveXaaMbrk-aiNTa>aUizTaa" ) rMaaiTaSaaE>aaGYaMadPa[hairk-a JaveNa k*-Z<aaTa$=Maa[YaNTa Taa" ))

tadya-nmehita-gna-tatpar vicitra-vembara-knti-bhit ramti-saubhgya-mada-prahrik javena k-taam rayanta t

tadyaHis; nmaabout the names; hitaand activities; gnain singing; tatparfully absorbed; vicitravarious; veawith ornaments; ambaradress; kntiand complexions; bhit adorned; ramof Ram, the goddess of fortune; atisaubhgyain her extreme good fortune; madathe pride; prahrikwho derided; javenaswiftly; k-taamto the side of the Yamun; rayanta went to take shelter; tthey. The ladies, so diverse in complexion and adorned with diverse ornaments and dress, put to shame the good fortune of the goddess of fortune herself. Swiftly the ladies ran to the bank of the Yamun, absorbed in singing His names and pastimes. TEXT 54 TaTaae_hMaiPa ke-NaaPYaak*-ZYaMaa<a wvaGa[Ta" ) DaavNTaqi>a" SaMaNTaai>aDaaRv>YaSar& rYaaTa( ))

tato ham api kenpykyama ivgrata dhvantbhi samantbhir dhvann abhyasara rayt
tatathen; ahamI; apialso; kena apiby someone; kyamabeing pulled; ivaas if; agrata forward; dhvantbhialong with the women who were running; samantbhion all sides; dhvanrunning;
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abhyasaramI went forward; raytquickly. I too went forward, as if pulled by someone. Joining the throng of gops rushing forward on all sides, I too began to run quickly. Commentary: The young gops came out of their houses and rushed in groups to the path along the Yamun by which Ka was expected to return. These gops were more fortunate and more beautiful than even Mah-lakm, the wife of Lord Nryaa. TEXT 55 AQaaPaXYa& dUraNMaDaurMaurl/IraiJaTak-rae Javai"Sa*TYaaSaaE Sai%PaXauGa<aaavNaPar" ) AYae [qdaMa&STvTku-l/k-Mal/>aaSvaNaYaiMaTa" SaPa" Pa[aae Mae SauidiTa vdeiTa l/il/TaMa( ))

athpaya drn madhura-mural-rjita-karo javn nistysau sakhi-pau-gad dhvanapara aye rdmas tvat-kula-kamala-bhsvn ayam ita sarpa prpto me suhd iti vadann eti lalitam
athathen; apayamI saw; drtfrom a distance; madhurasweet; muralHis flute; rjitashining; karain His hand; javtquickly; nistyacoming out; asauHe; sakhiof His friends; pauand animals; gatfrom the group; dhvana-para running; aye rdmanO rdm; tvatyour; kulaof the family; kamalaon the lotus; bhsvnthe shining sun; ayamthis; itahere; sarpaSarpa; prptaobtained; meMy; suhtdear friend; iti thus; vadanspeaking; etiHe approached; lalitam sweetly. Then from a distance I saw Him, His charming flute in hand. Running quickly, He emerged from among His friends and animals and approached me, saying in a
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sweet voice, Look, rdm! Here is My dear friend Sarpa, the sun who shines on the lotus of your family! Commentary: In texts 55 through 59, Gopa-kumra describes his first impression upon seeing Ka in Goloka. Because Ka recognized Gopa-kumra as His friend Sarpa, Ka left behind the cowherd boys and the cows and ran forward to greet him. TEXT 56 Ar<YaveXaae ivcl/Tk-dMb= Maal/avTa&SaaMbrbahRMaaEil/" ) SaaEr>YaSa&vaiSaTaid-$=aNTaae l/Il/aiSMaTa[qivk-SaNMau%aBJa" ))

araya-veo vicalat-kadambamlvatasmbara-brha-mauli saurabhya-savsita-dik-tanto ll-smita-r-vikasan-mukhbja

raya-veaforest dress; vicalattrembling; kadambaof kadamba flowers; mlHis garland; avatasaearrings; ambaradress; brha-mauliand peacock-feather crown; saurabhyaby His fragrance; savsitaperfumed; dikof the directions; taaantathe remote extremes; llplayfully; smita smiling; rbeautifully; vikasatexpanding; mukhaabjaHis lotus face. Ka was dressed for the forest. His garments, earrings, and peacock-feather crown all swayed to and fro, and so did His garland of kadamba flowers. His fragrance perfumed all directions, and His beautiful lotus face blossomed with a playful smile. TEXT 57 k*-Paavl/aek-aeSadq+a<aaMbuJaae ivic}aSaaENdYaR>arEk->aUz<a" ) GaaeDaUil/k-al/&k*==Tacl/al/k-= [e<Yaav*iTaVYaGa[k-raMbuJaauil/" ))

kpvalokollasad-kambujo
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vicitra-saundarya-bharaika-bhaa go-dhliklakta-cacallakarey-vti-vyagra-karmbujguli
kpof mercy; avalokaa glance; ullasatbeaming; kaa-ambujaHis lotus eyes; vicitravarious; saundarya-bharaassets of beauty; ekaunique; bhaawhose ornaments; gofrom the cows; dhlikwith the dust; alaktadecorated; cacala moving; alakaof hair; rewhose locks; vtiin pushing back; vyagrabusy; kara-ambujaof whose lotus hand; agulithe fingers. His lotus eyes beamed with a merciful glance, and the varied assets of beauty decorated Him in a singular way. The fingers of His lotus hand busily pushed back the locks of His hair, which flew about, adorned with the dust raised by the cows. TEXT 58 DaraTal/[q>ardaNaheTauNaa >aUiMaSPa*XaaeNa*RTYaivl/aSaGaaiMaNaae" ) SauJaaTaYaae" [qPadPaYaaeJaRvad( oal/NaaeaSa>arEMaRNaaehr" ))

dhar-tala-r-bhara-dna-hetun bhmi-spor ntya-vilsa-gmino sujtayo r-pada-padmayor javd ucclanollsa-bharair manohara

dhar-talathe surface of the earth; r-bharaof supreme splendor; dnathe gift; hetunwith the purpose of granting; bhmithe earth; spowhich were touching; ntyaof dance; vilsawith the play; gminowhich were moving; sujtayotender; rdivine; pada-padmayoof His lotus feet; javt quickly; ucclanafor walking with large steps; ullsaof eagerness; bharaiby the abundance; mana-harastealing the heart. His tender, divine lotus feet touched the surface of the earth just to grant her the gift of supreme splendor. Playfully dancing as they moved, they
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attracted everyones heart with their great eagerness to walk quickly with large steps. TEXT 59 kE-XaaerMaaDauYaR>araeSaC^\q= Gaa}aa>a[k-aNTYauJJvil/Taai%l/aXa" ) Ta}aTYaiNaTYaiPa[Yal/aek-icta= Ga[aauTaaNaek-MahtviSaNDau" ))

kaiora-mdhurya-bharollasac-chrgtrbhra-knty-ujjvalitkhila tatratya-nitya-priya-loka-cittagrhydbhutneka-mahattva-sindhu
kaioraof youth; mdhurya-bharawith all the sweetness; ullasatshining; rbeautiful; gtraof His body; abhralike a cloud; kntiby the effulgence; ujjvalitamade brilliant; akhilaall; athe directions; tatratyaliving in that place (Vraja); nityaeternally; priyadear; lokaof the people; cittathe hearts; grhyawhich captured; adbhutaamazing; anekacountless; mahattvaof excellences; sindhuan ocean. The effulgence of His cloud-colored body, shining with the full sweetness of youth, lit up all corners of the sky. His beauty, which captured the hearts of the ever-dear devotees of Vraja, was an ocean abounding with countless excellences. Commentary: Unable to express much more about the beauty of Kas body, which glowed like a new rain cloud, Gopa-kumra sums up Kas beauty by describing it as an ocean of excellences. As an ocean is constant and unfathomably deep, so are all of Kas personal qualities. In Goloka, Kas beloved devotees know the value of His beauty and other virtues because the hearts of those devotees are completely attracted to Him, as His heart is to them. TEXT 60 SvdqNal/aek-iPa[YaTaaiNaYaiN}aTaae bl/adQaaeTuTYa SaMaqPaMaaGaTa" )
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Tadq+a<aPa[eMaivMaaeihTa& ih Maa& Gale/ Ga*hqTva SahSaaPaTauiv ))

sva-dna-loka-priyat-niyantrito bald athotplutya sampam gata tad-kaa-prema-vimohita hi m gale ghtv sahaspatad bhuvi
svaHis own; dnahelpless; lokaof the devotee; priyatby the affection; niyantritacompelled; baltforcefully; athathere; utplutyajumping; sampamclose by; gatacoming; tatHim; kaa from seeing; premaby love; vimohitambewildered; hiindeed; mmme; galeby the neck; ghtv seizing; sahassuddenly; apatatHe fell; bhuvion the ground. He leaped forward and came close to me, compelled by the affection of His helpless devotee. I fainted in love at seeing Him. He caught hold of me by the neck. And suddenly He too fell to the ground. Commentary: Gopa-kumra was already aware, at least theoretically, that Ka is very affectionate to His helpless devotees, but now he learned that Ka had affection specifically for him. Merely seeing Ka was enough to utterly enchant Gopakumra, but this new discovery pushed him toward the limit of ecstasy. TEXT 61 +a<aeNa Sa&jaMahMaeTYa TaSMaad( ivMaaeCYa Yaal/MauiTQaTa" SaNa( ) PaXYaaiMa >aUMaaE PaiTaTaae ivMau vTMaaRd]RYaiSTa rJaaeMaYa& Sa" ))

kaena sajm aham etya tasmd vimocya yatnd galam utthita san paymi bhmau patito vimuhya vartmrdrayann asti rajo-maya sa
kaenaafter a moment; sajmto consciousness; ahamI; etyareturning; tasmtfrom Him; vimocya freeing; yatntwith endeavor; galammy neck;
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utthita sanstanding up; paymiI saw; bhmauon the ground; patitafallen; vimuhyafainted; vartmathe path; rdrayanmaking wet; astiwas; raja-mayamcovered with dust; saHe. A moment later I reawoke and carefully freed my neck from His grasp. I stood up and saw Him on the ground, unconscious. Covered with dust, He was moistening the path with His tears. Commentary: Even though Ka was unconscious, He was crying so profusely that His tears were turning the dust on the road into mud. TEXT 62 GaaePYa" SaMaeTYaahurhae bTaaYa& k-ae_}aaGaTaae va ik-iMad& ck-ar ) WTaa& dXaa& Naae_SauGaiTa& iNaNaaYa ha ha hTaa" SMaae v[JavaiSal/aek-a" ))

gopya sametyhur aho batya ko trgato v kim ida cakra et da no su-gati ninya h h hat smo vraja-vsi-lok
gopyagops; sametyacoming; husaid; aho bata alas; ayamthis; kawho; atrahere; gatacome; vand; kimwhat; idamthis; cakrahas done; etm to this; damcondition; naour; asuof the lives; gatimthe goal; ninyahas brought; h h oh, oh; hatkilled; smawe are; vraja-vsi residing in Vraja; lokthe people. Some gops came and said, Look! Who has come here? What has he done? He has put our life and soul into such a state! Alas! Alas! Just see, people of Vrajanow we are all dead! Commentary: The gops didnt know who Gopa-kumra was, other than some stranger dressed as a cowherd boy. TEXT 63 k&-SaSYa MaaYaaivvrSYa >a*TYa"

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k-iivZYaTYaYaMa}a NaUNaMa( ) Wv& ivl/aPa& ivivDa& crNTYaSa( TaMaud]udTYa" Pairvv[uraTaaR" ))

kasasya myvi-varasya bhtya kacid bhaviyaty ayam atra nnam eva vilpa vividha carantyas tam udrudatya parivavrur rt
kasasyaof Kasa; myvithe wizard; varasyabest; bhtyaservant; kacitsome; bhaviyatimust be; ayamthis; atrahere; nnamindeed; evamthus; vilpamlamentation; vividhamvarious; carantya carrying on; tamHim (Ka); udrudatyacrying loudly; parivavruthey surrounded; rt distressed. This must be some servant of that great wizard Kasa. Lamenting like this in many ways, the gops cried loudly in distress as they surrounded Ka. TEXT 64 AQaaSYa Pa*Taae veGaad( GaaePaSaa" SaMaaGaTaa" ) d*=a Taad*GavSQa& Ta& du" k-<aSvrE" ))

athsya phato vegd gopa-sagh samgat dv tdg-avastha ta rurudu karua-svarai

athathen; asyaHim; phatafrom behind; vegt quickly; gopa-saghgroups of cowherds; samgatapproached; dvseeing; tdksuch; avasthamin a condition; tamHim; ruruduthey cried; karuapitiful; svaraiin tones. Then, from behind Ka, several groups of cowherds quickly approached. Seeing Him in such a state, they cried with pitiful voices. TEXTS 6566 TaMaa-NdiNa& gaaer& dUraC^\uTva v[JaiSQaTaa" ) v*a NaNdadYaae GaaePaa YaXaaeda Pau}avTSal/a )) JarTYaae_NYaaSTaQaa daSYa" SaveR Ta}a SaMaaGaTaa" )
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DaavNTa" Pa[S%l/TPaada MauGDaa ha heiTa vaidNa" ))

tam kranda-dhvani ghora drc chrutv vraja-sthit vddh nanddayo gop yaod putra-vatsal jaratyo nys tath dsya sarve tatra samgat dhvanta praskhalat-pd mugdh h heti vdina
tamthat; krandaof crying; dhvanimthe sound; ghoramterrible; drtfrom afar; rutvhearing; vraja-sthitpresent in Vraja; vddhelder; nanda-dayaNanda and others; gopcowherds; yaodYaod; putra-vatsalvery affectionate to her son; jaratyaelderly ladies; anyother; tathalso; dsyamaidservants; sarveall; tatrathere; samgatassembled; dhvantarunning; praskhalat stumbling; pdwhose feet; mugdhbewildered; h halas, alas; itithus; vdinasaying. From far away in the village, Nanda and the other elder cowherds heard this terrible sound of crying. So too did Yaod, ever affectionate to her son, and so did the other elder ladies and the maidservants. Together they all ran to that place, their feet stumbling on the path. Bewildered, they too cried Alas! Alas! TEXT 67 TaTaae Gaavae v*za vTSaa" k*-Z<aSaaradYaae Ma*Gaa" ) AaGaTaaSTaa& dXaa& TaSYa d=*a raedNak-aTara" ))

tato gvo v vats kasrdayo mg gats t da tasya

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dv rodana-ktar
tatathen; gvacows; vbulls; vatscalves; ka-srablack deer; dayaand others; mg animals; gatcoming; tmthat; damcondition; tasyaHis; dvseeing; rodanawith crying; ktaragonized. Then the cows and bulls and calves came there, and the black deer and other animals. Seeing Ka in that state, they wept in agony. TEXT 68 A[uDaarai>aDaaTaaSYaa NadNTa" ehTaae Ma*du ) AaGaTYaaGaTYa iJaga]NTaae il/hNTYaeTa& MauhuMauRhu" ))

aru-dhrbhir dhautsy nadanta snehato mdu gatygatya jighranto lihanty eta muhur muhu
aruof tears; dhrbhiwith floods; dhauta drenched; sytheir faces; nadantacrying out; snehataout of love; mdugently; gatya gatya approaching one by one; jighrantasmelling; lihantithey licked; etamHim; muhu muhu repeatedly. The animals, all crying out in love, their faces drenched with floods of tears, approached Ka one by one and gently smelled and licked Him again and again. Commentary: The men, women, and animals all spontaneously reacted so desperately because Ka was the exclusive center of their existence. TEXT 69 %GaaSTaSYaaePaira >a[MaNTaae VYaaeiMNa du"i%Taa" ) dNTa wv ku-vRiNTa k-ael/ahl/MaNaek-Xa" ))

khags tasyoparic ca bhramanto vyomni dukhit

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rudanta iva kurvanti kolhalam anekaa

khagbirds; tasya uparitabove Him; caand; bhramantaflying; vyomniin the sky; dukhit miserable; rudantacrying; ivaas if; kurvanti they made; kolhalama tumultuous noise; anekaa in great numbers. Great numbers of birds, flying overhead, told also of their misery by making a tumultuous noise that sounded like people crying. Commentary: The birds roaming in the sky could not discern exactly what was going on below, but they responded sympathetically nonetheless. TEXT 70 SQaavraaNTataa" Sa" XauZk-a wva>avNa( ) bhuNaaee-Na ik&- SaveR Ma*Taa wv cracra" ))

sthvar cntar uttapt sadya uk ivbhavan bahunoktena ki sarve mt iva carcar

sthvarthe nonmoving creatures; caalso; anta within themselves; uttaptgreatly pained; sadya suddenly; ukdried up; ivaas if; abhavan became; bahunmuch more; uktenawith speaking; kimwhat is the use; sarveall; mtdead; iva almost; cara-acarmoving and nonmoving beings. And the immobile creatures, in great pain within, seemed suddenly to dry up. What more is there to say? All beings, moving and nonmoving, were on the verge of death. TEXT 71 Ah& MahaXaaek-SaMaud]MaGan" Svk*-TYaMaU!" ParMaaiTaRMaa" ) iNaDaaYa TaTPaadYauGa& SvMaSTae dNPa[v*taae bhuDaa ivl/aPae ))

aha mah-oka-samudra-magna
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sva-ktya-mha paramrtim pta nidhya tat-pda-yuga sva-maste rudan pravtto bahudh vilpe
ahamI; mahvast; okaof sorrow; samudrain an ocean; magnadrowning; svaby me; ktyaabout what should be done; mhabewildered; paramamost severe; rtimtorment; ptaexperiencing; nidhya placing; tatHis; pda-yugamtwo feet; sva-masteon my head; rudansobbing; pravttabegan; bahudhin various ways; vilpelamenting. As for me, I was drowning in a vast ocean of sorrow. Confused about what to do, severely tormented, I put Kas feet on my head and began profusely sobbing and lamenting. Commentary: When he put Kas feet on his head, he could see how beautiful, soft, and attractive they were. TEXT 72 ivdUrvTas bl/>ad]devae _NauJaaePaMaak-LPavYaae_i>araMa" ) Naql/aMbral/&k*==TaGaaErk-aiNTaSa( TaTa" SaMaaYaaTSa>aYa& SaveGaMa( ))

vidra-vart balabhadra-devo nujopamkalpa-vayo-bhirma nlmbarlakta-gaura-kntis tata samyt sa-bhaya sa-vegam

vidrafar away; vartlocated; balabhadra-deva Lord Balabhadra; anujaHis younger brother; upama like; kalpaby whose dress; vayaand age; abhirmacharming; nlablue; ambarawith a garment; alaktaadorned; gaura-kntiwhitecomplexioned; tatathen; samytapproached; sabhayamfearful; sa-vegamquickly. Then Lord Balabhadra, Kas older brother, quickly arrived from some distance away, full of fear. White-complexioned and arrayed in blue
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garments, He appeared charming, for He was the same age as Ka and as nicely dressed. Commentary: Unable to keep up with Ka when Ka had run to meet Gopa-kumra, Balarma had fallen behind with the other cowherd boys. But now He anxiously hurried forward, concerned for Kas safety. Gopa-kumra saw that Balarma was of the same kiora age as Nanda-nandana, but differed from Him in being white like the fibers in a lotus stem and being dressed in blue. TEXT 73 ivXaardeNd]" PairTaae ivl/aeKYa dN+a<aaEYaRiMavavl/MBYa ) MadqYadae>YaaRMaNauJaSYa k-<#&= SaahYaaMaaSa iNaJaPa[YaaTa( ))

viradendra parito vilokya rudan kad dhairyam ivvalambya madya-dorbhym anujasya kaha sagrhaym sa nija-prayatnt
virada-indrathe most skillful of persons (Balarma); paritaon all sides; vilokyalooking; rudanand crying; katafter a moment; dhairyam His composure; ivaas if; avalambyaregaining; madyamy; dorbhymwith the arms; anujasyaof His younger brother; kahamthe neck; sagrhaym sa made hold; nija-prayatntwith all His might. Lord Balabhadra, that most skillful of persons, cried for a moment but then seemed to regain His composure and looked all around. With great care and attention, He made me hold His younger brother by the neck with my arms. Commentary: At first Balarma cried in distress to see Ka in such a condition. But He quickly gathered His wits and looked all around to find out what had made Ka faint. TEXT 74 SaMMaaJaRYaaMaaSa MadqYaPaai<aNaa [qMatadaiNa TaQaa TaMaukE-" )
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AaaYaYaaMaaSa ivic}ak-aku-i>a" Pa[aeTQaaPaYaaMaaSa MaYaEv >aUTal/aTa( ))

sammrjaym sa madya-pin rmat-tad-agni tath tam uccakai hvyaym sa vicitra-kkubhi protthpaym sa mayaiva bh-talt
sammrjaym saHe caused to be wiped; madyamy; pinwith the hand; rmatbeautiful; tatHis (Ka's); agnilimbs; tathand; tamto Him; uccakaiin a loud voice; hvyaym samade me call; vicitravarious; kkubhiwith plaintive cries; protthpaym saHe caused to be lifted; mayby me; evaonly; bh-taltfrom the ground. He wiped Kas beautiful limbs clean with my hand and made me loudly call out to Him with many plaintive cries. Then He made me lift Ka up from the ground. TEXT 75 Saae_[uDaaraPairMauid]Tae Tae [qNae}aPae odMaql/YaTSa" ) Maa& vq+Ya hzaRTPairr>Ya cuMbNa( l/aMaGaC^=TPairTaae_vl/aeKYa ))

sadyo ru-dhr-parimudrite te r-netra-padme udamlayat sa m vkya hart parirabhya cumban lajjm agacchat parito valokya
sadyasuddenly; aru-dhrby a flood of tears; parimudritewhich were sealed; tethe two; r beautiful; netra-padmelotus eyes; udamlayat opened; saHe (Ka); mmme; vkyaseeing; hartjoyfully; parirabhyaHe embraced; cumban kissing; lajjmembarrassment; agacchatHe obtained; paritaall around; avalokyalooking. Suddenly Ka opened His eyes, sealed till then by a flood of tears. Seeing me, He joyfully embraced and kissed me. But then He looked around and became
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embarrassed. Commentary: Ka had become helplessly bewildered by love for His friend, and He was embarrassed by the thought that from His tearful reaction to Gopakumras arrival everyone could see this. TEXT 76 icrad*Pa[a<aiPa[YaSa%iMavavaPYa Sa Tau Maa& k-re Da*Tva vaMaSvk-rk-Male/Na Pa[>auvr" ) ivic}a& SaMPa[n& ivdDadi%l/a&STaaNv[JaJaNaaNa( SaMaaNaN [qMaaNaivXaid>aGaaMaq v[JavrMa( ))

cirda-pra-priya-sakham ivvpya sa tu m kare dhtv vma-sva-kara-kamalena prabhuvara vicitra samprana vidadhad akhils tn vraja-jann samnandya rmn aviad ibha-gm vrajavaram
cirafor a long time; adanot seen; pra-priya as dear as His own life; sakhama friend; ivaas if; avpyaobtaining; saHe; tuand; mmme; kare by the hand; dhtvtaking; vmaleft-side; svakara-kamalenaby His lotus hand; prabhu-varathe best of Lords; vicitramvarious; sampranam questions; vidadhatpresenting; akhilnall; tn them; vraja-jannthe people of Vraja; samnandya greeting; rmnthe blessed Lord; aviatentered; ibha-gmwith the gait of an elephant; vrajathe cowherd village; varambest. That best of Lords took my hand in His ownHis own left lotus handand received me as a long-lost bosom friend. He asked me various questions. Then He greeted all the people of Vraja and entered the best of cowherd villages with the gait of an elephant. Commentary: Kas closest friends are as dear to Him as life itself. Holding Gopa-kumras hand,
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Ka welcomed him with such questions as Dear friend, are you healthy and happy? TEXT 77 vNYaa Ma*GaaSTaSYa ivYaaeGadqNaa GaNTau& ivNaa Ta& ih ku-Taae_PYaXa-a" ) Pa[aTa>aRivZYaTPa[>audXaRNaaXaaSa( TaSQauv[RJaair iNaXaa& NaYaNTa" ))

vany mgs tasya viyoga-dn gantu vin ta hi kuto py aakt prtar-bhaviyat-prabhu-darans tasthur vraja-dvri ni nayanta
vanyof the forest; mgthe animals; tasyafrom Him; viyogabecause of separation; dnmiserable; gantumto go; vinwithout; tamHim; hiindeed; kuta apianywhere; aaktunable; prtain the morning; bhaviyatupcoming; prabhuof the Lord; daranafor the seeing; whose hope; tasthu they stood; vrajaof the cowherd village; dvriat the entrance; nimthe night; nayantaspending. The forest animals were miserable because now they had to part from Him. Unable to go anywhere without Him, they simply stood at the entrance of the village, ready to spend the entire night there in the hope of seeing their Lord again the next morning. TEXT 78 oqYaaeqYa PaXYaNTaae ivhGaaSTa& v[JaaNTare ) ra}aavd=*a -aeXaNTaae dNTa wv iNaYaRYau" ))

uyoya payanto vihags ta vrajntare rtrv adv kroanto rudanta iva niryayu
uya uyaflying high in various directions; payantawatching; vihagthe birds; tamHim; vraja-antarein the cowherd village; rtrauat night; advnot seeing; kroantamaking loud noises; rudantacrying; ivalike; niryayuthey
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flew away. The birds flew here and there high over the village to watch Him, but when night came and they could no longer see Him they cried out as if weeping and flew away. Commentary: All the creatures in Goloka, including the jungle beasts and the birds, are fixed in unalloyed devotion to Ka. TEXT 79 GaaedaehNaaNaNTarMaaGa[he<a NaNdSYa Pau}aPa[<aYaaku-l/SYa ) SaM>aal/Na& SaaDau GavaMak*-Tva TaaE >a[aTaraE JaGMaTauraTMaGaehMa( ))

go-dohannantaram grahea nandasya putra-praaykulasya sambhlana sdhu gavm aktv tau bhrtarau jagmatur tma-geham
goof the cows; dohanathe milking; anantaram after; graheaon the insistence; nandasyaof Nanda; putrafor his sons; praayawith affection; kulasyawho was feeling anxious; sambhlanam attention; sdhuproperly; gavmto the cows; aktvwithout giving; tauthe two; bhrtarau brothers; jagmatuwent; tmaTheir; gehamto the home. At the insistence of Nanda Mahrja, who was anxious with love for his sons, just after milking the cows the two brothers went to Their home. They went home at once, not even giving the cows proper attention. Commentary: Nanda Mahrja anxiously told Ka, My boy, You must be tired from so much wandering in the forest. Go home with Your elder brother and take Your bath. I will look after the cows. Please dont delay any longer or Your mother will be unhappy and scold me. Please cooperate and go right now.
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TEXT 80 ehuvTSTaNYad*Ga[uDaarYaa DaaETaaMbra&GYaa TvrYaa YaXaaedYaa ) >aUTva Paurae_k-air Saraeih<aqk-Yaa Pa[TYaNaqraJaNaMaeTaYaaeMauRhu" ))

sneha-snuvat-stanya-dg-aru-dhray dhautmbargy tvaray yaoday bhtv puro kri sa-rohikay praty-aga-nrjanam etayor muhu
snehadue to love; snuvatflowing; stanyamilk; dkfrom her eyes; aruof tears; dhraywith a flood; dhautawashed; ambaraher clothing; agy and body; tvarayquickly; yaodayYaod; bhtv coming; purain front; akridid; sa-rohikay along with Rohi; prati-agaof all the limbs; nrjanamworship by offering of lamps; etayoof the two of Them; muhurepeatedly. Mother Yaod quickly came to meet the boys, her clothing and body wet with the milk flowing from her breasts and the tears that flooded from her eyes in love. Together with Rohi, she offered lamps to both brothers, worshiping each limb of Their bodies again and again. Commentary: The mothers of the two boys worshiped Them by offering rati to all the parts of Their bodies. TEXT 81 NaqraJaYaNTYaaTMaiXaraehE" SauTa& Saail/iTa eh>are<a cuMbiTa ) Naae veita ri+aZYaiTa XaqiZ<aR ik&- iNaJae v+aae_NTare va Ja#=raNTare va ))

nrjayanty tma-iroruhai suta sligati sneha-bharea cumbati no vetti rakiyati ri ki nije vako-ntare v jaharntare v
nrjayantperforming the rati ceremony; tmaher own; iroruhaiwith the hair; sutamher son; s
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she (Yaod); ligatiembraced; sneha-bhareafull of love; cumbatikissed; nanot; uindeed; vetti she could decide; rakiyatiwill keep; rion her head; kimor; nijeher own; vaka-antareon the breast; vor; jahara-antarein the womb; v or. Yaod performed rati to her son Ka by caressing Him with her own hair, and affectionately embraced and kissed Him. She couldnt decide whether she ought to keep Him on her head, at her breast, or within her womb to protect Him. TEXT 82 Ta}aEv NaqTa& Pa[<aYaaku-le/Na Maa& TaeNa SvYa& k-airTaMaaTa*vNdNaMa( ) Saa l/al/YaaMaaSa Mauda SvPau}avd( d*=a MaiYa Pa[eMa>ar& SauTaSYa TaMa( ))

tatraiva nta praaykulena m tena svaya krita-mt-vandanam s llaym sa mud sva-putra-vad dv mayi prema-bhara sutasya tam
tatrathere; evajust; ntambrought; praayaby love; kulenawho was anxious; mmme; tena svayam by Himself; kritamade to do; mtto His mother; vandanamoffering of respects; sshe; llaym sa caressed; mudhappily; svaown; putra-vatjust like a son; dvseeing; mayifor me; premaof love; bharamthe abundance; sutasyaof her son; tamthat. Ka, anxious with love for me, brought me there outside His home and had me offer respects to her. And Mother Yaod, seeing the great love Ka had for me, happily caressed me as though I were her own son. Commentary: Inspired by Kas obvious love for Gopa-kumra, Yaod also took Gopa-kumra on her lap and embraced him. She had seen how enthusiastically Ka had greeted him when he and
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Ka had first met on the road. TEXT 83 TaavdaGaTYa iMail/Taa YauGaPata}a GaaeiPak-a" ) k-aiyaJaeNa ke-NaaiPa k-aiTSavaRNaPae+aYaa ))

tvad gatya milit yugapat tatra gopik kcid vyjena kenpi kcit sarvnapekay
tvatthen; gatyacoming; militmet; yugapatall at once; tatrathere; gopikthe gops; kcit some; vyjenaby an excuse; kena apisome; kcit some; sarvaeveryone; anapekaydisregarding. Then the gops all arrived there at once. Some had made excuses for coming, and others had paid no regard to what anyone thought. Commentary: The gops were beyond concern for public opinion and ordinary religious principles. TEXTS 8485 MaaTa*>Yaa& aPaNaarM>a& a>Yaa& >a[a}aaeRYaae" k*-TaMa( ) Aal/+Ya >aGavaNaah bvqriTal/MPa$=" )) MaaTaraE >a[aTaravava& +auDaaTaa SvSTadaedNaMa( ) iNaZPaa >aaeJaYaeQaa& NaaE TaaTaMaaNaaYYa SaTvrMa( ))

mtbhy snpanrambha dvbhy bhrtror dvayo ktam lakya bhagavn ha ballav-rati-lampaa mtarau bhrtarv v kudhrtau svas tad odanam nipdya bhojayeth nau ttam nyya satvaram
mtbhymby the mothers; snpanaof bathing; rambhamthe commencement; dvbhymby the two; bhrtroof the brothers; dvayotwo; ktamdone;
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lakyaseeing; bhagavnthe Lord; hasaid; ballavwith the cowherd girls; ratifor intimate enjoyment; lampaaeager; mtarauO mothers; bhrtarauthe two brothers; vmWe; kudhby hunger; rtaudistressed; svaare; tattherefore; odanamrice; nipdyapreparing; bhojayethmplease feed; nauOur; ttamfather; nyyabringing; satvaramquickly. Mother Yaod and Mother Rohi got ready to bathe Ka and His brother. But when Lord Ka saw this, being eager to enjoy with the cowherd girls, He said, Dear mothers, We brothers are very hungry. So please make some rice, send for Our father, and feed Us right away. TEXT 86 TaC^\uTvahu" iPa[Ya& GaaePYa" [qYaXaaede v[Jaeir ) deiv raeihi<a k-TaRVYaadSMaairMaTaa& YauvaMa( ))

tac chrutvhu priya gopya r-yaode vrajevari devi rohii kartavyd asmd viramat yuvm
tatthat; rutvhearing; husaid; priyam affectionately; gopyathe gops; r-yaodeO r Yaod; vraja-variQueen of Vraja; devidivine; rohiiO Rohi; kartavytfrom the work; asmt this; viramatmplease desist; yuvmyou. Upon hearing those words, the gops said affectionately: r Yaod, Queen of Vraja, and dear Rohi-dev, please set this work of bathing aside. Commentary: The gops were happy to hear Kas request because it gave them an excuse for sending away Mother Yaod, Rohi, and Balarma. TEXT 87 Xaqga]& >aaeJaNaSaaMaGa[q=& SaMPaadYaTaMaeTaYaae" ) vYaMaev Sau%& SaMYaKaPaYaeMaaicraidMaaE ))
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ghra bhojana-smagr sampdayatam etayo vayam eva sukha samyak snpayemcird imau
ghramquickly; bhojanafor feeding; smagrmthe items; sampdayatamplease prepare; etayoof these two; vayamwe; evaonly; sukhamhappily; samyak properly; snpayemawill bathe; acirtwithout delay; imauThem. Please quickly prepare everything to feed these two boys. We shall gladly give Them a proper bath without delay. TEXT 88 [qYaXaaedaevac Pa[QaMa& TvrYaa JYae" aPaiYaTva Pa[hqYaTaaMa( ) NaNdSYaaNaYaNaaYaa}a >aaeJaNaaQaaRYa bail/k-a" ))

r-yaodovca prathama tvaray jyeha snpayitv prahyatm nandasynayanytra bhojanrthya blik

r-yaod uvcar Yaod said; prathamamfirst; tvarayquickly; jyehathe elder boy; snpayitvhaving bathed; prahyatmsend Him; nandasyaof Nanda; nayanyafor bringing; atra here; bhojana-arthyafor the meal; blikO girls. r Yaod said: Dear girls, first quickly bathe the older boy. Then send Him to fetch Nanda for the meal. Commentary: Unsuspecting, Yaod addressed the gops as blik, innocent girls. TEXT 89 [qSaPa ovac Pa[XaSYa Tacae & raMa& Taa" k-iTaicd( d]uTaMa( )
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AaaVYa Pa[ezYaaMaaSauSTaYaaeGaeRh& Pa[ivYaae" ))

r-sarpa uvca praasya tad-vaco hdya rma t katicid drutam plvya preaym sus tayor geha praviayo
r-sarpa uvcar Sarpa said; praasya praising; tat-vacaher words; hdyamwelcome; rmamBalarma; tthey; katicitsome; drutam quickly; plvyabathing; preaym sudispatched; tayothe two of them (Yaod and Rohi); geham the house; praviayowhile they entered. r Sarpa said: Welcoming and praising Yaods words, several of the gops quickly bathed Balarma and sent Him off. Meanwhile, the two mothers went into the house. Commentary: Gopa-kumra has now assumed his original identity as Kas friend Sarpa. From now on he will be referred to by that name. In the presence of Kas elder brother, the gops were shy. They were not able to relax and enjoy His company as they did Kas. Therefore they were glad to see Balarma and the two mothers go as soon as possible. TEXT 90 [qk*-Z<aSYa ivic}aai<a >aUz<aaiNa iv>aaGaXa" ) -Mae<aaetaaYaR Taa" SvqYaEvREGaaR}aa<YaMaaJaRYaNa( ))

r-kasya vicitri bhani vibhgaa krameottrya t svyair vastrair gtry amrjayan

r-kasyaof r Ka; vicitrivarious; bhanithe ornaments; vibhgaadividing up the services; krameagradually; uttryaremoving; t they (the gops); svyaitheir own; vastraiwith the garments; gtriHis limbs; amrjayanthey
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wiped. The gops divided up the service among themselves. They removed Kas various ornaments one by one and wiped His limbs with their own garments. Commentary: There were many gops who wanted to serve Ka, too many for all of them to do the same thing at once, so they divided the tasks. One gop took off one of Kas ornaments, a different gop another, and so on. They did the preliminary wiping either with cloths they had brought from their homes or with their own shawls. TEXT 91 v&Xaq=& SaPaqiMav YaaCYaMaaNaa& Taai>a" k-raBJaa iJaga*+YaMaa<aaMa( ) SaeTa>a&GYaa Sa Tau Maa& Pa[baeDYa ic+aePa dUraNMaMa Mau-hSTae ))

va sapatnm iva ycyamn tbhi karbjc ca jighkyamm saketa-bhagy sa tu m prabodhya cikepa drn mama mukta-haste
vamthe flute; sapatnma rival consort; ivaas if; ycyamnmbeing asked for; tbhiby them; kara-abjtfrom the lotus hand; caand; jighkyammwhich they wanted to take; saketabhagywith the sign of a gesture; saHe; tuand; mmto me; prabodhyaalerting; cikepathrew; drtat a distance; mamamy; muktaopen; haste into the hand. But when they asked for His flute, who was like their rival consort, and tried to snatch it from His lotus hand, Ka made a sign to alert me and threw it from a distance into my open palm. Commentary: The gops were removing Kas ornaments one after another, but He didnt want the girls to take His flute. The girls, seeing the flute as a competitor for the nectar of His lips, had some ill feelings toward it and might dispose
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of it. As it was, several of the girls were greedily demanding, Give it to me! No, give it to me! and were threatening to rip it away by force. Therefore Ka wrinkled His eyebrows to signal Sarpa, who was standing some distance behind Him, and swiftly threw it into Sarpas outstretched hand. TEXT 92 A>YaJYaaetaMaTaElE/STaa" k-TauRMauTaRNa& XaNaE" ) Aarei>are SvhSTaaBJak-aeMal/SPaXaRPaa$=vE" ))

abhyajyottama-tailais t kartum udvartana anai rebhire sva-hastbjakomala-spara-pavai

abhyajyasmearing; uttamafine; tailaiwith oils; tthey (the gops); kartumto do; udvartanam removal of the excess oil; anaislowly; rebhire began; svatheir own; hasta-abjawith the lotus hands; komalasoft; sparain touching; pavai which were expert. The gops smeared fine oils on Ka and slowly removed the excess with their soft lotus hands, expert in touch. TEXT 93 TaQaaiPa SaaEku-MaaYaaRa l/Il/ak-aETauk-Taae_iPa va ) Sa k-raeTYaaiTaRSaqTk-ar& SaMa& [qMau%>aii>a" ))

tathpi saukumryd v ll-kautukato pi v sa karoty rti-stkra sama r-mukha-bhagibhi

tath apinonetheless; saukumrytbecause of His tenderness; vor; llplayful; kautukataout of naughtiness; api vor else; saHe; karotimade; rtiof pain; st-krama sound made by suddenly drawing in ones breath; samamalong with; r beautiful; mukhaof His face; bhagibhiwith
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distortions. Yet Ka, either because His body was so tender or else simply out of playful naughtiness, suddenly drew in His breath, making a sound of pain, and distorted His beautiful face. TEXT 94 Pau}aEk-Pa[a<aYaak-<YaR Ta& TadaiTaRSvr& TaYaa ) bih>aURYaaXau ik&- v*ta& ik&- v*taiMaiTa Pa*C^yTae ))

putraika-praykarya ta tad-rti-svara tay bahir-bhyu ki vtta ki vttam iti pcchyate

putrafor her son; ekaonly; praywhose life; karyahearing; tamthat; tatthat; rtiof pain; svaramsound; tayby her (Yaod); bahioutside; bhyacoming; uquickly; kim vttamwhat has happened; kim vttamwhat has happened; itithus; pcchyatewas asked. His mother, her life dedicated only to His welfare, heard that sound and quickly came outside and asked, What has happened? What has happened? TEXT 95 SauTaSYa SaiSMaTa& v&- vq+YaaQaae ivXYaTae Ga*hMa( ) Taai>aSTau SaiSMaTa}aaSa& GaqTaEiNaRZPaaTae_SYa TaTa( ))

sutasya sa-smita vaktra vkytho viyate gham tbhis tu sa-smita-trsa gtair nipdyate sya tat
sutasyaof the son; sa-smitamsmiling; vaktram face; vkyaseeing; atha uthen; viyatewas entered; ghamthe house; tbhiby them; tubut; sa-smitawith laughter; trsamand fear; gtai with singing; nipdyatewas finished; asyaHis;
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tatthat. But when she saw her sons smiling face she went back into the house. And the gops, laughing yet afraid, started to sing as they finished Kas massage. Commentary: The gops were amused by Kas false show of pain and frightened by Mother Yaods rebuke. They started singing not only because He was very fond of songs but also because they wanted to prevent Mother Yaod from hearing any further outcries. TEXT 96 AQa k-aeZ<aE" SauvaSaESTa& YaaMauNaEiNaRMaRlE/JaRlE/" ) Sal/Il&/ aPaYaaMaaSaU rku-M>aga$=I>a*TaE" ))

atha koai su-vsais ta ymunair nirmalair jalai sa-lla snpaym s ratna-kumbha-gha-bhtai

athanext; ka-uaiwarm; su-vsaifragrant; tam Him; ymunaiof the Yamun; nirmalaiclear; jalaiwith water; sa-llamplayfully; snpaym suthey bathed; ratna-kumbhain jewel-studded vessels; ghaand small clay pots; bhtaiwhich was carried. Next they playfully bathed Him with warm, clear, fragrant water, carried from the Yamun in jewelstudded vessels and small clay pots. Commentary: Careful to make Kas bath water just slightly warm, not hot, the gops used the freshest, most fragrant water they could find, namely water from the river Yamun. TEXT 97 NaqTaE" SvSvGa*haNMaal/ale/PaNaaMbr>aUz<aE" ) ivic}aENaR$=veze<aa>aUzYa&STa& YaQaaic ))

ntai sva-sva-ghn ml996

lepanmbara-bhaai vicitrair naa-veebhayas ta yath-ruci

ntaibrought; sva-svaeach from her own; ght house; mlwith garlands; lepanaperfumed pastes; ambaraclothes; bhaaiand ornaments; vicitrai various; naa-veeawith the dress of a dramatic performer; abhayanthey decorated; tamHim; yath-ruciaccording to His taste. They dressed Him like an actor and decorated Him the way He liked, with clothes, jewelry, wonderful garlands, and perfumed pastes, all brought from their homes. Commentary: Yath-ruci can be understood to mean either according to His taste or according to their taste. In any case, His taste and theirs were the same. TEXT 98 >aaeGYa& c iNa>a*Ta& ik-iaeJaiYaTvae-vSTaui>a" ) MauhuNasraJaNa& k*-Tva dDauSTaaiNa SvMaUDaRSau ))

bhogya ca nibhta kicid bhojayitvokta-vastubhi muhur nrjana ktv dadhus tni sva-mrdhasu
bhogyamfood; caand; nibhtamsecretly; kicit some; bhojayitvfeeding; uktaprescribed; vastubhiwith items; muhuagain and again; nrjanamworship; ktvdoing; dadhuthey placed; tnithose items; sva-mrdhasuon their own heads. They stealthily fed Him something, worshiped Him again and again with prescribed items, and then placed those items on their heads. Commentary: The gops stealthily fed Ka butter and other nice food. They wanted to keep these dealings confidential, and they specifically wanted to keep Yaod from finding out and becoming angry that Ka was being fed between meals and might
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therefore get indigestion. After feeding Him, the gops worshiped Him with standard paraphernalia, such as camphor lamps and mustard seeds. TEXT 99 idVYacNdNak-aXMaqrk-STaurqPaMaud]Yaa ) Gal/>aal/k-Paael/adaE ic}aYaaMaaSauruTaMa( ))

divya-candana-kmrakastur-paka-mudray gala-bhla-kapoldau citraym sur adbhutam

divyafirst-class; candanaof sandal paste; kmrasaffron; kasturmusk; pakaand clay; mudraywith marks; galaHis throat; bhla forehead; kapolacheeks; dauand so on; citraym suthey decorated; adbhutamwonderfully. They decorated His throat, His forehead, His cheeks, and and so on with wonderful designs made with first-class pastes of sandal, saffron, and musk. TEXT 100 Sa>aav& vq+YaMaa<aaSTaa hSTa& Sa&STa>Ya YaTa" ) Pa[v*taa Nae}ak-Male/ TaSYaaeJJvl/iYaTau& Mauda ))

sa-bhva vkyams t hasta sastabhya yatnata pravtt netra-kamale tasyojjvalayitu mud

sa-bhvamwith love; vkyambeing looked at; tthey; hastamtheir hands; sastabhyakeeping steady; yatnatawith endeavor; pravttthey became engaged; netra-kamalethe lotus eyes; tasya His; ujjvalayitumto make brilliant; mudwith pleasure. While He lovingly gazed at the gops, they tried hard to keep their hands steady, as with pleasure they set about daubing collyrium on His lotus eyes to make them shine.
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Commentary: Because Kas loving glance made the gops ecstatic, their hands began to tremble, and they had difficulty applying Kas kajjala neatly. TEXT 101 vNYa-I@aSau%& k*-Z<aae >aUirXaSTaaSau >aazTae ) ivic}aai<a c NaMaaRi<a k-ai TaNauTae riTaMa( ))

vanya-kr-sukha ko bhrias tsu bhate vicitri ca narmi kcic ca tanute ratim

vanyain the forest; krof sporting; sukham about the pleasure; kaKa; bhriafreely; tsuwith them; bhatespoke; vicitrivarious; caand; narmijokes; kcita certain; caand; tanuteexpanded; ratimconjugal attraction. Ka spoke freely with them about how He enjoyed sporting in the forest. And by joking with them in various charming ways, He inspired their special conjugal love. Commentary: In this situation Ka took the liberty to touch some of the gops on their breasts. TEXT 102 WvMaNYaaeNYaSaaEhadR>arPa[k-$=NaeNa ih ) veXa" SaMaai& NaaYaaiTa l/aePYaMaaNaSTaQaa Mauhu" ))

evam anyonya-sauhrdabhara-prakaanena hi vea sampti nyti lopyamnas tath muhu

evamthus; anyonyamutual; sauhrdaof loving exchanges; bharaof the multitude; prakaanena while manifesting; hiindeed; veathe decoration; samptimto completion; na ytidid not reach;
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lopyamnabeing erased; tathalso; muhuagain. In the midst of all these loving exchanges, the decoration never quite got finished. The gops had to keep erasing their attempts and trying again and again. Commentary: These distractions made it difficult for the gops to finish the final touches of putting tilaka on Kas forehead, painting His hands, and so on. Several times they decided, This hasnt been done right. Erase it and do it again. TEXT 103 >aUYaae >aUYaae YaXaaeda c Pau}aehaTauraNTara ) bihiNaRGaRTYa PaXYaNTaq vdTYaev& zev Taa" ))

bhyo bhyo yaod ca putra-snehturntar bahir nirgatya payant vadaty eva rueva t
bhya bhyaseveral times; yaodYaod; caand; putrafor her son; snehaby affection; tura disturbed; ntarher heart; bahioutside; nirgatyacoming; payantseeing; vadatispoke; evamthus; ruin anger; ivaas if; tto them. Mother Yaod, her heart perturbed by affection for her son, came outside several times to see what was going on and spoke to the girls as if angry. Commentary: Mother Yaod was only apparently angry (ru iva). She could never actually harbor any ill feelings towards the young gops. TEXT 104 [qYaXaaedaevac l/ael/Pa[k*-TaYaae baLYaadhae GaaePaku-Maairk-a" ) aNaal/r<a& NaaSYaaDauNaaiPa SaMaPaTa ))

r-yaodovca lola-praktayo blyd aho gopa-kumrik snnlakaraa nsy1000

dhunpi samapadyata
r-yaod uvcar Yaod said; lolaunsteady; praktayayou girls whose nature; blytdue to being children; ahoO; gopaof the cowherds; kumrikyoung daughters; snnathe bathing; alakaraamand decorating; nanot; asyaHis; adhunnow; apieven; samapadyatahas been finished. r Yaod said: O daughters of the cowherds, you are just unreliable children. Havent you finished bathing and decorating Him yet? Commentary: Having known these girls from the beginning of their lives, Yaod was very familiar with their behavior. They couldnt carry out such a simple task in a reasonable time, and this proved her judgment of them. TEXT 105 [qSaPa ovac TaaSaa& iNarq+aMaa<aaNaa& PairTa" SviPa[Ya& Mauhu" ) PairhaSaaeTSauk&- icta& v*ai>aPa[eTYa Saab]vqTa( ))

r-sarpa uvca ts nirkamn parita sva-priya muhu parihsotsuka citta vddhbhipretya sbravt
r-sarpa uvcar Sarpa said; tsmas they (the gops); nirkamnmlooked on; paritaon all sides; sva-priyamat their belowed; muhu continuously; parihsafor humorous conversation; utsukameager; cittamHis mind; vddhan elderly lady; abhipretyanoticing; sshe; abravtspoke. r Sarpa said: As the gops stood around their beloved Ka, glancing at Him again and again, one elderly lady noticed that Ka seemed eager for some joking words. She therefore spoke up.
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TEXT 106 Are Paui}a YaXaaede_}a hzaRdeTYa iNarq+YaTaaMa( ) >avTYaa" XYaaMal&/ Pau}a& iNaNYau" SauNdrTaaiMaMaa" ))

are putri yaode tra hard etya nirkyatm bhavaty ymala putra ninyu sundaratm im
are putriO daughter; yaodeYaod; atrahere; harthappily; etyacoming; nirkyatmshould be seen; bhavatyyour; ymalamdark-blue; putram son; ninyuthey have brought; sundaratmto a beautiful state; imthese girls. My goodness, come here, my daughter Yaod! You will be happy to see this! These girls have made your dark-blue son very handsome. TEXT 107 SvDaa}Yaa vaKYaMaak-<YaR Mau%raYaa" PauNabRih" ) >aUTvai>aPa[eTYa TaMaR SaraeziMav Saab]vqTa( ))

sva-dhtry vkyam karya mukhary punar bahi bhtvbhipretya tan-narma sa-roam iva sbravt
sva-dhtryof her nurse; vkyamthe words; karyahearing; mukharyof Mukhar; puna again; bahioutside; bhtvcoming; abhipretya understanding; tather; narmajoking; sa-roam angrily; ivaas if; sshe (Yaod); abravtsaid. Hearing these joking words from the elderly lady (her nurse Mukhar), Yaod again came outside. And when she understood the joke, she spoke out as if angry. TEXT 108 [qYaXaaedaevac SahJaaXaezSaaENdYaRNaqraiJaTaPadaMbuJa" ) JaGaNMaUiDNaR NarqNaiTaR MadqYaXYaaMaSauNdr" ))
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r-yaodovca sahajea-saundaryanrjita-padmbuja jagan-mrdhni narnarti madya-ymasundara

r-yaod uvcar Yaod said; sahajanatural; aeaby all; saundaryabeauty; nrjita-padaambujaHe whose lotus feet are worshiped; jagatof the universe; mrdhnion the head; narnartidances with abandon; madyamy; yma-sundaradark and beautiful Ka. r Yaod declared: All kinds of natural beauty worship the lotus feet of my ymasundara, who dances with abandon on the head of the universe. Commentary: There may be many beautiful boys in the world, but in the eyes of Mother Yaod her son excels all of them. After all, He is not only sundara but also yma; in other words, His dark complexion makes His beauty unique. TEXT 109 WTaTPaadNa%aGa[Ek-SaaENdYaRSYaaiPa NaahRiTa ) SaaENdYaR>aar" SavaRSaaMaaSaa& NaqraJaNa& Da]uvMa( ))

etat-pda-nakhgraikasaundaryasypi nrhati saundarya-bhra sarvsm s nrjana dhruvam

etatHis; pda-nakhaof a toenail; agraof an end; ekaone; saundaryasyaof the beauty; apieven; na arhatidoes not deserve; saundarya-bhrathe combined beauty; sarvsmof all; smof them; nrjanamworship; dhruvamcertainly. For sure, the beauty of all these gops combined deserves not even a show of respect from the beauty of even the tip of one of His toenails. Commentary: Someone might argue with Yaod that
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although no ones beauty approaches Kas, r Rdh and Her gop companions are exceptions; after all, they are the most beautiful beings in creation. But Yaod says no, not even their beauty dares stand in comparison with His. Whatever little beauty they may have is of no use, since they are not meant to become His wives. TEXT 110 [qSaPa ovac TaTSaaENdYa| Saa c l/av<Yal/+MaqSa( TaNMaaDauYa| TaSYa ik&- vi<aRTa& SYaaTa( ) d]VYaEYaaeRGYaa l/aEik-kE-NaaeRPaMaa SYaaTa( ik&- vaNYaeNa arke-Nd]e<a NaaiPa ))

r-sarpa uvca tat saundarya s ca lvaya-lakms tan mdhurya tasya ki varita syt dravyair yogy laukikair nopam syt ki vnyena dvrakendrea npi
r-sarpa uvcar Sarpa said; tatthat; saundaryambeauty; sit; caand; lvayaof His effulgent complexion; lakmthe splendor; tat that; mdhuryamsweetness; tasyaHis; kimwhether; varitam sytcan be described; dravyaiwith things; yogysuitable; laukikaibelonging to this world; nanot; upamcomparison; sytthere can be; kim vor else; anyenawith anyone else; dvrakindreawith the Lord of Dvrak; nanot; apieven. r Sarpa said: Is it possible to describe His beauty, the splendor of His effulgent complexion, or His charming sweetness? To that sweetness no things in this world can compare, nor can even the sweetness of God Himself in other forms, not even as the Lord of Dvrak. Commentary: In His unique bodily luster, in the sublime proportion and symmetry of all His limbs, and in the overall splendor and charm of His form, Kas beauty is amazing. Attempts to compare His eyes and other features to beautiful things such as
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lotuses do little justice to His beauty. In fact, it is useless to compare Kas beauty even with that of r Viu and other forms of Godhead, who imitate the ways of the material world, or even to that of r Nryaa, or the Lord of Ayodhy, or r Yaduntha Ka of Dvrak. TEXT 111 k*-Z<aae YaQaa NaaGarXae%raGa[yae raDaa TaQaa NaaGairk-avraGa[ya ) raDaa YaQaa NaaGairk-avraGa[ya k*-Z<aSTaQaa NaaGarXae%raGa[y" ))

ko yath ngara-ekhargryo rdh tath ngarik-vargry rdh yath ngarik-vargry kas tath ngara-ekhargrya
kaKa; yathas; ngaraof romantic heroes; ekhara-agryathe most superb; rdhRdh; tath so; ngarikof heroines; vara-agrythe most superb; rdhRadh; yathas; ngarikof heroines; vara-agrythe most superb; kaKa; tathso; ngaraof heroes; ekhara-agryathe most superb. As Ka is the most superb of all romantic heroes, so Rdh is the most superb of heroines. And as Rdh is the most superb of all romantic heroines, so Ka is the most superb of heroes. Commentary: The only beauty than can truly compare with Kas is the equal beauty of rmat Rdhr. The two lovers are comparable only to one another. TEXT 112 aTvaGaTa& GaaeParaJa& bl/raMae<a Sa&YauTaMa( ) Sa&l/+Ya l/INaaSTaa" SavaR d]uTa& k*Z<aae_Ga[Taae_>avTa( ))

sntvgata gopa-rja balarmea sayutam salakya lns t sarv

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druta ko grato bhavat

sntvhaving taken his bath; gatamcome; goparjamthe king of cowherds; balarmeawith Balarma; sayutamtogether; salakyaseeing; lndisappeared; tthey; sarvall; drutam quickly; kaKa; agrataforward; abhavat came. When the gops saw that Nanda, king of the cowherds, had taken his bath and had arrived with Balarma, they all speedily disappeared, and Ka came forward. Commentary: As Nanda Mahrja approached, the gops recognized his voice. Without waiting for him to see them, they hid themselves nearby. TEXT 113 NaNdae >aaeJaNaXaal/aYaaMaaSaqNa" k-Nak-aSaNae ) >aaeJaNa& k-TauRMaare>ae TaQaa TaaE TaSYa PaaRYaae" ))

nando bhojana-lym sna kanaksane bhojana kartum rebhe tath tau tasya prvayo
nandaNanda Mahrja; bhojana-lymin the dining hall; snaseated; kanakagolden; saneon his seat; bhojanamthe meal; kartumto take; rebhestarted; tathalso; tauthe two (Ka and Balarma); tasyahis; prvayoat the sides. Nanda sat down on his golden seat in the dining hall and began to have his meal, with the two brothers at his sides. Commentary: Ka and Balarma also had golden seats. TEXT 114 YaXaaedaNaNdNaae vaMae di+a<ae raeih<aqSauTa" ) TaezaMah& Tau MahTaaGa[he<aai>aMau%e Pa*Qak( ))

yaod-nandano vme
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dakie rohi-suta tem aha tu mahatgrahebhimukhe pthak

yaod-nandanathe darling son of Yaod; vmeon the left; dakieon the right; rohi-sutathe son of Rohi; temTheir; ahamI; tubut; mahat strong; graheaon strong insistence; abhimukhe opposite; pthakseparately. Yaods darling child sat on his left, the son of Rohi on his right. And at the strong insistence of these brothers, I sat directly opposite, in my own place. Commentary: For the oldest son to sit on his fathers right is standard etiquette. And this also made it easier for Nanda Mahrja to feed Ka with his own hand. The two brothers asked for Sarpa to sit just opposite them and Nanda. Though Sarpa was served separately, Nanda shared his own food with his two sons. This was acceptable for him to do with two boys who had not yet received the sacred-thread initiation. TEXTS 115116 [qraeih<Yaa PairZk*-TYa raSaaEv<aRraJaTaE" ) ivivDaE>aaRJaNaEidRVYaE" Pa[ihTa& Ga*hMaDYaTa" )) PairveZYaMaa<a& eheNa Maa}aa >aaeGaPaurNdrMa( )) SavRSau<aSaMPaMa& >aue cTauivRDaMa( ))

r-rohiy pariktya rtna-sauvara-rjatai vividhair bhjanair divyai prahita gha-madhyata pariveyama snehena mtr bhoga-purandaram sarva-sad-gua-sampannam anna bhukte catur-vidham
r-rohiyby r Rohi; pariktyabeing arranged; rtnajeweled; sauvaraof gold;
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rjataiand silver; vividhaivarious; bhjanai in vessels; divyaiof superior quality; prahitam sent; gha-madhyatafrom inside the house; pariveyamambeing served; snehenawith affection; mtrby the mother; bhogaof meals; purandaramthe emperor; sarvaall; sat-guawith good qualities; sampannamendowed; annamfood; bhukte(Ka) ate; catu-vidhamof four kinds (to be chewed, licked, sucked, and drunk). From inside the house r Rohi sent the emperor of meals, arranged in many jewel-bedecked vessels of gold and silver. Mother Yaod with great affection served the food, of all four kinds and endowed with all good qualities, and Ka began to eat. Commentary: Since r Ka was the star attraction at lunch, Sarpa gives particular attention to how Ka was fed. Mother Rohi arranged the meal artistically on excellent serving dishes and sent it out to the dining hall. The food displayed all admirable qualitiesgood fragrance, good color, good taste, and so on. TEXT 117 Pa*Qak( Pa*Qak( k-cael/aSau ivic}aaSau Pa[PaUirTaMa( ) ivSTaq<aRk-Nak-SQaLYaa& NaqTva k-vl/YaN>a*XaMa( ))

pthak pthak kacolsu vicitrsu prapritam vistra-kanaka-sthaly ntv kavalayan bham

pthak pthakseparately; kacolsuin bowls; vicitrsuvarious; prapritamfilled; vistra large; kanakagold; sthalymon a platter; ntv being brought; kavalayandevouring; bham heartily. He heartily devoured the various delicacies, which filled many separate bowls, brought in on a large
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gold platter. Commentary: Literally, kavalayan means rolling the food into morsels to be chewed and swallowed. TEXT 118 Maa}aa k-daiciTPa}aa c >a[a}aaiPa -MaXaae Mau%e ) SaMaPYaRMaa<a& YaeNa k-vl&/ l/Il/YaaddTa( ))

mtr kadcit pitr ca bhrtrpi kramao mukhe samarpyama yatnena kavala llaydadat
mtrby His mother; kadcitat one time; pitrby His father; caand; bhrtrby His brother; api also; kramaain turns; mukhein His mouth; samarpyamambeing offered; yatnenacarefully; kavalama morsel; llayplayfully; dadatHe accepted. At one point His mother, His father, and His brother took turns carefully putting morsels into His mouth, morsels He playfully accepted. TEXT 119 TaQaa PaaNak-JaaTa& c k-cael/a>a*TaMautaMaMa( ) >a*airk-a>a*TaaaPaae MaDYae MaDYae iPabiHXava" ))

tath pnaka-jta ca kacol-bhtam uttamam bhgrik-bht cpo madhye madhye piba iv

taththen; pnaka-jtamvarious beverages; caand; kacolin bowls; bhtamcarried; uttamamfirstclass; bhgrikin pitchers; bhtcarried; ca and; pawater; madhye madhyeat intervals; piban drinking; ivpure. Now and then He also drank all sorts of splendid beverages, carried in large bowls, and pure water carried in pitchers. TEXT 120 AadaE SauMa*MauTk*-& k-aeZ<a& Saga*TaXakR==rMa( )
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PaaYaSa& Naai@k-aPaUPafe-i<ak-araei$=k-aYauTaMa( ))

dau su-mam utka koa sa-ghta-arkaram pyasa nikppapheik-roik-yutam

dauin the beginning; su-mamvery sweet; utkamexcellent; koamwarm; sa-ghtawith ghee; arkaramand sugar; pyasamsweet rice; nikby jalebs; appacakes; pheikpies; roikand flatbreads; yutamjoined. At the start of the meal He ate warm sweet rice with ghee and sugarvery tastytogether with cakes, pies, jalebs, and flatbreads. TEXT 121 ANYaaiNa ga*TaPaKvaiNa rSaal/aSaihTaaiNa c ) diDaduGDaivk-araeTQaiMaaaNYaPara<YaiPa ))

anyni ghta-pakvni rasl-sahitni ca dadhi-dugdha-vikrotthaminnny apary api

anyniother; ghtain ghee; pakvnicooked; raslyogurt mixed with sugar and spices; sahitnitogether with; caand; dadhiof yogurt; dugdhaand milk; vikraas transformations; uttha produced; mia-annnisweets; aparidifferent; apiand. He ate other items fried in ghee, and He also had sweetened yogurt and various things made from transformations of yogurt and milk. TEXT 122 MaDYae SaU+Ma& iSaTa& >a&- k-aeZ<a& Sauri>a kaeMal/Ma( ) v$=kE-" PaPaR$E=" XaakE-" SaUPaE VYaNaE" ParE" ))

madhye skma sita bhakta koa surabhi komalam

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vaakai parpaai kai spai ca vyajanai parai

madhyein the middle; skmamfine; sitamwhite; bhaktamrice; koamwarm; surabhifragrant; komalamsoft; vaakaiwith fried dl balls; parpaaipapadams (dl wafers); kaileafy greens; spaisoups; caand; vyajanaivegetable dishes; paraiother. In the middle of the meal He ate fine white rice, warm, fragrant, and tender, with fried dl balls, and dl wafers, and leafy greens, and soups, and other vegetable dishes. TEXT 123 MaDaurarSaPa[aYaE" Pa[aYaae GaaerSaSaaiDaTaE" ) k-$u=cU<aaRiNvTaErd]VYaE" Sal/v<aEYauRTaMa( ))

madhurmla-rasa-pryai pryo go-rasa-sdhitai kau-crnvitair amladravyai sa-lavaair yutam

madhurasweet; amlaand sour; rasaof tastes; pryaimostly; pryamostly; go-rasaof cow products; sdhitaimade; kaupungent; crawith spice powders; anvitaimixed; amla-dravyaiwith sour things; sa-lavaaisalty things; yutam together with. He ate other items made mostly of milk products and mainly sweet and sour in taste, plus sour things mixed with salt and pungent spices. Commentary: Among the spices used were hot pepper and a mixture of salt and roasted cumin seeds. TEXT 124 ANTae PauNa" iXa%ir<aq=& ivk-araNdiDaSaM>avaNa( ) ih&GvaidSa&Sk*-Ta& Ta&- bu>auJae Maa& c >aaeJaYaNa( ))

ante puna ikhari vikrn dadhi-sambhavn

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higv-di-saskta takra bubhuje m ca bhojayan

anteat the end; punaagain; ikharima kind of sweetened yogurt; vikrntransformations; dadhi from yogurt; sambhavnproduced; higu-diwith asafetida and other spices; sasktamgarnished; takrambuttermilk; bubhujeHe partook; mmme; ca and; bhojayanfeeding. Toward the end He once again ate sweetened yogurt, various other items made from yogurt, and buttermilk garnished with asafetida and other spices. And while He Himself ate, He also fed me. Commentary: The Rja-nighau dictionary gives a recipe for the sweetened yogurt preparation known as ikhari. To yogurt are added cinnamon, rock sugar, ground black pepper, and ground green cardamom, as well as honey and ghee. Then the mixture is kept for some time in a vessel packed in ice. TEXT 125 Saa cvR<aaed<aaDarcaiJaa Ga<@SQal/aNaNaSaraeJaivl/aSa>aq ) >a[UcaPal/aecNaSaraehNaTaRNa[q= ivaeiTaTaa Na vcSaa MaNaSaaiPa GaMYaa ))

s carvaodyad-arudhara-cru-jihv gaa-sthalnana-saroja-vilsa-bhag bhr-cpa-locana-saroruha-nartana-rvidyotit na vacas manaspi gamy

sit; carvaawhile chewing; udyatrising; arua dawn pink; adharato His lip; crulovely; jihv His tongue; gaa-sthalathe place of His cheeks; nana-sarojain His lotus face; vilsa-bhag sportive; bhrHis eyebrows; cpabowlike; locanasaroruhaand lotus eyes; nartanadancing; r lovely; vidyotitresplendent; nanot; vacasby words; manasby the mind; apiand; gamy accessible.

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Neither words nor the mind can form a picture of how Kas lovely tongue, rising to His dawn-pink upper lip while He chewed, sported within the cheeks of His lotus face, a face resplendent with the beautiful dancing of His lotus eyes and bowlike eyebrows. Commentary: Even how Ka chews on jalebs and other foods is a wonder to behold. Everything the Supreme Lord does is attractive, and so too is everything done by His fully surrendered devotees. TEXT 126 GaaeiPak-ai>a iMaaMaaNaqYa SvSvGaehTa" ) +aqraJYaXakR==raPaKv& YaXaaedaGa[e Da*Ta& Tada ))

gopikbhi ca minnam nya sva-sva-gehata krjya-arkar-pakva yaodgre dhta tad

gopikbhiby the gops; caand; mia-annam sweetmeats; nyabeing brought; sva-sva-gehata each from her home; krain milk; jyaghee; arkarand sugar; pakvamcooked; yaod-agre before Yaod; dhtamplaced; tadthen. The gops brought from their homes many sweets cooked in milk, ghee, and sugar and placed them before Mother Yaod. TEXT 127 ivic}al/Il/Yaa TataTSaaga& bu>auJae_Sak*-Ta( ) Taa" SavaR" rYaiNk-iaeJaYaNSvk-re<a MaaMa( ))

vicitra-llay tat tat sa-lgha bubhuje sakt t sarv rajayan kicid bhojayan sva-karea mm
vicitrawonderful; llaywith playful gestures; tat tateach preparation; sa-lghamwith praise; bubhujeHe ate; asaktmore than once; tthey (the gops); sarvall; rajayanmaking happy; kicitsome; bhojayanfeeding; sva-kareawith His
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own hand; mmto me. With wonderful playful gestures, Ka ate from all the dishes the gops had brought, praising every item and eating from each dish more than once. He thus made all the gops happy. And He also fed some of those items to me, with His own hand. TEXT 128 AQa [qraiDak-aNaqYa Saa MaNaaehrl/@(@uk-Ma( ) k*-Z<aSYa vaMaTaae dDa]e Gaui$=k-aPaUirk-aiNvTaMa( ))

atha r-rdhiknya s manohara-laukam kasya vmato dadhre guik-priknvitam

athathen; r-rdhikr Rdhik; nyabringing; sShe; manohara-laukammanohara-laus; kasyaof Ka; vmataon the left side; dadhreplaced; guikround ones; priklarge flat ones; anvitamtogether with. Next r Rdhik brought manohara-laus, both small round ones and large flat ones, and set them down on Kas left. Commentary: The manohara-lau is aptly named the sweet ball that steals the heart. r Rdh placed these laus on Kas left, where He could easily reach them. TEXT 129 iNaZk*-ZYa Ta%aGa[e<a TaJaRNYauYaae" ik-YaTa( ) iJaaGa[e YaSYa ce-_SaaE iNaMbvNMau%ivi-YaaMa( )

nikya tan nakhgrea tarjany-aguhayo kiyat jihvgre nyasya cakre sau nimba-van mukha-vikriym
nikyapicking up; tatthat; nakha of His fingernails; agreawith the ends; tarjanthe index finger; aguhayoand thumb; kiyatsome;
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jihvof His tongue; agreon the front; nyasya placing; cakremade; asauHe; nimba-vatas if from bitter neem; mukhaof His mouth; vikriyma contortion. Ka picked up a few of those sweets with the nails of His thumb and forefinger and put them on the tip of His tongue. He then made a face as if they tasted like bitter neem. TEXT 130 >a[aTau" iSMaTa& z& MaaTauSTaSYaa& TaaTaSYa ivSMaYaMa( ) TaNvNSa%qNaa& MauGDaaNaaMaaiDa& TaSYaa iza& MaudMa( ))

bhrtu smita rua mtus tasy ttasya vismayam tanvan sakhn mugdhnm dhi tasy dvi mudam
bhrtuof His brother; smitamsmiles; ruamanger; mtuof His mother; tasymat Her (r Rdhik); ttasyaof His father; vismayamsurprise; tanvan producing; sakhnmof Her girlfriends; mugdhnm innocent; dhimmental pain; tasyHer; dvimof the antagonists; mudamjoy. Kas brother smiled, His mother was angry at r Radhik, and His father was surprised. Rdhs innocent girlfriends were pained, and Her antagonists were delighted. Commentary: Mother Yaod was angry at the girls for bringing Ka bitter sweets. Nanda was surprised, doubting how the girls could possibly have done this. Though the gops in rival parties were enlivened by the mistake, r Rdhiks innocent-minded sakhs were upset by the thought that something bitter must have been put in the laus. Among the sakhs, however, the more clever could see a joke being played that would further highlight r Rdhiks good fortune.
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TEXT 131 Tad(>a[)Ta*v&XaJaaTaSYa MaMa ic+aePa >aaJaNae ) TaTSav| ParMaSvadu >au-ah& iviSMaTaae_>avMa( ))

tad-bhrt-vaa-jtasya mama cikepa bhjane tat sarva parama-svdu bhuktvha vismito bhavam
tatHer; bhrtof the brother; vaain the family; jtasyawho was born; mamamy; cikepaHe threw; bhjanein the plate; tatthat; sarvamall; paramaextremely; svdutasty; bhuktveating; ahamI; vismitasurprised; abhavambecame. Since I was born in the family of Rdhrs brother, Ka threw all the laus onto my plate. Surprised to find them extremely tasty, I ate them all. Commentary: rdm is the brother of rmat Rdhr, and Sarpa is also a member of their family. So Ka thought it fit to dump the laus onto his plate. These bitter laus are not fit for Me. Her relatives deserve to eat them. In truth, however, Ka knew that the laus were most perfectly prepared, and He gave them to Sarpa out of great love. TEXT 132 raDaYaa iNa>a*Ta& k*-Z<a" Sa>a[U>a& iNarqi+aTa" ) Ma*duiSMaTaaNaTaaSYaSTaa& k-$=a+ae<aaNvrYaTa( ))

rdhay nibhta ka sa-bhr-bhaga nirkita mdu-smitnatsyas t kakenvarajayat

rdhayby Rdh; nibhtamsecretly; kaKa; sa-bhr-bhagamwith arching of the eyebrows; nirkitalooked at; mdugentle; smitawith a smile; natanodding; syaHis head; tmHer; kaa-akeawith a sidelong glance; anvarajayatHe gratified.
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Rdh secretly looked at Ka and arched Her eyebrows, and Ka, nodding His head, gratified Her with a gentle smile and a sidelong glance. Commentary: To make sure that r Rdh was not ashamed and unhappy because Mother Yaod was angry at Her, Ka divulged His true feelings. TEXT 133 Saae bua MaYaa l/Il/a Saa ivdGDaiXaraeMa<ae" ) iNaJaPa[eMa>araTaaRNaa& ParMaPa[q<aNaaiTMak-a ))

sadyo buddh may ll s vidagdha-iromae nija-prema-bharrtn parama-prantmik

sadyasuddenly; buddhwas understood; mayby me; llpastime; sthat; vidagdhaof skillful actors; iromaeby the crest jewel; nijafor Him; prema of their love; bharaby the weight; rtnmof those who are tormented; paramaabsolutely; pranaof pleasing; tmikfor the purpose. Suddenly I understoodthis was a pastime by the crest jewel of skillful actors to thoroughly please the devotees tormented by the weight of their love for Him. TEXT 134 AQaacMYa YaQaaNYaaYa& TaaMbUl&/ l/Il/YaaetaMaMa( ) cvRNSa raiDak-a& PaXYaHcivRTa& MaNMau%e NYaDaaTa( ))

athcamya yath-nyya tmbla llayottamam carvan sa rdhik paya carvita man-mukhe nyadht
athathen; camyawashing His mouth; yath-nyyam as is the custom; tmblampn; llayplayfully; uttamamexcellent; carvanchewing; saHe; rdhikmat Rdhik; payanlooking; carvitam chewed; matmy; mukhein the mouth; nyadhtHe put.

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Then Ka properly washed His mouth and playfully chewed some excellent pn. Glancing at Rdhik, He put the chewed pn into my mouth. Commentary: Without arousing suspicion in the other gops, Ka, the most expert romantic hero, pleased Rdhik by placing this desirable remnant into the mouth of Her family member. TEXT 135 MaaTaa ehaTaura MaN}aaNPa#=NTaq >au-Jaark-aNa( ) vaMaPaai<aTale/NaaSYaaedr& MauhurMaaJaRYaTa( ))

mt snehtur mantrn pahant bhukta-jrakn vma-pi-talensyodara muhur amrjayat

mtHis mother; snehabecause of her love; tur filled with anxiety; mantrnmantras; pahant chanting; bhuktaof what was eaten; jrakn assuring the digestion; vmaleft; pi-talenawith the palm of her hand; asyaHis; udarambelly; muhurepeatedly; amrjayatshe rubbed. Kas mother, anxious with affection, chanted mantras and rubbed His belly with her left palm again and again to make sure He would digest what He had eaten. Commentary: There was no real danger that such a lovingly prepared meal would cause indigestion, but Mother Yaod was obsessed with keeping her son happy and comfortable. Such was her unique love for Him. TEXT 136 Gaaev[JaaNTaGaRTaae NaNdae raMa" Sauae ivc+a<a" ) cxk[==MYaTae SMa GaqTaaiNa GaaYaNk*-Z<aae v[JaaNae ))

go-vrajntar-gato nando rma supto vicakaa cakramyate sma gtni gyan ko vrajgane
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go-vrajathe cow pastures; antainto; gatawent; nandaNanda Mahrja; rmaBalarma; suptawent to sleep; vicakaaintelligent; cakramyate sma wandered; gtnisongs; gyansinging; ka Ka; vraja-aganein the village courtyard. Nanda Mahrja went out into the cow pastures, intelligent Balarma went to sleep, and Ka, singing songs, wandered about the village courtyard. Commentary: Perceptive Balarma could understand that this was a good chance for Ka to enjoy some of His more private pastimes. He therefore rested inside the house. Yaod was also inside, busy with housework. TEXT 137 +a<a& ivTYa v[JaSauNdrqrTa" Sa MaaTaurak-ar<aGaaErvadraTa( ) Sau%& SMa XaeTae XaYaNaal/Ya& GaTaSa( TaLPae PaYa"fe-<aMaNaaejTaUil/ke- ))

kaa vihtya vraja-sundar-rata sa mtur kraa-gauravd art sukha sma ete ayanlaya gatas talpe paya-phea-manoja-tlike
kaamfor a short time; vihtyahaving played; vraja-sundarto the beautiful girls of Vraja; ratafondly attached; saHe; mtuof His mother; kraafor the calling; gauravtout of respect; artfrom a distance; sukhamcomfortably; sma ete He lay down; ayana-layaminto His bedroom; gata going; talpeon His bed; payaof milk; phealike the foam; manojaattractive; tlikeon the cotton sheets. Eager to enjoy with the beautiful girls of Vraja, Ka played for a short time outside. Then, out of respect for His mother, He responded to her distant call and came home and went straight to His bedroom and lay down comfortably on the bed, its cotton
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sheets as soft and white as the foam of milk. Commentary: Gaurava means great respect. Although Ka is always eager to consort with the gops, He is also attracted by the special love of His mother. He is akhila-rasmta-mrti, the embodiment of all relationships, not just the mdhurya-rasa. TEXT 138 iNarPaU<aeRNduSaMaESTaQaaParEr( Ma*dUPaDaaNaEYauRTaMaiSTa YataTaMa( ) ANagYaRraicTak-aNaaeSal(== l/l/aMaPaLYavre MahaPa[>ae )

niraka-prendu-samais tathparair mdpadhnair yutam asti yat tatam anarghya-ratncita-kcanollasallalma-palyaka-vare mah-prabhe

nirakawithout spots; prafull; indumoons; samailike; tathand; aparaiwith other; mdu soft; upadhnaipillows; yutamequipped; astiit was; yatwhich; tatamspacious; anarghyapriceless; ratnawith gems; citabedecked; kcanagolden; ullasatshining; lalmaornamented; palyakaon a bedstead; varebest; mahgreatly; prabhe effulgent. That spacious bed had soft pillows, some like spotless full moons, others of various kinds. And it lay on an effulgent bedstead beautifully ornamented with shining gold bedecked with priceless gems. Commentary: Some of Kas pillows in Nanda Mahrjas home resemble the full moon in shape and color, but they arent marred by spots. Kas bed also has other, long pillows. Especially soft are the ones He uses to rest His head. TEXT 139 Ya" Xaae>aTae MaaEi-k-Maail/k-av*TaEXa( ic}aEivRTaaNaEPaXaaei>aTae Da*Ta" ) Pa[aSaadiSa&he_GauDaUPavaiSaTae rMYaPa[k-aee bhuriNaiMaRTae ))
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ya obhate mauktika-mlikvtai citrair vitnair upaobhite dhta prsda-sihe guru-dhpa-vsite ramya-prakohe bahu-ratna-nirmite
yawhich; obhateis made more beautiful; mauktikaof pearls; mlikwith strings; vtai hanging; citraisplendid; vitnaiby a canopy; upaobhiteadorned; dhtaheld; prsdain the palatial room; sihe(regal) like a lion; agurudhpawith aguru incense; vsitefragrant; ramya attractive; prakohewith closets; bahumany; ratnawith gems; nirmiteconstructed. A splendid canopy draped with strings of pearls further enhanced the beauty of that bed, which stood in a room fragrant with aguru incense, a room whose beautiful closets were built with many valuable gems, a palatial room that excelled all others as the lion excels all other animals. Commentary: The canopies above the bed were not only decorative; they also served the practical purpose of shading Ka on nights when the moon was bright. All four corners of the room were decorated with curiously constructed closets. TEXT 140 raDaaPaRYaTYaSYa Mau%aNTare Saa Sa&Sk*-TYa TaaMbUl/Pau$&= ivdGDaa ) cNd]avl/I [ql/il/TaaiPa Paad= Pae Tau Sa&vahYaTa" Sal/Il/Ma( ))

rdhrpayaty asya mukhntare s sasktya tmbla-pua vidagdh candrval r-lalitpi pdapadme tu savhayata sa-llam
rdhr Rdh; arpayatioffered; asyaHis; mukhaantareinto the mouth; sShe; sasktyapreparing; tmblaof pn; puamwrapped packets; vidagdh skillful; candrvalCandrval; r-lalitr Lalit; apialso; pda-padmeHis lotus feet; tu
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and; savhayatamassaged; sa-llamplayfully. Skillful Rdh had made pn and wrapped it into packets and now offered them to Ka by placing them into His mouth. And Candrval and r Lalit playfully massaged His lotus feet. TEXT 141 k-ai bal/VYaJaNaaNYauPaaddu" k-ai TaaMbUl/SaMauk-avil/Ma( ) k-aiTPaTad(G)[ahcYa& iv>aaGaXaae >a*airk-a" k-aNa SalE/>a*RTaa" ))

kcic ca bla-vyajanny updadu kcic ca tmbla-samudgakvalim kcit patad-grha-caya vibhgao bhgrik kcana saj-jalair bht
kcitsome (gops); caand; blaof (yak-tail) hair; vyajannifans; updadutook up; kcit some; caand; tmblaof pn; samudgakaof boxes; valima number; kcitsome; patatfalling; grhacayamvessels for collecting the remnants; vibhgaain various groups; bhgriklarge pots; kcanasome; sat-jalaiwith fresh water; bhtcarried. The gops divided the various services among themselves. Some took up yak-tail whisks, others held boxes in a row with more pn, others had several vessels for catching the falling remnants of pn, and others carried large pots of fresh water. TEXT 142 ANYaa TaC^\ae}aMaNaaehrai<a GaaYaiNTa GaqTaaiNa Sak-ITaRNaaiNa ) vaaiNa k-aihu vadYaiNTa TaNviNTa NaMaaR<YaMauNaa SahaNYaa" ))

any ca tac-chrotra-manohari gyanti gtni sa-krtanni vdyni kcid bahu vdayanti

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tanvanti narmy amun sahny

anyothers; caand; tatHis; rotrato the ears; manoharipleasant; gyantisang; gtnisongs; sa-krtannialong with recitation of prayers; vdyniinstrumental music; kcitsome; bahuof various kinds; vdayantiplayed; tanvantiengaged in; narmijoking conversation; amun sahawith Him; anyothers. Other gops sang songs and recited prayers that were pleasing to His ears, some played various musical instruments, and yet others exchanged joking words with Him. Commentary: The gops are always fully dedicated to satisfying Ka. They sang His names and offered Him prayers because such sakrtana pleases Him very much. TEXT 143 SavaRi>arev& PairzeVYaMaa<aSa( Taai>a" Sa SaaEhadR>araid]RTaai>a" ) TaaMbUil/k&- civRTaMaTYa>aq& Taa>Yaae dde_NYaaeNYaMal/+YaMaa<aMa( ))

sarvbhir eva parievyamas tbhi sa sauhrda-bharrdritbhi tmblika carvitam aty-abha tbhyo dade nyonyam alakyamam
sarvbhiby all; evamthus; parievyamabeing served; tbhiby them; saHe; sauhrda-bharaout of great affection; rdritbhiwhose hearts were melting; tmblikampn; carvitamchewed; atiabhamvery much desired; tbhyato them; dade He gave; anyonyamby one other; alakyamamnot noticed. Ka, served by all those gops, their hearts melting in great affection for Him, responded by giving to each one, unseen by the others, the prized remnants of His chewed pn. Commentary: Ka is more eager to fulfill the
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desires of His devotees than to receive their service. On this occasion He gave the prasda of His pn to all the gops. This does not mean, however, that Ka treated all the gops exactly the same way; He reciprocated with each of them individually, unseen by the others. TEXT 144 Wv& MahaDaUTaRSad"iXaraeMai<a" SavaR" iPa[YaaSTaa rMaYaNSvceiTaE" )) [qraiDak-aPa[eMak-QaaSau iNav*RTa" Pa[SvaPal/Il/aMa>aJaT+a<aadYaMa( ))

eva mah-dhrta-sada-iromai sarv priys t ramayan sva-ceitai r-rdhik-prema-kathsu nirvta prasvpa-llm abhajat kad ayam
evamthus; mah-dhrtaof great rogues; sadaof the assembly; iromaithe crest jewel; sarvall the girls; priybeloved; tthem; ramayan gratifying; sva-ceitaiwith His behavior; rrdhikof r Rdhik; prema-kathsuby the loving talks; nirvtapleased; prasvpaof sleeping; llmof the pastime; abhajatpartook; katfor a short time; ayamHe. In this way the most eminent member of the assembly of great rogues gratified all His beloved girlfriends with His behavior. Then, pleased by the loving talks of r Rdhik, as a pastime He took a short nap. Commentary: Even while exchanging affection with all the gops, Ka showed special favor to the chief of them, rmat Rdhr. He took special pleasure in talking with Her. TEXT 145 k-YaaiPa Sa&jYaa TaaSTau TaeNa SaeiTaTaa" ik-l/ ) SavaR" SvSvGa*h& JaGMauhRzRPaUrPairuTaa" ))

kaypi sajay ts tu tena saketit kila

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sarv sva-sva-gha jagmur hara-pra-pariplut

kay apiby a certain; sajaygesture; tthey; tuand; tenaby Him; saketitsignaled; kila indeed; sarvall; sva-svaeach their own; gham home; jagmuwent; haraof happiness; prawith a flood; pariplutfilled. Signaled by a gesture from Ka, the gops, overflowing with happiness, all left for their own homes. Commentary: Even when Ka sent the gops home they were happy because as they were leaving He secretly asked each of them to meet Him later. TEXT 146 [qdaMNaaGaTYa Gaeh& SvMah& NaqTa" Pa[YaTa" ) ANYataSYa iNaXaa-I@av*ta& NaahaRiMa >aaizTauMa( ))

rdmngatya geha svam aha nta prayatnata anyat tasya ni-krvtta nrhmi bhitum
rdmnby rdm; gatyawho came; gehamto the home; svamhis; ahamI; ntabrought; prayatnata with effort; anyatother; tasyaHis; niin the night; krof the pastimes; vttamdescription; na arhmiI cannot; bhitumspeak. rdm came and with some effort brought me away to his house. And about Kas pastimes during the night there is nothing I can say. Commentary: Sarpas disciple might be curious about the pastimes Ka hinted at to the gops by moving His eyebrows, but, as Sarpa tells him, that topic is not theirs to discuss. TEXT 147 NaqTva MahaTYaaR Taa& rai}a& Pa[aTaNaRNdGa*he GaTa" ) APaXYa& Sa ih Sauae_iSTa PaYaRe riTaic>aak( ))

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ntv mahrty t rtri prtar nanda-ghe gata apaya sa hi supto sti paryake rati-cihna-bhk
ntvspending; mah-rtyin great distress; tm that; rtrimnight; prtaearly in the morning; nanda-gheto the residence of Nanda Mahrja; gatagone; apayamI saw; saHe; hiindeed; suptasleeping; astiwas; paryakeon His bed; ratiof conjugal enjoyment; cihnasigns; bhk showing. I spent that night in great distress. And early next morning I went to the house of Nanda Mahrja and saw Ka asleep in bed, His body showing signs of conjugal enjoyment. Commentary: Sarpa stayed awake all night, so there is no mention of his waking up. At dawn he went to Ka and saw fingernail scratches all over Kas body. TEXT 148 Sarl/Pa[k*-iTaMaaRTaa iNaiva TaSYa PaaRTa" ) bhuDaa l/al/YaNTaq Ta& ik-idaTMaNYa>aazTa ))

sarala-praktir mt nivi tasya prvata bahudh llayant ta kicid tmany abhata

saralasimple; praktiwhose nature; mtHis mother; nivientered; tasyaHis; prvataby the side; bahudhin various ways; llayant attending to; tamHim; kicitsomething; tmanito herself; abhatashe said. Kas simple-hearted mother came in and sat down at His side. While attending to Him in various ways, she said something under her breath. Commentary: Mother Yaod saw the same marks as Sarpa but was not capable of wondering what had caused them. Her mind worked in a simple,
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straightforward way. She busied herself in bathing Ka and getting Him ready for the day. TEXT 149 [qYaXaaedaevac hNTa bal/ae MaMaaivTva Gaa vNaeZvi%l&/ idNaMa( ) [aNTaae iNad]aSau%& Pa[aae Na JaaGaTYaRDauNaaPYaYaMa( ))

r-yaodovca hanta blo mamvitv g vanev akhila dinam rnto nidr-sukha prpto na jgarty adhunpy ayam
r-yaod uvcar Yaod said; hantaoh; bla boy; mamamy; avitvtending; gthe cows; vaneu in the forests; akhilamthe entire; dinamday; rntafatigued; nidrof sleep; sukhamthe happiness; prptaobtaining; na jgartihas not woken up; adhunnow; apieven; ayamHe. r Yaod said: Dear me! All day my little boy tended the cows in the forests. Fatigued, He was happy to go to sleep, and now He is still not awake. Commentary: Yaod could hardly think that Ka was not yet up because He had been awake all night dancing with the gops. Instead she thought He was still asleep because He was just a little boy. TEXT 150 Ar<Yak-<$=kE-duRE" +aTaaNaqMaaiNa SavRTa" ) Aai-YaNTaaSYa Gaa}aezu PairTaae DaavTaae Mauhu" ))

araya-kaakair duai katnmni sarvata kriyantsya gtreu parito dhvato muhu

arayaof the forest; kaakaiby the thorns; duainasty; katnicuts; imnithose; sarvata
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everywhere; kriyantawere made; asyaHis; gtreu on the limbs; paritaon all sides; dhvatawho was running; muhucontinuously. As He ran about the forest, nasty thorns made cuts all over His body. Commentary: This was Yaods explanation for the scratches made by the fingernails of the amorous gops. But as she carefully examined and gently touched the marks with her hand, she wondered, How could thorns in the forest have cut His lips? Well, running all over and playing wildly with the boys, He must have fallen, face first, into a bush. TEXT 151 Ahae k-& Na JaaNaaiTa ik-iid]avXa& GaTa" ) Ma[+aYaaMaaSa Gaa}aezu SvSYaed& Nae}ak-l/Ma( ))

aho kaa na jnti kicin nidr-vaa gata mrakaym sa gtreu svasyeda netra-kajjalam
ahooh; kaamhow painful; na jntiHe does not know; kicitanything; nidrof sleep; vaamunder the sway; gatagone; mrakaym saHe smeared; gtreuon the limbs; svasyaHis; idamthis; netra from His eyes; kajjalamthe collyrium. Oh, how painful this must be for Him! But now, fast asleep, He is not aware of anything. And He has smeared the kajjala from His eyes all over His body. Commentary: This kajjala was from the gops eyes, which Ka had been kissing. TEXT 152 TaQaaTMaaDarTaaMbUl/raGa& ceTaSTaTaae_ivdNa( )) icC^ed harMaal/aidPairv*ita& Mauhu>aRJaNa( ))

tathtmdhara-tmblarga cetas tato vidan ciccheda hra-mldi1028

parivtti muhur bhajan

tathalso; tmaHis own; adharafrom the lips; tmblaof pn; rgamthe red juice; caand; ita tatahere and there; avidanunaware; cicchedaHe broke; hraHis necklaces; ml-digarlands and so on; parivttimturning; muhurepeatedly; bhajan doing. He doesnt even know that He has spilled red pn juice from His lips all over Himself, and that by turning over and over in bed He has broken His necklaces and garlands and other ornaments. Commentary: The red stains on Kas cheeks were actually from the pn chewed by the gops, and His garlands and necklaces had broken while He was embracing them. Kas clothing and the protective thread on His neck were also in disarray. But Mother Yaod ascribed all this to His rolling about in His sleep. TEXT 153 NaUNa& k-aXMaqrv<aeRYa& YaMauNaaTaqrMa*itak-a ) Na PairTYaaiJaTaa hNTa aNaeNaaiPa vPau"Sa%q ))

nna kmra-vareya yamun-tra-mttik na parityjit hanta snnenpi vapu-sakh

nnamindeed; kmralike saffron; varcolored; iyamthis; yamun-tra from the Yamuns shore; mttikclay; nanot; parityjitremoved; hanta oh; snnenaby bathing; apieven; vapuof His body; sakha constant companion. My goodness! This saffron-colored clay from the shore of the Yamunit seems that even His bath couldnt wash it off. It has become like an inseparable friend to His body. Commentary: This red clay was actually kukuma from the gops breasts. TEXT 154
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bal/ai>aPal/ai>aR" SaNDYaaYaaMavDaaNaTa" ) aNa& Na k-airTa& SaMYax( Naa>YaaeTaRNae TaQaa ))

blbhi capalbhir hya sandhyym avadhnata snna na krita samya nbhyagodvartane tath
blbhiby the girls; capalbhithoughtless; hyayesterday; sandhyymin the evening; avadhnataattentively; snnamthe bath; nanot; kritamgiven; samyakproperly; nanor; abhyaga application of oil; udvartaneand removing the excess oil; tatheither. Yesterday evening, those fickle girls didnt bathe Him with proper attention. They didnt nicely apply the oil and wipe off what was left. Commentary: If those silly girls had bathed Ka more carefully, she thought, the dirt would have come off. TEXT 155 [qSaPa ovac MaaTaa YaXaaeda MauhurevMaah TaaSaa& SaMa+a& v[Jak-NYak-aNaaMa( ) Ta}aaGaTaaNaa& >aYahaSal/a= iv>aaRvMaud]aivl/SaNMau%qNaaMa( ))

r-sarpa uvca mt yaod muhur evam ha ts samaka vraja-kanyaknm tatrgatn bhaya-hsa-lajjvirbhva-mudr-vilasan-mukhnm

r-sarpa uvcar Sarpa said; mt yaod Mother Yaod; muhuagain and again; evamthus; haspoke; tsmof them; samakamin the presence; vraja-kanyaknmthe young girls of Vraja; tatra there; gatnmwho had arrived; bhayaof fear; hsalaughter; lajjand embarrassment; virbhva of the manifesting; mudrgestures; vilasan
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playing; mukhnmon their faces. r Sarpa said: Mother Yaod spoke like that again and again, right in front of the young girls of Vraja, who had just arrived and who now had signs of fear, laughter, and embarrassment playfully shining on their faces. Commentary: Mother Yaods name implies that she added to Kas fame (yao dadau). The gops arrived at Nanda Mahrjas house just as she was complaining about Kas disheveled state. Listening to her, they became afraid that she might begin to understand what Ka had actually been doing at night. Still, they couldnt help but laugh at her naive statements and shrink in embarrassment at seeing the obvious signs of their dalliance with Ka. TEXT 156 TaTaae_SaaE SvaPal/Il/aYaa ivrTa" aiPaTaSTaYaa ) >aUz<aE>aURizTa" Saak&- bl/raMae<a >aaeiJaTa" ))

tato sau svpa-lly virata snpitas tay bhaair bhita ska balarmea bhojita
tatathen; asauHe; svpaof sleeping; llythe pastime; viratahaving finished; snpitabathed; tayby her; bhaaiwith ornaments; bhita decorated; skamalong with; balarmeaBalarma; bhojitafed. Ka then finished His pastime of sleep, and His mother bathed Him, adorned Him with ornaments, and fed both Him and Balarma. TEXT 157 iv[MaYYa +a<a& Ta& c GaaePaqNaa& Sau%vaTaRYaa ) vNae Xau>aPa[Yaa<aaYa TaSYa k*-TYaaiNa Saak-raeTa( ))

viramayya kaa ta ca
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gopn sukha-vrtay vane ubha-prayya tasya ktyni skarot

viramayyamaking relax; kaamfor a short time; tamHim; caand; gopnmwith the gops; sukha enjoyable; vrtaywith talk; vanein the forest; ubhaauspicious; prayyafor the departure; tasyaHis; ktynipreparations; sshe; akarot made. She made Ka relax a short while, and He enjoyed talking with the gops. Then she got things ready for His auspicious departure to the forest. TEXT 158 TaaSaaMaPYaNTaraTaaRNaa& >aaivivC^edicNTaYaa ) idVYaMal/GaqTaeNa PaU<aRku-M>aaidk&- NYaDaaTa( ))

tsm apy antar-rtn bhvi-viccheda-cintay divya-magala-gtena pra-kumbhdika nyadht

tsmof them, the gops; apialthough; anta within themselves; rtnmwho were pained; bhvi imminent; vicchedaof the separation; cintayfrom thinking; divyatranscendental; magalaauspicious; gtenawith songs; pra-kumbhafull pots; dikam and other items; nyadhtshe provided. Though the young gops were pained at heart at the thought of soon being separated from Ka, Mother Yaod had them sing transcendental songs for His good fortune and ceremoniously carry full pots and other auspicious items. Commentary: No matter what ecstasy impeded them, the gops had to do their service. After all, they had to sing and carry pra-kumbhasfull pots of water with yogurt, flowers, unhusked barley, parched rice, and other pure substancesor else Kas departure for the forest would not be auspicious.
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TEXT 159 iNaveXYa SaaGa[Ja& Pau}a& Paq#e=_r<YaaeicTaaiNa Saa ) PaYaRDaaPaYadezu >aUz<aaNYaaEzDaaiNa c ))

niveya sgraja putra phe rayocitni s paryadhpayad ageu bhany auadhni ca

niveyaseating; sa-agrajamalong with His elder brother; putramHer son; pheon a chair; araya for the forest; ucitnisuitable; sshe; paryadhpayatplaced; ageuon the limbs; bhaniornaments; auadhnimedicinal herbs; ca and. She sat Ka on a chair with His elder brother and adorned Their limbs with ornaments and medicinal herbs suitable for the forest. Commentary: Besides decorative ornaments, Yaod placed various items on Their bodies to assure Their safety, such as tiger nails, enchanted talismans, protective threads, herbs meant for healing wounds, and grua-mai (emeralds for guarding against poison). TEXT 160 Pa[YaaeJYa v*ivPa[ai>arNYaai>a Xau>aaiXaz" ) bl/aa}aaiviDa& TaeNa Sav| Saa SaMaPaadYaTa( ))

prayojya vddha-viprbhir anybhi ca ubhia bald ytr-vidhi tena sarva s samapdayat

prayojyainvoking; vddhaelderly; viprbhiby brhmaa ladies; anybhiothers; caand; ubhaiablessings; baltby force; ytrfor the journey; vidhimprescribed rituals; tenaby Him; sarvamall; sshe; samapdayatcaused to be carried out.

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She engaged elderly brhmaa ladies and other ladies in offering blessings, and she made Ka do all the prescribed rituals to prepare for His outing. Commentary: Elderly brhmas blessed Ka, as did the older gops. Ka was more eager to get going than to touch His nose with His fingers and carry out other protective rituals, but His mother gave Him no choice. TEXT 161 >aaeGYa& MaaDYaaik&- Maa}aaiPaRTaMaadaYa ik-Na ) oTQaaPYa Gaa" Paur" ku-vRNPa[iSQaTaae ve<auMaqrYaNa( ))

bhogya mdhyhnika mtrrpitam dya kicana utthpya g pura kurvan prasthito veum rayan
bhogyamfood; mdhya-ahnikamfor the midday; mtr by His mother; arpitamgiven; dyataking; kicanasome; utthpyaraising; gthe cows; purain front; kurvanputting; prasthitaset off; veumHis flute; rayanplaying. Ka took the lunch His mother gave Him for noontime, stirred the cows from their rest and got them in front of Him, and set off, playing His flute. Commentary: Mother Yaod had prepared lunch for Ka to take with Him, and He packed as much of it as He could in a bag tied to a stick. Then He roused the cows, who were lying down, and drove them forward, urging them on with the music of His flute. TEXT 162 TaavTSahcra" SaveR TaSYaa>Ya<aeR SaMaaGaTaa" ) iNaGaRTYa vGaRXaae gaaezataTSa:YaaeicTaTaa& GaTaa" ))

tvat sahacar sarve

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tasybhyare samgat nirgatya vargao ghot tat-sakhyocitat gat

tvatjust then; saha-carHis companions; sarve all; tasyato Him; abhyareclose; samgat assembled; nirgatyacame out; vargaain groups; ghotfrom the cowherd village; tatwith Him; sakhyafor friendship; ucitatmcompetence; gat having attained. Just then His companions came out in groups from the cowherd village and gathered around Him. The boys were all fit to be His intimate friends. Commentary: Because the attention of the cowherd boys was never diverted to anything other than pleasing Ka, the boys needed only to hear Kas flute to know that it was time to leave. It hardly mattered whether they had finished having breakfast or preparing themselves; if Ka was going to the forest they had to follow right behind. There were a great number of these companions of Ka, and they naturally divided themselves into groups, led by prominent boys. All the boys, however, were completely fit to be with the Supreme Lord in close friendship. TEXT 163 k-daictaE" SaMa& v&Xaq" Xa*ai<a c k-daiPa Sa" ) k-daicTPa}avaaiNa bhuDaa vadYaNb>aaE )

kadcit tai sama va gi ca kadpi sa kadcit patra-vdyni bahudh vdayan babhau

kadcitat one moment; tai samamtogether with them; vaflutes; gibuffalo horns; caand; kad apiat one moment; saHe; kadcitat another moment; patramade of leaves; vdynimusical instruments; bahudhin various ways; vdayan playing; babhauHe showed off.

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At one moment He and the boys played their flutes, at another their buffalo horns, at still another some instruments fashioned from leaves. Thus He and the boys showed off by playing various kinds of music. Commentary: The boys made noisemakers out of leaves and blades of darbha grass they picked up from the side of the path. TEXT 164 SaMa& >a[a}aavTaSQae_Saavata-I@aPairC^dE" ) GaaYaiSTaE Na*TYai" STauviSTa& Pa[hzRTa" ))

sama bhrtrvatasthe sv tta-kr-paricchadai gyadbhis tai ca ntyadbhi stuvadbhis ta praharata

samamtogether; bhrtrwith His brother; avatasthestood; asauHe; ttaholding; krparicchadaitheir playthings; gyadbhiwho were singing; taiby them; caand; ntyadbhidancing; stuvadbhiand praising; tamThem; praharata joyfully. Ka stood with His brother while Their friends, playthings in hand, joyfully sang, danced, and glorified Them. Commentary: Among the various things the boys carried were balls, drums, fans, flags, seats, umbrellas, cmara fans, hand cymbals, wooden shoes, and food and drink. This was the paraphernalia for their games in the forest. The boys were very happy to be away from their homes and on the way to the forest, where they could play however they liked. TEXT 165 AGa[e JYaaYaaNah& Pa*e TaaaNauv[JaNaC^l/aTa( ) Aak*-a" Pa[eMaPaaXaeNa Pa[iSQaTaa ivrhaSaha" )

agre jyyn aha phe t cnuvrajana-cchalt k prema-pena

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prasthit virahsah
agrein front; jyynHis elder brother; ahamI; phein the rear; tthe girls; caand; anuvrajanaof following; chalton some excuse; kpulled; premaof love; penaby the ropes; prasthitsetting off; virahaseparation; asah not able to tolerate. Kas elder brother walked in front and I walked behind. And the girls, unable to tolerate being separated from Ka, found excuses to follow and came out from the village, helplessly pulled by ropes of love. Commentary: Here Sarpa gives the gops only a slight mention, referring to them simply as t (those girls), because anything he says about them might stir his memories of the special relations between the gops and Ka and disturb the mood he is trying to set. Even though his relationship with Ka was in sakhya-rasa, if he were to remember the gops love for Ka he would be unable to control his ecstasy. The gops could hardly justify walking out of the village in broad daylight and in front of everyone, but because they were helplessly attracted to Ka they were unable to tolerate His absence. TEXT 166 >aaveNa ke-NaiciTSv& Pau}aSYaaeq+Ya Saa Mau%Ma( ) SaMMaaJYaR Pa[uvTSTaNYaa bihaRraNTaMaNvGaaTa( ))

bhvena kenacit svinna putrasyodvkya s mukham sammrjya prasnuvat-stany bahir-dvrntam anvagt

bhvenadue to an esctatic mood; kenacitsome; svinnamperspiring; putrasyaof her son; udvkya noticing; sshe (Yaod); mukhamthe face; sammrjyawiping; prasnuvatdripping; stanymilk from her breasts; bahiouter; dvrathe gates; antamup to; anvagtshe followed.
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Mother Yaod saw Ka perspiring from a mood of ecstasy and came to wipe His face and went with Him as far as the outer gates of the village, her breasts wet with milk. Commentary: Kas face may have been perspiring because of the longing to be with the gops that arose in Him when He saw them following behind. Mother Yaod, however, was concerned only with wiping His face. First she wiped with her hand, and when that didnt work she used the edge of her garment. TEXT 167 TaeNaae-aiPa Ga*h& YaaNTaq Ga[qvaMauTaRYaNTYahae ) PadaNYaTaqTYa i}aai<a PauNaVYaRGa[a YaYaaE SauTaMa( ))

tenoktpi gha ynt grvm udvartayanty aho padny attya dvi-tri punar vyagr yayau sutam
tenaby Him; ukttold; apiand; ghamto the house; yntgoing; grvmher neck; udvartayant raising; ahooh; padnisteps; attyataking; dvitritwo or three; punaagain; vyagranxious; yayaushe went; sutamto her son. At His request she then turned back toward the house. Butoh!after two or three steps she craned her neck and anxiously went back to her son. TEXT 168 oPaSk*-TYaaSYa TaaMbUl&/ Mau%e hSTae SaMaPYaR c ) PauNaiNaRv*TYa Pa[aGvTSaa Ta& veGaEraYaYaaE PauNa" ))

upasktysya tmbla mukhe haste samarpya ca punar nivtya prg-vat s ta vegair yayau puna
upasktyapreparing; asyafor Him; tmblampn;
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mukhein His mouth; hastein His hand; samarpya placing; caand; punaagain; nivtyagoing back; prk-vatas before; sshe; tamto Him; vegai quickly; yayaucame; punaonce more. She made pn for Him and put some in His mouth and some in His hand and then again turned toward the house. But once again she quickly came back to Him. Commentary: Just like the first time, Yaod again nervously turned around, craned her neck to see Him, and came back to Him. TEXT 169 iMa& f-l/aidk&- ik-iaeJaiYaTva SauTa& PaiQa ) PaaYaiYaTva c GaehaYa YaaNTaq Pa[aGvNa( NYavTaRTa ))

mia phaldika kicid bhojayitv suta pathi pyayitv ca gehya ynt prg-van nyavartata
miamsweet; phala-dikamfruits and so on; kicitsome; bhojayitvfeeding; sutamto her son; pathion the path; pyayitvgiving something to drink; caand; gehyatoward home; yntgoing; prk-vanas before; nyavartatashe turned around. Right on the path she fed Him some fruits and some other sweet things and gave Him something to drink. Then she again started going back to the house, and then again turned around. TEXT 170 MauhuiNaRrq+Ya vaid SaiveXYa SauTaSYa Saa ) PauNaiNaRv*TYaaQaaGaTYa dqNaa Pau}aMaiXa+aYaTa( ))

muhur nirkya vastrdi sanniveya sutasya s punar nivtythgatya dn putram aikayat

muhuagain; nirkyascrutinizing; vastra-dithe clothing and so on; sanniveyaadjusting; sutasya
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of her son; sshe; punaagain; nivtyaturning back; athathen; gatyacoming; dnplaintive; putramto her son; aikayatshe gave instructions. She gave Him a thorough looking over and adjusted His clothes and the other things He had on, and then she once more turned back. But then she again returned, and plaintively gave Him some instructions. Commentary: Yaod spoke to Ka anxiously because she knew He was naughty and would likely ignore her advice. TEXT 171 >aae vTSa duGaRMae_r<Yae Na GaNTaVYa& ivdUrTa" ) Sak-<$=k-vNaaNTa Pa[veVYa& k-daiPa Na ))

bho vatsa durgame raye na gantavya vidrata sa-kaaka-vannta ca praveavya kadpi na

bhooh; vatsadear child; durgameimpenetrable; arayein the forest; na gantavyamyou should not go; vidratavery far; sa-kaakafull of thorns; vana-antain the forest; caand; praveavyamto be entered; kad apiever; nanot. My dear child, dont go too far into the impenetrable woods. And never enter deep into the forest where there are thorns! TEXT 172 TadQa| caTMaXaPaQa& MaaTaa ivSTaaYaR k-aku-i>a" ) PauNaiNaRv*TYa k-iTaicTPadaiNa PauNaraYaYaaE ))

tad-artha ctma-apatha mt vistrya kkubhi punar nivtya katicit padni punar yayau
tat-arthamforthe sake of this; caand; tmaher; apathamsolemn advice; mtHis mother; vistrya expounding;kkubhiin sorrowful tones; puna
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again; nivtyaturning back; katicitsome; padni steps; punaagain; yayaushe came back. After speaking this way at length, beseeching Him to take care, she once again turned home and took a few steps, and yet again came back. TEXT 173 >aaeSTaaTa raMa SQaaTaVYa& >avTaaGa[e_NauJaSYa ih ) TvYaa c Sa:Yau" [qdaMaNSaSaPae<a Pa*Ta" ))

bhos tta rma sthtavya bhavatgre nujasya hi tvay ca sakhyu rdman sa-sarpea phata
bhoO; ttamy dear boy; rmaBalarma; sthtavyamshould stay; bhavatYou; agrein front; anujasyaof Your younger brother; hiindeed; tvay you; caand; sakhyuof your friend; rdmanO rdm; sa-sarpeaalong with Sarpa; phata in the rear. My dear boy Rma, she said, You stay in front of Your younger brother. And you, rdm, stay behind your friend Ka with Sarpa. TEXT 174 A&Xaae_SYa di+a<ae SQaeYa& vaMae c Saubl/ TvYaa ) wTYaaidk-MaSaaE Pa[aQYaR SaTa*<a& Pau}aMaE+aTa ))

ao sya dakie stheya vme ca subala tvay ity-dikam asau prrthya sa-ta putram aikata
aoO Au; asyaHis; dakieon the right side; stheyamyou should stay; vmeon the left; caand; subalaO Subala; tvayyou; itiin this way; dikamand so on; asaushe; prrthyaimploring; satamwith straw between her teeth; putramat her son; aikatashe looked. You, Au, should stay on Kas right, and you,
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Subala, on His left. Straw between her teeth, she implored the boys with such requests. Then she looked intently at her son. Commentary: Balarma, the most competent of the boys, should walk in front of Ka. Though the others would spontaneously take up their proper places, she directed them anyway, just to make sure. The phrase ity-dikam indicates other requests: The boys should not let Ka go into thorny and dangerous places, they should provide Him shade if the sun became too intense, and they should be sure He ate nicely at lunch. Coming to the end of her list of requests, Mother Yaod looked intently at Kas face to evoke promises from Ka and the other boys that they would do what she had asked. TEXT 175 Wv& VYaGa[iDaYaa YaaTaaYaaTa& Saa ku-vRTaq Mauhu" ) NavPa[SaUTaaMaJaYaTSauri>a& vrvTSal/aMa( ))

eva vyagra-dhiy ytyta s kurvat muhu nava-prastm ajayat surabhi vara-vatsalm

evamthus; vyagraanxious; dhiyher mind; ytaytamgoing back and forth; sshe; kurvatdoing; muhurepeatedly; nava-prastmwho has just given birth; ajayatshe exceeded; surabhima cow; vara very; vatsalmaffectionate. In this way Mother Yaod, anxiously going back and forth again and again, showed more love than a cow who has just given birth to a calf. Commentary: This exchange between Yaod and Ka went on for some time, but Sarpa wanted to avoid prolonging his description. TEXT 176 Taa& SaPaadGa[h& NaTvaiZYa Pau}a" Pa[YaTa" ) ivivDaC^l/Ta" SvqYaXaPaQaE NYavTaRYaTa( ))

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t sa-pda-graha natvliya putra prayatnata vividha-cchalata svyaapathai ca nyavartayat

tmher; sa-pda-grahamwith taking hold of the feet; natvbowing down to; liyaembracing; putraher son; prayatnatawith endeavor; vividha various; chalataon pretexts; svyaHis own; apathaiwith strong statements; caand; nyavartayatHe turned her back. Her son then bowed down to her, took hold of her feet, and embraced her. And with various rationales, and finally with words of insistence of His own, with great effort He made her turn back. Commentary: Ka hoped that by showing this elaborate display of respect and affection He could convince His mother of how seriously He took her words. He reminded her that she also had to eat breakfast and attend to various household chores. But when all His reasons failed to convince her, He finally simply insisted very strongly that she go back. All this He had to do several times before she finally relented. TEXT 177 TaSQaaE Ta}aEv Saa dUraTPaXYaNTaq Ta& vNaaiNTake- ) ici}aTaev uTaSTaNYaa SaaaetauSQal/aePair ))

tasthau tatraiva s drt payant ta vanntike citriteva snuta-stany ssrottuga-sthalopari

tasthaustood; tatra evaright there; sshe; drtfrom a distance; payantwatching; tamHim; vana-antikenear the forest; citritpainted; iva as if; snutadripping; stanymilk from her breasts; sa-asrtearful; uttugahigh; sthalaa place; uparion. And she, crying, milk dripping from her breasts,
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stood right there, motionless like a painted picture, and distantly watched from that high place near the forest. TEXTS 178179 [qGaaePYaSTvNauGaC^NTYaae baZPaSa&k-i<#=k-a" ) GaaNaaXa-a" S%l/TPaada A[uDaaraSTad*Ya" )) k-Tau| vu-& c Taa" ik-idXa-a l/Yaa i>aYaa ) MahaXaaek-a<aRve MaGanaSTaTPa[Taqk-r<ae_+aMaa" ))

r-gopyas tv anugacchantyo bpa-saruddha-kahik gnakt skhalat-pd aru-dhrsta-daya kartu vaktu ca t kicid aakt lajjay bhiy mah-okrave magns tat-pratkarae kam
r-gopyathe lovely gops; tuhowever; anugacchantyafollowing; bpawith tears; saruddhachoked; kahiktheir throats; gnato sing; aaktunable; skhalatstumbling; pd their feet; aruof tears; dhraby a downpour; astablocked; dayatheir vision; kartumto do; vaktumto say; caand; tthey; kicitanything; aaktincapable; lajjaydue to shyness; bhiy and fear; mahgreat; okaof sorrow; aravein an ocean; magnimmersed; tatthat; pratkaraeto counteract; akamunable. But the lovely gops kept following Him. Their throats choked with weeping, they could no longer sing, nor see through their streams of tears, and their feet stumbled. In their shyness and fear, they had nothing they could do or say. Drowning in a great ocean of sorrow, they had no way to hold back their feelings. Commentary: As expressed by the word tu (however), the mood of the gops is even more
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exalted than that of Mother Yaod. The gops, the Lords most beloved devotees, are endowed with all excellent qualities. And now the gops were overwhelmed by various emotions, such as their natural shyness, which decorated their personalities most of the time, and their fear of what their elders must be thinking and what the consequences might be of having left the village without permission. In the village, moreover, the gops could counteract the pain of separation from Ka by embracing and kissing Him, but now that He was leaving for the day there was nothing they could do. They lacked the strength even to ask, How can we live like this? According to a wellknown psychological principle, nivedya dukha sukhino bhavanti: Unhappy people can regain their peace of mind by revealing the cause of their distress. But here the gops couldnt even express themselves, so they remained adrift in the vast ocean of their misery. TEXT 180 v[JaaihdURrTar& GaTaaNaa& TadNaaNaa& dYae+a<aaiNa ) Jahar YaeNa iNavTaRYa&STaa Mauhu" Parav*TYa iNarq+aMaa<aa" ))

vrajd bahir dra-tara gatn tad-agann hdayekani jahra yatnena nivartayas t muhu parvtya nirkam
vrajtfrom the village; bahioutside; dra-taram quite far; gatnmwho had gone; tatof those; agannmyoung girls; hdayathe hearts; kani and eyes; jahraHe took away; yatnenawith endeavor; nivartayanmaking stop; tthem; muhu repeatedly; parvtyamaking turn back; nirkamwho were looking at Him. Ka had stolen the hearts and eyes of these young girls. The girls had come so far from the cowherd
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village, and now with some endeavor He stopped them. And as they looked at Him, He repeatedly tried to send them home. TEXTS 181182 VYaGa[aTMaNaaQa TaeNaedUTaeNa SvYaMaev c ) Ga[qvaMauTYaR SaPa[eMad*yaaSaYaTaa Mauhu" )) >a[USaeTaaidNaa l/a>aYae JaNaYaTaa bl/aTa( ) Sa&STaiM>aTaaSTaaSTaNMaaTaurGa[e TadviSQaTaa" ))

vyagrtmantha teneadtena svayam eva ca grvm udvartya sa-premadyvsayat muhu bhr-saketdin lajjbhaye janayat balt sastambhits ts tan-mtur agre tadvad avasthit
vyagraanxious; tmanwhose mind; athathen; tena by Him; iatrusted; dtenathrough a messenger; svayamHimself; evaindeed; caalso; grvmHis neck; udvartyaby raising; sa-premalovingly; dyby glancing; vsayatencouraging; muhu repeatedly; bhrfrom His eyebrows; saketaby signals; dinand by other means; lajjshyness; bhayeand fear; janayatcreating; baltby force; sastambhitrendered motionless; tthey; tat His; mtuof the mother; agrein front; tadvat like her; avasthitstationed. He anxiously reassured them again and again, through a trusted messenger and by His own gestures. He stretched His neck to glance at the girls with love, signaled with His eyebrows, and did what He could to make the girls shy and even afraid. In this way He forced them to stop, and they stood in front of His mother, motionless just like her. Commentary: The boys were now approaching the dense
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forest, an unsafe place for young girls, so Ka had to send them back. By sending a boy as His gobetween and by making His own gestures, like knitting His eyebrows, shaking His head, and biting the tip of His tongue, He managed to convince them not to go any further. The gops then joined Mother Yaod on the same hill, where the gops stood still like pictures and cried profusely, just like her. TEXT 183 bveNd] SauiGDa" SvTa Wv ivXaezTa" ) PaqvaTSaLYad*ya c ehaed]eke-<a YaiN}aTa" ))

ballavendra ca su-snigdha svata eva vieata patn-vtsalya-dy ca snehodrekea yantrita

ballava-indrathe king of the cowherds (Nanda); caand; su-snigdhavery affectionate; svata naturally; evaindeed; vieataespecially; patn of his wife; vtsalyathe loving concern; dyby seeing; caand; snehaof affection; udrekeaby an excess; yantritadriven. Nanda, the king of the cowherds, naturally loved Ka ever so much, but upon seeing his wifes loving concern he was enslaved by overwhelming affection. TEXT 184 SavRv[JaJaNaeh>ar& Pau}ae ivl/aeKYa TaMa( ) v*E" SahaNauYaaTaae_iPa dUr& TYau-& Na caXak-Ta( ))

sarva-vraja-jana-snehabhara putre vilokya tam vddhai sahnuyto pi dra tyaktu na cakat

sarvaall; vraja-janaof the people of Vraja; snehaof love; bharamthe heavy burden; putrefor his son; vilokyaseeing; tamthat; vddhaielder
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people; sahaaccompanied by; anuytafollowing; apieven though; dramfor a long distance; tyaktumto give up; nanot; caand; aakatwas able. Though Nanda Mahrja had gone with Ka a great distance, and the elder cowherds with him, when Nanda saw the great burden of love all the people of Vraja bore for his son he was unable to turn back. Commentary: As the king of the cowherd community, Nanda would normally be surrounded by priests, advisers, and other Vraja-vss. So along with Nanda other leaders of the community, including his elder brother Upananda, were also following Ka. But even out of regard for their comfort Nanda couldnt bring himself to turn back. TEXT 185 Xau>aaiNa Xaku-NaaNYauE" PaadqNaa& c TaaMa( ) Sa&l/+YaaNTa" Pa[ae_iPa Pau}aivC^edk-aTar" ))

ubhni akunny uccai pav-dn ca hatm salakynta praho pi putra-viccheda-ktara

ubhniauspicious; akunnisigns; uccai prominent; pau-dnmof the animals and others; caand; hatmthe happiness; salakyanoting; antawithin himself; praharejoicing; apieven though; putrafrom his son; vicchedabecause of separation; ktaradistraught. Nanda was delighted to see many aupicious omens and see the animals and other creatures all very happy. Yet he was distraught at having to be parted from his son Ka. Commentary: The animals showed auspicious symptoms: They had full faces and bodies and were circling Nanda clockwise. The deer, birds, and other forest creatures were happy because their time for being
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separated from Ka was night and now it was time for Ka to join them in the forest. TEXT 186 SaaGa[Ja& Pa*QaGaail/&GYa YauGaPaaTMaJa& Mauhu" ) iXarSYaaga]aYa c eh>araTaaeR_[U<YavaSa*JaTa( ))

sgraja pthag ligya yugapac ctmaja muhu irasy ghrya ca snehabharrto ry avsjat
sa-agrajamwith His elder brother; pthak separately; ligyaembracing; yugapattogether; caand; tmajamhis son; muhurepeatedly; irasi on the head; ghryasmelling; caand; snehaof love; bharaby the burden; rtapained; ari tears; avsjathe shed. Again and again he embraced Ka, and Kas elder brother, both separately and together. He smelled Their heads and shed tears in the pain of great love for Them. TEXT 187 AQa Pa[<aMYa Pau}ae<a k*-TYa& dXaRYaTaa bhu ) Pa[SQaaiPaTa" Parav*TYa TaMaeval/aek-YaiNSQaTa" ))

atha praamya putrea ktya darayat bahu prasthpita parvtya tam evlokayan sthita
athathen; praamyabeing bowed down to; putreaby his son; ktyamduties; darayatwho showed; bahu many; prasthpitasent; parvtyabeing turned back; tamat Him; evaonly; lokayanlooking; sthitastanding. Then Ka bowed down to Nanda, reminded him of the many duties Nanda had to perform, and sent him home. Turned back, Nanda stood motionless, looking at Ka and nothing else. Commentary: Ka convinced Nanda, You are needed
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at home to save the villagers from becoming too wretched over My absence. Also, in the afternoon Nanda would have to organize the decorating of the village for Kas return. TEXT 188 Ar<YaaNTairTaae dUre GaTaaE Pau}aavl/aek-YaNa( ) XaBd& k-idXa*<v& iNavvTaR v[Ja& Pa[iTa ))

arayntarito dre gatau putrv alokayan abda kacid ava ca nivavarta vraja prati
arayathe forest; antaritainto; drefar; gatau gone; putrauhis two sons; alokayannot seeing; abdamsound; kacitany; avannot hearing; ca and; nivavartahe turned back; vrajamthe cowherd village; pratitoward. When Nandas two sons had gone so deep into the forest he could no longer see Them or hear any sound, he finally turned back toward the cowherd village. Commentary: For a while, even after the boys and their animals were too far away to be seen, some sounds could still be heard, like cows mooing and horns being blown. But when even those sounds were inaudible, Nanda finally went home. TEXT 189 iNaYauJYa Jaaik-aN>a*TYaaNTaaTaaRhr<aaYa Sa" ) GaaePaqi>ariNvTaa& Paq=& SaaNTviYaTvaNaYa*haNa( ))

niyujya jghikn bhtyn tad-vrt-haraya sa gopbhir anvit patn sntvayitvnayad ghn

niyujyaengaging; jghiknwho were acting as couriers; bhtynservants; tatof Him (Ka); vrtnews; harayafor carrying; sahe (Nanda); gopbhiwith the gops; anvitmaccompanied;
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patnmhis wife; sntvayitvconsoling; anayathe brought; ghnto their homes. He deputed some servants as messengers to bring news of what Ka was doing. Then he consoled his wife and the gops and took them back to their homes. TEXT 190 TaaSTau TaSYa ivl/aSaa&STaaNa( GaaYaNTYaae ivivXauv[RJaMa( ) idNaMaarei>are NaeTau& DYaaYaNTYaSTaSYa SaMaMa( ))

ts tu tasya vilss tn gyantyo viviur vrajam dinam rebhire netu dhyyantyas tasya sagamam
tthey (the gops); tubut; tasyaHis; vilsn pastimes; tnthem; gyantyasinging; viviu entered; vrajamthe cowherd village; dinamthe day; rebhirebegan; netumto pass; dhyyantya meditating; tasyaHis; sagamamon the association. The gops, singing Kas pastimes, entered the village, where they began the day absorbed in thoughts of His company. Commentary: The gops are Kas greatest devotees, dedicated to Him even more intensely than r Nanda and the other elder cowherd men and women. The gops spent the entire day fully absorbed in the sakrtana of singing about the rsa dance and other pastimes they had shared with Ka. They remembered how they had enjoyed these pastimes, and they looked forward to having more pastimes with Him soon. Some of the songs the gops sang are recorded in the Tenth Canto, Thirty-fifth Chapter, of rmadBhgavatam: vma-bhu-kta-vma-kapolo valgita-bhrur adharrpita-veum

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komalgulibhir rita-mrga gopya rayati yatra mukunda vyoma-yna-vanit saha siddhair vismits tad upadhrya sa-lajj kma-mrgaa-samarpita-citt kamala yayur apasmta-nvya When Mukunda vibrates the flute He has placed to His lips, stopping its holes with His tender fingers, He rests His left cheek on His left arm and makes His eyebrows dance. At that time the demigoddesses traveling in the sky with their husbands, the Siddhas, become amazed. As those ladies listen, they are embarrassed to find their minds yielding to the pursuit of lusty desires, and in their distress they are unaware that the belts of their garments are loosening. (Bhgavatam 10.35.23) TEXT 191 TataiXaezae iNavaRCYaae_NaNTaXa-yaiPa NaaPar" ) MahaiTaRJaNake- TaiSMaNk-ae va DaqMaaNPa[vTaRTae ))

tat-tad-vieo nirvcyo nanta-aktypi npara mahrti-janake tasmin ko v dhmn pravartate

tat-tatof all those dealings; vieadetails; nirvcyacan be described; ananta-aktywith infinite power; apieven; nanot; aparafurther; mah-rtigreat distress; janakewhich produces; tasminin that; kawho; vor; dhmnbeing intelligent; pravartatewould proceed. Even a person with unlimited power could not describe those dealings in further detail. But why would someone intelligent even try? It would only create abysmal distress. Commentary: The Mathur brhmaa might be eager to hear everything about Kas dayfrom the moment
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His mother wakes Him till the time He returns home in the eveningbut Sarpa says that only someone equal to Ananta ea could satisfy the demand to tell all this. But the Lord, the brhmaa might counter, has been addressed with the words mybalena bhavatpi nighyamna payanti kecit: Some people can see what by Your own power of illusion You keep hidden. (Stotra-ratna 13) And the brhmaa might insist that r Sarpa is indeed a great devotee of the Lord and therefore able to do anything. But I cannot do this, Sarpa might then say, because those pastimes are infinite. Then please describe at least some part of them in detail, the brhmaa might persist. No, Sarpa would finally answer, an intelligent person should not speak what will create unhappiness for the entire world. If one does so, he is not intelligent. Indeed, even the son of Badaryaa Vysa did not speak elaborately in rmad-Bhgavatam on these topics of the Vrajavss daily separation from Ka. TEXT 192 Sa Tau Pa[SQaaPYa Taa" SvaNTaraTaaeR_iPa Sai%i>abRl/aTa( ) NaqTaae_Ga[e Pa[aivXataU<a| [qMa*NdavNaaNTarMa( ))

sa tu prasthpya t svntarrto pi sakhibhir balt nto gre prviat tra rmad-vndvanntaram

saHe; tubut; prasthpyasending home; tthem (the gops); sva-antawithin Himself; rta distressed; apialthough; sakhibhiby His friends; baltby force; ntabrought; agreforward; prviatHe entered; tramquickly; rmat beautiful; vndvanaof the Vndvana forest; antaramthe interior.

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Ka felt heavy at heart from sending the gops back. But His friends quickly pulled Him forward and made Him enter the beautiful Vndvana forest. TEXT 193 SaNdXYaRMaaNa" Sai%i>a" Sa Tau v*NdavNai[YaMa( ) SvYa& c v<aRYaNYau-ya iNaGaRTaaiDairva>avTa( ))

sandaryamna sakhibhi sa tu vndvana-riyam svaya ca varayan yukty nirgatdhir ivbhavat

sandaryamnabeing shown; sakhibhiby His companions; saHe; tubut; vndvana-riyamthe splendors of Vndvana; svayamHimself; caand; varayandescribing; yuktywith logical reasons; nirgata-dhifreed from mental pain; ivamore or less; abhavatHe became. And as His companions pointed out the splendors of Vndvana and as He described them Himself and supported His praise with logic, He was more or less freed of distress. Commentary: Texts 192 and 193 describe how Ka was able to tolerate the pain He felt from having to separate from the gops. As indicated in the first of these verses by the word tu (but), the pain Ka felt was even greater than that of the gops. The cowherd boys had to drag Ka away by force because otherwise He and the gops would never have stopped gazing at one another. The boys took Him into the deep forest, where the girls couldnt go. Of course, Ka also sent home His parents and the others, but the gops are especially mentioned here because their heartfelt pain was the greatest. And the word iva indicates that despite entering the forest with His friends, Ka was not completely relieved of His anxiety about the gops. Once inside the Vndvana forest, Ka praised its beauty on the pretext of glorifying His brother, as
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we hear from r ukadeva Gosvm. Ka said: aho am deva-varmarrcita pdmbuja te sumana-phalrhaam namanty updya ikhbhir tmanas tamo-pahatyai taru-janma yat-ktam O greatest of Lords, just see how these trees are bowing their heads at Your lotus feet, which are worshiped by the immortal demigods. The trees are offering You their fruits and flowers to eradicate the dark ignorance that has caused their birth as trees. (Bhgavatam 10.15.5) TEXT 194 TaTaae_TaNaaeaNSa Tau GaaePaiv>a[MaaNa( ATaae_>aJaNYaad*XaTaa& cracra" ) da Na Ta*taMauPaaiSaTa& >aveTa( k-Qa& PariSMaNa( rSaNaa iNaPaYaeTa( ))

tato tanod yn sa tu gopa-vibhramn ato bhajan ydat carcar hd na tad-vttam upsita bhavet katha parasmin rasan nirpayet
tatathen; atanotexpanded; ynwhich; saHe; tu and; gopaof the cowherds; vibhramnthe wanderings; atathus; abhajanassumed; ydatm such a condition; cara-acarthe moving and nonmoving beings; hdby exercise of the heart; nanot; tatthat; vttamactivity; upsitam worshiped; bhavetwould be; kathamhow; parasminto someone else; rasanthe tongue; nirpayetcan describe. His wanderings then with the cowherd boys, and the state of ecstasy all creatures thereby achieved, the moving and the nonmovingone cannot conceive of this even by meditation in the heart. How then can the tongue describe this to anyone else? TEXT 195 GaaevDaRNaaid]iNak-$e=zu Sa carYaNa( Gaa
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reMae k-il/NdTaNaYaaMbu iNaPaaYaYa&STaa" ) SaaYa& TaQaEv PauNareTYa iNaJa& v[Ja& Ta& iv-I@iTa v[JavDaUi>arSaaE v[JaeXa" ))

govardhandri-nikaeu sa crayan g reme kalinda-tanaymbu nipyayas t sya tathaiva punar etya nija vraja ta vikrati vraja-vadhbhir asau vrajea
govardhana-adriof Govardhana Hill; nikaeuin the places in the vicinity; saHe; crayantending; gthe cows; remeenjoyed; kalinda-tanayof Yamun, the daughter of Kalinda; ambuwater; nipyayanmaking drink; tthem (the cows); syam in the evening; tath evaand so; punaagain; etyacoming; nijamHis own; vrajamto the cowherd village; tamthat; vikratiplayed; vrajavadhbhiwith the young women of Vraja; asauHe; vraja-athe Lord of Vraja. In the places around Govardhana Hill, He enjoyed tending the cows and making them drink water from the Yamun. And as evening approached, the Lord of Vraja returned to His cowherd village and later played with Vrajas young girls. Commentary: This verse gives a short summary of Kas activities throughout the day and night. The gops and everyone and everything else in Vraja exist only for Kas enjoyment. TEXT 196 [qGaaeParaJaSYa YadPYaSaaE Paurq NaNdqra:Yae ivzYae ivraJaTae ) Tae TaSYa k*-Z<aSYa MaTaaNauviTaRNa" ku-aidraSa& bhu MaNYaTae Sada )) r-gopa-rjasya yad apy asau pur nandvarkhye viaye virjate te tasya kasya matnuvartina kujdi-rsa bahu manyate sad

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ropulent; gopa-rjasyaof the king of the cowherds; yat apialthough; asauthat; purcity; nandvara-khyenamed Nandvara; viayein the precinct; virjateis resplendent; tethey (the Vraja-vss); tasyaof Him; kasyaKa; mata the opinions; anuvartinafollowing; kuja-diin the groves and other locations; rsamthe pleasure pastimes; bahuhighly; manyateregard; sadalways. Though the capital of the opulent king of the cowherds shines forth in the region called Nandvara, the Vraja-vss, in tune with Kas liking, always think more highly of His pleasure pastimes in the groves and other places in the forests. Commentary: For all its sweetness, Nanda Mahrjas town is more magnificent than Vaikuha. Even so, the residents of Vraja think mostly about Ka playing among the trees and creepers of the forests, because that is where He enjoys the most. TEXT 197 Ta}aEv vSaTaa b]aNaNdae Yaae_Nau>aUYaTae ) Sau%& Ya Sa va Taa k-Id*iGaTYauCYaTaa& k-QaMa( ))

tatraiva vasat brahmann nando yo nubhyate sukha yac ca sa v tad v kdg ity ucyat katham
tatrathere (in Goloka Vndvana); evaonly; vasatby one who is living; brahmanO brhmaa; nandathe bliss; yawhich; anubhyateis perceived; sukhamthe satisfaction; yatwhich; ca and; sathat (bliss); vor; tatthat (satisfaction); vor else; kdkof what kind; itithus; ucyatmcan be described; kathamhow. O brhmaa, the satisfaction and ecstasy one tastes from living in Goloka Vndvana are beyond describing. To what can they be compared?
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Commentary: According to the laws of spiritual nature, sukha (satisfaction) is the cause of nanda (bliss). In other words, sukha can be said to be the external aspect of spiritual happiness and nanda the internal. And both are beyond the scope of material understanding. TEXT 198 Mau-aNaa& Sau%Taae_TYaNTa& MahEku-<#=vaiSaNaaMa( ) >aGavi-MaahaTMYaadu&- Taeidi>a" Sau%Ma( ))

muktn sukhato tyanta mahad vaikuha-vsinm bhagavad-bhakti-mhtmyd ukta tad-vedibhi sukham

muktnmof liberated persons; sukhatathan the happiness; atyantamvery much; mahatgreater; vaikuha-vsinmof the residents of Vaikuha; bhagavat-bhaktiof devotional service to the Supreme Lord; mhtmytdue to the greatness; uktamis said; tatthat; vedibhiby those who know; sukhamhappiness. Because devotional service to the Supreme Lord is so wondrous, those who truly know say that the residents of Vaikuha taste a happiness much greater than that of mere liberated souls. TEXT 199 AYaaeDYaaarvTYaaidvaiSaNaa& c TaTaae_iPa TaTa( ) o&- rSaivXaeze<a ke-NaicTke-NaicNMahTa( ))

ayodhy-dvravaty-divsin ca tato pi tat ukta rasa-vieea kenacit kenacin mahat

ayodhyof Ayodhy; dvravatDvrak; diand so on; vsinmof the residents; caand; tatathan that; apieven; tatthat; uktamis said; rasavieeadue to special tastes; kenacit kenacit certain various; mahatgreater.
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And the happiness of souls who reside in places like Ayodhy and Dvrak is said to be even greater because of certain various special tastes. Commentary: We have already heard that in Ayodhy and Dvrak the Supreme Lords devotees serve Him with special intimacy. The eternal servants of r Raghunthas lotus feet are happier than the associates of r Nryaa in Vaikuha; and happier still are the eternal relatives of r Ydavendra in Dvrak. The devotees of Ayodhy enjoy the privilege of eternal personal service to the Lord, but the devotees of Dvrak, being entitled to taste the rasa of friendship with Ka, are even more privileged. TEXT 200 Gaael/aek-vaiSaNaa& YataTSavRTaae_PYaiDak-aiDak-Ma( ) Sau%& Tau-yiTa-aNTa& dDYaaaic k-Qa& PadMa( ))

goloka-vsin yat tat sarvato py adhikdhikam sukha tad yukty-atikrnta dadhyd vci katha padam
goloka-vsinmof the residents of Goloka; yat which; tatthat; sarvatathan all; apieven; adhika-adhikamsuperior by far; sukhamhappiness; tatthat; yuktireason; atikrntamtranscending; dadhytcan allow; vciin speech; kathamhow; padamscope. But the happiness of the residents of Goloka far exceeds any other. It transcends reason, so how can it give room for words? TEXT 201 TaSYaaNau>aivNaae iNaTYa& Ta}aTYaa Wv Tae ivdu" ) Tatv& Yae ih Pa[>aaeSTaSYa Taad*KSaaEhadRGaaecra" ))

tasynubhavino nitya tatraty eva te vidu

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tattva ye hi prabhos tasya tdk-sauhrda-gocar

tasyait; anubhavinawho experience; nityam constantly; tatratywho ive there; evaonly; te they; viduknow; tattvamthe true nature; yewho; hiindeed; prabhoof the Lord; tasyaHim; tdk such; sauhrdaof the friendly affection; gocar objects. Only those who live in Goloka and always perceive that happiness know its true nature, because the Lord has such friendly feelings toward them. TEXTS 202203 WzaMaevavTaaraSTae iNaTYaa vEku-<#=PaazRda" ) Pa[PaaNTaGaRTaaSTaeza& Pa[iTaPaa" Saura YaQaa )) YaQaa c Taeza& devaNaaMavTaara DaraTale/ ) -I@a& ick-IzRTaae ivZ<aae>aRviNTa Pa[qTaYae Mauhu" ))

em evvatrs te nity vaikuha-prad prapacntar-gats te pratirp sur yath yath ca te devnm avatr dhar-tale kr cikrato vior bhavanti prtaye muhu
emof them (the Goloka devotees); evaindeed; avatr incarnations; tethey; nityeternal; vaikuhaof the Lord of Vaikuha; pradthe associates; prapacathe material creation; antagatwho have entered within; temtheir; pratirpcounterparts; surthe demigods; yath as; yathas; caand; temof them; devnmthe demigods; avatrincarnations; dhar-taleon the earth; krmpastimes; cikratawho desires; vioof Lord Viu; bhavantithey (the incarnations) are present; prtayefor the
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pleasure; muhufrom time to time. Just as the demigods who have entered the material creation are counterparts of the Lords Vaikuha associates, those eternal associates from Vaikuha are incarnations of the Goloka devotees. Yet like the demigods themselves, those very devotees appear on earth now and again for the pleasure of Lord Viu when He wants to enjoy various pastimes. Commentary: Some say that many of the Vraja-vss who appeared on earth during Kas pastimes five thousand years ago were incarnations of demigods. Nanda Mahrja, for example, is said to be an avatra of the Vasu named Droa. If taken literally, this idea would rule out the possibility that the earthly Vraja-vss are eternal associates of the Supreme Lord. But the truth is just the opposite: As confirmed in scriptures such as the Padma Pura (Uttara-khaa), demigods like Droa are partial expansions of the original Vraja-vss, and those original Vraja-vss accompany Ka when He descends to earth. Goparja Nanda and other devotees in Goloka expand as avatras in Vaikuha to become r Nanda and other associates of Lord Nryaa. The same devotees thus enjoy pastimes in two worlds simultaneously, Goloka and Vaikuha. And so it would be incorrect to assert that because the Vaikuha associates of Nryaa are avatras they are not eternal. The same associates of Lord Nryaa expand again into the material world to become demigods. This verse calls those demigods pratirp (counterparts), rather than avatras, because the demigods are materially conditioned living beings. Still, those demigods are empowered representatives of the Supreme Lords personal associates. In the next few verses, r Sarpa will describe the incarnations of the Goloka-vss as parallel to Kas incarnations; that is, just as Kas avatras are nondifferent from Him, the earthly
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associates of Ka are nondifferent from the original Goloka-vss. Alternatively, the word pratirpa (counterpart or representative) can be taken as synonymous with the word avatra. Then the idea implied is that the associates of the Lord in Vaikuha who expand from the original Goloka-vss are like direct reflections (pratibimba) of those Goloka-vss, and the further expansions as demigods are like shadows (pratichy). Both a reflection and a shadow follow a person as expansions, but the shadow represents him less fully than does his mirror image. Thus if Nanda Mahrja on earth is called an avatra of Droa, it is only because both of them are avatras of Nanda Mahrja in Goloka. In fact, Nanda on earth is identical with Nanda in Goloka, and Droa is only a partial expansion; but by worldly calculations demigods are considered relatively superior to humans, so Nanda on earth is considered Droas incarnation. Thus it is said that demigods like Vasu Droa descend to earth to assist Lord Viu, the younger brother of Indra, in His enjoyment. Just as Lord Vius incarnations appear only briefly in the material world but periodically reappear, the Lords associates who manifest themselves as demigods also incarnate as earthly avatras whenever there is a need. For example, r Nanda Goparja, the eternal beloved father of Ka in Goloka, appears in Vaikuha as the eternal associate of Nryaa called Nanda, and he also occasionally descends to earth in his original identity. So too, r Balarma, who originally resides in Goloka, manifests Himself in Vaikuha as the eternal associate named ea. Yet He appears among the demigods as the bearer of the earth in the seventh Ptla region, and He sometimes comes to earth as the selfsame Balarma. Kas friend rdm in Goloka appears as Garua in two different forms, one an eternal associate of the
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Lord in Vaikuha and the other a son of Vinat among the demigods; and occasionally he appears on earth as the original rdm. Kas parents in Goloka, r Vasudeva and Devak, appear as Sutap and Pni in Vaikuha, Kayapa and Aditi in Svarga, and sometimes in their original forms as Vasudeva and Devak on earth. The avatras of other devotees follow the same pattern. TEXT 204 YaQaavTaara" k*-Z<aSYaai>aaSTaeNaavTaair<aa ) TaQaEzaMavTaaraSTae Na SYaureTaE" SaMa& Pa*Qak( ))

yathvatr kasybhinns tenvatri tathaim avatrs te na syur etai sama pthak

yathas; avatrthe incarnations; kasyaof Ka; abhinnnondifferent; tenafrom Him; avatrithe source of all incarnations; tathso; emof them (the residents of Goloka); avatr the incarnations; tethese; na syuare not; etai samamfrom them; pthakdifferent. And just as the incarnations of Ka, the source of all incarnations, are nondifferent from Him, the incarnations of the Goloka-vss, the residents of Goloka, are nondifferent from them. Commentary: The devotees from Goloka may change their names and appearance when they descend, but still they are the same persons. As the expanded forms of Godhead are all nondifferent from the original Ka, the single fountainhead of existence, so when devotees like Nanda and Yaod appear in expanded forms in Vaikuha, those forms are in essence nondifferent from the original forms in Goloka. Kayapa and Aditi in heaven, however, being incomplete portions of Vasudeva and his wife Devak, are partially different from the Vasudeva and Devak on earth and partially the same. TEXT 205
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k-daPYa&XaeNa JaaYaNTae PaU<aRTveNa k-dacNa ) YaQaak-al&/ YaQaak-aYa| YaQaaSQaaNa& c k*-Z<avTa( ))

kadpy aena jyante pratvena kadcana yath-kla yath-krya yath-sthna ca ka-vat

kad apisometimes; aenain partial expansions; jyanteare born; pratvenain their full selves; kadcanasometimes; yath-klamaccording to time; yath-kryamaccording to necessity; yath-sthnam according to place; caand; ka-vatlike Ka. The Goloka-vss are born sometimes as partial expansions and sometimes as their full selves. Like Ka, they vary their appearance for the time, place, and need. Commentary: In this verse the verb jyante (they are born) is equivalent to prdurbhavanti (they become visible) and avataranti (they descend). Whenever and wherever there is a need for a full or partial incarnation of a particular devotee, that same devotee reveals either his whole self or a partial expansion of himself. The example of Ka and His expansions is cited to clarify this point. In previous ages Ka manifested various partial forms of Himself in this world. In Satya-yuga, for example, Lord Varha descended from the aukarapur of Vaikuha for such purposes as lifting the earth from the lower regions. And at the end of Dvpara-yuga the same Ka descended to r Mathur-maala in His full form to display special blissful pastimes that would broadcast His loving devotional service all over the universe. TEXT 206 Wv& k-daicTke-NaaiPa SaMaak*-a rSaeNa Tae ) iNaJaNaaQaeNa SaihTaa" ku-}aaPYaiTaiTaTaqzRv" ))

eva kadcit kenpi

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samk rasena te nija-nthena sahit kutrpy atititrava

evamthus; kadcitat times; kena apiby some; samkattracted; rasenamood; tethey; nija their own; nthenawith the Lord; sahittogether; kutra apisomewhere; atititravadesiring to descend. Thus Kas companions, impelled by their own moods of loving exchange, from time to time want to descend somewhere with their Lord. TEXTS 207208 AvTaarEiNaRJaE" Sav" ParMaervda ) WeKYa& VYaaJaeNa ke-NaaiPa GaTaa" Pa[adu>aRviNTa ih )) TadEzaMavTaaraSTae GaC^NTYaeTaezu vE l/YaMa( ) ATaae_>av&STa WvETa wiTa Tae MauNaYaae_vdNa( ))

avatrair nijai sarvai paramevara-vad yad aikya vyjena kenpi gat prdurbhavanti hi tadaim avatrs te gacchanty eteu vai layam ato bhavas ta evaita iti te munayo vadan
avatraiwith the incarnations; nijaitheir own; sarvaiall; parama-vara-vatlike the Supreme Lord; yadwhen; aikyamoneness; vyjenaon a pretext; kena apisome; gatgone; prdurbhavanti they incarnate; hiindeed; tadthen; emof them; avatrthe incarnations; tethese; gacchantigo; eteuinto them; vaiindeed; layamthe merging; atathus; abhavanbecome; tethese; evajust; ete they; itithus; tethey; munayathe sages; avadan have said.

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When devotees who live with Ka in Goloka appear to merge, on some pretext, into their own expanded incarnations, this is just like the merging of Kas expansions with Him. When sages tell us, therefore, that expansions of Kas associates descend to become the original associates, what they mean is that the expansions merge into the originals. Commentary: In Goloka, Nanda Mahrja eternally serves Ka in the role of father. So when Ka plans to descend to earth to display childhood pastimes, Nanda is naturally attracted to come with Him. By Kas arrangement Lord Brahm then blesses Nandas partial expansion Vasu Droa to attain perfect devotion for Viu. Of course, this blessing is only a pretext because Droa is already an expansion of Kas eternal associate. Yet on the strength of that blessing, Droa merges into the original Nanda Mahrja and joins the entourage of Kas avatra. It is in this sense that the Puras tell us Droa became Nanda. This explanation also reconciles the account in the Padma Pura (Krtika-mhtmya) of r Rdhs previous lives. Attracted to descend from Goloka for the service of Her worshipable Lord, who is more attractive than millions of Cupids, She incarnated in those various births, in various forms and places. TEXT 209 k*-TMaeTaTPar& ceTQa& Ta}aTYa& ivySa&XaYaMa( ) PaUvaeR-NaardaeiiSaaNTaaNauSaarTa" ))

ktsnam etat para cettha tatratya viddhy asaayam prvokta-nradoddiasiddhntdy-anusrata

ktsnamall; etatthis; paramother things; caand; itthamin this way; tatratyamexisting there; viddhiplease understand; asaayamwithout doubt; prvapreviously; uktaspoken; nradaby Nrada;
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uddiataught; siddhntathe philosophical conclusions; diand so on; anusrataaccording to. All this and everything else about Goloka please try to understand in this way, without doubt or confusion. Comprehend it according to the philosophical conclusions taught by Nrada, as spoken of before. Commentary: r Sarpas disciple may still have doubts about Goloka. He may question, for example, how demons can be present in a place superior to Vaikuha or how the Goloka-vss could even have an impression of having seen demons there before. Moreover, if Goloka is purely spiritual, sac-cidnanda, how can inanimate things like logs, stones, carts, and dust from cows hooves exist there? And Goloka is not generally accepted to be greater and higher than Vaikuha. So how can the dear associates of Ka descend from Goloka to become Vaikuha pradas? Sarpa already answered these doubts in his description of the glories of Goloka. He briefly recounted the teachings Nrada had given him earlier, in Vaikuha, about Golokas unique stature and elucidated those teachings with his own comments. If the Mathur brhmaa wants more scriptural support, he can refer to various statements of the Padma Pura (Uttara-khaa) and the Pacartras. In upcoming verses of r Bhad-bhgavatmta, r Sarpa will tell more about the pastimes the transcendental Personality of Godhead enjoys with His personal associates and paraphernalia in Goloka. The brhmaa will then be informed how it is that Kasa and other demons reside in Kas abode. In brief, Kasa and the other enemies of Ka join Kas eternal pastimes for the same reason Kas Vaikuha associates join Him in their spiritual identities, namely to enhance Kas enjoyment. The carts and other apparently
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lifeless objects in Kas abode are all in fact alive and completely spiritual sac-cid-nanda beings. According to the descriptions of r Bhadbhgavatmta, everything in Kas abode Goloka is transcendental the same way as in Vaikuha. Scriptural evidence to support this conclusion will be cited later on. TEXT 210 MaaQauraetaMa Ta}aTYa& MahaYaRiMad& Xa*<au ) k-QYaMaaNa& MaYaa ik-iTa( [qk*-Z<aSYa Pa[>aavTa" ))

mthurottama tatratya mahcaryam ida u kathyamna may kicit r-kasya prabhvata

mthuraof Mathur brhmaas; uttamaO best; tatratyamabout that place; mah-acaryamgreat wonder; idamthis; uplease hear; kathyamnam being told; mayby me; kicitsomething; rkasyaof r Ka; prabhvataby powerful influence. O best of Mathur brhmaas, listen and by the powerful influence of Ka I will tell you more about the great wonders of that place. Commentary: The glories of Goloka and the ecstasies of its devotees are beyond the power of words and thought, but a devotee empowered by Kas special grace can describe them to some extent. To encourage the disciple to listen with careful attention, Sarpa calls him best of the brhmaas from Mathur. TEXT 211 bal/k-aSTa<aa v*a GaaePaaSTae k-aei$=k-aei$=Xa" ) SaveR ivduMaRhaPa[eYaaNah& k*-Z<aSYa NaeTar" ))

blaks taru vddh gops te koi-koia sarve vidur mah-preyn

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aha kasya netara

blakwho are children; taruwho are young people; vddhand who are elders; gopthe cowherds; tethey; koi-koiamillions upon millions; sarveall; viduthink; mah-preynmost dear; ahamI; kasyaof Ka; nanot; itara anyone else. Every one of the millions and millions of cowherds the children, young people, and eldersthinks, I alone am most dear to Ka. Commentary: Texts 211 through 213 reveal the ecstatic attitude of the cowherd boys and men of Goloka. TEXT 212 TaQaEv VYavharae_iPa Taeza& k*-Z<ae Sade+YaTae ) Pa[TYaek&- Taezu TaSYaaiPa ivXauSTaad*Gaev Sa" ))

tathaiva vyavahro pi te ke sadekyate praty-eka teu tasypi viuddhas tdg eva sa

tath evajust so; vyavahrathe behavior; api also; temof them; ketoward Ka; sad always; kyateis seen; prati-ekamtoward each one; teuof them; tasyaHis; apialso; viuddha pure; tdksimilar; evaonly; sathat (behavior). Just as the pure way they behave toward Ka always confirms this ecstatic mentality, so does the way He behaves toward every one of them. PURPORT Commentary: This Goloka ecstasy is not just an idle meditation. It manifests itself actively in the way the devotees deal with Ka. The cowherds express their intimate love for Him in everything they do, including their eating and ordinary household chores. And Ka also shows by His behavior that

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He considers Himself their property. There is never even a trace of duplicity in the loving exchanges between Ka and His devotees in Goloka; their dealings are viuddha, absolutely pure. It is not that Ka truly loves only one of His devotees and with everyone else only pretends. TEXT 213 TaQaaiPa Ta*i" k-SYaaiPa NaEvaedeiTa k-dacNa ) Pa[eMaTa*Z<aa c ivivDaa dENYaMaaTaa ivvDaRTae )

tathpi tpti kasypi naivodeti kadcana prema-t ca vividh dainya-mt vivardhate

tath apinonetheless; tptisatisfaction; kasya apiof anyone; nadoes not; evaeven; udetiarise; kadcanaever; premaof love; tthe thirst; ca and; vividhvarious; dainyaof utter humility; mtthe mother; vivardhategrows stronger. Yet none of them ever become satiated. Their love shows a thirst that is the mother of sheer humility and that simply grows stronger and stronger. Commentary: The devotees thirst for having more and more of Ka is unquenchable and ever increasing, without limit. The phrase prema-t, the thirst of pure love, means lobha (greed). This thirst is the mother of perfect humility because the highest love of God naturally evolves into the sorrow of separation, even while devotees are directly enjoying Kas company. TEXT 214 GaaePaqzu c Sada TaaSau Pa[TYaek&- k-aei$=k-aei$=zu ) Para Pa[qiTa" k*-PaaSai-riPa Saa TaSYa vq+YaTae ))

gopu ca sad tsu praty-eka koi-koiu par prti kpsaktir api s tasya vkyate
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gopufor the gops; caand; sadalways; tsufor them; prati-ekameach one; koi-koiuby the millions upon millions; parsupreme; prtilove; kpcompassion; saktiattachment; apialso; s that; tasyaon His part; vkyateis seen. Still, it is towards each of the gopsin the millions and millionsthat Krsna always clearly shows the greatest attachment, compassion, and love. Commentary: In this context, prti (affection) means pure ecstatic love, kp (mercy) means the signs that display this love, and sakti (attachment) means exclusive dedication. TEXT 215 YaYaa Yaui-XaTaEVYaR&- Maad*XaErNauMaNYaTae ) Aai>a" SaMaae Na k-ae_PYaNYa}aTYaae_PYaSYa iPa[Yaae JaNa" ))

yay yukti-atair vyakta mdair anumanyate bhi samo na ko py anyatratyo py asya priyo jana
yayby which; yuktiof logical arguments; atai by hundreds; vyaktammade apparent; mdaiby persons like me; anumanyateit is deduced; bhito them (the gops); samaequally; na ka apino one; anyatratyafound anywhere else; apieven; asyato Him; priyadear; janaa person. This serves as evidence for hundreds of logical arguments by which persons like me can understand that no one, in that abode or elsewhere, is as dear to Him as the gops. Commentary: Kas love, compassion, and attachment for the gops are proof enough to convince Sarpa that no one, not even any other resident of Goloka, is as dear to Ka as the gops. These three signs have led Sarpa to discover hundreds of arguments in favor of this
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conclusion. TEXT 216 Ta}aaiPa Yaa& Pa[iTa Pa[eMaivXaezae_SYa Yade+YaTae ) Tada Pa[TaqYaTae k*-Z<aSYaEzEv iNaTara& iPa[Yaa ))

tatrpi y prati premavieo sya yadekyate tad pratyate kasyaiaiva nitar priy
tatraamong them; apihowever; ymwhich (gop); pratitowards; premalove; vieaspecial; asya His; yadwhen; kyateis seen; tadthen; pratyateit is apparent; kasyaof Ka; e she; evaonly; nitarmmost; priydear. Yet when Ka shows special love for one of the gops, it then becomes apparent that she is the most dear to Him. TEXT 217 SavaRSTaduicTaa& TaaSTau -I@aSau%ParMParaMa( ) SavRdaNau>avNTYaae_iPa MaNYaNTae Pa[eMa Na Pa[>aae" ))

sarvs tad-ucit ts tu kr-sukha-paramparm sarvadnubhavantyo pi manyante prema na prabho

sarvall; tatfor that (supreme love); ucitm suitable; tthey; tubut; kr-sukhaof pleasure pastimes; paramparmthe sequence; sarvad constantly; anubhavantyaexperiencing; api although; manyanteimagine; premalove; nanot; prabhoof the Lord. All the gops partake of that exalted and most perfect love, and they all constantly know the pleasure of Kas never-ending chain of pastimes. Yet none of the gops even imagines that Ka has special love for her.
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Commentary: Even though there are so many gops eager to have Kas mercy, none of them lacks opportunities to satisfy Him by her service. This is proof that all the gops have attained the highest perfection of pure devotional service. Yet none of them thinks herself Kas only beloved. Caring nothing for their own happiness, they want only to do whatever pleases Him. TEXT 218 Pa[TYaek&- icNTaYaNTYaevMahae ik&- >aivTaa ik-YaTa( ) SaaE>aaGYa& MaMa YaeNa SYaa& k*-Z<aSYaaDaMadaSYaiPa ))

praty-eka cintayanty evam aho ki bhavit kiyat saubhgya mama yena sy kasydhama-dsy api
prati-ekameach of them; cintayantithinks; evam thus; ahooh; kimwhether; bhavitthere will be; kiyatto whatever extent; saubhgyamgood fortune; mamamy; yenaby which; symI can become; kasyaof Ka; adhamathe lowliest; ds maidservant; apieven. Each of them thinks, Oh, when will I be fortunate enough to become even the lowliest maidservant of Ka? Commentary: The ambition of every young gop in Goloka is to someday gain the good fortune to be allowed to enter Kas service, even in the lowest position. Such utter humility distinguishes them from the young gopas, the male cowherds, who tend to consider themselves Kas favorites and presume themselves very fortunate. The gopas often feel dissatisfied with themselves for various reasons due to the nature of their exalted love for Ka. They then become anxious to be better servants of Ka. The gops love, however, is on the highest level of perfection. They are never
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satisfied with themselves, for their humility is absolute. Each of them considers herself Kas worst maidservant, her only hope being to somehow be permitted to continue serving Him despite her disqualifications. In this way the moods of the gopas and gops are different. The devotees of Nryaa in r Vaikuha also never feel they have had enough of the ecstasy of worshiping the Lords lotus feet. But every one of them assumes that the all-powerful Personality of Godhead is completely merciful to all of them, without discrimination. The Goloka-vss cannot think like that. TEXT 219 Ahae SvaiMaNa( Ga>aqrae_Ya& duSTakR MahTaaMaiPa ) Gaa!Pa[eMarSaaveXaSv>aavMaihMaauTa" ))

aho svmin gabhro ya dustarko mahatm api gha-prema-rasveasvabhva-mahimdbhuta

ahoindeed; svminO Lord; gabhragrave; ayam this; dustarkaincomprehensible; mahatmto great sages; apieven; ghadeep; premaof love; rasain the ecstatic mood; veaof the absorption; svabhvaof the nature; mahimthe greatness; adbhutaamazing. O my Lord! It is amazing how intently these devotees are absorbed in the fathomless rasa of pure love. The exalted nature of their mood is incomprehensible even to great sages. TEXT 220 Wk-da YaMauNaaTaqre ivhrNdNaNdNa" ) Xau[avaTMah]de TaiSMaNk-ail/Ya& PauNaraGaTaMa( ))

ekad yamun-tre viharan nanda-nandana urvtma-hrade tasmin kliya punar gatam

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ekadone day; yamunof the Yamun; treon the shore; viharanplaying; nanda-nandanathe darling son of Nanda Mahrja; urvaheard; tmahis; hradeto the lake; tasminthat; kliyamthe Kliya serpent; punaagain; gatamcome. One day, while playing on the shore of the Yamun, Lord Ka, Nanda-nandana, heard that Kliya had come back to his lake. Commentary: The lake in which Kliya once stayed continued to be known as Kliya-hrada (Kliyas lake) even after his expulsion from Vraja. TEXT 221 Wk-ak-I Ta}a GaTvaXau NaqPaMaa veGaTa" ) kU-idRTva iNaPaPaaTaaiSMaNh]de iNa"SaarYaPa" ))

ekk tatra gatvu npam ruhya vegata krditv nipaptsmin hrade nisrayann apa
ekkalone; tatrathere; gatvgoing; uquickly; npama kadamba tree; ruhyaclimbing; vegata rapidly; krditvjumping; nipaptaHe threw Himself; asminthis; hradeinto the lake; nisrayanpushing out; apawater. Ka rushed there alone, swiftly climbed a npa tree, and dived into the lake, splashing water onto the shore. Commentary: Ka thought it wise not to bring His companions with Him to Kliyas lake, which had become poisoned again. He was also concerned that they might try to stop Him from jumping into the lake. The vigorous way Ka dived is described in rmad-Bhgavatam (10.16.7): sarpa-hrada purua-sra-nipta-vegasakobhitoraga-viocchvasitmbu-ri paryak pluto via-kaya-bibhaormir dhvan dhanu-atam ananta-balasya ki tat

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When the Supreme Personality of Godhead landed in the serpents lake, the snakes there became extremely agitated and began breathing heavily, further polluting it with volumes of poison. The force of the Lords entrance into the lake made it overflow on all sides, and poisonous, fearsome waves flooded the surrounding lands up to a distance of one hundred bow-lengths. This is not at all amazing, however, for the Supreme Lord possesses infinite strength. TEXT 222 ivic}aSaNTaarivTaarl/Il/Yaa Jale/ l/Sa&STahuDaa iNaNaadYaNa( ) %le/Na >aaeGaErMauNaETYa veiTa" Sa k-aETauk-I k-aiddXaRYaXaaMa( ))

vicitra-santra-vitra-llay jale lasas tad bahudh nindayan khalena bhogair amunaitya veita sa kautuk kcid adarayad dam
vicitravaried; santraof swimming across; vitra and swimming back; llaywith the sport; jalein the water; lasanplaying; tatthus; bahudhin various ways; nindayanmaking loud sounds; khalenaby the cruel being; bhogaiwith his coils; amunby him; etyacoming; veitaenveloped; sa He (Ka); kautukcurious; kcita certain; adarayatdisplayed; damcondition. Ka frolicked in the water, enjoying the sport of swimming back and forth and making all sorts of loud noises. But then He drew near the cruel Kliya and out of curiosity allowed Himself to be enveloped in the serpents coils. Commentary: When Ka played in the water, the noise He created was not ordinary; it sounded like very pleasing music. TEXT 223 TaTSaiNaSTa& SahSaa Pa[YaaTa& GaaePaaSTvNaal/aeKYa Ma*Taa wva>avNa( )
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SaveR TadNvez<ak-aTara YaYauSa( TaTPaadicEh]RdMaqi+aTaErMauMa( ))

tat-saginas ta sahas prayta gops tv anlokya mt ivbhavan sarve tad-anveaa-ktar yayus tat-pda-cihnair hradam kitair amum
tatHis (Kas); saginacompanions; tamHim; sahasunexpectedly; praytamgone somewhere; gopthe cowherd boys; tubut; anlokyanot seeing; mtdead; ivaas if; abhavanbecame; sarveall of them; tatfor Him; anveaafor seeking; ktaranxious; yayuthey went; tatHis; pdaof the feet; cihnaiby the marks; hradamto the lake; kitaiwhich were seen; amumthat. When Kas companions, the cowherd boys, saw that for no good reason He was gone, they all became as if struck down by death. In great anxiety to find Him they followed His footprints to the lake. Commentary: At first the cowherd boys had no idea where Ka might have gone, and they didnt know what to do. But soon they noticed footprints leading out of the village. Those footprints could not have been those of anyone but Ka because they had special marks, such as a flag and an elephant goad. TEXT 224 d*Ev k*-Z<a& TaMad*ce& Maaeh& GaTaaSTae_SYa vYaSYaSaa" ) AaC^aidTa& Ya& vNavqiQai>aYaeR _Naal/aek-YaNTaae Na iJaJaqivziNTa ))

dvaiva ka tam ada-cea moha gats te sya vayasya-sagh cchdita ya vana-vthibhir ye nlokayanto na jijvianti
dvseeing; evaindeed; kamKa; tamHim; ada ceamin whom no activity was visible; moham gatfainted; tethey; asyaHis; vayasyaof
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young companions; saghthe throng; cchditam hidden; yamwhom; vanaof the forest; vthibhion the paths; yewho; anlokayantanot seeing; na jijviantidid not want to continue living. These many young friends were the same boys who, losing sight of Krsna on the forest paths for but a moment, would lose their will to live. And now when they saw Him motionless they all fainted. Commentary: The footprints led the boys to the lake, but there they saw Ka immobilized, enwrapped in the serpents coils. When Ka and the boys had been on excursions in the forest and Ka had passed for even a moment behind a tree and the boys couldnt see Him, the boys would lose all enthusiasm for living. And now to see Kliya about to kill Ka filled them with dread. TEXT 225 Gaavae v*za vTSaTaraSTaQaaNYae Ga[aMYaa" SaMaGa[a" PaXavae_Qa vNYaa" ) Taqre iSQaTaaSTa}a MahaTaRNaadE" -NdiNTa k*-Z<aaNaNadtaNae}aa" ))

gvo v vatsatars tathnye grmy samagr paavo tha vany tre sthits tatra mahrta-ndai krandanti knana-datta-netr
gvathe cows; vbulls; vatsatarcalves; tathand; anyeothers; grmyof the village; samagrall; paavaanimals; athaalso; vanyof the forest; treon the shore; sthitstanding; tatrathere; mah-rtaof great distress; ndai with sounds; krandantiwere crying; kaof Ka; nanaon the face; dattafixed; netrtheir eyes. All the village animalsthe cows, the bulls, the calvesand also the animals of the forest stood on the shore, eyes fixed on Kas face, and their cries made a great roar of suffering. TEXT 226
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Aa-NddqNaa ivhGaa h]dSYa TaSYaaNTaqYa PaTaiNTa veGaaTa( ) v*+aadYaSTaT+a<aMaev Xaaez& Pa[aa MahaeTPaaTacYaa JaaTaa" ))

kranda-dn vihag hradasya tasyntar uya patanti vegt vkdayas tat-kaam eva oa prpt mahotpta-cay ca jt
krandafrom crying; dnexhausted; vihag birds; hradasyathe lake; tasyathat; antawithin; uyaflying; patantifell; vegtwith speed; vka-dayatrees and so on; tat-kaamat once; evaindeed; oamdryness; prptobtained; mah prominent; utpta-caymany omens; caand; jt occurred. Birds exhausted from loudly crying flew precipitously into the lake. Trees and plants suddenly dried up. And many terribly inauspicious omens appeared. Commentary: All creatures, including the birds and plants, agonized over Kas predicament. They were all on the verge of death. The earth trembled, amidst other portentous omens: atha vraje mahotpts tri-vidh hy ati-dru utpetur bhuvi divy tmany sanna-bhaya-asina In the Vndvana area there then arose all three types of fearful omensthose on the earth, those in the sky, and those in the bodies of living creatureswhich announced imminent danger. (Bhgavatam 10.16.12) TEXT 227 SaMPa[eirTaae_NTa" Pa[>au<aEv TaeNa DaavHJaGaaMa v[JaMaek-v*" ) hahaMaharavGa<aE" SagaaerE"
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-NdudNTa& TaMaQaacc+ae ))

samprerito nta prabhuaiva tena dhvan jagma vrajam eka-vddha h-h-mah-rva-gaai su-ghorai krandann udanta tam athcacake
sampreritadispatched; antafrom within; prabhuby the Lord; evaonly; tenaby Him; dhvanrunning; jagmawent; vrajamto the cowherd village; ekaone; vddhaold man; h halas, alas; mahgreat; rva-gaaiwith many exclamations; su-ghoraifearful; krandancrying; udantamnews; tamthat; athathen; cacakehe announced. Inspired by Lord Ka from within, one old man went running to the cowherd village. He wept and made dreadful cries of Alas! Alas! and told the cowherds what was happening. Commentary: r Nanda and the other cowherds, having seen the bad omens and received no news about Ka, were about to die from anxiety. To relieve their suffering, Ka telepathically inspired an old cowherd to go tell them of the situation. Had Ka not ordered him in that way, the old man would not have had the strength to run back to Vraja. Ka is prabhu, the Lord, so He can empower anyone to do anything. He made an old person His messenger because an elders words are less likely to interfere with anyones intimate rasa and more likely to be trusted. Actually the desperation the Vraja-vss felt over seeing evil omens and having no news about Ka was designed to increase their special love for Him. Surely they would come quickly to Kliyas lake when they learned He was there. TEXT 228 Pa[aGaev d=*a MahTaae >aYaraNa( oTPaaTavaraNbhuSaM>a[Maaku-l/a" ) ANvez<aaQa| v[JaMal/SYa Tae
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gaaeziSQaTaa" SaiNTa bihivRiNa"Sa*Taa" ))

prg eva dv mahato bhaya-karn utpta-vrn bahu-sambhramkul anveartha vraja-magalasya te ghoa-sthit santi bahir vinist
prk evaalready; dvnoticing; mahatavery; bhayam-karnfrightening; utptaphenomena; vrn many; bahuvery much; sambhramawith concern; kuldisturbed; anveaa-arthamfor searching; vrajaof Vraja; magalasyafor the source of the good fortune; tethey; ghoain the cowherd village; sthitpresent; santiwere; bahi outside; vinistgone. The people of the cowherd village had already noticed many frightening omens. Ka was the source of Vrajas good fortune, and the cowherds, frantic with concern for Him, had already started out to seek Him. Commentary: The Vraja-vss knew that as long as Ka was safe nothing bad would ever happen. The evil portents might therefore indicate that Ka was in great danger. With this terrible thought in mind, they all went at once to look for Him. They were already outside the village when the old messenger met them. TEXT 229 PauNa" Pa[vYaSaSTaSYa >aGank-<#=SvrSYa Tau ) TaaKYa& Taezu SahSaa vJa]PaaTa wva>avTa( ))

puna pravayasas tasya bhagna-kaha-svarasya tu tad-vkya teu sahas vajra-pta ivbhavat

punaagain; pravayasaof the old man; tasyahim; bhagnachoked; kahain his throat; svarasyawhose voice; tuand; tathis; vkyamwords; teuupon them; sahassuddenly; vajra-ptaa lightning bolt; ivaas if; abhavatwas.
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The added force of the old mans report, spoken with a voice choking in his throat, struck them like a sudden lightning bolt. Commentary: The shock of hearing that Kliya had returned and was again holding Ka in his coils was unbearable. TEXT 230 Sa Ga*he_viSQaTaae raMaae iMaQYaa iMaQYaeiTa gaaezYaNa( ) SaaNTvYaNv[Jal/aek-a&STaaNMa*TaPa[aYaaNPa[DaavTa" ))

sa ghe vasthito rmo mithy mithyeti ghoayan sntvayan vraja-loks tn mta-pryn pradhvata
saHe; ghein His house; avasthitasitting; rmaBalarma; mithy mithyuntrue, untrue; iti thus; ghoayanexclaiming; sntvayanconsoling; vraja-loknthe people of Vraja; tnthem; mta dead; prynalmost; pradhvatawho were running forward. Balarma, who was sitting in His house, tried to console the people of Vraja, who were running forward like living corpses. This cant be true! He cried out. This cant be true! TEXT 231 MaaTar& raeih<aq=& YaaTPa[baeDYa Ga*hr+a<ae ) iNaYauJYa PaurTaae YaaTaEDaaRivTva TaE" SahaiMal/Ta( ))

mtara rohi yatnt prabodhya gha-rakae niyujya purato ytair dhvitv tai sahmilat
mtaramHis mother; rohimRohi; yatntwith effort; prabodhyainforming; ghathe house; rakaein watching; niyujyaengaging; purata ahead; ytaiwho had gone; dhvitvrunning; tai
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sahawith them; amilatHe met up. Balarma somehow told His mother Rohi of the news, got her to stay back to watch the house, and ran to catch up with those who had left. Commentary: Knowing the power of His younger brother Ka, Balarma couldnt believe that Kliya had defeated Him. Balarma came out of the house and ran into the street spontaneously shouting, This cant be true! Seeing the Vrajavss hurrying on their way to join the search for Ka, Balarma tried to calm them. And He had to speak to His mother before He left. So He was one of the last to arrive on the scene. TEXT 232 Aicrata& h]d& Pa[a" Saae_NauJa& vq+Ya Taad*XaMa( ) NaaXa-aed]i+aTau& DaEYa| raed Pa[eMak-aTar" ))

acirt ta hrada prpta so nuja vkya tdam naknod rakitu dhairya ruroda prema-ktara
acirtsoon; tamthat; hradamthe lake; prpta reaching; saHe; anujamHis younger brother; vkyaseeing; tdamin such a condition; na aaknotHe could not; rakitumkeep; dhairyamHis gravity; rurodaHe cried; premaby love; ktara distressed. He soon reached the lake. Seeing His younger brother in such a state, He couldnt keep His gravity and wept in the distress of love. TEXT 233 ivl/aPa& ivivDa& ce- k-aPaaza<a>aedk-Ma( ) +a<aaNMaU^aRMaNauPa[aae YaXaaedaNaNdvTSa Tau ))

vilpa vividha cakre kha-pa-bhedakam kan mrchm anuprpto yaod-nanda-vat sa tu

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vilpamlamentation; vividhamvarious; cakreHe did; khalogs; paand rocks; bhedakam shattering; katsuddenly; mrchm unconsciousness; anuprptaHe experienced; yaodnanda-vatlike Yaod and Nanda; saHe; tuand. As He lamented in ways that would shatter logs and stones, suddenly He fainted, just like Yaod and Nanda. Commentary: In the bewildering commotion, Yaod and Nanda had already fainted and fallen to the ground. TEXT 234 TaTaSTaeza& c SaveRza& Pa[ai<aNaaMaaiTaRPaUirTaa" ) Maha-Ndvra gaaera b>aUvuivRraedk-a" ))

tatas te ca sarve prinm rti-prit mah-kranda-var ghor babhvur viva-rodak

tatathen; temof them; caand; sarvemall; prinmliving beings; rtiwith agony; prit filled; mahvast; krandacrying; vargreat; ghorfrightful roar; babhvuarose; vivathe whole universe; rodakcausing to cry. Then all living beings there made a great and fearful cry, full of agony, that made the whole universe cry in pain. TEXT 235 TaeNa NaadeNa MahTaa bl/raMa" Sa ceiTaTa" ) AaTMaaNa& STaM>aYaaMaaSa YaaqriXaraeMai<a" ))

tena ndena mahat balarma sa cetita tmna stambhaym sa yatnd dhra-iromai

tenaby that; ndenanoise; mahatgreat; balarmaBalarma; saHe; cetitaawoken; tmnamHimself; stambhaym sasteadied; yatnt
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with difficulty; dhraof sober heroes; iromai the crown jewel. Awakened by that tumult, Balarma, the most determined of heroes, with great effort steadied Himself. TEXT 236 +a<aeNa Sa&ja& iPaTaraE GaTaaE TaaE d*=a SauTa& Taad*XaMaud]udNTaaE ) veGaataMaev h]dMaaivXaNTaaE aE bl/aC^\qbil/Naa k-ra>YaaMa( ))

kaena saj pitarau gatau tau dv suta tdam udrudantau vegt tam eva hradam viantau ruddhau balc chr-balin karbhym
kaenaafter a moment; sajmconsciousness; pitarauparents; gatauregaining; tauthe two; dvseeing; sutamthe son; tdamsuch; udrudantaucrying loudly; vegtquickly; tamthat; evaindeed; hradamlake; viantauin the process of entering; ruddhaustopped; baltby strength; rdivine; balinby the powerful (Balarma); karbhymwith His two arms. A moment later, Kas parents again became conscious. Seeing their son in such a plight, they cried loudly and rushed to enter the lake. But powerful r Balarma held them back with the strength of His arms. Commentary: It had taken all of Lord Balarmas mental strength to convince His mother to stay home, and now it took all His physical strength to restrain Nanda and Yaod. TEXT 237 MaUi^RTaaNMa*TaTauLYaa&STaaNSavaRNd*=aiTaRYaiN}aTa " ) SauGadSvre<aaeE" k*-Z<a& SaMbaeDYa Saae_b]vqTa( ))

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mrchitn mta-tulys tn sarvn dvrti-yantrita su-gadgada-svareoccai ka sambodhya so bravt

mrchitnfainted; mtacorpses; tulynjust like; tnthem; sarvnall; dvseeing; rtiby distress; yantritaimpelled; suvery much; gadgadachoking; svareain a voice; uccailoudly; kamKa; sambodhyaaddressing; saHe; abravtspoke. Seeing everyone unconscious on the ground as if dead, Balarma was overcome with sorrow. In a voice choked with emotion, He called out to Ka. TEXT 238 [qbl/dev ovac WTae Na vEku-<#=iNavaiSaPaazRda Naae vaNaraSTae Na c Yaadva AiPa ) Gaael/aek-l/aek-a >avdek-JaqvNaa NaXYaNTYaXaKYaa >aGavNMaYaaivTauMa( ))

r-baladeva uvca ete na vaikuha-nivsi-prad no vnars te na ca ydav api goloka-lok bhavad-eka-jvan nayanty aaky bhagavan mayvitum
r-baladeva uvcar Baladeva said; etethese; nanot; vaikuhain Vaikuha; nivsiresiding; pradassociates; na unor; vnarforest monkeys; tethey; nanot; caand; ydavmembers of the Yadu dynasty; apialso; goloka-lok residents of Goloka; bhavatYou; ekaonly; jvan whose life; nayantiare being destroyed; aaky not able; bhagavanMy Lord; mayby Me; avitumto be saved. r Baladeva said: These are not the attendants who live with You in Vaikuha. They are not the forest monkeys. They are not the Ydavas. These are Your devotees of Goloka, who have no life other than
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You. They are dying, My Lord, and there is nothing I can do to save them. Commentary: Here Balarma reminds Ka that the Goloka devotees are different from Kas other eternal associatesHis Vaikuha pradas, His monkey soldiers of Ayodhy like Hanumn, and the Yadus of Dvrak like Uddhava. More than all these other devotees, the Goloka-vss are exclusively dependent on Ka. The Lords devotees in Vaikuha, Ayodhy, and Dvrak, being always aware of Kas omnipotence, manage to tolerate separation from Him, and so they could have responded favorably to Balarmas consoling words. But the hearts of these Goloka-vss, under the intolerable weight of their prema, have lost all equilibrium. The Goloka-vss cannot accurately estimate Kas power, so they are convinced that Kliya is about to finish Him. If Ka Himself does not act soon to relieve them, surely they will die. TEXT 239 Pa[a<aEivRYau-a Na >aviNTa YaavTa( TaaviNaaed& k-<a TYaJaETaMa( ) k*-Z<aaNYaQaa GaaeJaNaEk-bNDaae GaNTaaiSa Xaaek&- Ma*dul/Sv>aav" ))

prair viyukt na bhavanti yvat tvad vinoda karua tyajaitam knyath goha-janaika-bandho gantsi oka mdula-svabhva
praifrom their life airs; viyuktseparated; na bhavanti yvatbefore they become; tvatbefore then; vinodamgame; karuaO merciful one; tyaja abandon; etamthis; kaO Ka; anyath otherwise; goha-janaof the cowherd community; ekaonly; bandhoO friend; gant asiYou will experience; okamsorrow; mdulagentle; svabhva whose nature. O merciful Ka, please give up this game before
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these devotees die! Otherwise, O Ka, sole friend of the cowherds, Your gentle heart will come to grief. Commentary: Ka is the reservoir of all rasas, and so He feels pathos (karua-rasa). But although He enjoys the sport of pretending to be lifeless, His devotees are driven to desperation by it. If He doesnt stop this sport, He will be the last one to lamentwhen all His devotees have died. Lord Balarma is playing on Kas emotions because He knows that Ka cannot tolerate seeing His devotees suffer. TEXT 240 [qSaPa ovac GaaePYaae ivl/aPaEivRivDaE dNTYaae MaaeMauMaaNaa" ParMaaTaRGaa}Ya" ) PaaeR Pa[>aaeGaRNTauiMav Pa[ivaSa( TaaSTa& h]d& Xaaek-ivNaictaa" ))

r-sarpa uvca gopyo vilpair vividhai rudantyo momuhyamn paramrta-gtrya prve prabhor gantum iva pravis ts ta hrada oka-vinaa-citt
r-sarpa uvcar Sarpa said; gopyathe gops; vilpaiwith laments; vividhaivarious; rudantyacrying; momuhyamnfainting repeatedly; paramaterribly; rtapained; gtryathe limbs of their bodies; prveat the side; prabhoof the Lord; gantumto go; ivaas if; pravientered; tthey; tamthat; hradamlake; okaby sorrow; vinaashattered; citttheir hearts. r Sarpa said: The gops cried and lamented in so many ways, their limbs in terrible pain, their hearts shattered by sorrow. They fainted and fainted. And as if to go to the side of their Lord, they tried to enter the lake. Commentary: On the way to the lake, the gops repeatedly fainted at the mere thought of Kas
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distress, and so they arrived last. Their hair was scattered, and their broken bangles and other ornaments scratched their arms. They tried to enter the lake as if to join Ka, but their real purpose was to drown themselves. Someone might question, How could these gops, who are worshiped by the wisest scholars in creation, be so ignorant of the Supreme Lords power? The answer is that their minds were distracted by sorrow. It is unreasonable to think that the exalted gops cannot suffer sorrow; in fact, they simply cannot bear to be apart from Ka, even for a moment. TEXT 241 TaavihaYa Pa[>auraTMak-aETauk&iNaGaRTYa TaTk-ail/Ya>aaeGabNDaNaaTa( ) otauivSTaq<aRSahTaTf-<aeZv( Aa hSTaaBJaYauGa& VYaSaarYaTa( ))

tvad vihya prabhur tma-kautuka nirgatya tat-kliya-bhoga-bandhant uttuga-vistra-sahasra-tat-phaev ruhya hastbja-yuga vyasrayat
tvatjust then; vihyagiving up; prabhuthe Lord; tmaHis; kautukamsport; nirgatyacoming out; tatthat; kliyaof Kliya; bhogaof the coils; bandhantfrom the bondage; uttuga upraised; vistraexpanded wide; sahasra thousands; tathis; phaeuon the hoods; ruhya climbing; hasta-abjaof His lotus arms; yugamthe pair; vyasrayatHe extended. Suddenly the Lord stopped His self-invented sport and freed Himself from the grip of Kliyas coils. He climbed up on the serpents thousands of upraised, outspread hoods and extended His lotus arms. Commentary: To save the gops from despair, Ka extracted Himself from the clutches of Kliyas embrace before the girls could reach the water. He
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jumped up onto Kliyas uncountable hoods and spread His arms to lift the gops up to be with Him, even though the gops were out of arms reach. He is prabhu and so can do anything He wants. He is never restricted by the laws of nature. TEXT 242 TaeZvev NaqTva YauGaPaiJaiPa[YaaSa( Taa GaaeiPak-a" SaTvrMaDYaraehYaTa( ) rSQal/IPaiSaMaezu SavRTaXa( ic}aaiTaic}a>a[Ma<aai>araiMazu ))

tev eva ntv yugapan nija-priys t gopik satvaram adhyarohayat ratna-sthal-pakti-sameu sarvata citrticitra-bhramabhirmiu
teuonto those (hoods); evaindeed; ntvleading; yugapatall at once; nijaHis own; priybeloved ones; tthose; gopikyoung gops; satvaram briskly; adhyarohayatHe raised up; ratnajeweled; sthalof platforms; paktirows; sameuequal to; sarvataon all sides; citra-ati-citramost wonderful; bhramaawith swaying; abhirmiuwhich were attractive. Taking hold of all His beloved gops at once, Ka briskly raised them onto the hoods of the snake. Those hoods, delightfully swaying back and forth, appeared like rows of jeweled platforms, creating a most impressive sight. TEXT 243 Taai>a" SaMa& Taezu MahauTaezu rezu idVYaEbRhuGaqTavadNaE" ) Na*TYaiNvic}a& Sa Tau k-aETauk-a<aRvae le/>ae Sau%& raSaivl/aSaSaM>avMa( ))

tbhi sama teu mahdbhuteu rageu divyair bahu-gta-vdanai ntyan vicitra sa tu kautukravo lebhe sukha rsa-vilsa-sambhavam
tbhiwith them (the gops); samamtogether; teu
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on those; mah-adbhuteumost wonderful; rageu dramatic stages; divyaicelestial; bahumany; gtawith songs; vdanaiand instrumental performances; ntyandancing; vicitramvariously; saHe; tuand; kautukaof amusement; aravathe ocean; lebheobtained; sukhampleasure; rsavilsathe rsa dance; sambhavamwhose source. Ka artfully danced with the gops on those most amazing stages, accompanied by many celestial singers and musicians. Thus Lord Ka, the source of all amusement, enjoyed His rsa dance pastime. Commentary: Never before had anyone seen such stages for dancing as these. To complement the festivities, many demigods appeared in the sky overhead, singing and playing musical instruments. In this atmosphere Ka and the gops fully enjoyed their dancing. The entire spectacle was created by the energies of Ka, who is kautukrava (the source of all entertainment). r Nanda and the other older cowherds, slow to recover from their deep shock, did not witness this rsa dance. TEXT 244 raMae<a Pa[aiPaTaEbaeRDa& vTaRMaaNaESTa$=aePair )) k*-Z<a& NaNdaidi>ad*R=a Pa[aaE TaEhRzRivSMaYaaE ))

rmea prpitair bodha vartamnais taopari ka nanddibhir dv prptau tair hara-vismayau

rmeaby Balarma; prpitairestored; bodham whose consciousness; vartamnaipresent; taathe shore; upariupon; kamKa; nanda-dibhiby Nanda and others; dvbeing seen; prptau attained; taiby them; haradelight; vismayauand surprise. Nanda and the others on the shore, brought back to
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consciousness by Balarma, gazed at Ka with delight and surprise. Commentary: Even though Ka was saved, the older cowherds were still wary of what else Kliya might do. TEXT 245 dMaiYaTvaihraJa& Sa STauvTaqNaa& SaMaaiC^NaTa( ) vai<a NaaGaPaqNaaMautarqYaai<a SaiSMaTaMa( ))

damayitvhi-rja sa stuvatn samcchinat vastri nga-patnnm uttaryi sa-smitam

damayitvsubduing; ahiof snakes; rjamthe king; saHe; stuvatnmwho were offering prayers; samcchinatseized; vastrithe garments; ngapatnnmof the serpents wives; uttaryiupper; sa-smitamwith a smile. Having thus subdued the king of snakes, Ka, grinning, seized the shawls of the serpents wives, the Nga-patns, who were offering Him prayers. TEXT 246 TaErek&- Pa[Ga[h& dqga| ivrcYYaaSYa NaaiSak-aMa( ) iva Pa[veXYa vaMaeNa Paai<aNaaDaaTSa k-aETauk-I ))

tair eka pragraha drgha viracayysya nsikm vidhv praveya vmena pindht sa kautuk
taiwith them; ekamone; pragrahamrein; drgham long; viracayyafashioning; asyahis (Kliyas); nsikmnose; vidhvpiercing; praveyamaking it go through; vmenaleft; pinwith His hand; adhtHe placed; saHe; kautukplayful. From these garments He made a long rein and with His left hand playfully pierced and threaded Kliyas nose. TEXT 247
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NaaGaMaiMava!aedYaaMaaSa Ta& h#=aTa( ) Da*Taa& di+a<ahSTaeNa Maurl/I& vadYaNMauda ))

ngam avam ivrha codaym sa ta haht dht dakia-hastena mural vdayan mud
ngamthe serpent; avama horse; ivalike; arhamounting; codaym saHe drove forward; tamhim; hahtwith force; dhtmheld; dakia right; hastenawith His hand; muralmHis flute; vdayanplaying; mudhappily. Mounting the serpent like a horse, Ka toughly drove him forward, all the while, with His right hand, happily playing the flute. TEXT 248 k-XaYaev k-daicta& TaYaa Saal/YaNbl/aTa( ) iNaJavahNaTaa& iNaNYae Pa[Saad>arMaacrNa( ))

kaayeva kadcit ta tay saclayan balt nija-vhanat ninye prasda-bharam caran

kaaywith a whip; ivaas if; kadcit occasionally; tamhim (Kliya); taywith it (His flute); saclayanurging on; baltforcefully; nijaHis own; vhanatmthe role of carrier; ninye bestowed; prasdaof His favor; bharamthe full extent; caranmanifesting. From time to time Ka forcefully urged Kliya on with the flute, as if it were a whip. Thus He showered great mercy on Kliya by making that serpent His carrier. Commentary: Having to carry Ka like a horse is hardly a degrading punishment. Only rare souls like Garua can have the honor of being the Supreme Lords carriers. As the Nga-patns stated in their prayers to Ka in the Tenth Canto (10.16.34):
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anugraho ya bhavata kto hi no dao sat te khalu kalmapaha yad dandakatvam amuya dehina krodho pi te nugraha eva sammata What You have done here is actually mercy for us, since the punishment You give to the wicked certainly drives away all their contamination. Indeed, because this conditioned soul, our husband, is so sinful that he has assumed the body of a serpent, Your anger toward him is obviously to be understood as Your mercy. TEXT 249 TaTPaqi>aPaaNaqTaMaNagYa| r>aUz<aMa( ) vMaaLYaaNaule/Pa& c TaTf-<aeZvev Saae_dDaaTa( ))

tat-patnbhir upntam anarghya ratna-bhaam vastra-mlynulepa ca tat-phaev eva so dadht

tatof him (Kliya); patnbhiby the wives; upntampresented; anarghyampriceless; ratna jeweled; bhaamornaments; vastraclothing; mlyaflower garlands; anulepamfragrant paste; ca and; tathis; phaeuon the hoods; evaindeed; saKa; adadhtplaced. The Nga-patns offered Ka clothing, fragrant paste, flower garlands, and priceless jeweled ornaments, and Ka placed these on the serpents hoods. TEXT 250 PaaeTPal/aidi>a" PauZPaEYaaRMauNaESTaai>araTaE" ) >aUz<aESTaE Taa GaaePaqraTMaaNa& c VYa>aUzYaTa( ))

padmotpaldibhi pupair ymunais tbhir htai bhaais tai ca t gopr tmna ca vyabhayat
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padma-utpala-dibhipadma, utpala, and others; pupaiwith flowers; ymunaifrom the Yamun; tbhiby them (the Nga-patns); htaibrought; bhaaiwith the ornaments; taiby them; caand; tthose; gopgops; tmnamHimself; caand; vyabhayatHe decorated. Then, with the padma, utpala, and other lotus flowers those wives had brought to offer Him from the Yamunand with the same ornaments He had already put on KliyaKa decorated the gops and Himself. Commentary: When the Nga-patns presented ornaments to Ka, He did not immediately put them on His own body. First He placed them on Kliyas hoods, and then, while He and the gops were all still standing on the hoods, He decorated the gops and Himself. TEXT 251 STaUYaMaaNa" f-<aqNd]e<a TaeNaaSa&:YaMau%eNa Sa" ) iNa"SaSaar h]daTSavaRNSvqYaaNa( hzeR<a NaTaRYaNa( ))

styamna phandrea tensakhya-mukhena sa nisasra hradt sarvn svyn harea nartayan

styamnabeing praised; phaof serpents; indreaby the king; tenahim; asakhyacountless; mukhenawith his mouths; saHe (Ka); nisasra came out; hradtfrom the lake; sarvnall; svyn His relatives; hareawith joy; nartayanmaking dance. As with his countless mouths the king of serpents recited prayers to Ka, Ka emerged from the lake, making all His friends and family dance with joy. Commentary: With so many mouths, Kliya could nicely offer prayers. In this way he was blessed by
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Ka to become like Ananta ea. TEXT 252 SauPa<aRduZPa[aPaMahaPa[Saad vravl/Il/a>aMahaPa[aTa( ) Sa k-ail/YaaaePavDaUSaMaUhE" SaMa& MahaYaRTarae_v!" ))

supara-duprpa-mah-prasdavarval-lbha-mah-praht sa kliyd gopa-vadh-samhai sama mahcarya-taro varha

suparaby Garua; duprpadifficult to obtain; mah-prasdaof great favor; varamost excellent; valan abundance; lbhaby attaining; mah greatly; prahtwho was enlivened; saHe (Ka); kliytfrom Kliya; gopa-vadhof young cowherd girls; samhaiwith the multitude; samam together; mah-carya-taramost amazing; avarhadismounted. Together with the troupe of young cowherd girls, most amazing Ka dismounted Kliya. The serpent was filled with happiness, for he had obtained great favors and benedictions difficult for even Garua to achieve. Commentary: Kliya had good reason to be satisfied, for his heads had been graced by the presence of Ka and the gops. And Ka offered him other benedictions, including the boon that Kliyas hoods would always bear the auspicious marks of Kas feet. Ka is the most amazing person because He shows such kindness even to wicked creatures like Kliya. TEXT 253 NaqraJaNaail/NaraiJak-aParEr( NaNdaidi>ahRzRd*Ga[uDaarYaa ) AaaivTaae_SaaE k*-PaYaaNauiXaZYa Ta& ik-iTf-<aqNd]& iNarSaarYad( D)[daTa( ))

nrjanligana-rjik-parair
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nanddibhir hara-dg-aru-dhray plvito sau kpaynuiya ta kicit phandra nirasrayad dhradt

nrjanaof worship; liganaand embraces; rjik in a series; paraibusily absorbed; nanda-dibhi by Nanda and the others; haraof joy; dkfrom the eyes; aruof tears; dhrayby a downpour; plvitadrenched; asauHe; kpaymercifully; anuiyagiving instructions; tamto him; kicit some; pha-indramthe king of serpents; nirasrayatexpelled; hradtfrom the lake. Ka was drenched by a flood of joyful tears from the eyes of Nanda and the others, who absorbed themselves in worshiping and embracing Him again and again. Ka then mercifully gave the king of the serpents some instructions and exiled him from the lake. Commentary: Kas command is recorded in rmadBhgavatam (10.16.6061): ntra stheya tvay sarpa samudra yhi m ciram sva-jty-apatya-drhyo go-nbhir bhujyate nad O serpent, you may not remain here any longer. Go back to the ocean immediately, accompanied by your retinue of children, wives, other relatives, and friends. Let this river be enjoyed by the cows and humans. ya etat sasmaren martyas tubhya mad-anusanam krtayann ubhayo sandhyor na yumad bhayam pnuyt If a mortal being attentively remembers My command to youto leave Vndvana and go to the oceanand narrates this account at sunrise and sunset, he will never be afraid of you.
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TEXT 254 TaEGaaeRPaGaaePaqiNavhE" Pa[Er( ivSTaaYaRMaa<aeNa MaNaaehre<a ) vaid}aGaqTaaidMahaeTSaveNa SaNTaaeizTaae_GaaGavaNSvgaaezMa( ))

tair gopa-gop-nivahai prahair vistryamena manoharea vditra-gtdi-mahotsavena santoito gd bhagavn sva-ghoam

taiby them; gopaof cowherd men gopand cowherd ladies; nivahaithe multitude; prahaiwho were delighted; vistryamenabeing raised; manoharea charming; vditra-gta-diof music, song, and so on; mah-utsavenaby the festival; santoita satisfied; agtwent; bhagavnthe Lord; svato His own; ghoamcowherd village. Out of sheer spontaneous joy, the throng of cowherd men and women celebrated a charming festival of music, song, and other expressions of gaiety. Completely satisfied, Ka returned to His village. TEXT 255 k-daictaSYa duSYa k&-SaSYaaNaucraE iPa[YaaE ) bihraSauPaaE TaaE ke-XYairaE MahaSauraE ))

kadcit tasya duasya kasasynucarau priyau bahi-carsu-rpau tau key-ariau mahsurau

kadcitonce; tasyaof him; duasyawicked; kasasyaKasa; anucarautwo followers; priyau favorite; bahi-caraexternally manifest; asuof his life air; rpauthe embodiments; tauthe two; ke-ariauKe and Aria; mah-asuraugreat demons. Once the two great demons Ke and Aria came to Vraja. They were favorite servants of wicked Kasa,
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visible manifestations of his life air. TEXT 256 Aaae MahahYaak-arae iTaqYaSTau v*zak*-iTa" ) GaaePaaN>aqzYaMaa<aaE TaaNMadRYaNTaaE c Gaaekul/Ma( ))

dyo mah-haykro dvityas tu vkti gopn bhayamau tn mardayantau ca gokulam

dyathe first; mah-hayaof a huge horse; kra in the form; dvityathe other; tuand; vaof a bull; ktiin the form; gopnthe cowherds; bhayamauterrifying; tnthem; mardayantau trampling; caand; gokulamGokula. The first of these two assumed the form of a huge horse, and the other a bull. They terrified the cowherds, trampling the land of Gokula. TEXT 257 GaGaNaSPa*x(Mahak-aYaaE NaadeNa Pa[ai<aNaae_i%l/aNa( ) iNaPaaTaYaNTaaE >aUPa*e YauGaPa]JaMaaGaTaaE ))

gagana-sp-mah-kyau ndena prino khiln niptayantau bh-phe yugapad vrajam gatau

gaganathe sky; spktouching; mahvast; kyau their bodies; ndenaby roaring; prinaliving beings; akhilnall; niptayantaumaking fall; bhpheto the ground; yugapatsimultaneously; vrajamthe cowherd village; gatauentered. Both at once, they entered the cowherd village, their vast bodies touching the sky, their roars throwing everyone to the ground. Commentary: The pastime of subduing Kliya involved the combined rasas of pathos and heroism, but the next pastime recounted is one of pure heroism
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(vra-rasa). In this instance the two famous demons Ke and Aria, friends of Kasa, arrived in Vraja at the same time. Assuming animal bodies, abnormally large, they terrified the cowherd village and harassed the cows, trampling them with heavy feet. rla Santana Gosvm says the demons harassed gokula. He uses this word to mean both the cowherd village and the herds of cows. TEXT 258 TaYaaei>aRYaak*-ZYa ble/Na k*-Z<aae iNavaYaRMaa<aae_iPa iNaJael/aekE-" ) AaaSYa TaaNdiXaRTavqrdPaR" SvPaai<aNaaSf-ae$y >auJa& Paurae_>aUTa( ))

tayor bhiykya balena ko nivryamo pi nijea-lokai vsya tn darita-vra-darpa sva-pinsphoya bhuja puro bht
tayoof the two; bhiyout of fear; kyabeing pulled back; balenawith all strength; ka Ka; nivryamabeing restrained; apialthough; nijaHis own; ia-lokaiby the beloved people; vsyaassuring; tnthem; daritashowing; vra of a hero; darpathe courage; sva-pinwith His hand; sphoyaslapping; bhujamHis arm; pura forward; abhtHe went. Though Kas frightened loved ones tried to stop Ka, pulling Him back with all their might, Ka reassured them. Showing the courage of a hero, He slapped His arm with His hand and went forward to confront the demons. Commentary: Frightened by this monstrous horse and bull, the men and women of the cowherd community wanted to prevent Ka from going near the demons. TEXT 259 Pa[aGaaGaTa& veGa>are<a ke-iXaNa& PaadPa[hare<a iNarSYa dUrTa" ) Paa*z& Pa[aPYa ivi>a NaaiSak-a& bd(aXau GaaePaqrSaMMau%e NYaDaaTa( ))
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prg gata vega-bharea keina pda-prahrea nirasya drata pacd va prpya vibhidya nsik baddhvu gopvara-sammukhe nyadht
prkfirst; gatamwho had come; vega-bhareavery swiftly; keinamKe; pdaof His foot; prahrea with a kick; nirasyacasting; dratafar away; pactthen; vamthe bull; prpyafinding; vibhidyapiercing; nsikmhis nose; baddhv binding; uquickly; gopvaraof Lord Gopvara; sammukhebefore; nyadhtHe placed him. Ke, running very fast, appeared before Ka first, and Ka, with a kick, tossed him far away. Ka next found Aria the bull, pierced a hole in his nose, tied him up, and brought him before Lord iva, Gopvara. Commentary: Since horses generally travel faster than bulls, Ka first encountered Ke. Ka kicked the horse demon so far away that he was unlikely ever to come back. Ka then subdued Aria and offered him to r Gopvara, the famous iva-liga of the Vndvana forest, to remain sitting before Gopvara Mahdeva, tied up for safekeeping as Lord Gopvaras carrier, so that Aria would not be free to wander about and cause more trouble. TEXT 260 PauNaSTaMaaYaaTaMaMaNdiv-Maae hYa& SaMauTuTYa MahaPara-Ma" ) bl/aTSaMaa GaTaqrNaek-Xaae _NauiXa+aYaidRMaYaNVYaraJaTa ))

punas tam ytam amanda-vikramo haya samutplutya mah-parkrama balt samruhya gatr anekao nuikayan nirdamayan vyarjata
punaagain; tamhim (Ke); ytamcome back; amandanever hesitant; vikramawhose valor; hayam
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the horse; samutplutyajumping up; mahgreat; parkramawhose prowess; baltforcefully; samruhyamounting; gatmovements; anekaa numerous; anuikayanteaching; nirdamayantaming; vyarjataHe appeared splendid. Then Ke the horse returned, but powerful Ka, whose valor never falters, jumped up and forcibly mounted him. Training him to move here and there, Ka splendidly displayed His own prowess by taming Ke completely. Commentary: How could Ka have brought Aria to Gopvara and then returned so quickly to meet Ke? Ka is amanda-vikrama, anything but slow. His abilities have no limit. TEXT 261 hYa& TaMaa iNaJaaNvYaSYaaNa( SauXaqga]hSTaeNa SahXaSTaaNa( ) ivic}aTaTkU-dRNak-aETauke-Na >a[MaN>auiv VYaaeiMNa c Saae_i>areMae ))

haya tam ruhya nijn vayasyn su-ghra-hastena sahasraas tn vicitra-tat-krdana-kautukena bhraman bhuvi vyomni ca so bhireme
hayamthe horse; tamhim; ruhyahaving mounted; nijnHis; vayasynyoung friends; su-ghravery swift; hastenawith His hand; sahasraaby the thousands; tnthem (the cowherd boys); vicitrain various ways; tatof him (Ke); krdanaof jumping; kautukenawith the sport; bhramanroaming; bhuvion the earth; vyomniin the sky; caand; sa Ka; abhiremeenjoyed. Ka had thousands of His friends also mount the horse and with His swift hand made the horse jump in many ways, allowing these friends to roam both the earth and the sky. Thus He took His pleasure. TEXT 262 +a<aaiYaMYa SvvXae ivDaaYa
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iNabDYa PaaXaESTaMaiPa v[JaaNTa" ) Ar+adaraeh<ake-l/Yae_Mau& v*z& TaQaaNaaeGa<avahNaaYa ))

kan niyamya sva-vae vidhya nibadhya pais tam api vrajnta arakad rohaa-kelaye mu va tathno-gaa-vhanya
katin a short time; niyamyarestraining; svavaeunder His control; vidhyabringing; nibadhya tying; paiwith ropes; tamhim (Ke); apialso; vraja-antawithin the cowherd village; arakatHe kept; rohaaof riding; kelayefor the entertainment; amumhim; vamthe bull; tathand; ana-gaacarts; vhanyafor pulling. Having brought the horse under His control in no time, Kna tied him up with ropes and kept him within the cowherd village for the entertainment of riding. And for pulling carts, He also kept the bull. Commentary: Ka took Aria, whom He had placed before r Gopvara, and kept him in the cow pasture for pulling carts. TEXT 263 NaNdqrPaure Ta}a vSaNTa& k*-Z<aMaek-da ) k&-SaajYaaGaTaae_U-rae NaeTau& MaDauPaurq=& v[JaaTa( ))

nandvara-pure tatra vasanta kam ekad kasjaygato krro netu madhu-pur vrajt
nandvara-purein the town of Nandvara; tatra there; vasantamliving; kamKa; ekadone day; kasaof Kasa; jayon the order; gata came; akrraAkrra; netumto take; madhu-purmto Mathur; vrajtfrom Vraja. One day while Ka was living in the town of
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Nandvara, Akrra came, on Kasas order, to take Ka from Vraja to Madhu-pur. Commentary: The next pastime, described in texts 263 through 344, is one of pure extreme pathos (karua-rasa). Both in Goloka and in the earthly Gokula, Nandvara Hill is the site of Nanda Mahrjas residence. The Vndvana pastimes thus far related by r Sarpa happened mostly in the forests, but on this occasion Ka was at home in Nanda-grma. TEXT 264 TaiSMa&STadaNaq=& Ya*ta& TaC^\uTvaNYai}ak-a AiPa ) iXal/ak-aadYaae NaUNa& diNTa ivdl/iNTa c )

tasmis tadn yad vtta tac chrutvnyatrik api il-khdayo nna rudanti vidalanti ca
tasminin Vraja; tadnmat that time; yatwhat; vttamhappened; tatthat; rutvhearing; anyatrikin other places; apieven; ilstones; khalogs; dayaand so on; nnamindeed; rudanticry; vidalantishatter; caand. If stones, logs, and other inert objects, even from other places, hear what happened then in Vraja, they cry and shatter to pieces. Commentary: We have already been told about the exceptional ecstatic symptoms of the trees and rocks of Vndvana, but now we are informed that such objects even outside Kas abode are devastated when they hear the pastime of Akrras taking Ka away from Vraja. TEXT 265 ra}aavak-<YaR Taa& vaTaa| l/aek-a Gaaeku-l/vaiSaNa" ) VYal/PaNbhuDaa SaveR dNTaae MauMauhu>a*RXaMa( ))

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rtrv karya t vrt lok gokula-vsina vyalapan bahudh sarve rudanto mumuhur bham rtrauat night; karyahearing; tmthat; vrtm news; lokthe people; gokula-vsinaresiding in Gokula; vyalapanlamented; bahudhin many ways; sarveall; rudantacrying; mumuhuthey fainted; bhamrepeatedly. The night the residents of Gokula heard the news that Akrra had arrived, they all lamented profusely in various ways. They cried and fainted again and again. Commentary: The Vraja-vss all knew who Akrra was and why he had come. TEXT 266 Pau}aPa[a<aa YaXaaeda c ib>YaTaq duk&-SaTa" ) JauGaaePa k*-Z<aMaek-aNTae iNauTYa XaPaQaEiNaRJaE" ))

putra-pr yaod ca bibhyat dua-kasata jugopa kam eknte nihnutya apathair nijai
putraher son; prwhose very life; yaod Yaod; caand; bibhyatafraid; duawicked; kasataof Kasa; jugopashe hid; kamKa; ekntein a solitary place; nihnutyacovering Him; apathaiwith oaths; nijaiher own. Yaod, her son her very life, was terrified of wicked Kasa. Hiding herself and hiding Ka by keeping Him covered with her cloth, she uttered special vows for His protection. Commentary: Mother Yaod was aware of how difficult it would be to keep Ka hidden. Her only hope was to recite magic incantations. TEXT 267 Pa[aTa" Pa[baeiDaTaae NaNdae_U-re<a bhuYaui-i>a"
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) Pa[baeDYa dTaq=& Paq=& SvPau}a& bihraNaYaTa( ))

prta prabodhito nando krrea bahu-yuktibhi prabodhya rudat patn sva-putra bahir nayat
prtain the morning; prabodhitawaking up; nandaNanda Mahraja; akrreaby Akrra; bahuyuktibhiwith numerous arguments; prabodhya convinced; rudatmsobbing; patnmhis wife; sva his; putramson; bahioutside; nayatbrought. When Nanda woke up in the morning, Akrra explained things and presented numerous arguments to convince him. Nanda in turn convinced his sobbing wife and then brought Ka outside. Commentary: Akrra reminded Nanda how wicked Kasa was, yet assured Nanda that Ka was fully capable of dealing with the evil king. Nanda had no choice but to let Ka go to the aid of their friends in Mathur. TEXT 268 ha heTYaaTaRSvrEE dTaqNaaMal/iTaMa )( GaaePaqNaa& vq+aMaa<aaNaa& Pa[a<aaiNav SaMaaiC^NaTa( ))

h hety rta-svarair uccai rudatnm alajjitam gopn vkamn prn iva samcchinat
h halas, alas; itithus; rtaagonized; svarai with voices; uccailoudly; rudatnmwho were crying; alajjitamwithout shame; gopnmof the gops; vkamnmwho were watching; prnthe life airs; ivaas if; samcchinathe took away. The gops watched helplessly, as if Nanda were depriving them of their life airs, and without shame cried out in agonized voices, Alas! Alas!
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Commentary: By sending Ka away, Nanda Mahrja was taking away the gops very life. But when Nanda personally escorted Ka out of the house to the waiting Akrra, there was nothing the gops could do but stare incredulously. TEXT 269 Tada YaXaaeda bihreTYa dqNaa iNaJaa[uDaara" PairMaaJaRYaNTaq ) Da*Tva k-re NYaaSaiMavaTMaPau}a& f-Lk-Pau}aSYa k-re NYaData ))

tad yaod bahir etya dn nijru-dhr parimrjayant dhtv kare nysam ivtma-putra vaphalka-putrasya kare nyadhatta
tadthen; yaodYaod; bahioutside; etya coming; dnmiserable; nijaher; aruof tears; dhrthe torrents; parimrjayantwiping away; dhtvtaking; karein her hand; nysama deposit for safekeeping; ivaas if; tmaher own; putram son; vaphalka-putrasyaof the son of vaphalka; karein the hand; nyadhattashe placed. Then Yaod came outside. Miserable, wiping the torrents of tears from her eyes, she took her sons hand and placed it in the hand of Akrra, the son of vaphalka, as if giving Ka to him for safekeeping. Commentary: In the civil law discussed in the Manusahit and other Dharma-stras, nysa or nikepa is a major topic. When a person deposits property with someone for safekeeping, the person holding the property is held gravely responsible. Anyone found guilty of betraying this trustfor example, by failing to return the property to its legitimate ownerthe government should punish severely. Pa[aevac NaNd& c TavaiPa hSTae NYaSTaae MaYaa Pa[a<aDaNaaiDak-ae_YaMa( ) ku-}aaPYaivSYa iNaDaaYa PaaeR _}aaNaqYa deYaae >avTaa k-re Mae ))
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provca nanda ca tavpi haste nyasto may pra-dhandhiko yam kutrpy avivasya nidhya prve trnya deyo bhavat kare me
provcashe told; nandamNanda; caand; tavayour; apiand; hastein the hand; nyastagiven; mayby me; prathan life; dhanaand wealth; adhika greater; ayamHim; kutra apiin anyone; avivasya without believing; nidhyadelivering; prveto my side; atrahere; nyabringing; deyaHe should be given; bhavatby your good self; karein the hand; memy. She then told Nanda, I place in your hand this son, more dear to me than life and wealth. Dont trust anyone. Just bring Him back here to my side and return Him to my hand. Commentary: In her own oblique way, Yaod advises her husband not to place too much trust in Akrra. Wv& SauTaeh>araTaura SaTaq MaaeMauMaaNaa SaMaYa& ivDaaYa Saa ) k*-Z<a& ivNaEk-aTMaGa*h& Yada GaTaa -NdSTadaSaq]JaYaaeizTaa& MahaNa( ))

eva suta-sneha-bhartur sat momuhyamn samaya vidhya s ka vinaiktma-gha yad gatkrandas tadsd vraja-yoit mahn
evamthus; sutafor her son; snehaof her love; bharaby the burden; turpained; satthe faithful wife; momuhyamnrepeatedly losing consciousness; samayamthe agreement; vidhya making; sshe (Yaod); kam vinwithout Ka; eka-tmalonely; ghamto her home; yadwhen; gatgone; krandamoaning; tadthen; stthere was; vraja-yoitmamong the women of Vraja; mahn great. Having made that agreement, the faithful wife
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Yaod, so pained by the weight of love for her son that she fainted again and again, returned without Ka to her lonely home. A great lament then arose from the women of Vraja. Commentary: Seeing Ka about to leave, the women of Vraja now lost all hope. YaiSMaNSMa*Tae_aiPa iXal/aiPa raeidiTa vTYaPaae da Paiv dqYaRTae ) NaUNa& JaGaNMaiTa Xaaek-SaaGare Pa[a<aEivRYau&- Na >aveid +a<aaTa( ))

yasmin smte dypi ilpi roditi sravaty apo dru pavi ca dryate nna jagan majjati oka-sgare prair viyukta na bhaved yadi kat
yasminwhich; smtebeing remembered; adyatoday; apieven; ila stone; apieven; roditicries; sravatisheds; apawatery tears; drua tree; pavia lightning bolt; caand; dryateis shattered; nnamwhole; jagatthe universe; majjatisubmerges; okaof sorrow; sgarein an ocean; praifrom their life airs; viyuktam separated; na bhavetmight not be; yadiif; kat at once. Even today, remembrance of that scene makes stones cry, trees shed tears, and lightning bolts shatter. All living beings are submerged in an ocean of grief, if they dont at once give up their lives. YaXaaedYaa Taa bhuDaaNauSaaiNTvTaa" Pa[baeDYaMaaNaa" Sarl/Sv>aavYaa ) MahaiTaRXaaek-a<aRvMaGanMaaNaSaa" Sak-aePaMaUcubRTa Taa& v[JaiYa" ))

yaoday t bahudhnusntvit prabodhyamn sarala-svabhvay mahrti-okrava-magna-mnas sa-kopam cur bata t vraja-striya

yaodayby Yaod; tthey; bahudhin various ways; anusntvitbeing consoled; prabodhyamn
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being informed; saralasimple-hearted; svabhvay whose (Yaods) nature; mahvast; rtiof pain; okaand sorrow; aravain an ocean; magna immersed; mnaswhose minds; sa-kopamangrily; cusaid; bataalas; tmto her; vraja-striyathe ladies of Vraja. Simple-hearted Yaod told the ladies of Vraja all sorts of things, trying to console them. But their minds were immersed in a vast ocean of pain and sorrow, and so they answered her with anger: Commentary: Yaod suggested to the ladies that because she had turned her son Ka over to Akrra, the son of a muni, and to Nanda Mahrja, there was no reason to worry about Him. One can assume that anything left on deposit with a saintly person is safe. I am sure that Akrra will come back soon with my husband to return Ka to me. She was too simple-hearted to question Akrras promise, even though she knew he could be duplicitous. re iNadRYae_re iDaz<aaivhqNae vTSa& iNaJa& VYaaga]k-re SaMaPYaR ) Xa-aiSa dahahRiMad& Pa[veu& ir&- Ga*h& TaeNa k-Qa& TvMaek-a ))

re nirdaye re dhia-vihne vatsa nija vyghra-kare samarpya aktsi dhrham ida praveu rikta gha tena katha tvam ek
reO; nirdayemerciless woman; arejust see; dhiaof sense; vihnedevoid; vatsamcalf; nijamyour own; vyghraof a tiger; kareinto the hands; samarpyahaving offered; aktable; asiyou are; dha-arhamdeserving to be burned; idamthis; praveumto be entered; riktamempty; ghamhouse; tenaby you; kathamhow; tvamyou; ekalone. O merciless woman, devoid of sense! Just seeyou have offered your own calf into the hands of a
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tiger. This empty house is fit to burn down. How can you enter it alone? Commentary: Even a less intelligent animal like a cow would never willingly allow a tiger to take away her calf. How then could Yaod have offered her son to Kasas servant? And after doing so, how could she have returned alone to a home devoid of Kas presence? TEXT 275 TaaMaevMaNYaa& ivGahRYaNTYaae _U-r& XaPaNTYaae_iDak-Xaaek-veGaaTa( ) iNaGaRTYa GaehaTPa[>auMaaYaNTYaae _DaavNSaveGa& k-<a& dTYa" ))

tm evam any ca vigarhayantyo krra apantyo dhika-oka-vegt nirgatya geht prabhum hvayantyo dhvan sa-vega karua rudatya
tmher (Yaod); evamthus; anynthe others; ca and; vigarhayantyareviling; akrramAkrra; apantyacursing; adhikaextreme; okaof misery; vegtby the force; nirgatyacoming out; gehtfrom their homes; prabhumto Lord Ka; hvayantya calling out; adhvanthey ran; sa-vegamquickly; karuampitifully; rudatyacrying. Reviling Yaod and the others and cursing Akrra, the ladies burst out of their homes, frenzied by misery, and rushed after Lord Ka, calling out to Him and crying pitifully. Commentary: After Yaod, Nanda Mahrja was next to receive the ladies censure. They also blamed the other responsible cowherds for not objecting. TEXT 276 TaESTaEMaRhaXaaek-d*!aiTaRraedNaEr( AU-rNaNdaE bl/bvaiNvTaaE ) YaaNaaiDa!& iPa[YaMaPYaraedYaNa( VYaaMaaehYaNTa v[JavaiSaNaae_i%l/aNa( ))

tais tair mah-oka-dhrti-rodanair

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akrra-nandau bala-ballavnvitau yndhirha priyam apy arodayan vymohayanta vraja-vsino khiln

tai taiby the various; mah-okain extreme sorrow; dhasevere; rtipain; rodanaiand crying; akrraAkrra; nandauand Nanda; balaby Balarma; ballavaand the cowherds; anvitaujoined; ynathe chariot; adhirhamwho had mounted; priyamtheir beloved (Ka); apialso; arodayan making cry; vymohayanta(these displays) bewildered; vraja-vsinathe residents of Vraja; akhilnall. This crying, this extreme sorrow, this insufferable pain made everyone else cry as wellAkrra and Nanda, Balarma and the cowherds, and even beloved Ka, who had mounted Akrras chariot. All the residents of Vraja were bewildered. TEXT 277 SvaSQYa& +a<aaTPa[aPYa Sa GaaeiPak-aGaiTaSa( Taa vq+Ya l/BDaaNTYadXaa wv SvYaMa( ) SaqvYaNYaaNavradvauTaSa( Taai>av*RTa" ku-MaGaadl/i+aTaMa( ))

svsthya kat prpya sa gopik-gatis t vkya labdhntya-da iva svayam sajvayan yna-vard avplutas tbhir vta kujam agd alakitam
svsthyamnormal consciousness; katafter a moment; prpyagaining; saHe (Ka); gopikof the young gops; gatithe life and soul; tthem (the gops); vkyaseeing; labdhawho had reached; antya-dathe final stage of life (death); ivaas if; svayamHimself; sajvayanreviving them; yna from the chariot; vartmost excellent; avpluta getting down; tbhiby them; vtasurrounded; kujamto a forest grove; agtwent; alakitam unnoticed. After a moment, Ka, the life and soul of the
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young gops, came to His senses. He saw the gops apparently on the verge of death, and He got down from the fine chariot to revive them. Surrounded by them, and unseen by others, He went into a forest grove. TEXT 278 k&-SadUTaSTaTa" SvSQaae=_PaXYaNk*-Z<a& rQaaePair ) ANauTaPYa bl&/ vaKYaPaa$=vErNauNaqTavaNa( ))

kasa-dtas tata svastho payan ka rathopari anutapya bala vkyapavair anuntavn

kasa-dtaKasas messenger; tatathen; svasthacoming back to his senses; apayannot seeing; kamKa; ratha-uparion the chariot; anutapyafeeling remorse; balamBalarma; vkyaof words; pavaiwith clever use; anuntavntried to convince. When Kasas messenger Akrra came back to himself and saw that Ka was not on the chariot, he felt remorse for having allowed this to happen. With clever words he then tried to win the confidence of Balarma. TEXT 279 du"%& c k-QaYaaMaaSa devk-IvSaudevYaae" ) YaadvaNaa& c SaveRza& Ta k*-Z<aEk-heTauk-Ma( ))

dukha ca kathaym sa devak-vasudevayo ydavn ca sarve tac ca kaika-hetukam

dukhamthe misery; caand; kathaym sahe described; devakof Devak; vasudevayoand Vasudeva; ydavnmof the Ydavas; caand; sarvemall of them; tatthat; caand; ka Ka; ekaonly; hetukamhaving as its cause. He described how agonized were Devak, Vasudeva,
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and all the Ydavas, only on account of Ka. TEXT 280 TaTa" [qraEih<aeYaae_SaaE vaSaudevae_MauNaa Sah ) iPaTa*VYae<aaNauJa& Ma*GYaNku-& TaTPa[aPa l/+a<aE" ))

tata r-rauhieyo sau vsudevo mun saha pitvyenuja mgyan kuja tat prpa lakaai
tatathen; rdivine; rauhieyathe son of Rohi; asauHe (Balarma); vsudevathe son of Vasudeva; amunwith him (Akrra); sahatogether; pitvyeaHis paternal uncle; anujamfor His younger brother; mgyansearching; kujamgrove; tatthat; prpaHe located; lakaaiby signs. Lord Balarma, Kas older brother, the divine son of Rohi and Vasudeva, then went with His uncle Akrra to search for Ka. By certain signs He was able to locate the grove. Commentary: Like Ka, Balarma is also called Vsudeva, because He is a son of Vasudeva by another wife. Akrra used Lord Balarmas inability to tolerate Vasudevas suffering as leverage to secure Balarmas help in finding Ka. Once Balarma agreed to bring Ka back, it was easy to spot Kas footprints and follow them to the place where Ka and the gops had gone. TEXT 281 GaaePaqi>arav*Ta& k*-Z<aMaal/+YaaraiTSQaTaae_Ga[Ja" ) AU-rSTvb]vqTk*-Z<a& [avYaidMaud]udNa( ))

gopbhir vta kam lakyrt sthito graja akrras tv abravt ka rvayann idam udrudan
gopbhiby the gops; vtamsurrounded; kam Ka; lakyafinding; rtat a distance;
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sthitastanding; agrajaHis elder brother; akrraAkrra; tubut; abravtspoke; kam Ka; rvayanaddressing; idamthis; udrudan while crying. Finding Ka surrounded by the gops, Balarma stood at a distance; but Akrra, in a tearful voice, spoke out so that Ka would hear these words. TEXT 282 [qMadU-r ovac iNa>aRTSYaeRTae duk&-SaeNa iNaTYa& dqNaaE v*aE %MauMYa hNTauMa( ) wZYaeTae c }aaSaXaaek-aiTaRMaGanaE >a-aE Yau-aE JaaTau NaaePaei+aTau& TaaE ))

rmad-akrra uvca nirbhartsyete dua-kasena nitya dnau vddhau khagam udyamya hantum iyete ca trsa-okrti-magnau bhaktau yuktau jtu nopekitu tau
rmat-akrra uvcablessed Akrra said; nirbhartsyeteare threatened; duaevil; kasena by Kasa; nityamconstantly; dnaupoor; vddhau Your old parents; khagamhis sword; udyamya holding high; hantumto be killed; iyeteare intended; caand; trsain fear; okasorrow; rti and pain; magnaudrowning; bhaktauYour devotees; yuktaudeserving; jtucertainly; nanot; upekitumto be neglected; tauthey. rmn Akrra said: Evil Kasa unceasingly harasses Your old parents. Sword held high, he is ready to kill them. Surely You should not neglect them, Your devotees, so burdened by fear, by sorrow, by pain. Commentary: Akrra is trying to impress upon Ka that Ka should not neglect the plight of His helpless elderly parents. There is every chance that Kasa will kill them. They are terrified of Kasa, and sorrowful because they cannot see their
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son, and pained by Kasas slander of Ka. And there is no time to delay; even if Kasa does not murder them, their own distress might kill them. TEXT 283 SaveR_NaNYaal/MbNaa YaadvaSTae MaTMaaRNTadRtaNae}aa MahaTaaR" ) Xaaek-aetaa Maa hTaaXaa >avNTau }aSTaa" k&-SaaevivPa[adYa ))

sarve nanylamban ydavs te mad-vartmntar-datta-netr mahrt okottapt m hat bhavantu trast kasd deva-viprdaya ca
sarveall; ananyano other; alambanhaving shelter; ydavthe Ydavas; tethey; matmy; vartmapath; antaupon; dattafixed; netrtheir eyes; mah-rtgreatly distressed; okain lamentation; uttaptburning; mdo not; hatadeprived of their hopes; bhavantulet them become; trastliving in terror; kastof Kasa; devathe demigods; viprathe brhmaas; dayaand others; caalso. The Ydavas have no shelter but You. All in great distress, their eyes fixed upon the path for my return, they are burning in a fire of lamentation. They all live in terror of Kasa, and so also do the demigods, brhmaas, and other exalted persons. Dont deprive them of hope. Commentary: Vasudeva and Devak are not the only ones suffering with no hope of relief but Ka. So too are all the members of the Yadu clan. Related to Him both by family ties and by devotion, they look only to Him for their salvation. They are already in great anxiety because Akrra has not yet returned to Mathur with Ka, and if Akrra returns without Him they will be devastated. By the very nature of the Yadus pure love for Ka they are mahrt, greatly distressed, and okottapt, burned by sorrow; now, on top of that, they should
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not be hat, deprived of their last hope. And besides the Ydava princes, yet others depending on Ka to save them from Kasas terror include demigods like Indra, learned brhmaas like Garga, and all the cows and Vaiavas. TEXT 284 Sa agaTae bahubl&/ SadaTMaNaae Naae MaNYaTae k-Na devMadRNa" ) AaTMaaNauPaErSaurEbRl/ablE/" k&-SaSTaQaa raJaku-lE/" SadaicRTa" ))

sa lghate bhu-bala sadtmano no manyate kacana deva-mardana tmnurpair asurair balbalai kasas tath rja-kulai sadrcita
sahe; lghatebrags; bhuof his arms; balam about the strength; sadalways; tmanahis own; na unot at all; manyaterespects; kacanaanyone; devaof the demigods; mardanasubduer; tmaanurpailike himself; asuraiby demons; bala powerful; abalaiand impotent; kasaKasa; tathand; rja-kulaiby the royal order; sad constantly; arcitaworshiped. Kasa, the subduer of demigods, always brags about the strength of his own arms. He has no regard for anyone. He is constantly worshiped by demons like himselfsome impotent, some very powerfuland by the rulers of men. Commentary: When Ka fails to respond, Akrra tries to change Kas mood from compassion to anger. In the beginning of Akrras statement, he refers to Kasa merely as he (sa); in other words, so numerous and abominable are Kasas bad qualities that his name is not to be mentioned. His many demon friends in Mathur help increase his influence, and they share his arrogance and other bad qualities. Powerful demonic rulers of other kingdoms like Ba and Bhauma also support him. TEXT 285
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[qSaPa ovac Wv& b]uva<a" Sa Ta*<aaiNa Da*Tva dNTaEMaRhak-aku-ku-l&/ ck-ar ) WkE-k-XaSTaa" Pa[<aMaNv[Jaqr( AU-rNaaMaa ParMaaeGa[k-MaaR ))

r-sarpa uvca eva bruva sa tni dhtv dantair mah-kku-kula cakra ekaikaas t praaman vraja-strr akrra-nm paramogra-karm
r-sarpa uvcar Sarpa said; evamthus; bruvaspeaking; sahe; tniblades of grass; dhtvtaking up; dantaiwith his teeth; mah great; kkuof plaintive cries; kulama series; cakramade; eka-ekaato each and every one; t of them; praamanbowing down; vraja-strto the women of Vraja; akrra-nmthe person named Akrra; paramamost; ugracruel; karmwhose duty. r Sarpa said: Akrra, having said this, took blades of grass between his teeth and cried plaintively again and again. Then that person named Uncruel, who had a most brutal duty to perform, offered his obeisances to all the women of Vraja, one by one. Commentary: When Ka still didnt come out from the grove, Akrra, knowing Ka to be controlled by His dearest devotees, appealed to the gops. He approached them with all the humility he could muster. This wasnt easy because, despite Akrras name, taking Ka to Mathur was the cruelest thing anyone could do to them. TEXT 286 [qMadU-r ovac Maa gaaTaYa& Yaduv&XaJaaTaaNa( l/aek-a& k*-TaNk*-PaYaMaeTaaNa( ) k*-Z<aSYa dqNaaE iPaTaraE c deVYa" k&-SaeNa aE Pairr+aTaaMaU ))

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rmad-akrra uvca m ghtayadhva yadu-vaa-jtn lok ca ktsnn kpayadhvam etn kasya dnau pitarau ca devya kasena ruddhau parirakatm
rmat-akrra uvcarmn Akrra said; m ghtayadhvamplease do not cause to be killed; yadu-vaain the dynasty of Yadu; jtnthose who are born; loknfor people; caand; ktsnnall; kpayadhvamplease have mercy; etnthese; kasyaof Ka; dnaupoor; pitarauthe parents; caand; devyadear goddesses; kasenaby Kasa; ruddhauimprisoned; parirakatmshould be protected; oh. rmn Akrra said: Dont be death for the descendants of the Yadu dynasty, and for all the people of the world. Please have mercy on them. Dear goddesses, Kas wretched parents are imprisoned by Kasa. Please help rescue them. Commentary: Everyone was afraid of Kasa, including the cowherds of Vraja. Were Ka not to come soon to Mathur, the lives of many innocent persons would be at risk, and the first to be killed might well be Vasudeva and Devak. Therefore the gops should be merciful by consenting to Kas departure and giving their blessings for an auspicious journey. TEXT 287 [qGaaeiPak-a Ocu" he he MahaDaUTaR Ma*zaPa[l/aPakk&-SaaNauviTaRiNPaTaraE ku-Taae_SYa ) Pau}aSYa vE NaNdYaXaaedYaaeSTaaE Maa Gaaeku-l&/ MaarYa Maa Jaih q" ))

r-gopik cu he he mah-dhrta m-pralpaka kasnuvartin pitarau kuto sya putrasya vai nanda-yaodayos tau
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m gokula mraya m jahi str

r-gopik cuthe divine gops said; heO; heO; mah-dhrtagreat cheat; muntruths; pralpaka you who speak loosely; kasaof Kaa; anuvartinO follower; pitarauthe parents; kutahow; asyaof Him; putrasyaof the son; vaiindeed; nandaof Nanda; yaodayoand Yaod; tauthe two of Them; mdo not; gokulamGokula; mrayakill; m jahido not do violence; strto women. The divine gops said: You great cheat, you speaker of falsehoods, you follower of Kasa! How can those you speak of be Kas parents? These two boys are the sons of Nanda and Yaod! Dont murder Gokula. Do not become a killer of women. Commentary: Why do the gops call the son of vaphalka Muni a great cheat and liar? Because he is a follower of Kasa. The gops statement that Vasudeva and Devak cannot be Kas parents is correct in the sense that Vasudeva and Devak are really His unalloyed devotees acting as His parents, roles they accept only for His service. By telling Akrra not to kill the people of Gokula, and especially not to become a killer of women, the gops mean to say that his immediate concern should not be over Vasudeva and Devak. The threat of their being killed lies in the future, and enough time remains for measures to prevent such a tragedy. The threat, however, that Akrra will become the direct cause of the deaths of the inhabitants of Gokula, including the cows and women, is imminent. Akrra should therefore think twice before committing these terrible sins. TEXT 288 [qSaPa ovac duSYa k&-SaSYa iNaXaMYa ceiTa& du"%& iNaJaaNaa& c TadaTMaheTauk-Ma( ) AaaSYa GaaePaqiNaRrGaad]uza Xauca ku-al/SYaaNauMaiTa& ivl/+Ya c ))

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r-sarpa uvca duasya kasasya niamya ceita dukha nijn ca tad tma-hetukam vsya gopr niragd ru uc kujd balasynumati vilakya ca
r-sarpa uvcar Sarpa said; duasyawicked; kasasyaof Kasa; niamyahearing; ceitamabout the activity; dukhamabout the misery; nijnmof His family members; caand; tatthat; tma-hetukam whose cause was Himself; vsyaapologizing; gopto the gops; niragtHe came out; ruwith anger; ucand with sadness; kujtfrom the grove; balasyaof Balarma; anumatimthe agreement; vilakyaseeing; caand. r Sarpa said: When Ka heard of wicked Kasas deeds, when He heard of the misery He Himself had caused His own relatives, and when He saw that Balarma agreed with Akrra, He apologized to the gops, and showing anger and sadness He left the grove. Commentary: The anger Ka felt was directed solely at Kasa, and the sorrow He felt was for His faultless devotees. He interpreted His elder brothers silence as a sign that Lord Balarma accepted Akrras proposal to take Them to Madhupur. TEXT 289 TaTa" Pa[MauidTaae_U-rae bl/raMaaNauMaaeidTa" ) Ta}aEv rQaMaaNaeTau& DaavNveGaaihGaRTa" ))

tata pramudito krro balarmnumodita tatraiva ratham netu dhvan vegd bahir gata
tataat that; pramuditaoverjoyed; akrra Akrra; balarmaby Balarma; anumoditapermitted; tatrathere; evajust; rathamthe chariot; netum to bring; dhvanrunning; vegtquickly; bahi
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outside; gatawent. Akrra was overjoyed. With Balarmas permission, He quickly left the grove and ran to bring the chariot. TEXT 290 iNa<asYa k*-Z<aSYa Paure Pa[Yaa<a& TaSYaaNaNaaBJa& Mauhurq+aMaa<aa" ) >aqTaa ivYaaeGaaNal/Taae dTYaae GaaePYa" PadaBJae PaiTaTaaSTaMaahu" ))

nirya kasya pure praya tasynanbja muhur kam bht viyognalato rudatyo gopya padbje patits tam hu
niryaascertaining; kasyaof Ka; purefor the city; prayamthe departure; tasyaHis; nanaabjamlotus face; muhuconstantly; kam looking at; bhtfrightened; viyogaof separation; analataof the fire; rudatyacrying; gopyathe gops; pada-abjeat his lotus feet; patitfalling; tamto Ka; husaid. When the gops understood that Ka was about to leave for the city, they fixed their eyes on His lotus face. In dread of the imminent fire of separation, they cried and spoke to Ka, falling at His lotus feet. Commentary: For the gops to address Ka so boldly in public might have appeared audacious, but they were afraid of burning up in the fire of separation. And besides, the gops are not the only devotees who sometimes frankly express their agony to Ka in the presence of others. For example, in rmad-Bhgavatam (10.23.29) we hear from the wives of the Vedic brhmaas: maiva vibho rhati bhavn gaditu n-asa satya kuruva nigama tava pda-mlam prpt vaya tulasi-dma padvasa

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keair nivohum atilaghya samasta-bandhn O almighty one, please do not speak such cruel words. Rather, You should fulfill Your promise that You always reciprocate with Your devotees in kind. Now that we have attained Your lotus feet, we simply wish to remain here in the forest so we may carry upon our heads the garlands of tulas leaves You may neglectfully kick away with Your lotus feet. We are ready to give up all material relationships. TEXT 291 [qGaaePYa Ocu" Na Xau-Maae NaaQa k-daiPa JaqivTau& ivNaa >avNTa& l/vMaPYaNaa[Yaa" ) Na Mau daSaqSTaidMaa iNaJaa" Pa[>aae NaYaSv Ta}aEv YaTaae GaiMaZYaiSa ))

r-gopya cu na aknumo ntha kadpi jvitu vin bhavanta lavam apy anray na muca dss tad im nij prabho nayasva tatraiva yato gamiyasi
r-gopya cuthe divine gops said; na aknuma we are not able; nthaO master; kad apiat any time; jvitumto live; vinwithout; bhavantamYou; lavama fraction of a second; apieven; anray having no shelter; na mucaplease do not abandon; dsYour maidservants; tattherefore; imthese; nijYour own; prabhoO Lord; nayasvaplease take; tatrathere; evajust; yatawherever; gamiyasi You will go. The divine gops said: O master, we cannot live even a moment without You. We have no other shelter. Do not abandon us, Your maidservants. O Lord, take us with You wherever You go! TEXT 292 vNa& Ga*h& Naae_>avdal/Yaae vNa& izTSauNDauGa<aa vEir<a" )
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ivz& c PaqYaUzMauTaaMa*Ta& ivz& YadQaRMaSMaatvd*Tae iMa[YaaMahe ))

vana gha no bhavad layo vana dviat suhd bandhu-ga ca vairia via ca pyam utmta via yad-artham asmt tvad te mriymahe
vanamthe forest; ghamhome; naour; abhavathas become; layahome; vanama forest; dviatan enemy; suhtour friend; bandhu-gafriends; ca and; vairiaenemies; viampoison; caand; pyamnectar; utamoreover; amtamnectar; viam poison; yatof whom; arthamfor the sake; asmt Him; tvatYou; tewithout; mriymahewe will die. For the sake of You, the forests have become our homes and our homes forests, our enemies our friends and our friends enemies, poison sweet nectar and nectar poison. Without You we will die. Commentary: The gops are sure that if Ka refuses to accept their prayer they will very soon die. After all, didnt Ka turn their lives upside down? The forests were their homes because in the forests they enjoyed Kas company. And their homes were like an empty wilderness because Ka wasnt there. Their rivals for Kas affection were actually friends because with the help of those friends they were able to meet Ka. And by preventing the gops from going to Ka, their husbands and children acted as enemies. In fact the gops love for Ka was so potent that it even transformed poisonous substances into the most palatable nectar. And for gops eager to die in the torment of separation, poison became attractive. Nectarean things like moonlight, sandalwood paste, and nice food were like poison for the gops because the gratification afforded by such things impeded their association with Ka, and when they were suffering separation from Him their so-called pleasures became unbearable. r
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Nrada has already explained to Gopa-kumra why pure love for Ka affected the gops in these strange ways. TEXT 293 k-Qa& Taved& iSMaTaSauNdraNaNa& MaNaaehr& PaadSaraehYaMa( ) or"SQal&/ cai%l/Xaae>aYaaicRTa& ku-Taae_PYaNaal/aeKYa icr& iMa[YaeMaih ))

katha taveda smita-sundarnana manohara pda-saroruha-dvayam ura-sthala ckhila-obhayrcita kuto py anlokya cira mriyemahi
kathamhow; tavaYour; idamthis; smitasmiling; sundarabeautiful; nanamface; manoharamallattractive; pda-saroruhalotus feet; dvayamtwo; ura-sthalamchest; caand; akhilaall; obhayby auspiciousness; arcitamadorned; kuta api anywhere; anlokyanot seeing; ciramafter long; mriyemahiwe will die. How could we not die a slow death if we could no longer see anywhere Your beautiful smiling face, Your all-attractive lotus feet, and Your chest, adorned by all splendor? Commentary: When Ka was getting ready to leave for Mathur, He suggested to the gops, I am going to Mathur to satisfy My well-wishers there, who have no goal in life but Me. Until I return, you can keep yourselves happy by hearing, chanting, and remembering My glories. This is the gopis answer. If for any length of time the gops cannot see Kas face anywhere (kuto pi)either in His home or in the forestthey will surely die. Ka might also try to excuse Himself by saying that if because of Him His friends in Mathur remain unhappy His reputation will be ruined. But (with kuto pi construed as for whatever reason) the gops would respond, We do not care what reason You have. If You leave us we will die a slow
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death. TEXT 294 v*NdavNa& GaaePaivl/aSal/ae>aaTa( TviYa Pa[YaaTae Sah iMa}av*NdE" ) SaaYa& SaMaaYaaSYaiSa %LvvXYaMa( wTYaaXaYaahGaRMaYaeMa k*-C^\aTa( ))

vndvana gopa-vilsa-lobht tvayi prayte saha mitra-vndai sya samysyasi khalv avayam ity ayhar gamayema kcchrt
vndvanamto the Vndvan forest; gopaof cowherds; vilsafor the pastimes; lobhtdue to eagerness; tvayiwhen You; praytego off; saha together; mitra-vndaiwith Your many friends; syamin the evening; samysyasiYou will return; khaluindeed; avayamcertainly; itithus; ayby the hope; ahathe daytime; gamayemawe manage to pass; kcchrtwith difficulty. When you go off to the Vndvana forest with Your friends, eager to enjoy Your cowherd pastimes, we manage to pass our daysonly with difficultyby holding on to the hope that in the evening You will certainly return. Commentary: Only for at best a few hours can the gops tolerate the pain they feel from Kas absence. If ever an evening were to pass without His coming home from the forest, their lives would be finished. TEXT 295 dUr& GaTae TaTPaurMaajYaa PauNa" k&-SaSYa duSYa TaidSaTa" ) JaqveMa NaaNaaivDaXaYaaku-l/a" k-Qa& Pa[vaSaaiTaRivicNTaNaeNa c ))

dra gate tat-puram jay puna kasasya duasya tad-ia-sagata jvema nn-vidha-akaykul katha pravsrti-vicintanena ca
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dramaway; gatehaving gone; tatthat; puramto the city; jayon the order; punafurthermore; kasasyaof Kasa; duasyawicked; tathis; ia of friends; sagatain the association; jvemawe can live; nn-vidhaof various kinds; akayby worry; kuldistraught; kathamhow; pravsaof absence from home; rtiof Your suffering; vicintanenawith thought; caand. But if You go so far away, on the order of wicked Kasa, to the city and the company of his friends, how shall we be able to live? Thinking of the pain You will suffer away from home and of what might happen to You, well be distraught with all sorts of worries. Commentary: Ka might assert that in the big city He will be able to take care of Himself with the same power He showed when He subdued Kliyabut still He is bound to feel homesick. The gops cannot bear to think of Ka suffering in any way. TEXT 296 Na jaYaTae SaaNaucrSYa TaSYa k&-SaSYa gaaTaeNa ik-YaaH[Ma" SYaaTa( ) k-al/ Ta}aTYaJaNaaiTaRhTYaa SYaaa Na va Ta}a bTa SMa*iTaNaR" ))

na jyate snucarasya tasya kasasya ghtena kiy rama syt kla ca tatratya-janrti-haty syd v na v tatra bata smtir na
na jyateit is not known; sa-anucarasyaalong with his followers; tasyaof him; kasasyaKasa; ghtenain the killing; kiynhow much; rama trouble; sytthere will be; klatime; caand; tatratyaresiding in that place (Mathur); janaof the people; rtithe distress; hatyin eradicating; sytthere will be; vwhether; na v or not; tatrathere; bataalas; smtiremembrance; naof us.

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We cannot imagine how much trouble You will have to endure to kill Kasa and his followers, nor how long it will take to wipe out the misery of the people of Mathur. Nor can we be sure You will remember us. Commentary: Ka might argue that because His dear cows, His young friends, and His father will accompany Him to Mathur He will not become too homesick. So here the gops give other reasons for their distress. Conceding that to kill Kasa and many other demons would be mere play for Ka, the desires of all His devotees in Mathur will take a long time to satisfy. And if Ka were to insist that because of remembering His dear girlfriends He could not stay away very long, the gops would answer: No, we are not so confident You will even remember us. TEXT 297 [qSaPa ovac wTYaevMaaidk&- k-aku-ku-l&/ Taa ivdDauSTaQaa ) YaeNa Ta}aTYaMai%l&/ raed c MauMaaeh c ))

r-sarpa uvca ity evam-dika kkukula t vidadhus tath yena tatratyam akhila ruroda ca mumoha ca
r-sarpa uvcar Sarpa said; itithus speaking; evamthese; dikamand other; kku-kulam many pitiful laments; tthey (the gops); vidadhuexpressed; tathalso; yenaby which; tatratyampresent there; akhilameveryone; ruroda cried; caand; mumohabecame bewildered; caand. r Sarpa said: Thus the gops uttered many pitiful laments, which made all who were present cry till their minds were lost. Commentary: All living beings reacted in this way to the gops complaints. TEXT 298
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k-QaiGavaNDaEYaRMaal/MBYaa[Ui<a MaaJaRYaNa( ) SvSYa TaaSaa& c Nae}ae>Yaae_b]vqdeTaTSaGadMa( ))

kathacid bhagavn dhairyam lambyri mrjayan svasya ts ca netrebhyo bravd etat sa-gadgadam
kathacitsomehow; bhagavnthe Supreme Lord; dhairyamto calmness; lambyabringing Himself; arithe tears; mrjayanwiping away; svasyaHis own; tsmof the gops; caand; netrebhyafrom their eyes; abravtspoke; etatthis; sa-gadgadam with a choking voice. The Supreme Lord somehow steadied Himself. Wiping the tears from His own eyes and from the eyes of the gops, He spoke with a voice choked with feeling. TEXT 299 [q>aGavaNauvac SaTYa& MaMaaiPa izTaae_LPaXae-r( ivDaaYa k&-SaSYa XaMa& Sahel/Ma( ) MaaMaaGaTaPa[aYaiMad& Pa[TaqTa Sa:Yaae idTva ku-TaaiXav& Maa ))

r-bhagavn uvca satya mampi dviato lpa-akter vidhya kasasya ama sa-helam mm gata-pryam ida pratta sakhyo ruditv kurutiva m
r-bhagavn uvcathe blessed Personality of Godhead said; satyamtruly; mamaMy; apiindeed; dviataof the enemy; alpalittle; aktewhose strength; vidhyacarrying out; kasasyaof Kasa; amamthe quieting; sa-helamwithout effort; mm Me; gatareturned; pryampractically; idamthis person; prattayou should be convinced; sakhyaMy dear companions; ruditvby crying; kurutacreate; aivaminauspiciousness; mdo not.

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The Personality of Godhead said: My enemy Kasa is certainly weak. With no effort I shall dispose of Him. Consider Me practically returned to you already. My dear friends, please dont create misfortune by crying. TEXT 300 [qSaPa ovac AQa Ta}aEv NaNdaa GaaePaa" SaveR GaTaa JavaTa( ) raeih<aq [qYaXaaeda c Pare_iPa PaXavSTaQaa ))

r-sarpa uvca atha tatraiva nanddy gop sarve gat javt rohi r-yaod ca pare pi paavas tath
r-sarpa uvcar Sarpa said; athathere; tatrathere; evaindeed; nanda-dyNanda and the others; gopthe cowherds; sarveall; gatwent; javtwith haste; rohiRohi; r-yaodYaod; caand; pareothers; apialso; paavathe animals; tathalso. r Sarpa said: Then everyone hurried to that spotNanda and the other cowherds, and Rohi and Yaod, and all the others, even the animals. Commentary: Everyone came to where Ka had been hiding with the gops, including all the members of Nanda Mahrjas householdhis priests, his servants, his maidservantsand the cows, buffaloes, and other village animals. TEXT 301 AU-re<a d]uTaaNaqTaMaaraeh rQa& hir" ) SaaGa[Jaae GaaeiPak-al/Gana& d*i& YaaivTaRYaNa(

akrrea drutntam ruroha ratha hari sgrajo gopik-lagn di yatnn nivartayan

akrreaby Akrra; drutaquickly; ntambrought;
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rurohamounted; rathamthe chariot; hariLord Hari; sa-agrajatogether with His elder brother; gopikon the gops; lagnmfixed; dimHis gaze; yatntwith effort; nivartayanwithdrawing. Lord Hari and His elder brother mounted the chariot, which Akrra had quickly brought. With great effort Ka withdrew His gaze from the gops. TEXT 302 YaXaaeda dTaqd=*Ra PaiTaTaa DaUil/Pail/a" ) MauTaqivRl/a GaaePaq" Pa[adTk-<aSvrMa( ))

yaod rudatr dv patit dhli-pakil muhyatr vihval gop prrudat karua-svaram

yaodYaod; rudatwho were sobbing; dv seeing; patitfallen; dhli-pakilcovered with dust; muhyatfainting; vihvaloverwhelmed; gopthe gops; prrudatbegan to cry; karua pitiful; svaramwith a voice. Seeing the gops sobbing, fainting, falling to the ground overwhelmed, and covered with dust, Yaod also cried pitifully. TEXT 303 Yaataa& SaaNTvYaah NaNdae_NTaduR"i%Taae_iPa SaNa( ) Pa[STauTaaQaRSaMaaDaaNaNaEPau<Ya& dXaRYaiv ))

yatnt t sntvayann ha nando ntar-dukhito pi san prastutrtha-samdhnanaipuya darayann iva

yatntwith great effort; tmher (Yaod); sntvayanconsoling; haspoke; nandaNanda Mahrja; antawithin; dukhitaunhappy; api although; sanbeing; prastutaat hand; arthaof the business; samdhnain taking care; naipuyam
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expertise; darayanshowing; ivaas if. Though Nanda Mahrja was also miserable within, with great effort he consoled Yaod, showing seeming expertise in taking care of the business at hand. Commentary: Here the word iva (as if) indicates that even though Nanda seemed to be consoling his wife very competently, he couldnt actually get very far. TEXT 304 [qNaNd ovac Maa ivi hzeR<a Paurq=& Pa[YaaiMa Taa& k*-Z<a& k-daPYaNYaSauTa& c veyhMa( ) ihTveMaMaaYaaiNa k-QaNa v[Ja& TaSYaa& ivDaaSYae c ivl/MbMauNMaNaa" ))

r-nanda uvca m viddhi harea pur praymi t ka kadpy anya-suta ca vedmy aham hitvemam yni kathacana vraja tasy vidhsye ca vilambam unman
r-nanda uvcar Nanda Mahrja said; m viddhido not think; hareahappily; purmcity; praymiI am going; tmto that; kamKa; kad apiat any time; anyaanothers; sutamson; caand; vedmiconsider; ahamI; hitvleaving; imamHim; yniI might come back; kathacanasomehow; vrajamto Vraja; tasymthere; vidhsyeI will allow; caand; vilambama delay; unmanhaving lost my intelligence. r Nanda said: Dont think that Im going to that city happily, or could ever accept Ka to be someone elses son, or leave Him there for any reason and come home alone, or lose my wits and allow Him to stay there very long. Commentary: It is hardly for sightseeing that Nanda is eager to take Ka to Mathur. Though Mathur is the home of intimate friends like Vasudeva and
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may be a great city, the real reason Nanda is going is that Kasa ordered him. And this is hardly a cause for delight. Mathur may be the home of the Yadus, but as long as it is ruled by Kasa it will be a disagreeable place to visit. Akrras assertion that Ka is the son of Vasudeva is a lie. As far as Nanda is concerned, Ka could never transfer His affection to anyone else. Even if Vasudeva and the Yadus were to try to keep Ka in Mathur by force, Nanda would never return to Vndvana without Him. And even if Ka, after killing Kasa, were to be crowned king and want to stay in Mathur to enjoy the kingdom, Nanda would never allow that to happen. TEXT 305 JaaNae Na ik&- Tae TaNaYa& ivNaa +a<a& JaqveMa NaeMae v[JavaiSaNaae vYaMa( ) Taii MaaMaaXau SaPau}aMaaGaTa& [qdevk-IXaUrSauTaaE ivMaaeCYa TaaE ))

jne na ki te tanaya vin kaa jvema neme vraja-vsino vayam tad viddhi mm u sa-putram gata r-devak-ra-sutau vimocya tau
jne naI do not know; kimwhether; teyour; tanayamson; vinwithout; kaamfor a moment; jvema nawould not live; imethese; vraja-vsina residents of Vraja; vayamwe; tattherefore; viddhiknow; mmme; uquickly; sa-putramwith the son; gatamreturned; r-devakr Devak; ra-sutauand the son of ura; vimocyahaving freed; tauthe two. I doubt whether we or any of the Vraja-vss could live for a moment without your son. So you can take it for granted that as soon as we free r Devak and Vasudeva, I will very quickly come back with Ka. TEXT 306 [qSaPa ovac
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wTQa& SaXaPaQa& TaeNa YaXaaedaaiSaTaa Mauhu" ) ictae XaaiNTaiMavaDaaYa GaaePaqraaSaYahu ))

r-sarpa uvca ittha sa-apatha tena yaodvsit muhu citte ntim ivdhya gopr vsayad bahu
r-sarpa uvcar Sarpa said; itthamthus; saapathamwith vows; tenaby Nanda; yaodMother Yaod; vsitassured; muhuthoroughly; citte in her mind; ntimpeace; ivaas if; dhya placing; gopthe gops; vsayatshe consoled; bahumuch. r Sarpa said: Thus assured again and again by Nandas solemn vows, Mother Yaod became peaceful, more or less. She then made a great effort to console the gops. TEXT 307 YaaTSaNTaPYaR bhuDaa Taa" SaMauTQaaiPaTaaSTaYaa ) ANaa&SYaahuGaaeRPaa" Saae_U-rae_cal/Yad]QaMa( ))

yatnt santarpya bahudh t samutthpits tay ansy ruruhur gop so krro clayad ratham
yatntwith endeavor; santarpyapacifying; bahudh in various ways; tthem; samutthpitlifted from the ground; tayby her; ansitheir carts; ruruhuclimbed; gopthe cowherd men; sahe; akrraAkrra; aclayatstarted; rathamthe chariot. She tried hard to calm them in various ways and induced them to get up off the ground. Then the cowherd men mounted their carts, and Akrra started driving the chariot. Commentary: Yaod sprinkled water on the gops and somehow brought them to their senses. Akrra was
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anxious to go. TEXTS 308309 Pa[YaaNTa& k*-Z<aMaal/aeKYa ik-itairhaSaha" ) ha heTYaa-aeXaXauZk-aSYaa" Pa[S%l/TPaadiv-Maa" )) >aGank-<#=SvrEdsgaMaRhaTYaaR k-aku-raedNaE" ) PaUrYaNTYaae idXa" SavaR ANvDaavNv[JaiYa" ))

praynta kam lokya kicit-tad-virahsah h hety kroa-uksy praskhalat-pda-vikram bhagna-kaha-svarair drghair mahrty kku-rodanai prayantyo dia sarv anvadhvan vraja-striya
prayntamdeparted; kamKa; lokyaseeing; kicitat all; tatfrom; virahaseparation; asah incapable of tolerating; h halas, alas; iti thus; kroawith cries; ukadried up; sy their faces; praskhalatfaltering; pdaof their feet; vikramsteps; bhagnachoking; kahawith throats; svaraiwith voices; drghaidrawn-out; mah-rtyin great pain; kkupitiful; rodanai with cries; prayantyafilling; diathe directions; sarvall; anvadhvanran behind; vraja-striyathe women of Vraja. The women of Vraja couldnt even slightly bear being separated from Ka. As they watched Him depart they cried Alas! Alas! Their faces dried up, their steps faltered, and they sobbed pitifully in great anguish, with long drawn-out cries, their voices choking in their throats. They ran behind the chariot, their laments filling all directions. TEXT 310 k-aid]Qa& dDau" k-ai-aDaae NYaPaTaHJavaTa( ) k-aiNMaaeh& GaTaa" k-aiaXak-Na( GaNTauMaGa[Ta" ))
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kcid ratha dadhu kcic cakrdho nyapata javt kcin moha gat kcin nakan gantum agrata
kcitsome of them; rathamthe chariot; dadhu held on to; kcitsome; cakrathe wheels; adha beneath; nyapatanfell; javtwith force; kcit some; moham gatfainted; kcitsome; na aakan could not; gantummove; agrataforward. Some of them held on to the chariot, others forcefully fell beneath its wheels, some fainted, and still others couldnt even go forward. Commentary: Some gops threw themselves in front of the chariot to stop it, or else to kill themselves. TEXT 311 TaTaae Gaavae v*za vTSaa Ma*GaaaNYae_iPa JaNTav" ) Aa-aeXaNTaae_[uDaaETaaSYaaSTaSQaurav*TYa Ta& rQaMa( ))

tato gvo v vats mg cnye pi jantava kroanto ru-dhautsys tasthur vtya ta ratham
tataat that time; gvathe cows; vbulls; vatscalves; mgdeer; caand; anyeother; api also; jantavaanimals; kroantabellowing; aru with tears; dhautadrenched with tears; sytheir faces; tasthustood; vtyasurrounding; tamthat; rathamchariot. The cows, bulls, calves, deerall the animalsstood around the chariot, bellowing, their faces drenched with tears. Commentary: Even wolves and jackals approached the chariot to join the chorus of lamenting animals. TEXT 312 %Gaa b>a[MauSTaSYaaePair k-ael/ahl/aku-l/a" ) SaPauiJaaTaqNaaMaXauZYaNPa}aSaYaa" ))

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khag ca babhramus tasyopari kolhalkul sapady udbhijja-jtnm auyan patra-sacay

khagthe birds; caand; babhramuwandered; tasyaHim (Ka); upariabove; kolhalawith a commotion; kuldisturbed; sapadisuddenly; udbhijja- jtnmof the plant species; auyan dried up; patraof leaves; sacaythe groups. Birds flew here and there above Ka, making a great commotion, and suddenly the leaves of the plants dried up. TEXT 313 S%l/iNTa SMa Mahad]q<aa& SavNaSPaiTak-a" iXal/a" ) Na XauZk-Jal/Jaa" +aq<aa" Sau" Pa[iTavMa( ))

skhalanti sma mahdr sa-vanaspatik il nadya ca uka-jalaj k sasru pratisravam

skhalanti smatumbled down; mahgreat; adrmof the mountains; sa-vanaspatikalong with mighty trees; ilstones; nadyathe rivers; caand; ukaleft dry; jalajwhose acquatic creatures; kshrunk; sasruflowed; pratisravamin reverse direction. Stones and mighty trees fell from the tall mountains. The rivers shrank and flowed upstream, leaving their creatures high and dry. Commentary: Govardhana and other mountains threw down large stones and trees. In some places the rivers dried up, stranding their flowers and vegetation on the land, and in other places the rivers began to flow upstream. TEXT 314 Taeza& dXaa& Taa& ParMaiPa[Yaa<aa& vq+YaaiTaRXaaek-aku-l/MaaNaSaae_SaaE ) od]aedNa& raed(D)uuMa>aUdXa-ae
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VYaGa[ae_[uDaaraPairMaaJaRNaE ))

te da t parama-priy vkyrti-okkula-mnaso sau udrodana roddhum abhd aakto vyagro ru-dhr-parimrjanai ca

temof them; damcondition; tmthat; parama supreme; priymHis beloved devotees; vkya seeing; rtiby pain; okaand sorrow; kula disturbed; mnasaHis heart; asauHe (Ka); udrodanamthe wild crying; roddhumto stop; abht was; aaktaunable; vyagrabusy; aruof tears; dhrthe flood; parimrjanaiwith wiping; caand. Seeing His most beloved devotees in such a state churned Kas heart with pain and sorrow. Nothing He could do could stop their wailing, and from His own eyes He had to wipe a flood of tears. TEXT 315 rQaadvuTYa PauNa" Pa[Yaa<a& Pa[>aaerQaaXa&KYa Sa v*iZ<av*" ) dDaar Pa*e Pa[<aYaaidvaMau& k-daiPa MaaeheNa PaTaeiTk-le/iTa ))

rathd avaplutya puna praya prabhor athakya sa vi-vddha dadhra phe praayd ivmu kadpi mohena patet kileti
rathtfrom the chariot; avaplutyajumping off; punaagain; prayamgoing off; prabhoby the Lord; athaso; akyafearing; sahe; vivddhathe elder Vi (Akrra); dadhra supported; phefrom the back; praaytdue to affectionate concern; ivaas if; amumthis; kad apisometime; mohenadue to fainting; patetHe might fall; kilaindeed; itithus. The elder Vi Akrra, fearing that Ka might jump down from the chariot and go off again somewhere, supported the Lord from behind, as if
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affectionately concerned that the Lord might faint and fall down. Commentary: Akrra had practical intelligence acquired from many years of service to the Vi rulers. Now that he was finally on the way to Mathur with Ka, he did everything in his power to assure that nothing would go wrong. He made a show of holding Ka to protect Him from falling, but the fact was that he wanted to prevent Ka from again running off. TEXT 316 k*-Z<a& MauGDaiMaval/+Ya k-XaagaaTaE" Pa[caeidTaa" ) raMaNaNdaidSaMMaTYaa rQaaaSTaeNa veGaTa" ))

ka mugdham ivlakya ka-ghtai pracodit rma-nanddi-sammaty rathvs tena vegata

kamKa; mugdhamfainting; ivaas if; lakya noticing; kaof his whip; ghtaiwith strikes; pracoditmade to start; rmaof Balarma; nanda Nanda; diand others; sammatywith the permission; rathaof the chariot; avthe horses; tenaby him (Akrra); vegatavigorously. Noticing that Ka was indeed about to faint, Akrra took permission from Balarma, Nanda, and the others, cracked his whip, and vigorously made the chariots horses set out. TEXT 317 wTaSTaTaae iNaPaiTaTaa GaaePaNaarq" PaXaU& Sa" ) vJaRYaNv-GaTYaaXau rQa& Ta& iNarSaarYaTa( ))

itas tato nipatit gopa-nr pa ca sa varjayan vakra-gatyu ratha ta nirasrayat

ita tatahere and there; nipatitfallen; gopanrthe cowherd women; panthe animals; caand;
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sahe (Akrra); varjayanavoiding; vakraskewed; gatyby movements; uquickly; rathamchariot; tamthat; nirasrayatdrove away. He quickly drove the chariot away, swerving to avoid the animals and the cowherd women who had fallen here and there. TEXT 318 -aeXaNTaqNaa& c GaaePaqNaa& ku-rrq<aaiMavaeLb<aMa( ) PaXYaNTaqNaa& Pa[>au& Jah]e_U-r" XYaeNa wvaiMazMa( ))

kroantn ca gopn kurarm ivolbaam payantn prabhu jahre krra yena ivmiam
kroantnmas they were crying; caand; gopnm the gops; kurarmkurar birds; ivalike; ulbaamwoefully; payantnmand as they were looking; prabhumthe Lord; jahretook away; akrraAkrra; yenaby an eagle; ivalike; amiammeat. As the gops looked on, crying woefully like kurar birds, Akrra drove off with Ka like an eagle carrying a piece of flesh. Commentary: Akrra seemed to carry Ka off as swiftly as an eagle flies off with its prey, and just as cruelly. TEXT 319 TaQaa SaaeidTaaSTaeNa hYaaSTae veGavtara" ) KvaSaaE GaTaae Na ke-NaaiPa Xa-ae l/+aiYaTau& YaQaa ))

tath sacodits tena hays te vegavat-tar kvsau gato na kenpi akto lakayitu yath
tathso; sacoditdriven; tenaby Akrra; hay
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the horses; tethey; vega-vat-tarwith the most extreme speed; kvawhere; asauhe; gatawent; na not; kena apiby anyone; aktapossible; lakayitumto be ascertained; yathas. He drove the horses so swiftly that no one could tell where he went. Commentary: The horses were well-trained, faithful followers of Kasa. TEXT 320 Sv& Sv& Xak-$=Maa!a Mahav*z>aYaaeiJaTaMa( ) SaveGaMaNauJaGMauSTa& GaaePaa NaNdadYaae_i%l/a" ))

sva sva akaam rh mah-vabha-yojitam sa-vegam anujagmus ta gop nanddayo khil

svam svameach his own; akaamcart; rh mounting; mahlarge; vabhabulls; yojitamyoked to; sa-vegamswiftly; anujagmufollowed; tamhim (Akrra); gopthe cowherd men; nanda-dayaNanda and the others; akhilall. All the cowherd men, headed by Nanda, mounted their own carts, yoked to large bulls, and quickly followed Akrra. TEXT 321 NaqTva b]h]de_U-r" STauTva bhuivDaE" STavE" ) Pa[baeDYa NYaaYaSaNTaaNaE" k*-Z<a& SvaSQYaiMavaNaYaTa( ))

ntv brahma-hrade krra stutv bahu-vidhai stavai prabodhya nyya-santnai ka svsthyam ivnayat
ntvleading; brahma-hradeto Brahms lake; akrraAkrra; stutvpraising; bahu-vidhaiof various kinds; stavaiwith prayers; prabodhya counseling; nyyaof logical arguments; santnai with a series; kamKa; svsthyamto a normal
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state; ivaas if; nayatbrought. Akrra brought Ka to Lord Brahms lake, offered Him many kinds of prayers, and counseled Him with a continuous flow of logical arguments, in this way restoring Him to an almost normal state. Commentary: Akrra hoped that being at Brahmahrada, better known as Akrra-trtha, would remind Ka of how Ka had given the cowherds a vision of Vaikuha. And that memory might further remind Ka of one of the purposes for which He had descended to the earthto kill Kasa. TEXT 322 Taeza& v[JaJaNaaNaa& Tau Yaa dXaaJaiNa du"[va ) dl/iNTa k-QaYaa TaSYaa ha ha vJa]adYaae_PYal/Ma( ))

te vraja-jann tu y dajani durav dalanti kathay tasy h h vajrdayo py alam

temof them; vraja-jannmthe people of Vraja; tubut; ywhich; dacondition; ajanihappened; duravpainful to hear; dalantishatter; kathay with the narrating; tasyof this; h halas, alas; vajra-dayalightning bolts and so on; api even; alamenough. How the people of Vraja then suffered is too painful to hear. Alas, alas! Telling of this topic shatters even lightning bolts. I have said enough. Commentary: Those who hear about the misery the Vraja-vss underwent after Ka left them will endure the same misery. Therefore in the company of those unprepared to suffer, this topic is best left undiscussed. TEXT 323 [qParqi+aduvac Wv& vdYae MaaTa" SaPa" k-<aSvrE" ) duE" Sak-aTaYa| MauMaaeh Pa[eMaivl/" ))

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r-parkid uvca eva vadann aye mta sarpa karua-svarai rudann uccai sa-ktarya mumoha prema-vihvala
r-parkit uvcar Parkit said; evamthus; vadansaying; aye mtaO mother; sarpaSarpa; karua plaintive; svaraiin tones; rudancrying; uccailoudly; sa-ktaryamwith anxiety; mumoha fainted; premaby pure love; vihvalaoverwhelmed. r Parkit said: Sarpa, having said this, his voice full of grief, loudly wept, dear mother. And overwhelmed by the ecstasy of pure love, he fainted. TEXT 324 TaeNa MaaQaurvYaeR<a VYaGa[e<a dTaa +a<aaTa( ) Pa[YaaSaEivRivDaE" SvaSQYa& NaqTaae_SaaE PauNarb]vqTa( ))

tena mthura-varyea vyagrea rudat kat praysair vividhai svsthya nto sau punar abravt
tenaby that; mthurathe brhmaa from Mathur; varyeaexcellent; vyagreawho was disturbed; rudatand who was crying; katafter a moment; praysaiby endeavors; vividhaivarious; svsthyamto a normal state; ntabrought; asauhe (Sarpa); punaagain; abravtspoke. The excellent but shaken brhmaa of Mathur cried for a moment, and then, by trying this way and that, he brought Sarpa back to normal. Sarpa then continued to speak. TEXT 325 [qSaPa ovac k*-Z<aae MaDauPaurq=& GaTva Ta}aTYaaNPairTaaeZYa TaaNa( ) k&-Sa& SaaNaucr& hTva iPaTaraE TaaE VYaMaaecYaTa(
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))

r-sarpa uvca ko madhu-pur gatv tatratyn paritoya tn kasa snucara hatv pitarau tau vyamocayat
r-sarpa uvcar Sarpa said; kaKa; madhu-purmto Mathur; gatvgoing; tatratynthe residents there; paritoyapleasing; tnthem; kasamKasa; sa-anucaramalong with his followers; hatvkilling; pitarauHis parents; tautwo; vyamocayatdelivered. r Sarpa said: Ka went to Madhupur, where He pleased all its residents. He killed Kasa and his followers and delivered His own parents. Commentary: To avoid the risk of again losing control of himself, r Sarpa changed the subject. When Ka first entered Mathur He blessed many of its residents, including a tailor and a garlandmaker. TEXT 326 oGa[SaeNa& c k&-SaSYa TaaTa& raJYae_>YazecYaTa( ) AaiNaNYae YaadvaiNdG>Ya" PaaEra&aaSaYaNaaNa( ))

ugrasena ca kasasya tta rjye bhyaecayat ninye ydavn digbhya paur cvsayaj jann
ugrasenamUgrasena; caand; kasasyaof Kasa; ttamthe father; rjyeas ruler of the kingdom; abhyaecayatHe anointed; ninyeHe brought; ydavnthe Ydavas; digbhyafrom the various directions; paurnwho resided in the city; caand; vsayatHe consoled; jannthe people. He installed Ugrasena, Kasas father, as king, brought the Ydavas back from all directions, and consoled the people of the city.
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TEXTS 327328 YadUNaa& ParMaaTaaRNaa& Tadek-GaiTaJaqivNaaMa( ) k&-SaeNa*Pa>aqTaaNaaMaaGa[ha-vTSal/" )) Ta}aavaTSaqTSau%& k-Tau| SaaGa[Jaae Gaaeku-le/ c TaaNa( ) NaNdadqNPa[ezYaaMaaSa Ta}aTYaaaSaNaaYa Sa" ))

yadn paramrtn tad-eka-gati-jvinm kasea-npa-bhtnm grahd bhakta-vatsala tatrvtst sukha kartu sgrajo gokule ca tn nanddn preaym sa tatratyvsanya sa
yadnmfor the Yadus; paramagreatly; rtnmwho had suffered; tatHim; ekaonly; gatihaving as the goal; jvinmwhose lives; kasaby Kasa; ia favored; npaof the kings; bhtnmwho were terrified; grahtout of concern; bhaktato His devotees; vatsalacompassionate; tatrathere; avtstHe lived; sukhamhappy; kartumto make; saagrajaalong with His elder brother; gokuleto Gokula; caand; tnthem; nanda-dnNanda and the others; preaym sasent; tatratyaof the residents of that place; vsanyafor pacifying; saHe. The Yadus, who had no goal in life but Ka, had suffered greatly and were terrified of the kings favored by Kasa. Out of concern for those Yadus, the Lord, always compassionate to His devotees, stayed with them with His elder brother. And to comfort His devotees in Gokula, He sent back Nanda and the other cowherd men. Commentary: Ka is bhakta-vatsala. He feels obliged to take care of anyone who takes exclusive shelter of Him. Because Kasa hated the Yadus, they
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suffered terrible persecution under his rule. Now Kasa was dead, but Jarsandha and other powerful friends of Kasa were still alive and could attack Mathur at any moment. TEXT 329 iPaTaradaE >avaNYaaTau GaaePavGa" Sah d]uTaMa( ) Yaav iMa[YaTae k-ae_iPa Ta}aTYaae_SMaaiNvNaa JaNa" ))

pitar dau bhavn ytu gopa-vargai saha drutam yvan na mriyate ko pi tatratyo smn vin jana
pitadear father; daufirst; bhavnyour good self; ytushould go; gopa-vargaithe cowherd men; sahawith; drutamquickly; yvat nabefore; mriyatedies; ka apiany; tatratyaresiding there; asmnUs; vinwithout; janaperson. Father, the Lord said, first you should quickly go home with the cowherds, before any of Gokulas residents die in our absence. Commentary: Ka cleverly argued that if Nanda Mahrja were to return home, the Vraja-vss might be pacified enough to at least stay alive. TEXT 330 Ah& c Tav iMa}aa<aaMaezaMauiGanceTaSaaMa( ) AicraTSau%MaaDaaYa TaMaezae_SMYaav[JaNv[JaMa( ))

aha ca tava mitrm em udvigna-cetasm acirt sukham dhya tam eo smy vrajan vrajam
ahamI; caand; tavayour; mitrmof the wellwishers; emthese; udvignadisturbed; cetasm whose hearts; acirtsoon; sukhamthe happiness; dhyaarranging for; tamthere; eathis person, I; asmiam; vrajancoming; vrajamto Vraja. I will soon arrange for the happiness of these
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well-wishers of yours in Mathur, whose hearts are so distressed. Then I will come back to Vraja. Commentary: Nanda should have no doubt that Ka will return home as soon as possible, because Kas heart always stays in Vraja. TEXT 331 [qNaNd ovac TvMaNYadqYaae_iSa ivhaYa Yaad*XaaNa( ku-Taae_iPa vSTau& c Par}a Xau-Yaa" ) wiTa Pa[TaqiTaNaR >aveTk-daiPa Mae TaTa" Pa[iTajaYa TaQaa MaYaaGaTaMa( ))

r-nanda uvca tvam anyadyo si vihya ydn kuto pi vastu ca paratra aknuy iti prattir na bhavet kadpi me tata pratijya tath maygatam
r-nanda uvcar Nanda said; tvamYou; anyadyaanothers; asiare; vihyaabandoning; ydnsuch persons; kuta apifor any reason; vastumto live; caand; paratraelsewhere; aknuyYou could be able; itithus; prattithis belief; na bhavetcannot be; kad apiever; memy; tatatherefore; pratijyadeclaring; taththus; mayby me; gatamcame. r Nanda said: Before I came here, I declared to the Vraja-vss that I could never believe that You are someone elses son nor ever believe that You could abandon such friends as them and live elsewhere. TEXT 332 Tad]+a r+aaTMaSaMaqPaTaae_SMaaNa( Maa Mau Maa Mau iNaJaaNk-QaNa ) AaTMaeC^Yaa Ta}a Yada Pa[YaaSYaiSa TvTSaTaae YaaMa TadEv ha vYaMa( ))

tad raka raktma-sampato smn m muca m muca nijn kathacana tmecchay tatra yad praysyasi
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tvat-sagato yma tadaiva h vayam

tattherefore; rakaplease protect; rakaplease protect; tma-sampatanext to You; asmnus; m mucado not let us go; m mucado not let us go; nijnYour own; kathacanafor any reason; tma Your; icchayby the sweet will; tatrathere; yad when; praysyasiYou will go; tvatYour; sagata in the company; ymamay we go; tadthen; eva just; hoh; vayamwe. Therefore please save us. Save us! Dont ever, everfor any reasonsend us away from You! Wherever You might go by Your sweet willoh, there may we also go with You. TEXT 333 MadaXaYaa Tae v[JavaiSaNaae JaNaa >avNaNYaa Sah SaiNTa SaaSav" ) GaTae ivNaa Tva& MaiYa da<aaNTare Da]uv& ivNa&+YaiNTa SaPaMaq iPaTa" ))

mad-ay te vraja-vsino jan bhavaj-janany saha santi ssava gate vin tv mayi druntare dhruva vinakyanti sapady am pita
matgiven by me; ayby the hope; tethey; vrajavsinaresiding in Vraja; janthe people; bhavatYour; jananywith the mother; saha together; santiare; sa-asavaalive and breathing; gatein case of going; vinwithout; tvmYou; mayiI; druahard like wood; antarewhose heart; dhruvamcertainly; vinakyantithey will die; sapadiat once; amthey; pitaO father. The Vraja-vss and Your mother still live and breathe only because I gave them hope. If I were to turn so hardhearted as to go back without You, O father, surely they would die on the spot. Commentary: All the people of Vraja trusted Nanda when he gave his word that he would not come back without Ka. To violate that word would be to
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sentence them all to death. Desperate to change Kas mind, Nanda tries to reawaken Kas family sentiments and the memory of His poor mother and curiously reverses roles with Ka by calling Him father. TEXT 334 [qdaMaaevac Gaaecar<aeNa l/SaiTa TviYa Gaae>aUMYaaMa( AaC^aidTae Tal/Taaidi>arev YaiSMaNa( ) JaqveMa Yae Na vYaMaqXa TaMaNTara Tae SQaaTau& icr& k-QaMaMau}a >aveMa Xa-a" ))

rdmovca go-craena lasati tvayi goha-bhmym cchdite taru-latdibhir eva yasmin jvema ye na vayam a tam antar te sthtu cira katham amutra bhavema akt
rdm uvcardm said; go-craenawith grazing of the cows; lasatiwhen exhibiting the glories; tvayiYou; gohaof the cowherd pastures; bhmymin the land; cchditebeing hidden; taru by trees; latcreepers; dibhiand so on; eva only; yasminwho (You); jvemacan live; yewho; nanot; vayamwe; aO Lord; tamHim (You); antarwithout; tethey; sthtumto remain; ciram for a long time; kathamhow; amutrain that condition; bhavemawe can be; aktable. rdm said: When You display Your glories by grazing the cows in the pastures, dear Lord, and You are hidden behind trees or creepers for but a moment, we cannot bear to live. How then can we possibly stay without You for a long time? TEXT 335 [qSaPa ovac Wv& iv-ivTa& Taeza& [uTva TaUZ<aq=& iSQaTae Pa[>aaE ) v[Ja& iJaGaiMaza& TaSYaaXa&KYa XaUrSauTaae_b]vqTa( ))

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r-sarpa uvca eva viklavita te rutv t sthite prabhau vraja jigami tasyakya ra-suto bravt
r-sarpa uvcar Sarpa said; evamthus; viklavitamthe complaints; temtheir; rutv hearing; tmsilently; sthitestanding; prabhau the Lord; vrajamto Vraja; jigamimdesire to go; tasyaHis; akyafearing; ra-sutathe son of rasena (Vasudeva); abravtspoke. r Sarpa said: As the Lord heard these complaints from His devotees, He stood in silence. Then Vasudeva, the son of rasena, spoke up, afraid that the Lord might decide to go to Vraja. TEXT 336 [qvSaudev ovac >a[aTaNaRNd >avTSaUNaae" SaaGa[JaSYaaSYa iNav*RiTa" ) >aveta}aEv vSaTa" SavRQaaNYa}a Tau VYaQaa ))

r-vasudeva uvca bhrtar nanda bhavat-sno sgrajasysya nirvti bhavet tatraiva vasata sarvathnyatra tu vyath
r-vasudeva uvcar Vasudeva said; bhrtaO brother; nandaNanda; bhavatyour; snoof the son; sa-agrajasya--along with the elder brother; asyaHis; nirvticomplete happiness; bhavetcan be; tatrathere; evaonly; vasataliving; sarvathby all means; anyatraelsewhere; tubut; vyathdistress. r Vasudeva said: Brother Nanda, surely your son and His elder brother can be happy in all respects only by living there in Vraja. They will suffer nothing but distress anywhere else.

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TEXT 337 ik-NTaUPaNaYaNaSYaaYa& k-al/STa]cair<aaE ) >aUTva SQaaNaaNTare GaTva DaqTYaeMaaE v[JaMaeZYaTa" ))

kintpanayanasyya klas tad brahma-criau bhtv sthnntare gatvdhtyemau vrajam eyata

kintuhowever; upanayanasyafor initiation; ayam this; klatime; tattherefore; brahma-criau celibate students; bhtvbecoming; sthna-antare to another place; gatvgoing; adhtyahaving studied; imauThey; vrajamto Vraja; eyatawill return. But now is the time for Them to be initiated. They should go as brahmacrs to another place to study. And afterwards They can return to Vraja. Commentary: As the Dharma-stras prescribe, sons of vaiyas at the age of eleven should undergo the upanayana-saskra (acceptance of the sacred thread by initiation). Balarma and Ka, Vasudeva suggests, are not exceptions. They too should be sent to the gurukula of a learned brhmaa to study the Vedas. They should stay neither in Mathur nor at home in Vndvana with their parents. But until the upanayana ceremony is arranged, Balarma and Ka can safely stay with Vasudeva while They finish Their business in Mathur. TEXT 338 [qSaPa ovac SaMMaiTa& vSaudevSYa vaKYae SvSYa TvSaMMaiTaMa( ) k*-Z<aSYa NaNd" Sa&l/+Ya Pa[TaSQae raedNaaku-l/" ))

r-sarpa uvca sammati vasudevasya vkye svasya tv asammatim kasya nanda salakya pratasthe rodankula
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r-sarpa uvcar Sarpa said; sammatimthe agreement; vasudevasyaof Vasudeva; vkyewith the words; svasyaof himself; tubut; asammatim disagreement; kasyaon the part of Ka; nandaNanda; salakyanoticing; pratasthe departed; rodanawith crying; kuladistressed. r Sarpa said: When Nanda saw that Ka disagreed with his words and agreed with those of Vasudeva, Nanda departed, crying in distress. Commentary: Only because Nanda was confident that Ka couldnt stay away from home without His father was Nanda willing to leave; surely Ka would decide at the last minute to come back with him to Vraja. TEXT 339 Sa Yaadvku-lE/deRvae GaaeParaJaMaNauv[JaNa( di" -MaXaae GaaePaEDaR*Ta" k-<#e=_dtaraMa(

sa ydava-kulair devo gopa-rjam anuvrajan rudadbhi kramao gopair dhta kahe rudat-tarm
saHe (Ka); ydava-kulaiwith the members of the Yadu dynasty; devathe Lord; gopa-rjamthe king of the cowherds (Nanda); anuvrajanfollowing; rudadbhiwho were crying; kramaaone after another; gopaiby the cowherd men; dhtaheld; kaheby the neck; arudatHe cried; tarmvery much. Lord Ka, along with the princes of the Ydava dynasty, followed Nanda, the king of the cowherds. The cowherd men, one after another, embraced Ka by the neck, and Ka cried profusely, and so did they. TEXT 340 VYaaku-l&/ k*-Z<aMaal/+Ya iYaYaaSau& SaNNYavTaRYaNa( ) vSaudevadYaae Daqra Yaadva Yaui-Paii>a" ))
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vykula kam lakya yiysu sannyavartayan vasudevdayo dhr ydav yukti-paktibhi

vykulamupset; kamKa; lakyaseeing; yiysumdesiring to go; sannyavartayanturned Him back; vasudeva-dayaVasudeva and the others; dhrintelligent; ydavYdavas; yuktiof arguments; paktibhiby several series. Vasudeva and the other Ydavas, all astute, saw that Ka was overwrought, wanting to go, and with many arguments they coaxed Him back. Commentary: It seemed that Nanda was right; Ka wanted to go home with him. But the Ydavas implored Ka not to go, arguing that He was needed in Mathur to save them from great catastrophes, not least of which was the threat of invasion by Jarsandha. And they persisted in putting forward their reasons until Ka agreed to stay. TEXT 341 k*-Z<aeC^YaEv Tae SaveR NaNdaa" Pa[aiPaTaa v[JaMa( ) [uTvaYaaNTa& c NaNd& Tae Mauda>aqYauv[RJaiSQaTaa" ))

kecchayaiva te sarve nanddy prpit vrajam rutvynta ca nanda te mudbhyur vraja-sthit

ka-icchayaccording to Kas desire; eva only; tethey (the cowherd men); sarveall; nandadyNanda and the others; prpitreached; vrajamVraja; rutvhearing; yntamcome; caand; nandamNanda; tethey; mudhappily; abhyucame out; vraja-sthitthose who lived in Vraja. Obeying Kas desire, Nanda and the other cowherd
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men went back to Vraja. And when the Vraja-vss heard that he had arrived, they all came out to greet him, full of joy. Commentary: Only because Ka asked the cowherds to return did they take the unimaginable step of going home without Him. Kas desire was the only force that could move them to do such a thing. Even the carts went down the road by their own force, without being driven, by Kas desire. The devotees that had stayed in Vraja also lived only according to Kas desire; naturally, then, they assumed that Ka was with Nanda, and they greeted Nanda joyfully. TEXT 342 NaNdSTau Xaaek-l/a>Yaa& Mau%MaaC^a vaSaSaa ) dNa( Gaeh& GaTaae_XaeTa >aUMaaE ParMadu"i%Ta" ))

nandas tu oka-lajjbhy mukham cchdya vsas rudan geha gato eta bhmau parama-dukhita
nandaNanda; tuhowever; okawith sorrow; lajjbhymand shame; mukhamhis face; cchdya covering; vsaswith his cloth; rudancrying; gehamto his home; gatagoing; aetalay down; bhmauon the ground; paramasupremely; dukhita unhappy. Nanda, however, overcome with sorrow and shame, covered his face with his cloth and went home. There he lay on the ground and cried, supremely miserable. Commentary: Bereft of Ka, Nanda had good reason to feel sorrowful and, having broken his promise not to return without Ka, good reason to feel ashamed. TEXT 343 Tae caivl/aeKYa Pa[>auMaaiTaRk-aTara" k-TaRVYaMaU!a bhuXaYaaTaura" ) XauZk-aNaNaa" Pa[uMaNaqra" Pa[>aaer(
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vaTaaRMaXa*<vNbTa v*GaaePaTa" ))

te cvilokya prabhum rti-ktar kartavya-mh bahu-akaytur uknan praum anvar prabhor vrtm avan bata vddha-gopata
tethey (the Vraja-vss); caand; avilokyanot seeing; prabhumthe Lord; rtiwith distress; ktarbeside themselves; kartavyaabout what was to be done; mhconfused; bahumany; akayby anxieties for what was going to happen; tur disturbed; ukadried up; nantheir faces; praumto inquire; anvarincapable; prabho about the Lord; vrtmnews; avannot hearing; bataalas; vddhaelder; gopatafrom the cowherds. The Vraja-vss, not seeing their Lord, were beside themselves with distress, confused about what to do, and sick with forebodings and apprehensions. Their faces withered. They heard no news from the elder cowherds about their Lord, and they couldnt bring themselves to ask. Commentary: Since no one told the Vraja-vss that Kasa was dead, they were still afraid of what he might do to Ka. Nanda was silent about what had happened to Ka in Mathur, and they feared what they might be told if they were to ask. TEXT 344 ha heiTa ha heiTa MahaiTaRNaadEr( oE dTYa" Sah k*-Z<aMaa}aa ) Pa[aPaudRXaa& Yaa& PauNarNaaSTaa ha hNTa ha hNTa k-Qa& b]uveTaaMa( ))

h heti h heti mahrti-ndair uccai rudatya saha ka-mtr prpur da y punar agans t h hanta h hanta katha bruvetm
h halas, alas; itithus; h halas, alas; iti thus; mah-rtimost painful; ndaiwith sounds; uccailoudly; rudatyacrying out; sahaalong
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with; ka-mtrKas mother; prpuattained; damthe condition; ymwhich; punaalso; aganwomen; tthose; hoh; hantaalas; hoh; hantaalas; kathamhow; bruvetmit can be spoken. Kas mother cried, Alas! Alas! Alas! Alas! And the other women cried out too, all in great pain. How can one speak about the state they were in? Oh, alas! Oh, alas! TEXT 345 [qParqi+aduvac Wv& MaNaSYaaGaTaTaTPa[v*ita Pa[aduZk*-TaaTYaNTaXauGaiGandGDa" ) MauGDaae_>avaePaku-MaarvYaaeR MaaTa" SaPaae iNaTara& PauNa" Sa" ))

r-parkid uvca eva manasy gata-tat-pravttiprdukttyanta-ug-agni-dagdha mugdho bhavad gopa-kumra-varyo mta sarpo nitar puna sa
r-parkit uvcar Parkit said; evamthus; manasiin his heart; gatacome; tatthat; pravttiby the news of what had occurred; prduktamanifest; atyantaextreme; ukof sorrow; agniin a fire; dagdhaburning; mugdha confused; abhavatbecame; gopa-kumraof young cowherds; varyathe best; mtadear mother; sarpaSarpa; nitarmcompletely; punaagain; sahe. r Parkit said: Dear mother, that best of young cowherds, Sarpa, then again grew utterly confused. As he contemplated what had happened in Vraja, his heart burned in a fire of sorrow. TEXT 346 TaeNaEv ivPa[Pa[vre<a YaTaae NaqTaae MaNaaKSvaSQYaiMav SvYaui-i>a" ) AaXa&KYa Maaeh& PauNaraTMaNaae_iDak&vaTaa| ivXaeze<a Na TaaMav<aRYaTa( ))
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tenaiva vipra-pravarea yatnato nto mank svsthyam iva sva-yuktibhi akya moha punar tmano dhika vrt vieea na tm avarayat
tenaby him; evaindeed; vipraof brhmaas; pravareathe most excellent; yatnatacarefully; ntabrought; manksomewhat; svsthyamto a normal condition; ivaas if; svahis own; yuktibhiby devices; akyafearing; moham bewilderment; punaagain; tmanahimself; adhikamfurther; vrtmthe topic; vieeawith details; nanot; tmthat; avarayathe described. The most excellent brhmaa carefully brought Sarpa somewhat back to normal. And Sarpa, fearful of becoming confused again, spoke no further details on that topic. Commentary: The Mathur brhmaa, just to bring his guru back to external consciousness, called out to him, touched his feet, and sprinkled him with water. TEXT 347 TaTk-QaaXaezXau[UzaVYaGa[& Ta& vq+Ya MaaQaurMa( ) YaaTSaae_NTarv>Ya PauNarah MahaXaYa" ))

tat-kath-ea-urvyagra ta vkya mthuram yatnt so ntar avaabhya punar ha mahaya

tatof that; kathnarration; eathe remainder; urwith eagerness to hear; vyagramintent; tamhim; vkyaseeing; mthuramthe Mathur brhmaa; yatntwith endeavor; sahe (Sarpa); antahis inner self (mind); avaabhyaplacing under control; punaagain; haspoke; mah-aya the generous person. But when kind-hearted Sarpa saw that the Mathur brhmaa was eager to hear the rest of the story,
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he controlled his mind and continued to speak. Commentary: Because Sarpas disciple the brhmaa had a strong desire to hear, Sarpa, even at the cost of his own well-being, felt the compassionate duty to help him spiritually advance. TEXT 348 [qSaPa ovac Taeza& Tau Xaaek-aiTaR>ar& k-daiPa Ta& ParE" Pa[k-arEriNavTYaRMaaTa" ) JaNaaTSa iv:YaaPYa JaNaezu SavRTaae v[Ja& iPa[YaPa[eMavXaae_icraTa" ))

r-sarpa uvca te tu okrti-bhara kadpi ta parai prakrair anivartyam ptata jant sa vikhypya janeu sarvato vraja priya-prema-vao cird gata
r-sarpa uvcar Sarpa said; temof them (the Vraja-vss); tubut; okaof sorrow; rtiand pain; bharamthe burden; kad apiat any time; tam that; paraiby other; prakraimeans; anivartyam impossible to counteract; ptatareliable; jant from a person; saHe (Ka); vikhypyabeing informed; janeuthe people; sarvatafully; vrajamto Vraja; priyaof His dear devotees; prema of the love; vaaunder the control; acirtsoon; gatawent. r Sarpa said: When Ka heard from a reliable person that the heavy sorrow the Vraja-vss felt could never be removed by any other means, He fully explained this state of affairs to the people of Mathur, and controlled by the love of His dearest devotees, He soon went back to Vraja. Commentary: According to the advice of Uddhava and other dependable counselors, only Kas return would calm the Vraja-vss. Ka and Balarma therefore exchanged Their royal garments for Their old cowherd dress and went home. TEXT 349
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ivdGDaMaUDaRNYaMai<a" k*-Paaku-l/ae v]JaiSQaTaaNaa& Sa ddTSaPaSaUNa( ) TaQaa SaMa& TaEivRJahar Tae YaQaa ivSaSMaduR"%Mad" SaMaUl/k-Ma( ))

vidagdha-mrdhanya-mai kpkulo vraja-sthitn sa dadat sapady asn tath sama tair vijahra te yath visasmarur dukham ada sa-mlakam
vidagdhaof expert heroes; mrdhanya-maithe crest-jewel; kpby compassion; kulaagitated; vraja-sthitnmto the residents of Vraja; saHe (Ka); dadatgiving back; sapadiat once; asn their lives; tathand; samamtogether; taiwith them; vijahraHe enjoyed; tethey; yathso; visasmaruforgot; dukhammisery; adathat; samlakamwith its root causes. Impelled by compassion for the residents of Vraja, Ka, that crest jewel of artful heroes, quickly gave them back their lives. He enjoyed with them until they forgot their misery, and what had caused it. Commentary: Ka made sure that the Vraja-vss forgot every last thought that had caused them anguish, including Akrras having come to Vraja and taken Him away to Mathur. Ka took this trouble for two reasons: because He is vidagdhamrdhanya-mai, the most gracious performer of valorous deeds, and because He is kpkula, driven by compassion for His suffering devotees. TEXT 350 Yaid c k-ae_iPa k-daicdNauSMared( vdiTa TaihR MaYaa SvPaTaa bTa ) ik-MaiPa duMaNaNvYaMaqi+aTa& SaidTa& c >aYaahu XaaeciTa ))

yadi ca ko pi kadcid anusmared vadati tarhi may svapat bata kim api duam ananvayam kita
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sa-rudita ca bhayd bahu ocati

yadiif; caand; ka apisomeone; kadcitat any time; anusmaretwould remember; vadatispeaks; tarhithen; mayby me; svapatwhile sleeping; bataalas; kimwhat; apieven; duamhorrible; ananvayamunprecedented; kitamseeing; saruditamwith crying; caand; bhaytout of fear; bahumuch; ocatihe laments. And if any Vraja-vss ever remembered that suffering, they would bitterly lament and cry out in fear, What a horrible, unheard-of thing I saw in my dream! Commentary: Even in their dreams, the Vraja-vss couldnt imagine Ka leaving them to go elsewhere. Their panic at the mere thought of it was but another aspect of their ecstatic love for Ka. TEXT 351 icre<a GaaePaal/ivharMaaDaurq= >arE" SaMaak*-ivMaaeihTaeiNd]Yaa" ) Na SaSMa" ik-idTaqTaMaeZYadPYa( AMaq ivduNaR v]JavaiSaNaae JaNaa" ))

cirea gopla-vihra-mdhurbharai samka-vimohitendriy na sasmaru kicid attam eyad apy am vidur na vraja-vsino jan
cireafor a long time; goplaof a cowherd; vihraof the pastimes; mdhur-bharaiwith the full sweetness; samkatotally attracted; vimohitaand enchanted; indriytheir senses; na sasmaruthey could not remember; kicitanything; attampast; eyatfuture; apialso; amthey; vidu nathey were not aware of; vraja-vsina residing in Vraja; janthe people. The fullness of Kas sweet cowherd pastimes so utterly attracted and enchanted the Vraja-vss senses that after a time they forgot everything,
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even that there was a past or a future. TEXT 352 Sa ih k-al/aNTare_U-rae_PaUvaRGaTa wvaGaTa" ) TaQaEv rQaMaadaYa PauNaSTaiSMaNv]Jae Sa%e ))

sa hi klntare krro prvgata ivgata tathaiva ratham dya punas tasmin vraje sakhe
sahe; hiindeed; kla-antareat a different time; akrraAkrra; aprvanever before; gatacome; ivaas if; gatacame; tath evaand also; ratham his chariot; dyabringing; punaagain; tasminto this; vrajeVraja; sakheO friend. O friend, on another occasion that same Akrra came to Vraja on his chariot, as if he had never come before. Commentary: On the order of Kasa, the same Akrra came again to bring Ka to Mathur. Because everyone, including Akrra, was bewildered by the influence of the Goloka atmosphere, no one could remember that this was not the first time Akrra had arrived in Vndvana. TEXT 353 NaqYaMaaNae PauNaSTaeNa TaQaEv v]JaJaqvNae ) Ta}aTYaaNaa& dXaa k-aiPa PaUvRvTSaMaJaaYaTa ))

nyamne punas tena tathaiva vraja-jvane tatratyn da kpi prva-vat samajyata

nyamnebeing taken away; punaagain; tenaby him; tathso; evajust; vrajaof Vraja; jvanethe life; tatratynmof the residents there; daa state; k apicertain; prva-vatas before; samajyataarose. He once again took away the life of Vraja, and its residents went again into the same state.
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TEXT 354 MaDauPauYaa| PauNaGaRTva k&-Sa& hTva PauNav]RJaMa( ) AaGaTa" PaUvRvta}a TaQaEv ivhrTYaSaaE ))

madhu-pury punar gatv kasa hatv punar vrajam gata prva-vat tatra tathaiva viharaty asau
madhu-purymto Mathur; punaagain; gatvgoing; kasamKsa; hatvkilling; punaagain; vrajamto Vraja; gatacame; prva-vatas before; tatra there; tathso; evajust; viharatienjoyed; asau He. Again Ka went to Madhupur, again killed Kasa, and again returned to Vraja, where He continued, as before, to enjoy His pastimes. TEXT 355 Wv& PauNa" PauNaYaaRiTa TaTPaure PaUvRPaUvRvTa( ) PauNa" PauNa" SaMaaYaaiTa v]Jae -I@etaQaEv Sa" ))

eva puna punar yti tat-pure prva-prva-vat puna puna samyti vraje kret tathaiva sa
evamthus; puna punaagain and again; ytigoes; tatthat; pureto the city; prva-prva-vatas each time before; puna punaagain and again; samyti returns; vrajeto Vraja; kretplays; tathso; evajust; saHe. Thus Ka again and again goes to Kasas city, as he did many times before, and again and again returns to sport in Vraja. TEXT 356 TaQaEv k-al/IYadMa" PauNa" PauNaSa( TaQaEv GaaevDaRNaDaar<a& Mauhu" ) ParaiPa l/Il/a ivivDaauTaaSak*-Ta( Pa[vTaRTae >a-MaNaaehra Pa[>aae" ))
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tathaiva klya-dama puna punas tathaiva govardhana-dhraa muhu parpi ll vividhdbhutsakt pravartate bhakta-manohar prabho
tath evasimilarly; klyaof Kliya; damathe subduing; puna punaagain and again; tath eva and similarly; govardhanaof Govardhana Hill; dhraamthe lifting; muhurepeatedly; parother; apialso; llpastimes; vividhavarious; adbhut wonderful; asaktrepeatedly; pravartateoccur; bhaktato the devotees; manoharall-attractive; prabhoof the Lord. Ka subdues Kliya time and again, in the same way, and time and again lifts Govardhana Hill. And again and yet again He performs His many other wonderful pastimes. Thus the Lord enchants the hearts of His devotees. Commentary: Since all of Kas pastimes, beginning with the killing of Ptan, are eternal, Ka enjoys them with His devotees in Goloka as often as they like. Yet each time a pastime is repeated, it seems completely new, as if never seen or heard of before. This description may confuse us. How can Ka replay pastimes He has already performed, and how can demons like Ptan repeatedly be killed? But Kas pastimes are transcendental. They are unlimitedly attractive to all His devotees, whether eternal companions or new converts to pure devotional service. Even newly elevated devotees feel extraordinary love for the Supreme Person whenever they hear and remember His pastimes. Those pastimes generate such a force of loving attraction as to fix the memories of them in the hearts of the devotees. Meditation on those pastimes then gives rise to a very special happiness. In this way Kas pastimes steal the hearts of even neophyte devotees, and Kas eternal devotees taste a sweetness and wonder
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unknown to anyone else. TEXT 357 Ta}aTYaaSTae Tau Taa& SavaRMaPaUva| MaNYaNTae Sada ) [qk*-Z<aParMaPa[eMak-al/kU-$=ivMaaeihTaa" ))

tatratys te tu t sarvm aprv manyante sad r-ka-parama-premaklaka-vimohit

tatratythe residents of that place; tethey; tu however; tmthose (pastimes); sarvmall; aprvm never occurred before; manyanteconsider; sad always; r-kafor r Ka; paramasupreme; premaof their love; klakaby the klaka poison; vimohitbewildered. But the residents of Vraja, completely bewildered by the klaka poison of their supreme love for r Ka, never think that any of these events has ever occurred before. Commentary: Because the Vraja-vss are never aware that Kas pastimes are repeat performances, the attraction they feel for those pastimes is never impeded. The highest states of ka-prema have the power to create such bewilderment. TEXT 358 ATaSTaeza& ih iNaTara& Sa vrqv*DYaTae MahaNa( ) ivYaaeGaYaaeGaYaae" Pa[eMaaveXaaveGaae iNarNTarMa( ))

atas te hi nitar sa varvdhyate mahn viyoga-yogayo premvevego nirantaram

ataconsequently; temof them; hiindeed; nitarmextremely; sait; varvdhyateincreases continuously; mahngreat; viyogain separation; yogayoand association; premain pure love; vea of their obsession; vegathe force; nirantaram
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always. Thus the powerful force of their obsessive love ever-increasingly grows, both in union and in separation. TEXT 359 dUre_STau TaavaTaeRYa& Ta}a iNaTYaiNavaiSaNaaMa( ) Na iTaedNauSaNDaaNa& NaUaNaa& Maad*XaaMaiPa ))

dre stu tvad vrteya tatra nitya-nivsinm na tihed anusandhna ntnn mdm api
dreleft far aside; astulet it be; tvateven; vrttopic; iyamthis; tatrathere (in Vraja); nityaeternal; nivsinmof the residents; na tihetthere cannot be present; anusandhnam remembrance; ntnnmof the newcomers; mdm like me; apieven. As true as this is for the eternal residents of Vraja, even newcomers like me can hardly remember those past events. Commentary: In pure devotional life everyone is fully absorbed in transcendence. Some devotees, however, can be distinguished as ntna (new) because they were conditioned souls and have recently been reinstated in their original position by devotional practice and the Supreme Lords personal grace. TEXT 360 Taad*x(MahaMaaehNaMaaDaurqSaird(= DaaraSaMaud]e SaTaTa& iNaMaNaaTa( Taad*iKPa[YaPa[eMaMahaDaNaavl/I= l/a>aaeNMadaTke- ih Na ivSMariNTa ik-Ma(

td-mah-mohana-mdhur-sariddhr-samudre satata nimajjant tdk-priya-prema-mah-dhanvallbhonmadt ke hi na vismaranti kim

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tdksuch; mah-mohanamost enchanting; mdhurof sweetness; saritof the rivers; dhrcreated by the currents; samudrein the ocean; satatam constantly; nimajjantbecause of being immersed; tdksuch; priyamost desirable; premaof pure love; mah-dhanaof vast treasures; valthe series; lbhaby attaining; unmadtdue to being maddened; kewho; hiindeed; na vismarantido not forget; kimhow. How can any resident of Vraja not forget in this way? The Vraja-vss, after all, are ever immersed in the ocean made by these river currents of most enchanting sweetness. And by gaining the vast, most desirable treasure of pure love, the Vraja-vss become maddened. TEXT 361 Ahae MahEYaRMaSaaviPa Pa[>aur( iNaJaiPa[YaPa[eMaSaMaud]SaMuTa" ) k*-Ta& c k-aYa| c Na ik-idqr" SadaNauSaNDaaTauMai>ajXae%r" ))

aho mahaivaryam asv api prabhur nija-priya-prema-samudra-sampluta kta ca krya ca na kicid vara sadnusandhtum abhija-ekhara
ahooh; mahthe greatest; aivaryamglory; asau He; apieven; prabhuthe Lord; nijaHis own; priyafor the dear devotees; premaof the love; samudrain the ocean; samplutadrowning; ktam done; caand; kryamto be done; caand; na kicit not at all; varacapable; sadalways; anusandhtumof remembering; abhijaof enlightened persons; ekharathe foremost. And, oh, the most glorious thing is that the foremost of enlightened persons, the Lord Himself, while drowning in an ocean of love for His dear devotees, cannot always remember what He has done and what He is going to do.
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Commentary: Isnt perfect knowledge an automatic byproduct of love of God? Why then are the pure devotees of Goloka so forgetful? Yes, to one who has prema omniscience comes naturally, but prema, being all-powerful, can redefine what is knowledge and what is ignorance. The Personality of Godhead Himself, by the influence of His Yogamy, also forgets what He did before. But though He often forgets, He sometimes remembers, if it serves the purpose of His pastimes. TEXT 362 l/IlE/v iNaTYaa Pa[>auPaadPaYaae" Saa SaidaNaNdMaYaq ik-l/ SvYaMa( ) Aak*-ZYaMaa<aev TadqYaSaevYaa TataTParqvarYauTaa Pa[vTaRTae ))

llaiva nity prabhu-pda-padmayo s sac-cid-nanda-may kila svayam kyameva tadya-sevay tat-tat-parvra-yut pravartate
llthe pastimes; evaindeed; nityeternal; prabhuof the Lord; pda-padmayoof the lotus feet; sthey; sateternity; citknowledge; nanda and bliss; maycomposed of; kilaindeed; svayam themselves; kyambeing attracted; ivaas if; tadyaHis; sevayby the service; tat-tatvarious; parvraentourage and paraphernalia; yutjoined with; pravartatethey go on. The pastimes of the Lord are ever existing and purely spiritual, formed of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. Of their own accord, those pastimes, attracted to the Lords lotus feet to engage in service, follow Him everywhere, supplying the entourage and paraphernalia for each occasion. Commentary: Kas pastimes are sac-cid-nandamay, composed of sat (eternal existence), cit (full awareness), and nanda (pure ecstasy). In this context the suffix -may could mean either identity or transformation. In other words,
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since Kas lls are a display of Kas internal energy, they are nondifferent from Him, and they are also a manifestation of transcendental variety. There are never any defects in Kas lls, even when Ka seems to behave like an ordinary person: eva dhryny uati kurute mehandni vstau steyopyair viracita-kti su-pratko yathste ittha strbhi sa-bhaya-nayana-r-mukhlokinbhir vykhytrth prahasita-mukh na hy uplabdhum aicchat [The ladies of the neighborhood complained to Yaod:] When Ka is caught in His naughty activities, the master of the house will say to Him, Oh, You are a thief! and artificially express anger at Ka. Ka will then reply, I am not a thief. You are a thief! Sometimes, being angry, Ka passes urine and stool in a neat, clean place in our houses. But now, our dear friend Yaod, this expert thief is sitting before you like a very good boy. Sometimes all the gops would look at Ka sitting there, His eyes fearful so that His mother would not chastise Him, and when they saw Kas beautiful face, instead of continuing to complain about Him they would simply look upon His face and enjoy transcendental bliss. Mother Yaod would mildly smile at all this fun, and she would not want to chastise her blessed transcendental child. (Bhgavatam 10.8.31) To Kas feet His pastimes are attracted by their own desire to serve Him, and they are attracted by the service attitude of His devotees. In the words of r Viu Pura (5.22.18): manuya-dehin cem ity evam anuvartata ll jagat-pates tasya chandata sampravartate

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The pastimes of the Lord of the universe unfold by their sweet will, as He imitates the activities of living beings embodied as humans. TEXT 363 wYa& Tae k-iQaTaa b]Na( Gaael/aek-SYa ivl/+a<aa ) MaahaTMYaMaaDaurqDaaraPa[aNTak-aa ih SavRTa" ))

iya te kathit brahman golokasya vilaka mhtmya-mdhur-dhrprnta-kh hi sarvata

iyamthis; teto you; kathittold; brahmanO brhmaa; golokasyaof Goloka; vilakaunique; mhtmyaof the greatness; mdhurand sweetness; dhrof a constant flood; prntaextreme; kh the limit; hiindeed; sarvataentirely. O brhmaa, thus I have told you about Golokas unique, most extreme greatness and sweetness, which flow everywhere like a flooding river. TEXT 364 [qMaaQaur ovac k*-Z<ae MaDauPaurq=& YaaTae vSaeTku-}a >avaNk-QaMa( ) YairataTPad& Pa[a" Pa[YaESTatadaXaYaa ))

r-mthura uvca ke madhu-pur yte vaset kutra bhavn katham ya cirt tat-pada prpta prayatnais tat-tad-ay
r-mthura uvcathe Mathur brhmaa said; keKa; madhu-purmto Madhupur; ytehaving gone; vasetwill reside; kutrawhere; bhavnyour good self; kathamhow; yawho; cirtfor a long time; tatHis; padamabode; prptaachieved; prayatnaiwith great efforts; tat-tatvarious; aywith desires. The Mathur brhmaa said: After striving for so
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long, in so many ways and with so many desires in your heart, you achieved Kas abode. Now that He has gone to Madhupur, where will you reside, and how will you live? Commentary: For a very long time, Gopa-kumra had harbored the desire to see r Gopladeva and join Him in His pastimes. Now Gopa-kumra has finally reached his destination, Goloka Vndvana, but Ka has left Vndvana to go to Mathur. Under the circumstances, how can Gopa-kumra tolerate living in Vraja? And since he is attached to the countryside where Ka performed His childhood pastimes, how can he consider living in Mathur? TEXT 365 [qSaPa ovac AadeXaeNa Pa[>aaeSTaSYa v]Jae NaNdaidi>a" Sah ) vSaiNTa Maad*Xaa" SaveR Ta}a SvSad*XaESTada )

r-sarpa uvca deena prabhos tasya vraje nanddibhi saha vasanti md sarve tatra sva-sadais tad
r-sarpa uvcar Sarpa said; deenaon the order; prabhoof the Lord; tasyaHis; vrajein Vraja; nanda-dibhiwith Nanda and the others; sahatogether; vasantilive; mdpersons like me; sarveall; tatrathere; svato ourselves; sadaiwho are similar; tadthen. r Sarpa said: By the order of the Lord, I and all devotees like me continue to live in Vraja in the company of Nanda and the others whose moods resemble ours. Commentary: When Ka left Vraja, He gave special instructions to the new devotees who had come to His abode on the strength of His mercy and their spontaneous (rgnuga) sdhana. He told them to remain in Vraja and continue to associate with great devotees like Nanda, whose ways of devotion
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were similar to their own. Otherwise, if the new devotees were to go to Mathur, the incompatible local mood would disturb them, and their spiritual development would be impeded. With such considerations in mind, r Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya (2.13) states: sva-kulardhyai tato dhmn sva-ythn eva sarayet If an intelligent person wants to see his family prosper, he should stay with his own kind. TEXT 366 Taaek-SYa Sv>aavae_Ya& k*-Z<aSa& ivNaaiPa YaTa( ) >aveta}aEv iTaaSaa Na ick-IzaR c k-SYaicTa( ))

tal-lokasya svabhvo ya ka-saga vinpi yat bhavet tatraiva tihs na cikr ca kasyacit
tatof His; lokasyaworld; svabhvathe nature; ayamthis; kaof Ka; sagamthe association; vinwithout; apiindeed; yatthat; bhavetthere would be; tatrain that place; evaonly; tihs desire to remain; nanot; cikrdesire to do anything else; caand; kasyacitof anyone. This is the nature of Goloka, Kas world. Even in His absence the residents want to stay. None want to go anywhere else. TEXT 367 Ta}aTYa& Ya Tad( du"%& TaTSavRSau%MaUDaRSau ) Sa NarqNaiTaR Xaaek- k*-TaNaNd>araePair ))

tatratya yac ca tad dukha tat sarva-sukha-mrdhasu sa narnarti oka ca ktsnnanda-bharopari

tatratyambelonging to that place; yatwhich; ca and; tatthat; dukhammisery; tatthat; sarvaof
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all varieties; sukhaof happiness; mrdhasuon the heads; sait; narnartidances vigorously; oka the mental distress; caand; ktsnaall; nandaof bliss; bharathe intensity; upariabove. There, sorrow dances vigorously on the head of every kind of happiness, and anguish gives a joy more intense than any bliss. Commentary: In Goloka the apparent misery of separation from Ka is in fact the greatest happiness, and the anxiety felt by the Goloka-vss is more ecstatic than any other pleasure. As already explained, both these contrary effects are due to the unique nature of the special love for Ka found only in Goloka. TEXT 368 wTQa& vSa&STa}a icre<a vaiH^Ta& vaH^aiDak&- caivrTa& Par& f-l/Ma( ) ictaaNauPaUTYaaRNau>aviPa Da]uv& vSTauSv>aaveNa Na Ta*iMaaPanuYaaMa( ))

ittha vasas tatra cirea vchita vchdhika cvirata para phalam cittnuprtynubhavann api dhruva vastu-svabhvena na tptim pnuym
itthamthus; vasanresiding; tatrathere; cirea after a long time; vchitamwhat I desired; vchmy desire; adhikambeyond; caand; aviratam endlessly; paramthe highest; phalamfruit; citta of my heart; anuprtywith complete fulfillment; anubhavanexperiencing; apialthough; dhruvam certainly; vastuof the reality; svabhvenadue to the nature; nanot; tptimsatisfaction; pnuymI can attain. After so long, having attained my desires, there I reside, beyond all desires, and to my hearts content I relish the supreme and endless perfection of life. Yet the nature of that reality is such that I never feel satiated.
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TEXT 369 ATaae v]Jaqku-cku-&ku-MaaicTa& MaNaaerMa& TaTPadPaJaYaMa( ) k-daiPa ke-NaaiPa iNaJaeiNd]YaaidNaa Na haTauMaqXae l/vle/XaMaPYahMa( ))

ato vraja-str-kuca-kukumcita manorama tat-pada-pakaja-dvayam kadpi kenpi nijendriydin na htum e lava-leam apy aham
atatherefore; vraja-strof the women of Vraja; kucafrom the breasts; kukuma-citamsmeared with the kukuma; manoramamenchanting; tatHis; padapakajaof the lotus feet; dvayamthe pair; kad apiever; kena apifor any reason; nijaones own; indriyaby the senses; dinand so on; nanot; htumto abandon; eam able; lavaof a fraction of a second; leamfor a small part; apieven; ahamI. Never, then, for any reason, can I give up Kas all-attractive lotus feet, smeared with kukuma from the breasts of the women of Vraja. Never can I stop serving those feet with my senses, body, and mind, not even for a fraction of a second. TEXT 370 TaSYaaiPa Yaae dqNaTare JaNae_iSMaNa( MaaDauYaRiNaak*-PaaPa[Saad" ) ANYaErSaM>aaVYaTaYaa Na vu-& ku-}aaiPa YauJYaeTa TaQaaPYaNaU-" ))

tasypi yo dna-tare jane smin mdhurya-nihpta-kp-prasda anyair asambhvyatay na vaktu kutrpi yujyeta tathpy ankta
tasyaHis; apiand; yawhich; dna-tarethe most wretched; janeon the person; asminthis (myself); mdhuryafor the sweetness; nihwith strong attachment; ptaendowed; kpof His mercy; prasdathe favor; anyaiby others;
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asambhvyataynever to be hoped for; nanot; vaktumto be spoken; kutra apianywhere; yujyetais appropriate; tath apinonetheless; ankta recounted. Ka showed this most wretched person the favor of His mercymercy others can never hope forenhanced with the taste of His divine sweetness. To no one should this be disclosed. Yet I have recounted my story to you. Commentary: As rla Santana Gosvm has revealed earlier in his commentary, rmat Rdhr personally ordered r Sarpa to enlighten the Mathur brhmaa. TEXT 371 Wv& Ta}a icr& iTaNMaTYaRl/aek-iSQaTa& iTvdMa( ) MaQauraMa<@l&/ [qMadPaXYa& %lu/ Taad*XaMa( ))

eva tatra cira tihan martya-loka-sthita tv idam mathur-maala rmad apaya khalu tdam
evamthus; tatrathere; ciramfor a long time; tihanremaining; martya-lokain the mortal world; sthitamsituated; tuand; idamthis; mathurmaalamMathur-maala; rmatsplendid; apayam I realized; khaluindeed; tdamjust like it. After staying some time in Goloka, I realized: This splendid Mathur-maala, here in the mortal world, is not different. Commentary: Knowledge of Goloka applies equally to Gokula, and vice versa, because these two places are identical. Just as a jns realization of impersonal Brahman includes realization of the individual spirit soul, realization of either Goloka or Gokula includes realization of the other. Were impersonal realization to disallow the brahmavds from perceiving their own selves, they would have no impetus to follow their own discipline,
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because knowledge of Brahman, in the beginning of its development, is too subtle to perceive. Impersonal Brahman cannot be known by the untrained mind, and so for the benefit of neophyte jns the Upaniads refer to Brahman merely as tat (that), as in the famous aphorism of the Chndogya Upaniad (6.8.7) tat tvam asi (you are that). TEXT 372 TataC^\qGaaePaGaaePaqi>aSTaai>aGaaeRi>a Taad*XaE" ) PaXauPai+ak*-iMa+Maa>a*TSairtavaRidi>av*RTaMa( ))

tat-tac-chr-gopa-gopbhis tbhir gobhi ca tdai pau-paki-kmi-kmbhtsarit-tarv-dibhir vtam

tat-tatthe various; rdivine; gopawith the cowherd men; gopbhiand cowherd women; tbhi these; gobhiwith the cows; caand; tdai exactly similar; pauwith the animals; paki birds; kmiinsects; km-bhtmountains; sarit rivers; tarutrees; dibhiand so on; vtam abounding. Varieties of divine gopas, gops, and cows abound in Gokula, just as in Goloka. And so do the other animals, and the birds, and the insects, and the mountains, rivers, trees, and other beings. Commentary: Goloka and Gokula resemble one another down to the details of individual living beings. The individual persons playing the roles in one place may be distinct from those in the other, but the functions they serve in the pleasure pastimes of the Personality of Godhead are exactly the same. Gokulas cowherd men and women and all its creatures, down to the creepers and bushes, closely resemble their counterparts in the spiritual world. TEXT 373 TaQaEvaivrTa& [qMaTk*-Z<acNd]e<a TaeNa ih ) ivSTaaYaRMaa<aYaa Taad*K-I@a[e<YaaiPa Mai<@TaMa(
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))

tathaivvirata ka-candrea vistryamay kr-reypi

rmattena hi tdkmaitam

tath evaand also; aviratamconstantly; rmat glorious; ka-candreaby Kacandra; tenaHim; hiindeed; vistryamayexpanded; tdksimilar; krof pastimes; reyby a series; apiindeed; maitamadorned. And this place is adorned with a never-ending stream of similar pastimes, expanded by the glorious Kacandra. TEXT 374 TaTk-daicidTaSTa}a k-daiPa ivdDae iSQaiTaMa( ) >aed& NaaePal/>ae k-iTPadYaaerDauNaETaYaae" ))

tat kadcid itas tatra kadpi vidadhe sthitim bheda nopalabhe kacit padayor adhunaitayo
tattherefore; kadcitsometimes; itahere; tatra there; kad apiand sometimes; vidadheI make; sthitimmy residence; bhedamdifference; na upalabheI do not perceive; kacitany; padayo between the two abodes; adhunnow; etayothese. I reside, therefore, sometimes here and sometimes there. No longer do I perceive any difference between these two abodes. Commentary: r Sarpa and his disciple are in Vraja-bhmi on earth. Now r Sarpa sees no difference between the two abodes, but before he attained this realization he had to make a great
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endeavor to transfer himself from Gokula to Goloka. TEXT 375 GaMaNaaGaMaNaE>aeRdae Ya" Pa[SaeTa ke-vl/Ma( ) Ta& cah& TatadaSa-ya Na JaaNaqYaaiMav Sfu-$=Ma( ))

gamangamanair bhedo ya prasajjeta kevalam ta cha tat-tad-sakty na jnym iva sphuam

gamana-gamanaibecause of traveling back and forth; bhedadifference; yawhich; prasajjetais found; kevalamonly; tamthat; caand; ahamI; tattatto each of them; saktybecause of my attachment; na jnymI do not notice; ivaas if; sphuamapparent. Traveling from one to the other, back and forth, may make it seem that there is some distinction, but I am so attached to both places that I hardly notice any difference. Commentary: r Sarpa perceives a distance as he moves from the middle of the material universe to the topmost limit of the spiritual sky, but to him this distraction is insignificant. The journey is no more troublesome than the walk a farmer has to take to a field near his home. TEXT 376 ASMaaTSQaaNaYaadNYaTPad& ik-iTk-QaNa ) NaEv SPa*XaiTa Mae d*i" [v<a& va MaNaae_iPa va ))

asmt sthna-dvayd anyat pada kicit kathacana naiva spati me di ravaa v mano pi v
asmtthan these; sthnaplaces; dvayttwo; anyat other; padamlocation; kicitany; kathacanain any way; nanot; evaeven; spatitouches; memy; disight; ravaamhearing; vor; manamind; apieven; vor.

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Neither my sight, nor my hearing, nor even my mind ever touches any other abode than these two. Commentary: Being exclusively attached to Ka and His abodes, r Sarpa is oblivious to everything else. TEXT 377 ANYa}a vTaRTae KvaiPa [qk*-Z<aae >aGavaNSvYaMa( )) Taad*XaaSTaSYa >a-a va SaNTaqiTa MaNauTae Na Ta( ))

anyatra vartate kvpi r-ko bhagavn svayam tds tasya bhakt v santti manute na ht
anyatraelsewhere; vartateresides; kva apiin some place; r-kar Ka; bhagavnthe Supreme Lord; svayamHimself; tdlike this; tasyaHis; bhaktdevotees; vor; santiare present; iti thus; manute nadoes not consider; htmy heart. My heart never thinks that the original Supreme Lord r Ka, or His devotees like those present here, could ever reside anywhere else. Commentary: Here Sarpa is talking only about svaya bhagavn, the original Personality of Godhead, and His Vraja devotees, not about the Lords expansions, like Vsudeva in Dvrak, and Their devotees like Vasudeva. TEXT 378 k-daicXaRNa& va SYaaEku-<#=aidiNavaiSaNaaMa( ) [qk*-Z<aivrhe<aaTaaRiNav PaXYaaiMa TaaNaiPa ))

kadcid darana v syd vaikuhdi-nivsinm r-ka-virahertn iva paymi tn api

kadcitsometimes; daranamsight; vor; syt there may be; vaikuha-diof Vaikuha and other places; nivsinmof residents; r-kafrom r Ka; viraheaby separation; rtntormented;
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ivaas if; paymiI see; tnthem; apiindeed. From time to time I may see residents of Vaikuha or some other place, but to my eyes they appear tormented by separation from r Ka. Commentary: r Sarpas vision is that of a paramahasa situated in vraja-bhva, the mood of Vraja. He sees everyone, even outsiders, as if they were also in that mood. When he meets devotees from Dvrak, Ayodhy, and Vaikuha, he projects his own feelings onto them and presumes that they are anguished by not being with Ka in Vraja. In this way, nothing distracts Sarpa from his meditation on the glories of Goloka, and he remains satisfied in all circumstances. TEXT 379 k-daiPa Taezu v]JavaiSal/aek-= Saad*XYa>aavaNavl/aek-NaaNMae ) JaaTaaNauTaaPaeNa >avetaTaae_iPa Pa[eMaPa[k-aXaaTParMa& Sau%& TaTa( ))

kadpi teu vraja-vsi-lokasdya-bhvnavalokann me jtnutpena bhavet tato pi prema-prakt parama sukha tat
kad apisometimes; teuin them; vraja-vsi residing in Vraja; lokaof the people; sdya similar; bhvaa mood; anavalokantbecause of not seeing; memy; jtaborn; anutpenaby the painful disappointment; bhavetthere is; tatafrom that; apinonetheless; premaof pure love; praktdue to the manifestation; paramamutmost; sukham happiness; tatthat. By not seeing in those other devotees a mood like that of the residents of Vraja, I may occasionally be disappointed. Yet that only makes my love for Ka shine forth more brightly. And so my disappointment becomes a cause of supreme joy. Commentary: Because the devotees of all the
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expansions of Godhead are eternally blissful, Sarpa sometimes notices that even outside Vraja, even without Kas direct company, such devotees are happy. That anyone could think himself happy without being in the mood of Vraja disturbs Sarpa occasionally, but that very agitation impels His love for Ka in Goloka to increase. He can thus remain happy even while passing through Vaikuha or the material world. TEXT 380 Ahae Gaael/aek-IYaEiNaRi%l/>auvNaavaiSaMaihTaE" Sada TaESTaEl/aeRkE-" SaMaNau>avNaqYaSYa MahTa" ) PadaQaRSYaa:YaaTau& k-iTa ivvr<aaiNa Pa[>aurh& TadaSTaa& Taaek-ai%l/Pairk-re>Yaae MaMa NaMa" ))

aho golokyair nikhila-bhuvanvsi-mahitai sad tais tair lokai samanubhavanyasya mahata padrthasykhytu kati vivarani prabhur aha tad st tal-lokkhila-parikarebhyo mama nama
ahooh; golokyaiof Goloka; nikhilaall; bhuvana of the worlds; vsiby the residents; mahitaiwho are glorified; sadalways; tai taiby the various; lokairesidents; samanubhavanyasyawhich can be perceived; mahataof the greatness; padaarthasyathe reality; khytumto describe; kati how many; vivaranidescriptions; prabhucapable; ahamI; tat stmso be it; tatof that; loka world; akhilato all; parikarebhyathe Lords associates; mamamy; namaobeisances. How much can I say about that supreme realityoh, the world of Goloka! Its multitude of residents, honored by all the worlds, always perceive its greatness. So now I have said enough. To all who live with the Lord in that abode, I offer my obeisances. Commentary: Goloka is the ultimate reality, and the
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essence of that reality is pure love for the lotus feet of r Nanda-nandana. Hearing about and describing the wonderful sports of Ka in Goloka and in Mathur Gokula on earth are the most worthwhile engagements for anyone. Ultimately, however, one can only say so much, and one must finish by simply offering ones respects to the most fortunate inhabitants of Lord Kas abode. By honoring them one honors their pure love for Ka, a love which is the highest goal of all endeavors. Thus ends the Sixth Chapter of Part Two of rla Santana Gosvms Bhad-bhgavatmta, entitled Abha-lbha: The Attainment of All Desires.

7. Jagad-nanda: The Bliss of the Worlds

TEXT 1 [qSaPa ovac Wv& YaTParMa& SaaDYa& ParMa& SaaDaNa& c YaTa( ) TaicaYaaRDauNaa b]NSvYa& iNaqYaTaa& TvYaa ))

r-sarpa uvca eva yat parama sdhya parama sdhana ca yat tad vicrydhun brahman svaya nicyat tvay
r-sarpa uvcar Sarpa said; evamthus; yat what; paramamthe highest; sdhyamgoal; paramam the highest; sdhanammeans for achievement; ca and; yatwhat; tadthis; vicryaconsidering; adhunnow; brahmanO brhmaa; svayamon your own;
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nicyatmshould be decided; tvayby you. r Sarpa said: My dear brhmaa, now think carefully and decide for yourself what is the highest goal of life and what is the best way to achieve it. Commentary: This Seventh Chapter describes how the Mathur brhmaa, by the mercy of r Sarpa, achieved pure love for Ka and on the strength of that love received Kas special favor. Sarpa has depicted the most important aspects of the glories of Goloka. Now all that remains is for him to give an explicit answer to the brhmaas earlier query: rutv bahu-vidha sdhya sdhana ca tatas tata prpya ktya ca niretu na kicic chakyate may From various sources I have heard of various goals and various methods to achieve them, but still I cannot definitely decide what goal I should strive for and what I should do to reach it. (Bhadbhgavatmta 2.1.98) To test whether the brhmaa disciple has now correctly understood what he has been taught, Sarpa asks him to give his own opinion about what should be his sdhya and sdhanahis goal and his means to achieve it. TEXT 2 MaaQaurb]a<a[e MaTPa[aPYa& TvYaaiPa TaTa( ) Sav| deVYaa" Pa[SaadeNa Pa[aMaeveiTa MaNYaTaaMa( ))

mthura-brhmaa-reha mad-vat prpya tvaypi tat sarva devy prasdena prptam eveti manyatm
mthuraof Mathur; brhmaa-rehaO best of brhmaas; mat-vatas I have; prpyamthe goal;
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tvayby you; apialready; tatthat; sarvam completely; devyof the divine goddess; prasdenaby the mercy; prptamachieved; eva indeed; itithus; manyatmplease understand. Please understand, O best of Mathur brhmaas: Just like me you have already fully achieved your goal, by the mercy of the divine goddess. Commentary: Sarpas disciple, on the verge of perfection, has yet to realize the glories of Goloka directly, but soon he will. Instead of trying to explain more about those glories, his guru advises that he merely be patient and soon he will see everything with his own eyes. TEXT 3 vTaRTae caviXa& YaUUTaPa[aYa& c ivi TaTa( ) vq+ae k*-Paa>ar& TaSYa VYa&- >aGavTaSTviYa ))

vartate cvaia yad bhta-prya ca viddhi tat vke kp-bhara tasya vyakta bhagavatas tvayi
vartatethere is; caand; avaiamthe remainder; yatwhich; bhta-pryamnearly manifest; caand; viddhiknow; tatthat; vkeI see; kp-bharamthe complete mercy; tasyaof Him; vyaktamvisible; bhagavataof the Supreme Lord; tvayion you. Whatever is left for you to achieve, you have already nearly attained. Please know this. I can see that the Supreme Lord has bestowed upon you His full mercy. Commentary: But visible signs of perfection have not yet appeared in me, the brhmaa might humbly assert. Here Sarpa disagrees. r Golokantha has already singled the brhmaa out as a recipient of His full mercy. TEXT 4 PaXYa YaaTMaNaSTaSYa TadqYaaNaaMaiPa Da]uvMa( )) v*ta& ParMaGaaePYa& TaTSav| Tae k-iQaTa& MaYaa )
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paya yac ctmanas tasya tadynm api dhruvam vtta parama-gopya tat sarva te kathita may
payaplease see; yatwhat; caand; tmanato myself; tasyato Him; tadynmto His devotees; apiand; dhruvamindeed; vttamoccurred; parama extremely; gopyamconfidential; tatthat; sarvam all; teto you; kathitamtold; mayby me. Just see! I have indeed told you everything that happened to me, and to the Lord, and to His devotees, even though these topics are most confidential. TEXTS 57 iNaJa>aavivXaez >aGavr<aa[Ya" ) Na Pa[k-aXaiYaTau& YaaeGYaae ih]Yaa SvMaNaSae_iPa Ya" )) JaaTae dXaaivXaeze c v*ta& SvParivSMa*Tae" ) ivXaezjaNaraihTYaaaNau>aUTa& YadaTMaNaa )) TataTSavRiMad& TaeNa k*-Z<aeNaaivXYa Mae id ) iNa"SaairTaiMavaYaaTa& bl/ae- TvdGa[Ta" ))

nija-bhva-viea ca bhagavac-cararaya na prakayitu yogyo hriy sva-manase pi ya jte da-viee ca vtta sva-para-vismte viea-jna-rhityn nnubhta yad tman tat tat sarvam ida tena kenviya me hdi nisritam ivyta bald vaktre tvad-agrata
nijaones own; bhvamood; vieaspecial; ca
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and; bhagavatof the Supreme Lord; caraaof the lotus feet; rayathe shelter; nanot; prakayitumto reveal; yogyaproper; hriyout of shyness; sva-manaseto ones own mind; apieven; yawhich; jtewhen it has developed; daa condition; vieespecial; caand; vttamwhat occurred; svaof myself; paraand of others; vismtebecause of forgetting; vieaparticular; jnaof awareness; rhitytbecause of the absence; nanot; anubhtamexperienced; yatwhat; tmanby myself; tatthat; tatthat; sarvamall; idamthis; tenaby Him; kenaKa; viya entering; memy; hdiheart; nisritammade to come out; ivaas if; ytamcome; baltby force; vaktreinto the mouth; tvatyour; agratain the presence. The special ecstasies one relishes in the shelter of the Personality of Godheads lotus feet are private. One should feel shy to reveal them, even to ones own mind. And sometimes I entered special states of consciousness in which I could no longer recognize myself or others, nor distinguish one thing from the next, and so there were events I didnt see. Yet Ka, in your presence, has entered my heart and brought all these topics out, forcing them to come from my mouth. Commentary: A spiritual master can certainly reveal even the most secret knowledge to a faithful, deserving disciple. The Mathur brhmaa, before hearing his gurus personal history, was a raw neophyte, and Sarpa was at different times too distracted by ecstasy to perceive clearly what was going on and so had difficulty recounting some of the events of his spiritual journey. But despite all this and despite Sarpas reluctance, Ka forced the whole story from Sarpas mouth. TEXT 8 >avTaa}a ivaSaae iNaTara& SaMaPaTa ) l/+a<aEl/Ri+aTaaYa& MaYaa Xaqga]f-l/Pa[d" ))

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bhavata ctra vivso nitar samapadyata lakaair lakita cya may ghra-phala-prada
bhavataof your good self; caand; atrahere; vivsafaith; nitarmespecially; samapadyatahas arisen; lakaaifrom signs; lakitanoticed; ca and; ayamthis (faith); mayby me; ghrasoon; phala-pradabestowing the benefits. I have noted clear signs that you have gained strong faith in these topics, a faith that will soon bestow upon you all its rewards. Commentary: The disposition of anothers heart is difficult to read, but an elevated person with clear intelligence can discern from ones gestures where ones faith lies. From the satisfied expressions on the brhmaas face, Sarpa knew, This disciple has developed confidence in the truth of my story. In other words, Sarpas mission had achieved success. Once strong faith in the transcendental reality is established, ones spiritual practice very quickly bears fruit. TEXT 9 SvYa& [qraiDak-a devq Pa[aTaraiddeXa MaaMa( ) SaPaaYaaiTa MaTku-e Ma-ae MaaQaurae iJa" ))

svaya r-rdhik dev prtar adydidea mm sarpyti mat-kuje mad-bhakto mthuro dvija
svayamHerself; r-rdhik devr Rdhik-dev; prtaearly in the morning; adyatoday; didea ordered; mmme; sarpaO Sarpa; ytiis coming; matMy; kujeto the grove; matMy; bhakta devotee; mthuraof Mathur; dvijaa brhmaa. Early this morning r Rdhik-dev Herself came and ordered me: Sarpa, a brhmaa from Mathur who is My devotee is coming to My grove.
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Commentary: The Mathur brhmaa considered himself a devotee of Durg, but she is a partial expansion of r Rdhik, Lord Madana-goplas eternal consort. TEXT 10 Ta}aEk-ak-I TvMaadaE GaTva SaduPadeXaTa" ) Pa[baeDYaaaSYa Ta& k*-Z<aPa[Saad& Pa[aPaYa d]uTaMa( ))

tatraikk tvam adydau gatv sad-upadeata prabodhyvsya ta kaprasda prpaya drutam

tatrathere; ekaikalone; tvamyou; adyatoday; daufirst of all; gatvgoing; satgood; upadeataby instructions; prabodhyaenlightening; vsyaconsoling; tamhim; kaof Ka; prasdamthe grace; prpayacause him to attain; drutamquickly. Go there alone, the first thing today. Enlighten him with good instructions, console him, and help him quickly attain Kas grace. Commentary: Had Sarpa not awakened the brhmaas higher intelligence, the brhmaa would not have obtained r Kas favor. TEXT 11 ASMaataSYaa" SaMaadeXaaC^qga]Ma}aahMaaGaTa" ) Na Pa[hzaRdPae+ae SMa k*-Z<aSaSau%& c TaTa( ))

asmt tasy samdec chghram atrham gata na prahard apeke sma ka-saga-sukha ca tat
asmton the basis of this; tasyHer; samdet instruction; ghramswiftly; atrahere; ahamI; gatacame; nanot; prahartdue to joy; apeke smaI thought of; ka-sagaof Kas company; sukhamenjoyment; caand; tatthat.
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On Her instruction I swiftly came here, overjoyed, without even a thought about missing the enjoyment of Kas company. Commentary: To carry out his assignment, Sarpa left home early in the morning, before Ka went out to the forest with His friends. Sarpa did not mind missing Kas company for one day, because he knew that carrying out r Rdhs order would endear him to Kaand this would surely increase the happiness he enjoyed with Ka. TEXT 12 [qParqi+aduvac WvMaue-_iPa ivPa[SYa TaSYa ih Pa[eMaSaMPad" ) odYaadXaRNaaNMaUiDNaR SaPa" k-rMaPaRYaTa( ))

r-parkid uvca evam ukte pi viprasya tasya hi prema-sampada udaydarann mrdhni sarpa karam arpayat
r-parkit uvcar Parkit said; evamthus; uktespoken to; apieven; viprasyaof the brhmaa; tasyahis; hiindeed; prema-sampadaof the treasure of pure love; udayathe awakening; adarantbecause of not seeing; mrdhnion his head; sarpaSarpa; karamhis hand; arpayat placed. r Parkit said: When Sarpa saw that the brhmaa, even after spoken to in this way, had not awakened to the treasure of pure love, Sarpa put his hand on the brhmaas head. TEXT 13 SaSTaSYaaSfu-ritae SvaNau>aUTaiMavai%l/Ma( ) [qSaPaaNau>aUTa& YaTk*-PaYaa TaNa( MahaTMaNa" ))

sadyas tasysphurac citte svnubhtam ivkhilam r-sarpnubhta yat

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kpay tan mahtmana

sadyaimmediately; tasyahis; asphuratbecame manifest; cittein the heart; sva-anubhtam experienced for himself; ivaas if; akhilamall; r-sarpaof r Sarpa; anubhtamthe experience; yatwhich; kpayby the mercy; tatthat; mahtmanaof the great soul. By the mercy of that great soul Sarpa, everything he had experienced became manifest at once in the brhmaas heart, as if the brhmaa had experienced it himself. TEXT 14 MahTSaMaMaahaTMYaMaevETaTParMaauTaMa( ) k*-TaaQaaeR YaeNa ivPa[ae_SaaE Saae_>aUtaTSvPavTa( ))

mahat-sagama-mhtmyam evaitat paramdbhutam ktrtho yena vipro sau sadyo bht tat-svarpa-vat
mahatwith a great soul; sagamaof association; mhtmyamthe greatness; evaindeed; etatthis; parama-adbhutamsupremely amazing; kta-artha successful; yenaby which; viprathe brhmaa; asauhe; sadyasuddenly; abhtbecame; tathis; svarpa-vatrealizing the true identity. Such are the most amazing glories of contact with a great saint. By that contact, this brhmaa suddenly achieved perfection, realizing his eternal identity. Commentary: Usually, only the Lords most qualified devotees attain pure love of God, after long endeavor for the Lords special mercy. How then could this brhmaa have achieved prema so quickly? Only by coming into contact with a powerful saint. The brhmaas own efforts alone would have been of no avail. His success was possible by the unique glories of Vaiava association, incomprehensible
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to material minds. In rmad-Bhgavatam (3.23.55) r Devahti remarks: sago ya saster hetur asatsu vihito dhiy sa eva sdhuu kto nisagatvya kalpate Association to gratify the senses is certainly the path of bondage. But the same type of association, performed with a saintly person, leads to the path of liberation, even if performed without knowledge. When an ignorant person mixes with other degraded persons, the result is entanglement in material existence, in the enjoyment of food, drink, sex, and so on. But the company of pure souls, even if entered into with the same ignorance, enables one to become nisaga, free in two ways: detached from matter and uplifted to pure love of God. Prema is a form of detachment because it shuns all pursuits other than the attempt to please the Personality of Godhead. Therefore, as stated in the Yoga-vsiharmyaa: sad santo bhigantavy yady apy upadianti na y hi svaira-kaths te upade bhavanti te nyam pratm eti mtir apy amtyate pat sampad ivbhti vidvaj-jana-samgamt In all circumstances, one should approach saintly persons. Even if one receives no teachings, spontaneous dialogue with them imparts valuable lessons. When one approaches persons who have real knowledge, emptiness overflows with fullness, death
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becomes immortal nectar, and disasters can seem like good fortune. In rmad-Bhgavatam (3.7.19) r Vidura says: yat-sevay bhagavata ka-sthasya madhu-dvia rati-rso bhavet tvra pdayor vyasanrdana By serving the feet of the spiritual master, one develops transcendental ecstasy in the service of the Personality of Godhead, who is the unchangeable enemy of the Madhu demon and whose service vanquishes ones material distresses. Vidura here speaks to his ik-guru, Maitreya Muni. By serving Maitreya, Vidura expects to obtain the service of the Supreme Lord, who is difficult to understand but whom one can approach by serving His pure devotees. The Supreme Person is ka-stha, which means both unchanging and inconceivable. He is also ka-stha in the sense that He is famous for being offered anna-ka, a mountain of food, while standing on a special peakthat of Govardhana. At the lotus feet of Ka, the enemy of the demon Madhu, a sincere servant of the Vaiavas can obtain rati-rsa, a never-ending festival of prema, from which comes an enjoyment so intense (tvra) that nothing can impede or interrupt it. Material existence is full of various miseries, but devotional service at Lord Kas lotus feet (pdayo) eradicates them all (vyasanrdana). Or if we take pdayo to modify vyasanrdana, the meaning of the two words together is that which destroys the pain felt by the feet. Kas rsa-ll is mostly a festival of dancing, and dancing means moving the feet. By entering the rsa dance ones feet will be relieved of the distress they feel from doing other things. As r Kapiladeva tells His mother:

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sat prasagn mama vrya-savido bhavanti ht-kara-rasyan kath taj-joad v apavarga-vartmani raddh ratir bhaktir anukramiyati In the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating knowledge of the Lords activities one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter one is freed, and ones attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin. (Bhgavatam 3.25.25) Here Lord Kapiladeva mentions three symptoms of the gradual development of prema: firm conviction (raddh), love for the Lord (rati), and unswerving dedication to His service (bhakti). In the course of devotional advancement, each of these symptoms becomes manifest naturally, without separate endeavor. Lord Kapiladeva does not intend to say that the sequence of development is literally raddh, then rati, and then bhakti. Rather, we should understand that first a new devotee acquires faith (raddh), then takes up the process of bhakti by hearing, chanting, and serving, and later achieves rati. Because bhakti means both the practice of devotional service and the mature stage of spontaneous love, to say that rati (prema) is the fruit of bhakti is correct. With this same concept of bhakti in mind, r Dhruva prays to Lord Viu: bhakti muhu pravahat tvayi me prasago bhyd ananta mahatm amalaynm yenjasolbaam uru-vyasana bhavbdhi neye bhavad-gua-kathmta-pna-matta O unlimited Lord, kindly bless me so that I may associate with great devotees who engage in Your transcendental loving service constantly, as the
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waves of a river constantly flow. Such transcendental devotees are completely situated in an uncontaminated state of life. By the process of devotional service, surely I will be able to cross the nescient ocean of material existence, which is filled with the waves of blazing, firelike dangers. It will be very easy for me, for I am becoming mad to hear about Your transcendental qualities and pastimes, which are eternally existent. (Bhgavatam 4.9.11) Because the devotees of Viu serve Him constantly (bhakti muhu pravahat), their hearts are completely pure (amalaynm), and for that reason they are exalted souls (mahatm). The association of such Vaiavas is extremely desirable. One who achieves it need not bother aspiring for the fourth goal of life, liberation, for liberation comes automatically as a byproduct of pure devotion. Dhruva anticipates that in the company of Vaiavas he will drink the nectar of topics about the Supreme Lord, which will intoxicate him and empower him to cross effortlessly the dangerous ocean of sasra. Drunkards are mainly interested in the taste of their liquor; they have only a superficial interest in the secondary effects of alcohol, such as its ability to ease the discomfort of cold weather. In the same way, devotees who have a taste for drinking the nectar of bhagavad-bhakti consider relishing that elixir forever their principal goal. They accept liberation and other secondary benefits only when such boons do not obstruct that eternal delight. In rmad-Bhgavatam (4.24.5758) Lord iva gives this opinion: kardhenpi tulaye na svarga npunar-bhavam bhagavat-sagi-sagasya martyn kim utia athnaghghres tava krti-trthayor
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antar-bahi-snna-vidhta-ppmanm bhtev anukroa-susattva-lin syt sagamo nugraha ea nas tava If one by chance associates with a devotee, even for a fraction of a moment, one is no longer subject to attraction by the results of karma or jna. What interest then can he have in the benedictions of the demigods, who are subject to the laws of birth and death? My dear Lord, Your lotus feet are the cause of all auspicious things and the destroyer of all the contamination of sin. I therefore beg Your Lordship to bless me with the association of Your devotees, who are completely purified by worshiping Your lotus feet and who are so merciful upon the conditioned souls. I think that Your real benediction will be to allow me to associate with such devotees. Rather than liberation, what to speak of royal power and the other kinds of success that ordinary people value, Lord iva would prefer even a moments association with those who keep company with the Personality of Godhead. In other words, the company of the Supreme Lords devotees dances on the heads of all other goals of life. The lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, who killed the demon Agha, remove all sin. The Lords fame is the source of all holy trthas, including the river Gag and also the river Yamun, whose bathing ghas the gops approach to fetch water. Lord iva takes two purifying bathsone externally in the Gag and the other internally in the Yamun. Similarly, a bath in the Supreme Lords fame purifies His devotees in two ways, externally by absolving them from hellish punishment and internally by cleansing their hearts of desires for material enjoyment. Persons dedicated to the fame of the Supreme Lord, and to His lotus feet, are merciful to all creatures. Such devotees always live purely, devoid of lust and other contaminations of the heart, and they have simplicity and all other exemplary qualities. Lord
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iva prays that Lord Vius greatest mercy on him would be simply to let him come in touch with the Supreme Lords devotees. In the Fifth Canto (5.12.1213) r Jaa Bharata speaks likewise:

rahgaaitat tapas na yti na cejyay nirvapad ghd v na cchandas naiva jalgni-sryair vin mahat-pda-rajo-bhiekam
My dear King Rahgaa, unless one has the opportunity to smear his entire body with the dust of the lotus feet of great devotees, one cannot realize the Absolute Truth. One cannot realize the Absolute Truth simply by observing celibacy [brahmacarya], by strictly following the rules and regulations of householder life, by leaving home as a vnaprastha, by accepting sannysa, or by undergoing severe penances in winter by keeping oneself submerged in water or in summer by surrounding oneself by fire and the scorching heat of the sun. There are many other processes to understand the Absolute Truth, but the Absolute Truth is revealed only to one who has attained the mercy of a great devotee. yatrottama-loka-gunuvda prastyate grmya-kath-vighta nievyamo nu-dina mumukor mati sat yacchati vsudeve Who are the pure devotees mentioned here? In an assembly of pure devotees, there is no question of discussing material subjects like politics and sociology. In an assembly of pure devotees, there is discussion only of the qualities, forms, and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is praised and worshiped with full attention. In the association of pure devotees, by constantly
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hearing such topics respectfully, even a person who wants to merge into the existence of the Absolute Truth abandons this idea and gradually becomes attached to the service of Vsudeva. In the verse just before the two quoted here, Jaa Bharata identified the Absolute Truth as Bhagavn, the Personality of Godhead, and as Vsudeva, the darling son of Vasudeva. Now he tells King Rahgaa that this Supreme Person is impossible to achieve by any of the usual methods of spiritual advancement unless, along with those methods, one bathes in dust from the feet of pure Vaiavas. It is not enough to follow the prescribed duties of ones vara and rama, concentrate ones mind in one-pointed tapas, execute Vedic sacrifices, distribute food and other charity, work piously as a householder, study the Vedas, or worship water, fire, the other elements of nature, and their presiding deitiesVarua, Agni, and so on. These efforts may help one achieve the favor of Lord Vsudeva only when the sdhaka has also pleased the Lords devotees. And by satisfying the devotees one can win the mercy of the Supreme Lord even if one has not performed any of these purifying acts. Lord Ka is known as Uttama-loka, He whose spotless fame drives away all ignorance. When one has bathed in the dust of the feet of His devotees, one can enter the company of those devotees and hear from them about Kas transcendental qualities, beginning with His incessant kindness toward His devotees. Hearing day after day this pure ka-kath raises a materialist to the level of an aspirant for liberation, and such an aspirant to the level of sincere interest in devotional service to Ka. In the same narration, Rahgaa replies to Jaa Bharata: aho n-janmkhila-janma-obhana ki janmabhis tv aparair apy amumin na yad dhkea-yaa-kttman
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mahtman va pracura samgama This birth as a human being on earth is the best of all. Even birth among the demigods in the heavenly planets is not as glorious. What is the use of the exalted position of a demigod? In the heavenly planets, due to profuse material comforts, there is no possibility of associating with devotees. (Bhgavatam 5.13.21) Human life is the most congenial situation for becoming attracted to bhagavad-bhakti. Demigod life may be desirable to foolish people, but great saints like Jaa Bharata rarely even visit the heavenly planets. The demigods, being too much absorbed in sense gratification, generally do not deserve the company of such pure Vaiavas. Rather than travel to heaven, saintly Vaiavas who keep their hearts cleansed by contemplating the glories of Lord Hkea usually prefer to wander among the holy places on earth. In the opinion of r Prahlda Mahrja: nai matis tvad urukramghri spaty anarthpagamo yad-artha mahyas pda-rajo-bhieka nikicann na vta yvat Unless persons very much inclined toward materialistic life smear upon their bodies the dust of the lotus feet of a Vaiava completely freed from material contamination, such persons cannot be attached to the lotus feet of the Lord, who is glorified for His uncommon activities. Only by becoming Ka conscious and taking shelter at the lotus feet of the Lord in this way can one be freed from material contamination. (Bhgavatam 7.5.32) Just before Prahlda made this statement, he expressed concern for the ignorant materialists of this world, who are unable to recognize that the best goal for their own self-interest is Lord Viu. Until they bathe in the foot-dust of pure
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Vaiavas who reject all forms of selfish enjoyment and care about nothing but bhagavad-bhakti, the minds of such gross materialists can never shift toward devotional service to the Lord. Without the mercy of great devotees, foolish materialists cannot ascertain spiritual truth even theoretically, what to speak of reap its tangible fruits. In the words of King Mucukunda: bhavpavargo bhramato yad bhavej janasya tarhy acyuta sat-samgama sat-sagamo yarhi tadaiva sad-gatau parvaree tvayi jyate rati When the material life of a wandering soul has come to an end, O Acyuta, he may attain the association of Your devotees. And when he associates with them, there awakens within him devotion unto You, who are the goal of the devotees and the Lord of all causes and effects. (Bhgavatam 10.51.53) Conditioned souls wander aimlessly in the cycle of birth and death, and only after they have become fed up with this wandering are they allowed to come in touch with pure Vaiavas. Then, by the company of saintly Vaiavas, a few of those fortunate souls are not only released from the cycle of birth and death (sasra) but also given something much more preciouspure love for the supreme controller of all causes and effects. And if they are not fortunate enough to achieve intimate love for the Supreme Lord, at least they learn how to reverentially serve Him, the ruler of all great demigods and ordinary creatures. These opinions are confirmed by Lord Ka Himself in the Eleventh Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (11.26.3134): yathoparayamasya bhagavanta vibhvasum
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ta bhaya tamo pyeti sdhn sasevatas tath Just as cold, fear, and darkness are eradicated for one who has approached the sacrificial fire, so dullness, fear, and ignorance are destroyed for one engaged in serving the devotees of the Lord. nimajjyonmajjat ghore bhavbdhau paramyaam santo brahma-vida nt naur dhevpsu majjatm The devotees of the Lord, peacefully fixed in absolute knowledge, are the ultimate shelter for those who are repeatedly rising and falling within the fearful ocean of material life. The devotees are just like a strong boat that comes to rescue persons at the point of drowning.

anna hi prin pra rtn araa tv aham dharmo vitta n pretya santo rvg bibhyato raam
Just as food is the life of all creatures, just as I am the ultimate shelter for the distressed, and just as religion is the wealth of those who are passing away from this world, My devotees are the only refuge of persons fearful of falling into a miserable condition of life.

santo dianti caksi bahir arka samutthita devat bndhav santa santa tmham eva ca
My devotees bestow divine eyes, whereas the sun allows only external sight, and that only when risen in the sky. My devotees are ones real
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worshipable deities and real family; they are ones own self, and ultimately they are nondifferent from Me. Just as by approaching fire one can get relief from darkness and fear of snakes and wild animals, by approaching pure Vaiavas one can be freed from the darkness of materialistic life, from fear of what will happen in the future, and from forgetfulness of blissful service to the Lord, a forgetfulness that underlies all material ignorance and fear. The prefix upa- in the verse beginning yathoparayamasya (that is, yath uparayamasya) indicates the idea of approaching from a distance. This implies that one can gain the blessings of Vaiavas by serving them even in separation. Saintly Vaiavas who understand the Absolute Truth as He appears in Vraja-dhma can deliver persons entrapped in the cycle of higher and lower births. The Vaiavas are qualified to give such a priceless gift because they have realized the glories of Kas devotional service, which is the confidential essence of the Vedic teachings. Such devotees, peaceful and unagitated even by the prospect of being liberated, bestow upon fortunate souls various types of spiritual visionrealization of the impersonal and personal features of the Absolute Truth and discernment of the many different modes of bhagavad-bhakti. The external sun, in contrast, gives light, but only in a limited way. Rather than attempt to enumerate all the glories of Vaiavasan impossible taskwe should know that a single saintly devotee equals all the demigods combined. Pure devotees are our real friends and our own dear soul, the source of our life. In fact, in Kas opinion the Vaiavas are nondifferent from Himself. Earlier in rmad-Bhgavatam (11.11.49) Ka said to Uddhava, Now I will tell you something
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especially confidential because you are My servant, well-wisher, and companion. Ka then said: na rodhayati m yogo na skhya dharma eva ca na svdhyyas tapas tygo ne-prta na daki vratni yaja chandsi trthni niyam yam yathvarundhe sat-saga sarva-sagpaho hi mm My dear Uddhava, by associating with My pure devotees one can destroy ones attachment for all objects of material sense gratification. Such purifying association brings Me under ones control. One may perform the aga-yoga system, engage in philosophical analysis of the elements of material nature, practice nonviolence and other ordinary principles of piety, or chant the Vedas. One may perform penances, take to the renounced order of life, execute sacrificial performances, and dig wells, plant trees, and perform other public-welfare activities. One may give charity, carry out severe vows, worship the demigods, chant confidential mantras, visit holy places, or accept major and minor disciplinary injunctions. But even by performing such activities one does not bring Me under ones control. (Bhgavatam 11.12.12) The first and second steps of Patajali is aga-yoga method are the twelve niyamas (minor regulations) and twelve yamas (major regulations). r Ka lists these for Uddhava: ahis satyam asteyam asago hrr asacaya stikya brahmacarya ca mauna sthairya kambhayam auca japas tapo homa
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raddhtithya mad-arcanam trthana parrtheh tuir crya-sevanam ete yam sa-niyam ubhayor dvdaa smt pusm upsits tta yath-kma duhanti hi Nonviolence; truthfulness; unwillingness to covet or steal the property of others; detachment; humility; freedom from possessiveness; trust in the principles of religion; celibacy; silence; steadiness; forgiveness; and fearlessness are the twelve primary disciplinary principles. Internal cleanliness; external cleanliness; chanting the holy names of the Lord; austerity; sacrifice; faith; hospitality; worship of Me; visiting holy places; acting for and desiring only the supreme interest; satisfaction; and service to the spiritual master are the twelve elements of regular prescribed duties. These twenty-four elements bestow all desired benedictions upon those persons who devotedly cultivate them. (Bhgavatam 11.19.3335) The company of exalted Vaiavas counteracts not only material attachment but also attachment to the Supreme Lords pastimes in Vaikuha and abodes other than Goloka. What to speak of the power of direct contact with Vaiavas, even hearing descriptions of their greatness leads to the highest success, as r Vidura states in the Third Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (3.13.4): rutasya pus sucira-ramasya nanv ajas sribhir ito rtha tat-tad-gunuravaa mukundapdravinda hdayeu yem Persons who hear from a spiritual master with great labor and for a long time must hear from his
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mouth about the character and activities of pure devotees, who always think within their hearts of the lotus feet of Mukunda, the Personality of Godhead, He who awards them liberation. In the Fourth Canto (4.9.10) Dhruva Mahrja makes a similar statement: y nirvtis tanu-bht tava pda-padmadhynd bhavaj-jana-kath-ravaena v syt s brahmai sva-mahimany api ntha m bht ki v antaksi-lulitt patat vimnt My Lord, the transcendental bliss derived from meditating upon Your lotus feet or hearing about the glories of Your pure devotees is so unlimited that it is far beyond the stage of brahmnanda, wherein one thinks himself merged in the impersonal Brahman as one with the Supreme. Since brahmnanda is also defeated by the transcendental bliss derived from devotional service, then what to speak of the temporary bliss of elevating oneself to the heavenly planets, which is ended by the separating sword of time? Although one may be elevated to the heavenly planets, he falls down in due course of time. And not only is complete success in life guaranteed by any contact with the Supreme Lords devotees, but even the company of the devotee of His devotees is enough to assure perfection. Thus Dhruva Mahrja says: te na smaranty atitar priyam a martya ye cnv ada suta-suhd-gha-vitta-dr ye tv abja-nbha bhavadya-padravindasaugandhya-lubdha-hdayeu kta-prasag O Lord who have a lotus navel, if a person happens to associate with someone whose heart hankers after the lotus feet of Your devoteeswhose heart always seeks the fragrance of those lotus feethe is never attached to the material body or, in a bodily
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relationship, to offspring, friends, home, wealth, and wife, which are very, very dear to materialistic persons. Indeed, he does not care for them. (Bhgavatam 4.9.12) Unlike anyone else, including the impersonalist yog, the advanced devotees who have pure love for the Supreme Lords lotus feet are completely free from the falsity of identifying themselves with the body. In the words of Lord Vius Hasa incarnation (Bhgavatam 11.13.36): deha ca navaram avasthitam utthita v siddho na payati yato dhyagamat svarpam daivd apetam atha daiva-vad upeta vso yath parihita madir-madndha Just as a drunken man doesnt notice whether or not he is wearing his coat or shirt, one who is perfect in self-realization and has thus achieved his eternal identity doesnt notice whether the temporary body is sitting or standing. Indeed, if by Gods will the body is finished or by Gods will he obtains a new body, a self-realized soul doesnt notice, just as a drunken man doesnt notice the situation of his outward dress. Lord abhadeva describes the characteristics of great devotees: mahntas te sama-citt prant vimanyava suhda sdhavo ye The mahtms are equipoised. They see no difference between one living entity and another. They are very peaceful, fully engaged in devotional service, and devoid of anger, and they work for the benefit of all. They do not behave in any abominable way. ye v maye kta-sauhdrth janeu deham-bhara-vrtikeu gheu jytmaja-rtimatsu
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na prti-yukt yvad-arth ca loke Those who are interested in reviving Ka consciousness and increasing their love of Godhead do not like to do anything that is not related to Ka. They are not interested in mingling with people who are busy maintaining their bodies eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. They are not attached to their homes, although they may be householders. Nor are they attached to wives, children, friends, or wealth. At the same time, they are not indifferent to the execution of their duties. Such people are interested in collecting only enough money to keep the body and soul together. (Bhgavatam 5.5.23) Because mahtms are free from the material agitations of love and hate, they maintain an equal disposition toward friends, enemies, and neutral parties. In other words, the great souls are peaceful. This peacefulness is due to their being free from anger, this freedom is due to their being causeless benefactors of everyone, and this benefaction is due to their being firmly committed to saintly behavior. Their aim in life is to become trustworthy friends of the Personality of Godhead. Concentrating exclusively on that goal, they take no pleasure in being with persons who, instead of pursuing the higher interests of spiritual life, are interested only in maintaining their bodies. The mahtms, rather, expend as little energy as possible working to sustain their material bodies. Lord Ka gives His own appraisal of the mahtm Vaiavas to Uddhava in the Eleventh Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (11.14.17): nikican mayy anurakta-cetasa nt mahnto khila-jva-vatsal kmair anlabdha-dhiyo juanti te yan nairapekya na vidu sukha mama Those who are without any desire for personal
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gratification, whose minds are always attached to Me, who are peaceful, free from false ego, and merciful to all living entities, and whose consciousness is never affected by opportunities for sense gratificationsuch persons enjoy in Me a happiness that cannot be known or achieved by those lacking such detachment from the material world. Devotees whose hearts are fully dedicated to the Supreme Person are the only real mahtms. There are certain external symptoms by which such great souls can be known: they avoid acquisitiveness, they are beyond attraction and repulsion, they are affectionately concerned for all living beings, and they are pure in heart, untouched by the spirit of selfish enjoyment. Their internal characteristic is the happiness they taste from a relationship with the Personality of Godhead, a happiness no one but the pure Vaiavas can know. The Lords own happiness is also nothing like the brahmnanda of self-satisfied impersonalists. Because Ka is the servant of His own servants, He is always eager to share with His devotees the ecstatic tastes of bhakti-rasa: aha bhakta-pardhno hy asvatantra iva dvija sdhubhir grasta-hdayo bhaktair bhakta-jana-priya I am completely under the control of My devotees. Indeed, I am not at all independent. Because My devotees are completely devoid of material desires, I sit only within the cores of their hearts. What to speak of My devotees, even the devotees of My devotee are very dear to Me. (Bhgavatam 9.4.63) A devotee with strong faith engages sincerely in worshiping the Lord. And when, by that worship, he develops transcendental attraction, he becomes a true mahtm. Thus faith that leads to attachment is the principal inner symptom of an advanced Vaiava. r Havis, one of the nine Yogendras, has
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described this most essential characteristic of pure devotees: visjati hdaya na yasya skd dharir avabhihito py aghaugha-na praaya-rasanay dhtghri-padma sa bhavati bhgavata-pradhna ukta The Supreme Personality of Godhead is so kind to the conditioned souls that if they call upon Him by speaking His holy name, even unintentionally or unwillingly, the Lord is inclined to destroy innumerable sinful reactions in their hearts. Therefore, when a devotee who has taken shelter of the Lords lotus feet chants the holy name of Ka with genuine love, the Lord can never give up the heart of such a devotee. One who has thus bound the Supreme Lord within his heart with the ropes of love is to be known as bhgavata-pradhna, the most exalted devotee of the Lord. (Bhgavatam 11.2.55) The most elevated Vaiavas worship Lord Hari in His original form of Ka, kas tu bhagavn svayam. (Bhgavatam 1.3.28) The holy names of Ka, being nondifferent from Him (skd dhari), are so potent that even when uttered unintentionally they destroy heaps of sins. Ka, in His inconceivably wonderful Vndvana pastimes, nullifies the threat of many demons, such as Aghsura, by killing them and awarding them liberation. In Vndvana, Kas loving devotees have bound Him within their hearts so that He can never escape. The statement above describes these most intimate devotees by using the word bhgavatapradhna, a word grammatically singular in form, because they are relatively few in number. eva sal-laka loke durlabh mnav kalau na hi siha-samh vai dyante yatra kutracit

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During Kali-yuga, human beings with such saintly qualities are rarely found in this world. Certainly we never see many lions together in one place. Or as the goddess Earth says in r Hari-bhaktisudhodaya (13.2), su-durlabh bhgavat hi loke: Pure devotees are very rare in this world. And in the words of Mahrja Nimi: durlabho mnuo deho dehin kaa-bhagura tatrpi durlabha manye vaikuha-priya-daranam For the conditioned souls, the human body is most difficult to achieve, and it can be lost at any moment. But I think that even those who have achieved human life can rarely gain the association of pure devotees, who are dear to the Lord of Vaikuha. (Bhgavatam 11.2.29) Pure Vaiavas are rarely found in the material world because devotion for r Ka arises only in a person who has been relieved of all traces of sinful reactions and has properly carried out all pious duties. ye tv anta-gata ppa jann puya-karmam te dvandva-moha-nirmukt bhajante m dha-vrat Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life and whose sinful actions are completely eradicated are freed from the dualities of delusion, and they engage themselves in My service with determination. (Bhagavad-gt 7.28) dna-vrata-tapo-homajapa-svdhyya-sayamai reyobhir vividhai cnyai ke bhaktir hi sdhyate

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To attain devotional service unto Lord Ka one must perform charity, follow strict vows, perform austerities and fire sacrifices, chant japa, study Vedic texts, observe regulative principles, and follow many other auspicious practices. (Bhgavatam 10.47.24)

janmntara-sahasreu tapo-jna-samdhibhi nar ka-ppn ke bhakti prajyate

Human beings whose sins have been completely eradicatedby thousands of lifetimes cultivating austerities, knowledge, and meditative trancecan develop devotion for Ka. (Yoga-vsiharmyaa) From these statements we can infer that a person with no devotion for the Supreme Lord must be sinful. Nor can the knowledge gained by seekers of impersonal liberation be called bhakti, because even texts like the Yoga-vsiha, which are tinged with impersonalism, indicate that tapas, jna, and samdhi are means toward the end of bhagavadbhakti. As rla rdhara Svm writes at the end of his commentary on the Bhagavad-gt, jnasya bhakty-avntara-vypratvam eva: Jna is but a secondary activity, subordinate to bhakti. And in the Bhagavad-gt itself (10.10, 18.5455) Ka clearly describes knowledge (buddhi-yoga) as but a means to achieve the ultimate goal, pure devotion to Him: te satata-yuktn bhajat prti-prvakam dadmi buddhi-yoga ta yena mm upaynti te To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they
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can come to Me. brahma-bhta prasanntm na ocati na kkati sama sarveu bhteu mad-bhakti labhate parm One who is transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me. bhakty mm abhijnti yvn ya csmi tattvata tato m tattvato jtv viate tad-anantaram One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God. Thus Ka always makes a distinction between jna and bhakti, and so do His faithful devotees. This means, of course, that the impersonal worshipers of the Absolute are not as spiritually advanced as the devotees of the Supreme Person. In the Fourth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (4.22.69) Sanat-kumra tells Mahrja Pthu: yat-pda-pakaja-pala-vilsa-bhakty karmaya grathitam udgrathayanti santa tadvan na rikta-matayo yatayo pi ruddhasroto-gas tam araa bhaja vsudevam The devotees, who are always engaged in the service of the toes of the lotus feet of the Lord, can very easily overcome hard-knotted desires for fruitive activities. Because this is very difficult, the nondevoteesthe jns and yogs
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although trying to stop the waves of sense gratification, cannot do so. Therefore you are advised to engage in the devotional service of Ka, the son of Vasudeva. The unlimited ways the Supreme Lord employs His energies are all His vilsa (expansions for play). But pure Vaiavas are especially attracted to serving Him by hearing and chanting about His vilsa in r Vndvana and His other spiritual abodes. Thus Lord Kapiladeva, after instructing His mother at length about several varieties of progressive discipline, advised her that, of all sdhanas, recitation of the pastimes of the Lord of Vaikuha is the most important. Devotional service itself is also vilsa, an expression of pure joy. By taking part in the bhakti-vilsa of honoring the Supreme Lords mahprasda and dancing, singing, and performing other services for His pleasure, saintly devotees untie the knots of material bondagethe materialistic attitudes born from false egowithin their hearts. Impersonalist sannyss may subdue the senses, but they are unable to untie the knots of karma binding their hearts. Or even if able to begin to unravel those knots, they cannot undo them completely. The impulses of the senses are compared to the current of a mighty river like the Gag, which can never be stopped; without the special protection of the Supreme Lords internal energy in pure devotional service, no one can stop the incessant flow of sensory agitation. Nondevotee sannyss fall from their elevated status, therefore, whereas fully surrendered devotees never fall. While Ka was in the womb of Devak the demigods prayed: tath na te mdhava tvak kvacid bhrayanti mrgt tvayi baddha-sauhd O Mdhava, Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord of the goddess of fortune, if devotees completely in love with You sometimes fall from the path of
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devotion, they do not fall like nondevotees. (Bhgavatam 10.2.33) Though this statement concedes that pure devotees may in theory fall down, saintly authorities never accept that possibility. Paramahasa Vaiavas are solidly established in intimate friendship with the Supreme Lord; therefore they never fall into illusion under any circumstances. Impersonalists conceive of the Supreme Self as formless, or as a void. To reciprocate with them in kind, the Supreme Lord presents Himself to suit their taste, as the personified Vedas describe in their prayers. Viyata ivpadasya tava nya-tul dadhata: Just as the ethereal sky has no connection with perceptible qualities, so also You resemble a void. (Bhgavatam 10.87.29) The impersonal conception of the Supreme is deficient, however, because it ignores the essence of selfrealizationpure devotion for the Supreme Lords lotus feet. Thus only the faithful Vaiavas are true saints, sat, and everyone else is asat. Following the example of such saints, one who desires to succeed should take shelter of the son of Vasudeva and worship Him. Persons who spurn the protection of the Personality of Godhead are not Vaiavas. Without shelter they are in effect spiritual orphans. But the Vaiavas, under the Lords protection, free from fear, free to use all the activities of their senses in the Lords service, easily gain liberation from the bondage of material existence. And beyond that, at every moment they enjoy an abundance of fresher and fresher ecstasy that those who are merely liberated can never know. Impersonalist sannyss can obtain deliverance from the vast ocean of sasra only after long, severe endeavor, but the Supreme Lords devotees cross that ocean happily, effortlessly. As the presiding demigods of the causal elements prayed to Lord Viu at the beginning of creation: namma te deva padravinda
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prapanna-tpopaamtapatram yan-mla-ket yatayo jasorusasra-dukha bahir utkipanti O Lord, Your lotus feet are like an umbrella for the surrendered souls, protecting them from all the miseries of material existence. All the sages under that shelter easily throw off all material miseries. We therefore offer our respectful obeisances unto Your lotus feet. (Bhgavatam 3.5.39) Devotees who take full shelter of Lord Vius lotus feet are much more elevated than ordinary sages or sannyss. Such devotees abandon reliance on anything else and depend solely on the Lord. In contrast, impersonalist sannyss, by leaving their families and changing their dress, only seem to renounce materialism. In reality, however, when they subscribe to the Advaita idea of pure consciousness, they imagine themselves to be the Supreme Lord, Nryaa. Such a state of mind forces them to presume that everything they see or hear about, other than themselves, is an illusory product of their own My. These adherents of the Advaita Vednta philosophy call themselves yatis or sannyss, but they must be distinguished from the Vaiavas, whom the Bhgavatam designates as real saints. In fact the Advaita-vd yatis are not free from the reactions of their past and present sins, nor are their hearts cleansed of the taste for sense gratification. Though ignorant of the truth, they consider themselves learned, and their personal character is just like that of the demonic enemies of Viu and His devotees. As the demigods prayed to Ka while He was in the womb: ye nye ravindka vimukta-mninas tvayy asta-bhvd aviuddha-buddhaya ruhya kcchrea para pada tata patanty adho ndta-yumad-aghraya
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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. (Bhgavatam 10.2.32) The personified Vedas similarly prayed: yadi na samuddharanti yatayo hdi kma-ja duradhigamo sat hdi gato smta-kaha-mai asu-tpa-yoginm ubhayato py asukha bhagavann anapagatntakd anadhirha-padd bhavata Members of the renounced order who fail to uproot the last traces of material desire in their hearts remain impure, and thus You do not allow them to understand You. Although You are present within their hearts, for them You are like a jewel worn around the neck of a man who has totally forgotten that the jewel is there. O Lord, those who practice yoga only for sense gratification must suffer punishment both in this life and in the next: from death, who will not release them, and from You, whose kingdom they cannot reach. (Bhgavatam 10.87.39) According to the Yoga-vsiha-rmyaa: ajasyrdha-prabuddhasya sarva brahmeti yo vadet mah-naraka-jleu tenaiva viniyojita When an ignorant, half-conscious person declares Everything is Brahman, the result is that He becomes entangled in a network of most hellish existence. The Brahma-vaivarta Pura also states: viaya-sneha-sayukto
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brahmham iti yo vadet kalpa-koi-sahasri narake sa tu pacyate A person absorbed in enjoyment of sense objects who says I am Brahman will burn in hell for ten billion days of Brahm. And in another Pura we read: sasra-sukha-sayukta brahmham iti vdinam karma-brahma-paribhraa ta tyajed antyaja yath If a person absorbed in the pleasures of material life says I am Brahman, he is fallen both from Vedic duties and from transcendental engagements. He should be rejected like an outcaste. Before meeting Sarpa, the brhmaa from Mathur was ignorant of the glories of the Supreme Lords devotional service. But by the company of Sarpa, his saintly spiritual master, he at once became as successful as those who realize their spiritual identities after long disciplined efforts. Such is the power of association with pure Vaiavas. Earlier in this book, all kinds of spiritual practices were explained, but this special glory of Vaiava association was not. Vaiava association is the most sublime secret. It is the very best means of spiritual attainment and is in fact an essential aspect of the ultimate goal. TEXT 15 TaNMahaPa[eMarSaa<aRvauTaSa( Tataik-araeiMaRi>araicTaae >a*XaMa( ) ha k*-Z<a k*-Z<aeiTa ik-XaaerXae%r& Ta& dXaRYaSveiTa rav Sa iJa" ))

tadvan mah-prema-rasravplutas tat-tad-vikrormibhir cito bham h ka keti kiora-ekhara

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ta darayasveti rurva sa dvija

tadvatjust like him; mah-premaof pure love; rasa-aravain an ocean of spiritual tastes; plutasubmerged; tat-tatvarious; vikraof symptoms; rmibhiwith waves; citamarked; bhamthoroughly; halas; ka kaO Ka, Ka; itithus; kioraof youths; ekharamthe foremost; tamto Him; darayasvaplease show; iti thus; rurvacried; sahe; dvijathe brhmaa. The brhmaa was submerged, just like Sarpa, in an ocean of the tastes of pure exalted love. And his whole body, just like Sarpas, was filled with many symptoms of that love. He cried out to Ka, the foremost of youths, O Ka, Ka! Please show Yourself! TEXT 16 Ta*<a& Ga*hqTva dXaNaE" Sak-akuNaMaPa*C^TSa SaPaMaev ) criSQarPa[ai<aGa<aa& k*-Z<a" ku-Taae_iSTa d*ae_}a ik-Mau TvYaeiTa ))

ta ghtv daanai sa-kku namann apcchat sa sarpam eva cara-sthira-pri-ga ca ka kuto sti do tra kim u tvayeti
tama blade of grass; ghtvtaking; daanai with his teeth; sa-kkuwith plaintive cries; namanbowing down; apcchatasked; sahe; sarpam of Sarpa; evaindeed; caramoving; sthiraand nonmoving; pri-ganof the living entities; ca and; kaKa; kutawhere; astiis; da seen; atrahere; kim uwhether; tvayby you; iti thus. He placed a blade of grass between his teeth, bowed down, and with plaintive cries asked of Sarpaand of all moving and nonmoving living beingsWhere is Ka? Have you seen Him here? Commentary: The brhmaas voice expressed fear and
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sorrow. TEXT 17 NaaMaaiNa k*-Z<aSYa MaNaaerMaai<a SaqTaRYa&STaSYa PadaE Ga*hqTva ) Pa[eMaaiBDaMaGanSYa Gaurae raed TaTPa[eMad*ya ivvXaSYa ivPa[" ))

nmni kasya mano-rami sakrtayas tasya padau ghtv prembdhi-magnasya guro ruroda tat-prema-dy vivaasya vipra
nmnithe names; kasyaof Ka; mana-rami enchanting; sakrtayanchanting loudly; tasyahis (Sarpas); padautwo feet; ghtvtaking hold of; premaof pure love; abdhiin an ocean; magnasyawho was drowning; guroof his guru; rurodacried; tat his; premalove; dyby seeing; vivaasyabeside himself; viprathe brhmaa. Loudly chanting the all-attractive names of Ka, the brhmaa clutched Sarpas feet. The brhmaa saw that Sarpa, his guru, was drowning in an ocean of love and had lost control of himself by witnessing the love in him, and so the brhmaa wept.Commentary: r Sarpa was already constantly submerged in an ocean of ka-prema, but seeing his disciple transformed plunged him into even deeper ecstasy. Now both guru and disciple were utterly immersed in happiness. TEXT 18 +a<aaNMahaPa[eMaJaveNa YaiN}aTaae vNae MahaeNMatavduiTQaTaae >a[MaNa( ) ivMaUi^RTaSTa}a Sa k-<$=k-aicTae k-rqrku-e iNaPaPaaTa MaaQaur" ))

kan mah-prema-javena yantrito vane mahonmatta-vad utthito bhraman vimrchitas tatra sa kaakcite karra-kuje nipapta mthura
katafter a moment; mah-premaof exalted pure
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love; javenaby an upswell; yantritaimpelled; vanein the forest; mah-unmatta-vatlike a completely insane person; utthitagetting up; bhramanwandering; vimrchitafainting; tatra there; sa-kaaka-citefull of thorns; karraof karra trees; kujein a grove; nipaptafell down; mthurathe Mathur brhmaa. A moment later, compelled by a great upsurge of love, the Mathur brhmaa got up and began to wander in the forest. There he fainted and fell into a thorny grove of karra trees. TEXT 19 MaaTa" SaPaev iviMai[Taa Gava& hMbarvEveR<auivza<aiNa-<aa" ) TaaEMbeYavq<aadl/vacicRTaa JaaTaa Ga>aqra MaDaura ivdUrTa" ))

mta sapady eva vimirit gav hamb-ravair veu-via-nikka taumbeya-v-dala-vdya-carcit jt gabhr madhur vidrata
mtadear mother; sapadiat that moment; evajust; vimiritwhich were mixed; gavmof the cows; hamb-ravaiwith the mooing; veuof flutes; viaof horns; nikkathe sounds; taumbeyamade of gourds; vby vs; dalamade of leaves; vdyaand by horns; carcitjoined; jt appearing; gabhrrich; madhurand sweet; vidratafrom a distance. Dear rich with made mother, all of a sudden, from a distance, came and sweet sounds of flutes and horns, mixed the mooing of cows and the sounds of vs from gourds, and whistles made from leaves. TEXT 20 TaaE Pa[aiPaTaaE baeDaMaMaqi>aiTQaTaaE TaqgaRNaadai>aMau%e_>YaDaavTaaMa( ) GaaePaal/dev& TaMaPaXYaTaaMaQaae SauXYaaMaGaa}auiTaMa<@l/aeJJvl/Ma( ))

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tau prpitau bodham ambhir utthitau tad-drgha-ndbhimukhe bhyadhvatm gopla-deva tam apayatm atho su-yma-gtra-dyuti-maalojjvalam
tauthey two; prpitau bodhamrestored to consciousness; ambhiby these (sounds); utthitau rising; tatof that; drghapersistent; ndasound; abhimukhein the direction; abhyadhvatmran; gopla-devamGopladeva; tamHim; apayatmthey saw; atha uthen; su-ymawhich was beautifully dark; gtrafrom His body; dyuti-maalawith a ring of effulgence; ujjvalamwho was brilliant. Awakened by the persistent sounds, Sarpa and the brhmaa ran in its direction. Then they saw Gopladeva, His body beautifully dark, encircled by a brilliant effulgence. TEXT 21 PaXaUNPaYa" PaaYaiYaTau& vYaSYaE" SaMa& ivhTau| Tar<ae" SauTaaYaaMa( ) GaJaeNd]l/Il/aicRTaNa*TYaGaTYaa= iNTake- SaMaaYaaNTaMaNaNTal/Il/Ma( ))

pan paya pyayitu vayasyai sama vihartu tarae sutym gajendra-llrcita-ntya-gatyntike samyntam ananta-llam
panthe animals; payawater; pyayitumto have drink; vayasyaiwith His friends; samamtogether; vihartumto play; taraeof the sun; sutym within the daughter (the Yamun); gaja-indraof the elephant king; llaby the sporting; arcita honored; ntyadancing; gatywith a gait; antike near; samyntamwho was coming; anantaunlimited; llamwhose pastimes. That Lord of unlimited pastimes was coming nearby to water His animals and play with His friends in the Yamun, daughter of the sun. As He approached,
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He danced with a gait worthy of honor from the playful walk of the king of elephants. Commentary: There is no limit to Kas enjoyment. As both guru and disciple looked on, Ka approached the Yamun, with more than one purpose in mind: He wanted to let His cows and other animals drink from the Yamun, He wanted to play with the cowherd boys in the water, and He also wanted to meet the gops, who would later take Him across the river in a boat. Ka and His friends, while coming near, were throwing balls and imitating the forest creatures and playing in various other ways. TEXT 22 Svk-IYakE-XaaerMahaiv>aUz<a& ivic}al/av<YaTarSaaGarMa( ) JaGaNMaNaaeNae}aMauda& ivvDaRNa& MauhuMauRhuNaURTaNaMaaDaurq>a*TaMa( ))

svakya-kaiora-mah-vibhaa vicitra-lvaya-taraga-sgaram jagan-mano-netra-mud vivardhana muhur muhur ntana-mdhur-bhtam

svakyaHis own; kaiorayouth; mahprincipal; vibhaamwhose ornament; vicitrawonderful; lvayaof beauty; taragawith waves; sgaraman ocean; jagatof the world; manathe mind; netra the eyes; mudmthe joy; vivardhanamincreasing; muhu muhuagain and again; ntananew; mdhur sweetness; bhtamassuming. His chief ornament was His unique youth. He was an ocean filled with wonderful waves of beauty. Ever adorned with newer and newer charms, He redoubled the joy of everyones mind and eyes. TEXT 23 iNa"XaezSa+a<aSauNdra& NaqPaavTa&Sa& iXai%iPaC^cU@Ma( ) Mau-avl/IMai<@Tak-Mbuk-<#&= k-aEXaeYaPaqTaaMbrYauGMadqMa( ))
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niea-sal-lakaa-sundarga npvatasa ikhi-piccha-cam muktval-maita-kambu-kaha kaueya-ptmbara-yugma-dptam

nieaall; sat-lakaawith auspicious signs; sundarabeautiful; agamwhose body; npaof kadamba garlands; avatasamwhose ornament of the ears; ikhi-picchaof a peacock feather; cam whose head ornament; mukta-valby a string of pearls; maitadecorated; kambulike a conch; kahamwhose neck; kaueyaof silk; ptayellow; ambaraof garments; yugmaby the pair; dptam brilliant. All auspicious signs marked His beautiful body. Garlands of kadamba flowers adorned His ears, and a peacock feather His hair. A string of pearls decorated His conchlike neck. And His yellow silken garments, upper and lower, shone brilliantly. Commentary: As described in such texts as the Smudrika (3), these are the bodily signs of a mah-purua, or great person: paca-skma paca-drgha sapta-rakta a-unnata tri-hrasva-pthu-gambhro dv-trial-lakao mahn A great person is marked in thirty-two ways: Five parts of his body are tender, five long, seven red, six high, three short, three broad, and three deep. The five tender parts of a mah-puruas body are the skin, teeth, and finger joints, the hair on the head, and the hair on the body. The five long parts are the nose, chin, eyes, arms, and knees. The seven red parts are the nails, the palate, the upper and lower lips, the edges of the eyes, and the surface of the feet and hands. The six high parts are the nose, mouth, nails, chest,
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waist, and shoulders. The three short parts are the neck, ankles, and genitals. The three broad parts are the waist, chest, and forehead. And the three deep parts are the voice, navel, and intelligence. TEXT 24 GauaMahaharivl/Mb>aUizTa= [qvTSal/+MYaal/YaPaqNav+aSaMa( ) iSa&heNd]MaDYa& XaTaiSa&hiv-Ma& SaaE>aaGYaSaaraicRTaPaadPaJaMa( ))

guj-mah-hra-vilamba-bhitarvatsa-lakmy-laya-pna-vakasam sihendra-madhya ata-siha-vikrama saubhgya-srrcita-pda-pakajam

gujmade of guj berries; mah-hraby a long garland; vilambahanging; bhitaadorned; rvatsathe rvatsa mark; lakmand of the goddess of fortune; layathe home; pnabroad; vakasamwhose chest; siha-indraof a kingly lion; madhyamthe middle part; ataone hundred; sihaof lions; vikramamwhose prowess; saubhgyaof good fortune; sraby the essence; arcitaworshiped; pdawhose feet; pakajamlotuslike. On His broad chest, home to the rvatsa mark and Lakm, hung a long garland of guj berries. His waist was like a kingly lions, His prowess like that of hundreds of lions. The essence of all good fortune worshiped His lotus feet. Commentary: A handsome lion may be proud of its narrow waist, but Kas waist defeats that pride. Ka is lionlike not only in external appearance but also in His strength and courage, which cannot be equaled by hundreds of lions together. TEXT 25 k-dMbGauaTaul/SaqiXa%<@= Pa[val/Maal/avil/caveXaMa( ) k-$=ITa$=IraiJaTaic}aPauZPa= k-aqivl/Mba!yiNaTaMbdeXaMa( ))

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kadamba-guj-tulas-ikhaapravla-mlvali-cru-veam ka-ta-rjita-citra-pupakc-vilambhya-nitamba-deam
kadambaof kadamba flowers; gujguj berries; tulastulas leaves; ikhaafrom the ikhaa plant; pravlaand sprouts; mla-avaliwith many garlands; cruattractive; veamwhose dress; kaawhose waistline; rjitaadorned; citra various, colorful; pupawith flowers; kcof His belt; vilambaby the way of hanging; hya beautified; nitamba-deamwhose hips. Garlands of kadamba flowers, guj berries, tulas leaves, and ikhaa sprouts beautified His dress. Variously colored flowers adorned His waist, and His belt hung in a way that beautified His hips.TEXT 26 SaaEv<aRidVYaadk-<aaeSad(= v*taaYaTaSQaUl/>auJaai>araMaMa( ) ibMbaDarNYaSTaMaNaaejve<au= vaaeSaTPak-raul/Ik-Ma( ))

sauvara-divygada-kakaollasadvttyata-sthla-bhujbhirmam bimbdhara-nyasta-manoja-veuvdyollasat-padma-kargulkam
sauvaragold; divyasplendid; agadawith armlets; kakaaand bangles; ullasatshining; vttaround; ayatabroad; sthlastout; bhujawhose arms; abhirmampleasing to see; bimba-adharaon His lips, red like bimba fruit; nyastaheld; manoja charming; veuon His flute; vdyaplaying; ullasatshining; padma-karaof whose lotus hands; agulkamthe fingers. His armsround, broad, and stout and pleasing to the eyesshone with splendid golden armlets and bracelets. The fingers of His lotus hands happily played on His charming flute as He held it to His
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bimba-red lips. TEXT 27 SvaeTPa[ei+aTaaPaaEivRk-ve<auGaqTa= >aqSauDaaMaaeihTaivl/aek-Ma( ) iTaYaRGMaNaaGl/ael/ivl/aek-l/Il/a= l/arSa&l/ail/Tal/aecNaaBJaMa( ))

svotprekitpaurvika-veu-gtabhag-sudh-mohita-viva-lokam tiryag-mang-lola-viloka-lllakra-sallita-locanbjam
sva-utprekitaanticipated only by Him; apaurvika unprecedented; veu-gtaof the flutes song; bhagof the embellishments; sudhby the nectar; mohitabewildered; viva-lokamthe entire universe; tiryaksideways; mankslight; lolaunsteady; vilokaof the glances; llaof the play; alakra by the decoration; sallitacomplemented; locanaabjamwhose lotus eyes. The unprecedented embellishments of His flute song, anticipated by Him alone, bewildered all the universe like an intoxicating nectar. And the restless play of His glances, sidelong and slight, gently decorated His lotus eyes. TEXT 28 caPaaePaMa>a[UYauGaNaTaRNa[q= Sa&viDaRTaPa[eZYaJaNaaNauraGaMa( ) [qMaTSadaSMaerMau%arivNd= Xaae>aaSaMaak*-MauNaqNd]ictaMa( ))

cpopama-bhr-yuga-nartana-rsavardhita-preya-jannurgam rmat-sad-smera-mukhravindaobh-samka-munndra-cittam
cpato bows; upamacomparable; bhr-yugaof whose two eyebrows; nartanaof the dancing; rby the splendor; savardhitanourished; preya-janaof His servants; anurgamthe loving attraction; rmat
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beautiful; sadalways; smerasmiling; mukhaaravindaof whose lotus face; obhby the beauty; samkaattracted; muni-indraof the best of sages; cittamthe hearts. The splendid dance of His eyebrows, a pair of archers bows, nourished His servants loving feelings. And His beautiful ever-smiling lotus face attracted the hearts of the best of sages. Commentary: Ka is the transcendental Cupid. As Cupid carries a bow from which he shoots flower arrows of desire into the hearts of conditioned souls, so Ka arches His eyebrows into a shape like Cupids bow, and when He equips this weapon with His invincible smile, the gravity of selfsatisfied mystics is soundly defeated. TEXT 29 iTal/Pa[SaUNaaetaMaNaaiSak-aGa[Taae ivraJaMaaNaEk-GaJaeNd]MaaEi-k-Ma( ) k-daiPa GaaeDaUil/iv>aUizTaal/k-= iref-SaM>aal/NaTaae l/SaTk-rMa( ))

tila-prasnottama-nsikgrato virjamnaika-gajendra-mauktikam kadpi go-dhli-vibhitlakadvirepha-sambhlanato lasat-karam

tilasesame; prasnalike a flower; uttama exquisite; nsikof whose nose; agrataon the tip; virjamnashining; ekaa single; gaja-indra from a lordly elephant; mauktikampearl; kad api sometimes; go-dhliwith dust raised by the cows; vibhitaadorned; alakawhose locks of hair; dvirephathe bees; sambhlanataby warding off; lasatcharming; karamwhose hand. On the tip of His exquisite nose, which resembled a sesame flower, shone a single pearl born from the forehead of a lordly elephant. Now and then His hand would gracefully brush aside the bees of His locks of hair, which were adorned with dust raised
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by the cows. Commentary: The gama scripture confirms that on the tip of His nose Lord Gopla wears a rare pearl taken from an elephants brow: nsgre gajamauktikam. TEXT 30 SaUYaaRTMaJaaMa*d]icTaaeRPau<@\= Sf-ITaaDaRcNd]ak*-iTa>aal/PaMa( ) NaaNaaid]DaaTauPa[iTaici}aTaa& NaaNaaMaharTariSaNDauMa( ))

srytmaj-md-racitordhva-purasphtrdha-candrkti-bhla-paam nndri-dhtu-praticitritga nn-mah-raga-taraga-sindhum

sryaof the sun; tma-jof the daughter (r Yamun); mtwith clay; racitafashioned; rdhvapurawith vertical tilaka; sphtasplendorous; ardha-candraof a half moon; ktiin the shape; bhlaof whose forehead; paamthe surface; nn various; adrifrom mountains; dhtuwith minerals; praticitritapainted; agamthe limbs of whose body; nnvarious; mahhuge; ragaof pleasure; taragawith waves; sindhumocean. His broad forehead, shaped like a half moon, glowed with the splendor of His straight-up tilaka, formed with clay from the Yamun. His limbs were painted with designs made with various mountain minerals. He was an ocean full of huge waves of sportive pastimes. Commentary: r Yamun took birth as the daughter of Vivasvn, the sun-god, and assumed the form of the most sacred of rivers, flowing through the land of Kas favorite pastimes. To further expand her glories, Ka wears clay from her banks as His auspicious tilaka. He also paints designs on His body with local minerals like red gairika and yellow haritla. TEXT 31
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iSQaTva i}a>aql/il/Ta& k-daicNa( NaMaaRi<a v&XYaa bhu vadYaNTaMa( ) TaEhaRSaYaNTa& iNaJaiMa}avGaaRNa( >aUiMa& PadE" SvE" Pair>aUzYaNTaMa( ))

sthitv tri-bhag-lalita kadcin narmi vay bahu vdayantam tair hsayanta nija-mitra-vargn bhmi padai svai paribhayantam
sthitvby standing; tri-bhagin a threefoldbending posture; lalitamcharming; kadcit sometimes; narmientertainment; vaywith His flute; bahuvariously; vdayantamplaying; taiby these; hsayantammaking laugh; nijaHis own; mitra-vargnmany friends; bhmimthe earth; padaiwith the feet; svaiHis; paribhayantam decorating everywhere. Standing in His charming threefold-bending pose, sometimes He played various entertaining melodies on His flute, making His dear friends laugh. His feet decorated the earth in all directions. Commentary: As Ka wanders to every corner of Vraja, He leaves the ground marked with His footprints. TEXT 32 Taad*GvYaaeveXavTaaGa[JaNMaNaa Naql/a&Xauk-al/&k*==TaGaaErk-aiNTaNaa ) raMae<a Yau&- rMa<aqYaMaUiTaRNaa TaEaTMaTauLYaE" Sai%i>a" iPa[YaEv*RTaMa( ))

tdg-vayo-veavatgrajanman nluklakta-gaura-kntin rmea yukta ramaya-mrtin tai ctma-tulyai sakhibhi priyair vtam
tdksimilar; vayain age; vea-vatand dress; agra-janmanwith His elder brother; nlablue; aukawith fine garments; alaktabedecked; gaurawhite; kntinwhose complexion; rmeawith Balarma; yuktamtogether; ramayamost
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attractive; mrtinwhose body; taithose; caand; tma-tulyaisimilar to Himself; sakhibhiby friends; priyaidear; vtamsurrounded. Surrounding Him on all sides were dear friends, whose appearance resembled His. And He stood with His elder brother Rma, whose complexion was white, who was bedecked with blue silk garments, whose body was most attractive, and whose age and dress were just like His own. TEXT 33 TaXaRNaaeUTaMahaMaudavl/I= >aare<a Gaa!eNa iNaPaaiTaTaaE ih TaaE ) d<@Pa[<aaMaaQaRiMavaXau PaeTaTau" SaM>a[aiNTaiv&iSaTaSavRNaEPau<aaE ))

tad-daranodbhta-mah-mudvalbhrea ghena niptitau hi tau daa-pramrtham ivu petatu sambhrnti-vidhvasita-sarva-naipuau

tatHim; daranafrom seeing; udbhtaarisen; mahmudaof great joy; valof the series; bhreaby the burden; ghenapersistent; niptitaumade to fall down; hiindeed; tauthose two; daa-prama of offering prostrate obeisances; arthamfor the sake; ivaas if; usuddenly; petatuthey dropped; sambhrntiin their excitement; vidhvasitalost; sarvaall; naipuaucompetence. The weight of the persistent heavy joy of seeing Ka made the two devotees fall. Indeed, they suddenly threw themselves to the ground as if to offer prostrate obeisances, all their competence lost in the excitement of the moment. Commentary: In this situation, both guru and disciple forgot themselves. In no condition to carry out their social roles, they simply threw themselves helplessly at the feet of r Gopladeva, unable even to coherently offer prayers.
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TEXT 34 Sa c iPa[YaPa[eMavXa" Pa[DaavNa( SaMaaGaTaae hzR>are<a MauGDa" ) TaYaaePaYaeRv PaPaaTa dqgaR= Maha>auJaa>Yaa& Pairr>Ya TaaE aE ))

sa ca priya-prema-vaa pradhvan samgato hara-bharea mugdha tayor upary eva papta drghamah-bhujbhy parirabhya tau dvau
saHe (Lord Gopla); caand; priyafor His dear devotees; premaof love; vaaunder the control; pradhvanrunning; samgatareaching; harabhareabecause of the burden of joy; mugdha fainting; tayoof them; uparion top; evaeven; paptafell; drghalong; mahmighty; bhujbhym with His two arms; parirabhyaembracing; tauthem; dvauthe two. The Lord, compelled by His love for His dear devotees, ran toward them. And when He reached them He fainted and fell on top of them, embracing them both with His long, mighty arms. TEXT 35 Pa[eMaa[uDaarai>arhae MahaPa[>au" Sa aPaYaaMaaSa k*-Paad]RMaaNaSa" ) +a<aaTSaMauTQaaYa k-rYaeNa Taav( oTQaaPaYaaMaaSa ck-ar c iSQaraE ))

premru-dhrbhir aho mah-prabhu sa snpaym sa kprdra-mnasa kat samutthya kara-dvayena tv utthpaym sa cakra ca sthirau
prema-aruof tears of love; dhrbhiwith a shower; ahooh; mah-prabhuthe supreme master; saHe; snpaym sabathed; kpwith compassion; rdramelting; mnasaHis heart; katafter a moment; samutthyastanding up; kara-dvayenawith both hands; tauthe two of them; utthpaym sa picked up; cakramade them; caand; sthirau
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steady. Imagine! That supreme master, His heart melting with compassion, bathed them with a shower of tears of love! In a moment He stood up, lifted the two devotees from the ground with both hands, and steadied them. TEXT 36 SaMMaaJaRYa[u rJa Gaa}ae l/Gan& dYaalu/MauRhurail/il/ ) Ta}aEv Taa>YaaMauPaivXYa >aUMaaE vaKYaaMa*TaEivRPa[MaTaaezYa ))

sammrjayann aru raja ca gtre lagna daylur muhur liliga tatraiva tbhym upaviya bhmau vkymtair vipram atoayac ca
sammrjayanwiping off; aruthe tears; rajadust; caand; gtreon their bodies; lagnamsmeared; daylumerciful; muhurepeatedly; liligaHe embraced; tatrathere; evajust; tbhymwith them; upaviyasitting; bhmauon the ground; vkyawith words; amtaiwhich were like nectar; vipramthe brhmaa; atoayatHe satisfied; caand. Wiping off the tears and dust smeared on their bodies, the merciful Lord embraced them both over and over again And right at that spot, He sat on the ground with them and spoke nectarean words to please the brhmaa. TEXT 37 [q>aGavaNauvac MaaQauraNauGa*hqTaaYaR ivPa[v&XaaiBDacNd]Ma" ) +aeMa& [qJaNaXaMa|STae k-id]aJaiTa SavRTa" ))

r-bhagavn uvca mthurnughtrya vipra-vabdhi-candrama kema r-janaarmas te kaccid rjati sarvata

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r-bhagavn uvcathe Personality of Godhead said; mthurahailing from Mathur; anughtaO blessed; ryaand noble one; vipraof brhmaas; vaaof the dynasty; abdhifrom the ocean; candramaO moon; kemamwelfare; r-jana-armanO r Janaarm; teyour; kaccitwhether; rjatiis splendid; sarvatain all respects. The Supreme Lord said: Blessed and noble Mathur brhmaa, r Janaarm! You are the moon born from the ocean of the dynasty of brhmaas! Are your peace and well-being resplendent in every way? Commentary: As the moon by its gravitational force swells the ocean with high tides, so a brhmaa by his noble qualities exalts his family. From r Kas mouth we now hear for the first time the name of the Mathur brhmaa. TEXT 38 +aeMa& SaPairvarSYa MaMa TvdNau>aavTa" ) TvTk*-Paak*-ictaae_iSMa iNaTYa& TvTMaRvq+ak-" ))

kema sa-parivrasya mama tvad-anubhvata tvat-kpka-citto smi nitya tvad-vartma-vkaka

kemamthe welfare; sa-parivrasyawith My family; mamaof Me; tvatyour; anubhvataby the influence; tvatyour; kpby mercy; ka attracted; cittawhose heart; asmiI am; nityam always; tvatyour; vartmato the path; vkaka looking. Only by your influence are My family and I well. By your mercy, My heart is attracted to you. I have always looked toward the path by which you would come. Commentary: Ka wants very much to please Janaarm with a warm welcome. He honestly feels that the brhmaas arrival is auspicious for Him. He has been awaiting Janaarms arrival for a long
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time. TEXT 39 idya SMa*Taae_iSMa >avTaa idya d*iradiSa ) SvaDaqNaae_iSMa Tav b]NrMaSva}a Yad*C^Yaa ))

diy smto smi bhavat diy da cird asi svdhno smi tava brahman ramasvtra yadcchay
diyby good fortune; smtaremembered; asmiI am; bhavatby you; diyby good fortune; da seen; cirtafter a long time; asiyou are; svaadhnaunder control; asmiI am; tavayour; brahmandear brhmaa; ramasvaplease enjoy; atra here; yadcchayas you like. By good fortune you have remembered Me, and by good fortune I have seen you again after so long. Dear brhmaa, I am totally under your control. Please feel free to enjoy here as you like. TEXT 40 [qParqi+aduvac SaMaGa[SaM>a[MaPa[eMaaNaNd>aare<a YaiN}aTa" ) NaaXak-TPa[iTavu-& Ta& JaNaXaMaaRiPa vqi+aTauMa( ))

r-parkid uvca samagra-sambhrama-premnanda-bhrea yantrita nakat prativaktu ta janaarmpi vkitum

r-parkit uvcar Parkit said; samagra total; sambhramaof reverence; prema-nandaand of the ecstasy of love; bhreaby a flood; yantrita carried away; na aakatwas unable; prativaktumto reply; tamto Him; janaarmJanaarm; apieven; vkitumto look. r Parkit said: Swept away by a great flood of loving ecstasy, Janaarm, completely awed, was
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unable to reply to Ka or even look at Him directly. TEXT 41 baZPaSa&k-<#=" SaaePahTal/aecNa" ) Par& Tar<aaM>aaeJae MaUiDNaR Da*TvadtaraMa( ))

bpa-saruddha-kaha sann asropahata-locana para tac-carambhoje mrdhni dhtvrudat-tarm

bpawith sobs; saruddhachoking; kahahis throat; sanbeing; asraby tears; upahatablocked; locanahis eyes; paramonly; tatHis (Kas); caraa-ambhojeon the lotus feet; mrdhnihis head; dhtvputting; arudat-tarmhe cried profusely. His throat choking with sobs, his eyes burning with tears, all he could do was place his head on Kas lotus feet and cry profusely. TEXT 42 vdaNYacU@aMai<araTMaNaae_iDak&ik-MaPYaPaXYaNPa[iTadeYaMaaku-l/" ) Sv>aUz<aaiNa VYaPak*-ZYa Gaa}aTaae iv>aUZYa TaESTa& ivdDae SaPavTa( ))

vadnya-cmair tmano dhika kim apy apayan pratideyam kula sva-bhani vyapakya gtrato vibhya tais ta vidadhe sarpa-vat
vadnyaof munificent persons; cmaithe crest jewel; tmanathan Himself; adhikambetter; kim apianything; apayannot seeing; pratideyamto be offered as a gift; kulafeeling distressed; sva His own; bhaniornaments; vyapakyaremoving; gtratafrom His body; vibhyadecorating; tai with them; tamhim (Janaarm); vidadheHe made; sarpa-vatsimilar to Sarpa. TRANSLATION Lord Ka, that crest jewel of munificent persons,
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was distressed because He could not find anything better than Himself to offer as a gift. So He removed the ornaments from His own body and decorated the brhmaa with them, making him look like Sarpa. Commentary: This learned brhmaa has offered Me his very self, Ka thought, but in return I must give him something more valuable than My self; otherwise I wont be showing any more generosity than I normally do. But I cant find anything more precious than My self. What can I give him? Thinking like this made Ka anxious. He then decided to give Janaarm something He had never before given to anyoneHis own ornaments. But Ka had to consider seriously before He made that decision, because to give such a gift would verify that He considers His devotees more important than Himself. Along with His ornaments, Ka also gave Janaarm a cowherds form similar to Sarpas. TEXT 43 wTQaMaaTMaaNauPaa& Sa VYaTaNaaeTParMaa& k*-PaaMa( ) JaNaXaMaaRiPa TaeNaEv PairPaU<aaRQaRTaa& GaTa" ))

ittham tmnurp sa vyatanot param kpm janaarmpi tenaiva pariprrthat gata

itthamin this way; tmafor Himself only; anurpmsuitable; saHe (Ka); vyatanot bestowed; parammthe highest; kpmmercy; janaarmJanaarm; apiand; tenaby that; eva indeed; paripracomplete; arthatma feeling of success; gataachieved. In this way Ka bestowed on Janaarm a supreme mercy that only He could give. And Janaarm felt completely fulfilled. Commentary: By converting the dry brhmaa Janaarm into a young cowherd fit to join the
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assembly of intimate cowherd friends, Ka proved that in giving mercy He is unsurpassed. And Janaarm, having attained a form like his own gurus, was fully satisfied; like all pure devotees, he aspired only to advance in devotional service to the Lord. As Ka Himself told Uddhava: na pramehya na mahendra-dhiya na srvabhauma na rasdhipatyam na yoga-siddhr apunar-bhava v mayy arpittmecchati mad vinnyat One who has fixed his consciousness on Me does not desire the position or abode of Lord Brahm or Lord Indra, nor an empire on earth, nor sovereignty in the lower planetary systems, nor the eightfold perfection of yoga, nor liberation from birth and death. Such a person desires Me alone. (Bhgavatam 11.14.14) na kicit sdhavo dhr bhakt hy ekntino mama vchanty api may datta kaivalyam apunar-bhavam Because My devotees are possessed of saintly behavior and deep intelligence, they completely dedicate themselves to Me and desire nothing besides Me, even if I offer them liberation from birth and death. (Bhgavatam 11.20.34) Lord Kapiladeva similarly tells His mother: slokya-sri-smpyasrpyaikatvam apy uta dyamna na ghanti vin mat-sevana jan Even if I offer My pure devotees any kind of liberationslokya, sri, smpya, srpya, or ekatvathey do not accept it without my devotional
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service. (Bhgavatam 3.29.13) In the liberated state, five kinds of perfection are available residence on the same planet as the Supreme Lord (slokya), opulence equal to His (sri), access to His personal presence (smpya), a form similar in appearance to His (srpya), and oneness with Him (ekatva). But without devotional service, the Lords pure devotees refuse these perfections even when offered by the Lord Himself. Certainly, then, pure devotees harbor no hidden desires to achieve such rewards. Lord Kapila also says:

naiktmat me sphayanti kecin mat-pda-sevbhirat mad-h ye nyonyato bhgavat prasajya sabhjayante mama paurui
Pure devotees, attached to the activities of devotional service and always engaging in the service of My lotus feet, never desire to become one with Me. Such devotees unflinchingly engage in My service and always join together to glorify My pastimes and activities. (Bhgavatam 3.25.34) As Lord Nryaa tells Durvs Muni: mat-sevay pratta te slokydi-catuayam necchanti sevay pr kuto nyat kla-viplutam My devotees, always satisfied to be engaged in My loving service, are not interested even in the four principles of liberation [slokya, srpya, smpya, and sri], though these are automatically achieved by their service. What then is to be said of such perishable happiness as elevation to the higher planetary systems? (Bhgavatam 9.4.67) The wives of the serpent Kliya pray:
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na nka-pha na ca srva-bhauma na pramehya na rasdhipatyam na yoga-siddhr apunar-bhava v vchanti yat-pda-raja-prapann Those who have attained the dust of Your lotus feet never hanker for the kingship of heaven, nor limitless sovereignty, nor the position of Brahm, nor rulership over the earth. They are not interested even in the perfections of yoga or in liberation itself. (Bhgavatam 10.16.37) And the queens of Ka confide to r Draupad: na vaya sdhvi smrjya svrjya bhaujyam apy uta vairjya pramehya v nantya v hare padam kmaymaha etasya rmat-pda-raja riya kuca-kukuma-gandhhya mrdhn vohu gad-bhta O saintly lady, we do not desire dominion over the earth, nor the sovereignty of the king of heaven, nor unlimited means for enjoyment. Nor do we desire mystic power, or the position of Lord Brahm, or immortality, or even attainment of the kingdom of God. We simply desire to carry on our heads the glorious dust of Lord Kas feet, dust enriched by the fragrance of kukuma from His consorts bosom. (Bhgavatam 10.83.4142) The words smrjyam and svrjyam mean, respectively, rulership over the earth and rulership over heaven. Bhaujyam refers to the means for enjoyment that both kinds of sovereignty make available, and vairjyam refers to the powers (siddhis) of mystic yogs. The Bahvca Brhmaa gives alternative meanings to these words, referring to them in the same order to
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describe lordship over each of the four cardinal directions, beginning with the east. Kas queens have no interest in such lordship. Nor have they any interest in the opulences called pramehyam (the position of Brahm), nantyam (liberation), or residence in Vaikuha, the abode of r Hari. They want only the dust of Kas feet. Why? Because it is mixed with the aroma of goddess Lakms kukuma. This is another way of saying that Mahlakm aspires to serve Ka even though Brahm and all the demigods serve her. Mah-lakm is also one of Kas wives, and the dust from His feet mixes with her kukuma. Therefore the queens of Dvrak are eager to have that dust. The queens will accept dust only from the feet of the darling son of Devak, not from the feet of any other form of God, because only in r Devak-nandana can they find an unlimited ocean of sweetness. The supreme goddess of fortune who associates with that original form of Godhead is rmat Rukmi, His first queen. As the queens reveal in the next verse they speak, the women of Vraja also hanker to obtain that same dust: vraja-striyo yad vchanti pulindyas ta-vrudha gva crayato gop pada-spara mahtmana We desire the same contact with the Supreme Lords feet that the young women of Vraja desire, and the cowherd boys, and even the aborigine Pulinda women the touch of the dust He leaves on the plants and grass as He tends His cows. (Bhgavatam 10.83.43) That the gops of Vraja aspire for the dust of Kas feet proves beyond any doubt that His feet are the repository of ultimate sweetness. As difficult as it is to obtain that dust, it is easy for devotees like the Vraja-vss, who are fully dedicated to Ka.
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The queens want the mercy of Ka with His supreme consort, not His alone. Ka may sometimes remain satisfied within Himself, but pure Vaiavas like the queens of Dvrak are not interested in that aspect of His personality. They want to serve Him in the company of His pleasure potency. They want to know Him as the topmost enjoyer of intimate loving exchanges. Gopa-kumra had a similar attitude. He always wanted to find r Madanagopla in His original form. Gopa-kumra had opportunities to see and associate with the Supreme Lord in many different places, but he became satisfied only when he finally met Ka in Vrajabhmi. To achieve ultimate perfection, devotees should first gain the darana, the divine vision, of r Ka. Kas darana arises from the playful impulses of devotional service and stimulates extreme happiness in Kas fortunate devotees. It is the prime means for achieving Him completely. TEXT 44 AQaaPaae_PaaYaYae<auSaeTaiNaNaa PaXaUNa( ) SaMaahUYa ivic}ae<a Mau%XaBdeNa ke-NaicTa( ))

athpo pyayad veusaketa-dhvanin pan samhya vicitrea mukha-abdena kenacit

athathen; apawater; apyayatHe made drink; veufrom His flute; saketaof a signal; dhvanin with a sound; panthe animals; samhyacalling; vicitreaspecial; mukhafrom the mouth; abdenaby a sound; kenacitcertain. Then Ka, with a signal from His flute and a special sound from His mouth, called the cows and made them drink water. Commentary: Immediately after giving the brhmaa mercy, Ka turned His attention to watering His cows, buffaloes, and other animals.
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TEXT 45 TaeNaEv Sau%deXaezu TaaiDYaaePaveXYa c ) Taa>YaaMaNYaE Sai%i>aivRJaharaPSau SaaGa[Ja" ))

tenaiva sukha-deeu tn nirudhyopaveya ca tbhym anyai ca sakhibhir vijahrpsu sgraja

tenawith that (sound); evaonly; sukha comfortable; deeuin places; tnthem (the animals); nirudhyastopping; upaveyamaking sit; caand; tbhymwith them (Sarpa and Janaarm); anyaiwith other; caand; sakhibhifriends; vijahraHe played; apsuin the water; sa-agra-ja with His elder brother. And just by that same peculiar sound, He made the animals stop and lie down in comfortable places. Then with the two devotees and His elder brother and His other friends, He played in the water. TEXT 46 ParSPar& vaYaRi>aizTa" Sa%qNa( k-daicduiT+aPYa Jal/aiNa >aYaeTa( ) k-daiPa TaErev ivNaaedk-aeivdae ivl/iM>aTaae >a>ar& JahzR Sa" ))

paraspara vry abhiicata sakhn kadcid utkipya jalni bhajayet kadpi tair eva vinoda-kovido vilambhito bhaga-bhara jahara sa
parasparamone another; vriwith water; abhiicatawho were splashing; sakhnHis friends; kadcitsometimes; utkipyasplashing; jalniwater; bhajayetHe would shower them with waves; kadpisometimes; taiby them (the boys); evaindeed; vinoda-kovidathe expert in sports; vilambhitasubjected; bhaga-bharamto a torrent of waves; jaharadelighted; saHe. Now and then Ka would come near His friends who
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were splashing one another and drench them with waves. And sometimes the boys would come up to Him, the most expert in all sports, and subject Him to a torrent of waves. In all this the Lord took delight. Commentary: When His devotees would sneak up on Him from behind and splash water on Him, the Supreme Lord would take no offense; rather, He would very much appreciate being treated to this indignity. As vinoda-kovida, the most expert knower of sports, He values the attacks of His friends more than the worship offered Him by others. TEXT 47 k-Il/al/vaaiNa Xau>aaiNa Saak&TaEvaRdYaH^\[qYaMauNaaPa[vahe ) aeTaae_Naul/aeMaPa[iTal/aeMaTaae_SaaE SaNTaarl/Il/aMak-raeiic}aaMa( ))

klla-vdyni ubhni ska tair vdaya chr-yamun-pravhe sroto-nuloma-pratilomato sau santra-llm akarod vicitrm
kllain the water; vdynivarious kinds of music; ubhniauspicious; skamalong; taiwith them; vdayanplaying musically; r-yamunof r Yamun; pravhein the current; srota-anulomawith the current; pratilomataagainst the current; asauHe; santraof crossing; llmthe pastime; akarotdid; vicitrmin various ways. Using r Yamuns flowing water as an instrument, He and His friends played all kinds of auspicious music. And He sported by crossing the river in various ways, both with the current and against it. TEXT 48 k-daiPa k*-Z<aaJal/MaDYaTaae iNaJa& vPau" Sa iNauTYa SaraeJak-aNaNae ) Mau%& c ivNYaSYa ku-TaUhl/I iSQaTaae YaQaa Na ke-NaaiPa >aveTSa l/i+aTa" ))

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kadpi k-jala-madhyato nija vapu sa nihnutya saroja-knane mukha ca vinyasya kuthal sthito yath na kenpi bhavet sa lakita
kad apisometimes; kof the Yamun; jalaof the water; madhyatain the middle; nijamHis own; vapubody; saKa; nihnutyaconcealing; saroja of lotuses; knanein a grove; mukhamHis face; ca and; vinyasyaplacing; kuthal-sthitaplayful; yathas; nanot; kena apiby anyone; bhavetwould be; saHe; lakitanoticed. Sometimes Ka playfully hid His body in the Yamuns water and His face in a cluster of lotuses so that no one could find Him. Commentary: The river Yamun is called K because the hue of her water closely resembles Kas complexion. And when Ka hid Himself among lotus flowers that closely resembled His face, it would be difficult for anyone to search Him out. TEXT 49 TaTaSTadeke-+a<aJaqvNaaSTae Na Ta& SaMaiNvZYa Yadal/>aNTa ) Tada MahaTaaR" Saudae dNTaae ivcuu-XauVYaRGa[iDaYa" SaugaaerMa( )

tatas tad-ekekaa-jvans te na ta samanviya yadlabhanta tad mahrt suhdo rudanto vicukruur vyagra-dhiya su-ghoram
tatathen; tatHim; ekaonly; kaaseeing; jvanwhose life; tethey; nanot; tamHim; samanviyalooking for; yadwhen; alabhantafound; tadthen; mah-rtgreatly distressed; suhda His friends; rudantacrying; vicukruucalled out; vyagracompletely agitated; dhiyawhose minds; su-ghoramardently. When His friends, who had no purpose in life but to
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see Him, looked for Him but failed, they wept in terrible distress, their minds bewildered, and called out to Him in ardent voices. TEXT 50 TaTaae hSaNPavNaaiiNa"Sa*Ta" Pa[hzRPaUre<a ivk-aiSaTae+a<aE" ) SakU-dRNa& TaE" PaurTaae_i>aSaairi>a" SaMYaMaaNaae ivJahar k-aETauk-I ))

tato hasan padma-vand vinista prahara-prea viksitekaai sa-krdana tai purato bhisribhi sagamyamno vijahra kautuk
tatathen; hasanlaughing; padmaof lotuses; vantfrom the cluster; vinistaHe came out; praharaof joy; preawith a flood; viksita opened wide; kaaitheir eyes; sa-krdanam jumping; taiby them; purataforward; abhisribhiwho were coming forward to meet; sagamyamnabeing met; vijahraHe enjoyed; kautukcrafty. Just then, wily Ka emerged, laughing, from the cluster of lotuses. The boys, their wide-open eyes flooded with joy, rushed forward and jumped into the water to be with Him, and in this way He sported. TEXT 51 Ma*<aal/Jaale/Na MaNaaerMae<a ivrCYa haraHJal/PauZPaJaaTaE" ) Sa%qNal/&k*==TYa SaMautaTaar Jal/aTSaMa& TaE" Sa c >aUizTaSTaE" ))

mla-jlena mano-ramea viracya hr jala-pupa-jtai sakhn alaktya samuttatra jalt sama tai sa ca bhitas tai
mlaof filaments; jlenawith a mesh; manarameacharming; viracyamaking; hrngarlands; jalaof the water; pupa-jtaimade from flowers;
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sakhnHis friends; alaktyadecorating; samuttatraHe came out; jaltfrom the water; samamtogether; taiwith them; saHe; caand; bhitawas decorated; taiby them. He decorated His friends with charming garlands made from various water flowers strung together with fibers of lotus stems. Then He and His friends came out of the water, and in the same way they decorated Him. TEXT 52 MaaDYaaik&- >aaeJaNaMa}a k-Tau| ivSTaq<aRk*-Z<aaPauil/Nae MaNaaeje ) GaaePaE" SaMa& Ma<@l/Xaae iNaivEr( NYaveXaYaTSaae_Ga[JaMaev MaDYae )) mdhyhnika bhojanam atra kartu

vistra-k-puline mano-je gopai sama maalao niviair nyaveayat so grajam eva madhye
mdhya-ahnikamof midday; bhojanamthe meal; atra here; kartumto take; vistrabroad; kof the Yamun; pulineon the shore; mana-jeattractive; gopaiwith the cowherd boys; samamtogether; maalaain circles; niviaisitting; nyaveayatseated; saKa; agra-jamHis elder brother; evaindeed; madhyein the middle. To have lunch there on the broad, attractive bank of the Yamun, Ka seated His elder brother in the middle of the cowherd boys, who sat down around Them in concentric circles. Commentary: Earlier the boys had all had breakfast, but now it was time for lunch. We can understand from descriptions in the Tenth Canto that they ate breakfast sometimes in the forest and sometimes at home: tau vatsa-plakau bhtv sarva-lokaika-plakau

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saprtar-au go-vats crayantau viceratu After Ka and Balarma finished Their breakfast in the morning, They went to take care of the calves and wandered here and there. Ka and Balarma, the Supreme Personalities of Godhead, who maintain the entire creation, now took charge of the calves as if cowherd boys. (Bhgavatam 10.11.45) kvacid vanya mano dadhad vrajt prta samutthya vayasya-vatsapn prabodhaya chga-ravea cru vinirgato vatsa-purasaro hari O King, one day Ka decided to take His breakfast gas a picnic in the forest. Having risen early in the morning, He blew His bugle made of horn and woke all the cowherd boys and calves with its beautiful sound. Then Ka and the boys, keeping their respective groups of calves before them, proceeded from Vraja-bhmi to the forest. (Bhgavatam 10.12.1) TEXT 53 SvYa& c l/Il/aiTaNa*TYaGaTYaa >a[MaiNvic}a& PairTa" PaurEv ) NaqTaaiNa Ta}aal/YaTaae_uTaaiNa >aaeJYaaiNa reMae PairveXaYaNSa" ))

svaya ca llcita-ntya-gaty bhraman vicitra parita puraiva ntni tatrlayato dbhutni bhojyni reme pariveayan sa
svayamHimself; caand; ll-acitaplayful; ntya dancing; gatywith a gait; bhramanwalking; vicitramin various ways; paritaon all sides; purpreviously; evaeven; ntnibrought; tatra there; layatafrom their homes; adbhutni wonderful; bhojynifoods; remeenjoyed;
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pariveayanserving; saHe (Ka). Ka enjoyed serving the boys the wonderful delicacies they had brought from their homes. As He served, He moved back and forth in front of the boys with a playful dancing gait. TEXT 54 SavRTauRXaTf-l/PauZPaXaail/Naa& v*Nda$=vqidVYaivic}aXaai%NaaMa( ) TaEraTaaNYaev f-l/aiNa l/Il/Yaa SvadUiNa Tae>Yaae iv>aJaNYaQaaic ))

sarvartu-avat-phala-pupa-lin vndav-divya-vicitra-khinm tair htny eva phalni llay svdni tebhyo vibhajan yath-ruci
sarva-tubelonging to all seasons; avatalways fresh; phalafruits; pupaflowers; linmand grains; vnd-aavof the Vndvana forest; divya divine; vicitravarious; khinmfrom the trees; taiby them; htnitaken; evaindeed; phalni fruits; llayplayfully; svdnidelicious; tebhyato the boys; vibhajanserving; yath-ruci according to the taste. The boys also had delicious fruits, flowers, and grains, all provided fresh in every season by the many kinds of divine trees in the Vndvana forest. Ka enjoyed serving to all the boys the fruits that pleased each of them most. Commentary: The boys ate not only what their mothers had packed for them but also what they collected from the forest. TEXTS 5556 rSaal/Taal/ibLvaiNa bdraMal/k-aiNa c ) Naairke-l/aiNa PaNaSad]a+aak-dl/k-aiNa c )) NaaGaraiNa PaqlU/iNa k-rqra<YaPara<YaiPa ) %JaURrdai@MaadqiNa PaKvaiNa rSaviNTa c ))

rasla-tla-bilvni
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badarmalakni ca nrikelni panasadrk-kadalakni ca ngaragni plni karry apary api kharjra-dimdni pakvni rasavanti ca
raslaraslas; tlapalm fruits; bilvnibel fruits; badarabadara berries; malaknimalaka fruits; caand; nrikelnicoconuts; panasa jackfruits; drkgrapes; kadalaknibananas; ca and; ngaragnioranges; plnipl fruits; karrikarra fruits; apariothers; apiand; kharjradates; dimdnipomegranates; pakvni ripe; rasavantitasty; caand. He served raslas, palm fruits, and bilva fruits, and badaras and malakas, and coconuts, jackfruit, grapes, and bananas. He served oranges, plus, karras, and other ripe, tasty fruits, like dates and pomegranates. Commentary: Only in the Vndvana forest can one find all these fruits ripe at the same time, and only there can one find blooming simultaneously the flowers described in texts 63 through 66. Words from another source portray the beauty of Vndvana by saying sarvasminn eva tau avat puna puna phala-linm: There the trees repeatedly bring forth all sorts of fruits in every season. TEXT 57 hzaRYa TaezaMaadaYa Pa[TYaek&- ik-idCYauTa" ) iTa&STataTSaMaqPae_SaaE >aue TaaNaiPa >aaeJaYaeTa( ))

harya tem dya praty-eka kicid acyuta tihas tat-tat-sampe sau bhukte tn api bhojayet
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haryafor their pleasure; temfrom them; dya taking; prati-ekameach one; kicita little; acyutaKa; tihanstanding; tat-tatof each; sampein front; asauHe; bhukteate; tnthem; apiand; bhojayetfed. The infallible Lord Ka stood in front of each boy, one after another, and took a morsel from each plate and consumed it, and fed the boy as well. In this way He pleased them all. Commentary: Ka stood in front of each boy and ate from that boys plate. But though He did this with one boy after another, every boy thought that Ka was with him alone. TEXTS 5859 Parq+Ya iMaiMaaiNa [qMau%aNTa" SvPaai<ai>a" ) oTQaaYaaeTQaaYa Sai%i>arPYaRMaa<aaiNa SaadrMa( )) Saaga& NaMaRhaSaad]| ivic}aMau%>aii>a" ) MaDaur& Paircv|STaaNa( haSaiYaTva VYaMaaehYaTa( ))

parkya mia-mini r-mukhnta sva-pibhi utthyotthya sakhibhir arpyamni sdaram sa-lgha narma-hsrdra vicitra-mukha-bhagibhi madhura paricarvas tn hsayitv vyamohayat
parkyaexamining; mia-miniespecially palatable; rdivine; mukha-antain His mouth; sva-pibhiwith their own hands; utthya utthya picking up, one after another; sakhibhiby His friends; arpyamnibeing offered; sa-daram reverentially; sa-lghamwith praise; narma-hsa with humor; rdrammelting; vicitravarious; mukhabhagibhiwith grimaces; madhuramin a charming manner; paricarvandevouring; tnthem; hsayitv making laugh; vyamohayatHe enchanted.
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Kas friends examined all the preparations, picked out those they found especially tasty, and with their own hands reverentially placed them into His divine mouth. And Ka, bubbling with humor, heartily ate each offering, praised its qualities, and made wry faces. In this way He made His friends laugh and completely enchanted them. Commentary: To determine which items were most suitable for Ka to eat, the boys first ate a little of each. Then they presented to Ka the delicacies they deemed most suitable by offering them with a great flourish directly into His mouth. TEXTS 6061 Aaik&- PaaNak&- iMa& Par& c ivivDa& bhu ) Ta&- c TauMbqPaa}aaid>a*Ta& vaYaRiPa YaaMauNaMa( )) iPabiPaaYaYaNSavaRNrMaYaaMaaSa bvaNa( ) NaaNaaivDaSau%-I@aku-TaUhl/ivXaard" ))

mlika pnaka mia para ca vividha bahu takra ca tumb-ptrdibhta vry api ymunam piban nipyayan sarvn ramaym sa ballavn nn-vidha-sukha-krkuthala-virada
mlikamof tamarind; pnakama drink; miam savory; paramothers; caand; vividhamvarious; bahuof many varieties; takrambuttermilk; caand; tumbof tumb gourd; ptrain vessels; diand so on; bhtamcarried; vriwater; apialso; ymunam from the Yamun; pibandrinking; nipyayanmaking them drink; sarvnall; ramaym saHe delighted; ballavnthe cowherd boys; nn-vidhaof all sorts; sukha-krof happy games; kuthalain pleasure; viradaexpert.

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That most expert enjoyer of all kinds of amusing sports drank a savory tamarind nectar, many other beverages, and buttermilk and Yamun water, carried in tumb gourds and other sorts of vessels, and He made the boys drink too. In this way He delighted all the cowherd boys. Commentary: Among the various vessels from which Ka drank Yamun water were cups made of bamboo and of folded leaves. TEXT 62 AacMYa TaaMbUl/MaQaae SauGaNDa& k-PaURrPaU<a| SvGa*haePaNaqTaMa( ) vNYa& c >aue SMa iv>aJYa NaU& SaNaaGavIdl/PaUGaMaad]RMa( ))

camya tmblam atho su-gandha karpra-pra sva-ghopantam vanya ca bhukte sma vibhajya ntna sa-nga-vall-dala-pgam rdram
camyaafter sipping water; tmblambetel nut; atha uthen; su-gandhamfragrant; karprawith camphor; pramrich; sva-ghafrom each boys house; upantambrought; vanyamfrom the forest; caand; bhukte smaHe enjoyed; vibhajya distributing; ntnamfresh; saalong with; ngavallof nga creepers; dalaof small leaves; pgamwith an abundance; rdramsoaked. Ka did camana and then chewed fragrant, camphor-rich betel nut that each boy had brought from his home, and also fresh forest betel nut, soaked and wrapped in many leaves of nga creepers. He enjoyed the betel nut and also gave it out. Commentary: When Ka finished eating, He washed His hands and mouth and performed the ritual sipping of water. All the boys had brought betel nut from their homes, and now they offered it all to Ka, who ate some Himself and distributed the rest among them. TEXTS 6366
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Taul/SaqMaal/TaqJaaTaqMaik-aku-Ndku-BJakE-" ) l/vke-Tak-Ii<$=IMaaDavqYaUiQak-aYaE" )) k-aNaE" k-rvqra>Yaa& XaTaPa}aqYauGaeNa c ) Pal/aXaENaRvMaIi>arae@\EdRMaNak-aidi>a" )) k-dMbNaqPabku-lE/NaRaGaPauaGacMPakE-" ) kU-$=JaaXaaek-MaNdarE" k-i<aRk-araSaNaaJauRNaE" )) Paa$=lE/" iPa[YakE-rNYaEriPa PauZPaE" SaPavE" ) ivic}aa iNaiMaRTaa iMa}aEMaRal/aaDaai>aJYa Sa" ))

tulas-mlat-jtmallik-kunda-kubjakai lavaga-ketak-jhimdhav-ythik-dvayai kcanai karavrbhy atapatr-yugena ca palair navamallbhir orair damanakdibhi kadamba-npa-bakulair nga-punnga-campakai kajoka-mandrai karikrsanrjunai palai priyakair anyair api pupai sa-pallavai vicitr nirmit mitrair ml cdhd vibhajya sa
tulas-mlat-jt-mallik-kunda-kubjakaiwith tulas, mlat, jt, mallik, kunda, and kubjaka; lavaga-ketak-jhi-mdhav-ythik-dvayaiwith clove, ketak, jhi, mdhav, and two kinds of ythik; kcanaiwith kcana flowers; karavrbhymwith two kinds of karavr; atapatr-yugenawith two kinds of atapatr; ca and; palaiwith pala; navamallbhiwith navamall; oraiwith ora; damanaka-dibhiwith damanaka and so on; kadamba-npa-bakulaiwith
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kadamba, npa, and bakula; nga-punnga-campakai with nga, punnga, and campaka; kaja-aokamandraiwith kaja, aoka, and mandra; karikra-sana-arjunaiwith karikra, sana, and arjuna; palaiwith pala; priyakaiwith priyaka; anyaiothers; apialso; pupaiwith flowers; sa-pallavaiand leaves; vicitrvarious; nirmitmade; mitraiby His friends; ml garlands; caand; adhtgave; vibhajya distributing; saHe. His friends made for Him various garlands from flowers and leaves. There were flowers and leaves of tulas, mlat, and jt, of mallik, kunda jasmine, and kubjaka, of clove, ketak, and jhi, of mdhav and two kinds of ythik. The garlands had kcana and karavra and atapatr (two kinds each), and flowers and leaves of pala and navamall, and ora and damanaka and others. There were flowers and leaves of kadamba, and of npa and bakula, and nga, punnga, and campaka. The garlands had kaja and aoka and mandara. They had karikra, sana, arjuna, pala, priyakaand still other flowers and leaves. Ka put these garlands on Himself and passed them out among His friends. Commentary: The boys made many kinds of flower garlands for Ka, including the famous vaijayant. Mlat and jt are subtypes of white night-blooming jasmine. Npa and kadamba are also two varieties of one species. The two kinds of ythik are the golden (svara-ythik) and white (ubhra-ythik). The karavra and atrapatr both have white and red varieties. Pala is also known as kiuka. The second of these verses ends with the words damanakdibhi, which implies that there were other flowers with petals like the damanaka, such as the maruvaka. In the fourth verse the others indicated at the end of the first line include the rgra-hra, sthala-kamala, and bhmi-campaka. Many flowers that grow in water are not mentioned
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here, because they play more of a part in Kas water sports; nonetheless, the many water flowers used in these forest garlands are also referred to indirectly by the phrase and others. The garlands also included new leaves and flower buds from trees such as the kadamba. And on His head Ka always wore peacock feathers and berries of guj. TEXT 67 cNdNaaGauk-STaurqku-uMaEraTaEvRNaaTa( ) d]VYaE" SauGaiNDai>aaNYaE" iPaEraNYale/PaYaTa( ))

candanguru-kasturkukumair htair vant dravyai su-gandhibhi cnyai piair agny alepayat

candanawith sandalwood; aguruaguru; kasturmusk; kukumaiand kukuma; htaibrought; vantfrom the forest; dravyaisubstances; su-gandhibhi fragrant; caand; anyaiwith other substances; piaimade into paste; agniHis limbs; alepayatHe smeared. He smeared His limbs with a paste of sandalwood, aguru, kukuma, musk, and other fragrant substances brought from the forest. Commentary: Kas friends brought these fragrant subtances from the Vndvana forest for His pleasure and made them into a paste by adding water and grinding them on rocks. Ka smeared this paste on His body and once again shared it with His friends. All enjoyable things are available in the Vndvana forest. TEXTS 6869 iNaku-vYaeR Sauri>aPa[SaUNa= SauvaiSaTae Gaudil/Pa[gaue ) iviNaiMaRTae TaLPavre NavqNa Ma*duPa[val/C^dPauZPaJaaTaE" )) [qdaMaNaaMadiYaTaaSau%aePaDaaNa" SauSvaPa iMa}aiNak-rE" PaircYaRMaa<a" )
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ke-XaPa[SaaDaNaSauGaqTak-rai]Pa= Sa&vahNaSTavNavqJaNacaTaurqi>a" ))

nikuja-varye surabhi-prasnasuvsite gujad-ali-praghue vinirmite talpa-vare navnamdu-pravla-cchada-pupa-jtai rdma-nma-dayitga-sukhopadhna susvpa mitra-nikarai paricaryama kea-prasdhana-sugta-karghri-padmasavhana-stavana-vjana-cturbhi
nikuja-varyein a choice grove; surabhifragrant; prasnawith flowers; su-vsitewell scented; gujathumming; aliwith bees; praghue resounding; vinirmitefashioned; talpa-vareon an excellent bed; navnanew; mdusoft; pravlayoung shoots; chadaleaves; pupaand flowers; jtai with many; rdma-nmanamed rdm; dayitaof His dear friend; agathe body; sukhacomfortable; upadhnawhose pillow; susvpaHe rested; mitranikaraiby His many friends; paricaryamabeing attended; kea-prasdhanain hairdressing; sugta sweet singing; karaof His hands; aghriand feet; padmalotuslike; savhanamassaging; stavana reciting prayers; vjanaand fanning; cturbhi who were expert. Then, in a choice grove, fragrant with sweetsmelling flowers and resonant with humming bees, Ka rested a while on an excellent bed made of many new soft leaves, sprouts, and flowers. The body of His dear friend rdm provided a comfortable pillow. And countless friends served Ka by expertly reciting prayers, singing sweetly, fanning Him, dressing His hair, and massaging His lotus feet and hands. Commentary: Kas flower bed was so fragrant that many bees were attracted to it. Ka pleasantly
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rested on this very comfortable bed while His friends attended to Him. r Bdaryai has described this scene in rmad-Bhgavatam (10.15.1618): kvacit pallava-talpeu niyuddha-rama-karita vka-mlraya ete gopotsagopabarhaa Sometimes Lord Ka grew tired from fighting and lay down at the base of a tree, resting upon a bed made of soft twigs and buds and using the lap of a cowherd friend as His pillow. pda-savhana cakru kecit tasya mahtmana apare hata-ppmno vyajanai samavjayan Some of the cowherd boys, who were all great souls, would then massage His lotus feet, and others, qualified by being free of all sin, would expertly fan Him. anye tad-anurpi mano-jni mahtmana gyanti sma mah-rja sneha-klinna-dhiya anai My dear King, other boys would sing enchanting songs appropriate to the occasion, and their hearts would melt out of love for the Lord. TEXT 70 NaaNaaNauk-arMau%Paivk-arNaMaR= >aqXaTaEhRiSaTaraeDaNake-il/d+aaNa( ) iNaiJaRTYa TaaNaSau%YaTSaudae MaudEv& iv[aMake-il/MaTaNaaeiivDa& SaraMa" ))

nnnukra-mukha-padma-vikra-narmabhag-atair hasita-rodhana-keli-dakn
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nirjitya tn asukhayat suhdo mudaiva virma-kelim atanod vividha sa-rma

nn-anukravarious; mukha-padmalotus face; vikradefeated; narmajokes; bhagdistortions; ataihundreds; hasitafrom laughing; rodhanaof restraining; keli-dakncompetent in the sport; nirjityadefeated; tnthem; asukhayatgave pleasure; suhdato the friends; mudwith delight; evamthus; virma-kelimthe pastime of resting; atanotspread; vividhamin various ways; sa-rmaalong with Balarma. Ka enjoyed pleasing His friends and in various ways, along with Balarma, indulged in His pastime of relaxing. Though Kas friends were very competent in the sport of keeping themselves from laughing, Ka defeated them by imitating various characters, distorting His face, and cutting hundreds of jokes. Commentary: The boys served Ka, and He reciprocated by entertaining them. TEXT 71 AQa SaeiTaTaEveR<auXa*NaadE" PaXaUNPauNa" ) oTQaaPYa carYaNreMae GaaevDaRNaSaMaqPaTa" ))

atha saketitair veuga-ndai pan puna utthpya crayan reme govardhana-sampata

athathen; saketitaiwith signals; veuof His flute; gaand buffalo horn; ndaiby the sounds; panHis animals; punaagain; utthpya making rise; crayangrazing; remeHe enjoyed; govardhana-sampatanear Govardhana Hill. Then, making the animals rise by sounding signals from His flute and buffalo horn, He enjoyed grazing them near Govardhana Hill. TEXT 72 >aUz<aeNa ivic}ae<a vNYaeNa Sai%i>a" PauNa" )
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Ah&PaUivRk-Yaa Sav>aURizTaae_SaaE YaQaaic ))

bhaena vicitrea vanyena sakhibhi puna aha-prvikay sarvair bhito sau yath-ruci
bhaenawith ornaments; vicitreavarious; vanyenamade of forest items; sakhibhiby His friends; punaagain; aham-prvikaywith the idea I am best; sarvaiby all; bhitadecorated; asauHe; yath-ruciaccording to their individual tastes. And again all His friends, each according to his own taste, tried to outdo the others in decorating Ka with an assortment of wonderful items from the forest. Commentary: Some boys applied tilaka made from haritla to Kas forehead, others arranged flower garlands in His hair, and still others decorated His head with guj berries. TEXT 73 SaPaPaa<aaE JaNaXaMaRSa&j& SaMaPYaR Ta& ivPa[MaPaUvRYaaTaMa( ) SaaYa& YaQaaPaUvRMaYa& Pa[ivXYa gaaeze_i>areMae v[JahzRk-arq ))

sarpa-pau janaarma-saja samarpya ta vipram aprva-ytam sya yath-prvam aya praviya ghoe bhireme vraja-hara-kr
sarpaof Sarpa; pauinto the hand; janaarmasajamnamed Janaarm; samarpyaturned over; tam him; vipramthe brhmaa; aprvanever before; ytamcome there; syamin the evening; yathas; prvampreviously; ayamHe; praviyaentering; ghoethe cowherd village; abhiremetook pleasure; vrajato Vraja; hara-krthe giver of joy. In the evening Ka, the giver of joy to all of
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Vraja, left the newcomer brhmaa Janaarm in the hands of Sarpa and as before took pleasure in entering the cowherd village. Commentary: Kas return to His fathers village in the evening has already been described. So that Janaarm would not be confused about what to do back in the village, Ka asked Sarpa to guide him. TEXT 74 GaaePaqNaaQaPa[Saada= MahaSaaDauMaiTaiSQaTae ) ivcaYaR SvYaMaadTSv SvPa[nSYaaDauNaaetarMa( ))

gopntha-prasdptamah-sdhu-mati-sthite vicrya svayam datsva sva-pranasydhunottaram

gopnthaof Lord Gopntha; prasdaby the mercy; ptaobtained; mah-sdhusuperexcellent; matiin understanding; sthitefixed; vicryathinking over; svayamyourself; datsvagive; svayour own; pranasyato the question; adhunnow; uttaramthe answer. O mother, you are fixed in the superexcellent intelligence attained only by the mercy of Lord Gopntha. Now, reflecting on all you have heard, you can answer your own questions. Commentary: Having reached the end of his narration, r Parkit now suggests to his mother that he has told her everything she needs to know to answer the questions with which she had approached him. She should not doubt her ability to think of the correct answers, because she is fully graced with Kas mercy. At the beginning of r Bhad-bhgavatmta (1.1.18) r Uttar asked Parkit: yac chukenopadia te
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vatsa nikya tasya me sra prakaya kipra krmbhodher ivmtam My dear son, please extract the essence of what ukadeva has taught you and quickly reveal it to me, as if churning the nectar of immortality from the Ocean of Milk. And at the beginning of Part Two (2.1.24) Uttar inquired further whether higher than Vaikuha there is a realm where the Supreme Lords most intimate devotees can associate with Him freely:

tad-artham ucita sthnam eka vaikuhata param apekitam avaya syt tat prakyoddharasva mm
A suitable place must surely exist for them, beyond Vaikuha. Please reveal it to me and rescue me.TEXT 75 [qGaael/aeke- iNai%l/ParMaaNaNdPaUraNTYaSaqMa= GaM>aqraBDaaE JaNaiNa GaMaNa& SaaDaYa SvPa[YaaSaE" ) YaiSMa&STaaSTaa ivivDarTaYaSTaeNa NaaQaeNa Saak&Yaa}aaMaa}aaNMaDaurMaDaura" SaNTaTa& Sa$=NTae ))

r-goloke nikhila-paramnanda-prntyasmagambhrbdhau janani gamana sdhaya svapraysai yasmis ts t vividha-ratayas tena nthena ska ytr-mtrn madhura-madhur santata saghaante
r-golokein r Goloka; nikhilaall; paramanandaof transcendental bliss; praof the flood; antya-smaof the ultimate extreme; gambhradeep; abdhauto the ocean; jananiO mother; gamanamthe
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going; sdhayaplease attempt; svayour own; praysaiby the endeavors; yasminwhere; t t all those; vividhavarious; ratayaloving exchanges; tenawith that; nthenaLord; skam together; ytr-mtrtjust by going there; madhura-madhurmost sweet; santatameternally; saghaanteoccur. By your own endeavors, dear mother, please try to reach r Goloka, the deep ocean where the flood of all transcendental bliss finds its ultimate limit. Just by going there you will eternally relish all sorts of most sweet loving exchanges with that same Supreme Lord. Commentary: Out of love for his mother, Parkit is eager to help her find the answer to her questions. This he does in four verses (texts 75 through 78) by reminding her of the ultimate perfection she can achieve. He advises her to try by all means to achieve Goloka, Kas abode. Goloka can be reached only by the special mercy of the Personality of Godhead; still, devotees are recommended to make their own efforts to achieve that goal with enthusiasm and confidence in their regulative practices, for devotees who become indifferent to everything will fail to attract the Supreme Lords favor. TEXT 76 >aaEMae caiSMaNSaPaid MaQauraMa<@le/ YaaNaMaa}aaTa( iSaDYaeYauSTaa" Sak-l/SaMaYae YaSYa k-SYaaiPa NaEv ) ik-NTveTaSYa iPa[YaJaNak*-PaaPaUrTa" kSYaicTSYauSa( Taae MaaTaiNau PadrJaSTaTPadEk-iPa[Yaa<aaMa( ))

bhaume csmin sapadi mathur-maale ynamtrt sidhyeyus t sakala-samaye yasya kasypi naiva kintv etasya priya-jana-kp-prata
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kasyacit syus tad bho mta cinu pada-rajas tat-padaikapriym

bhaumeon the earth; caand; asminto this; sapadi immediately; mathur-maaleto the district of Mathur; yna-mtrtsimply by going; sidhyeyu would be attained; tthose; sakala-samayeat all times; yasya kasya apiby just anyone; na evanot at all; kinturather; etasyaof Him (the Supreme Lord); priya-janaof the dear devotees; kpof the mercy; prataby a full dose; kasyacitby someone; syuthey may happen; tattherefore; bho mtaO mother; cinuplease gather; padafrom the feet; rajathe dust; tatHis; padafor the feet; eka exclusive; priymof those who have love. Its not that just anyone at any time can achieve those perfections at once just by traveling to the district of Mathur on earth. Rather, only a rare person achieves them, when he has obtained full mercy from the Lords dear devotees. O mother, please, therefore, gather dust from the feet of devotees who have exclusive love for the lotus feet of the Lord. Commentary: Mother Uttar might propose that according to what she has heard from Parkit she could achieve perfection simply by traveling to the nearby Vraja-bhmi of the Mathur district, which is nondifferent from Goloka in the spiritual sky. But Parkit answers that to realize the boundless variety of loving exchanges with r Golokantha is not so easy. Only during the short time of Kas avatrawhen He makes Himself visible on earth, at the end of but one Dvpara-yuga in each day of Brahmcan anyone who simply visits Vraja become perfect. At that time, Ka descends to earth to bestow causeless good fortune to all the jvas. At other times, one can achieve the full realization of Ka consciousness only by receiving a flood of mercy from a dear devotee of r Gopntha. This,
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indeed, was how the brhmaa Janaarm became fortunateby the mercy of Sarpa. Parkit therefore begs his mother that, rather than associate with persons interested in liberation or anything else, she search out the dust from the feet of Vaiavas who want only love for Ka. With great care she should collect that dust and place it on her head. Then her visit to Vraja-bhmi will result in complete perfection. TEXT 77 SQaaNa& GaaePaqGa<aku-cTa$=Iku-&ku==Ma[q>arad]R= [qMaTPaadaMbuJaYauGaSadaPa[qiTaSaPa[daiYa ) iJajaSaaeSTae JaNaiNa k-iQaTaae_XaezSaNdehgaaTaq Gaael/aek-ae_Ya& MaDaurGahNaPa[n>aavaNauSaaraTa( ))

sthna gop-gaa-kuca-ta-kukuma-rbharrdrarmat-pdmbuja-yuga-sad-prti-sagapradyi jijsos te janani kathito ea-sandehaght goloko ya madhura-gahana-pranabhvnusrt

sthnamthe place; gop-gaaof the gops; kucaof the breasts; tafrom the slopes; kukumaof the kukuma powder; rwith the opulence; bhara-rdra heavily covered; rmatbeautiful; pda-ambujaof lotus feet; yugaof the pair; sadperpetual; prtiloving; sagathe association; pradyi giving; jijsowho are eager to know; teto you; jananiO mother; kathitadescribed; aeaall; sandehadoubts; ghtdestroying; golokaGoloka; ayamthat; madhuraaffectionate; gahanadeeply thoughtful; pranaof the inquiry; bhvathe spirit; anusrtaccording to. That place Goloka bestows eternal loving contact with Kas beautiful lotus feet, which are thickly smeared with the kukuma from the slopes of
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the gops breasts. Dear mother, I have thus replied according to the spirit of your affectionate and deeply thoughtful questions, and all your doubts should now have been destroyed. Commentary: Now that Parkit has told his mother what she ought to do, he wants to remind her that Goloka is the final goal and that meditation on Goloka will greatly foster her progress. Uttars original request was Please deliver me, and in this verse Parkit responds directly. Considering Uttars plea altogether praiseworthy, he has gladly satisfied her. Simply by hearing in detail the glories of Goloka, all doubts are vanquished. TEXT 78 vEku-<#=SYaaPYauPair iNaTara& raJaTae Yaae iNaTaaNTa= [qMaaePaqrMa<acr<aPa[eMaPaUrEk-l/>Ya" ) vaH^avaH^aePairGauf-l/Pa[ai>aURiMaYaRdqYaa l/aek-a DYaaTaa dDaiTa ParMaa& Pa[eMaSaMPaitaiNaaMa( ))

vaikuhasypy upari nitar rjate yo nitntarmad-gop-ramaa-caraa-prema-praikalabhya vch-vchopari-guru-phala-prptir bhmir yady lok dhyt dadhati param prema-sampattinihm
vaikuhasyathan Vaikuha; apieven; upari higher; nitarmespecially; rjateshines; ya which; nitntaperfectly; rmatblessed; gopof the gops; ramaaof the lover; caraafor the feet; premaof love; praby an abundance; eka only; labhyaachievable; vch-vch-upari beyond all desires; guruthe most significant; phalaof the benefits; prptiwhere there is the attainment; bhmithe land; yadyof which; lokthe people; dhytmeditated on; dadhati
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grant; parammthe highest; premaof prema; sampattiin the treasure; nihmestablishment. That world Goloka, shining even above Vaikuha, can be achieved only by firm, boundless love for the blessed feet of the lover of the gops. In that land one reaps the most valuable rewards, far beyond ones desires. When one meditates on the residents of that world, they grant the highest fortune of firm standing in prema. Commentary: The only effective sdhana for reaching the highest world Goloka is the special kind of love that holds fast to the lotus feet of r Gopntha. And since that love reposes in the residents of Goloka, remembering the exalted Vaiavas of Goloka is the key to all success. TEXT 79 ADauNaa}aai>aYau-aiNa MauNaqNaa& MahTaa& Xa*<au ) wMaaiNa vcNaaNYaaTMaictaSaNTaaez<aaiNa ih ))

adhuntrbhiyuktni munn mahat u imni vacanny tmacitta-santoani hi

adhunnow; atrain this regard; abhiyuktni relevant; munnmof sages; mahatmgreat; u please hear; imnithese; vacannistataments; tmayour; cittamind; santoaniable to fully satisfy; hiindeed. Now please hear some relevant statements of great sages, statements that will fully satisfy your mind. Commentary: Parkit has answered his mothers inquiries by narrating two histories, one about Nrada and the other about Gopa-kumra. Earlier in this second half of Bhad-bhgavatmta (2.1.33) he told his mother: ruti-smtn vkyni

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skt ttparyato py aham vykhyya bodhayitvaitat tv santoayitu kama I could satisfy your request by explaining to you the statements of the rutis and smtis, both in their literal meaning and in their implications. To conclude, he will now cite the supporting opinions of reputable authorities about the glories of Goloka. TEXT 80 SvGaaRdU| b]l/aek-ae b]izRGa<aSaeivTa" ) Ta}a SaaeMaGaiTaEv JYaaeiTaza& c MahaTMaNaaMa( ))

svargd rdhva brahma-loko brahmari-gaa-sevita tatra soma-gati caiva jyoti ca mahtmanm

svargt rdhvamabove heaven; brahma-loka Brahmaloka; brahma-i-gaaby many brahmaris; sevitaserved; tatrathere; sa-umaof Lord iva and Um; gatithe goal; caand; evaindeed; jyotimwho are luminous; caand; mah-tmanmof great souls. Above heaven is Brahmaloka, which is served by many brahmaris. It is the goal of Lord iva and his wife, Um, and of great luminous souls who are liberated in the Supreme. Commentary: Texts 80 through 85, cited from r Hari-vaa (2.19.2930, 3235), are part of the prayers offered to Ka by Lord Indra after Ka lifted Govardhana Hill. Here the term svarga is used in the same sense as in the following verse from rmad-Bhgavatam (2.5.42): bhr-loka kalpita padbhy bhuvar-loko sya nbhita svar-loka kalpito mrdhn iti v loka-kalpan
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Others may divide the whole planetary system into three divisions, namely the lower planetary systems on the legs of the Supreme Person, the middle planetary systems on the navel, and the upper planetary systems [Svarloka] from the chest to the head. In other words, svarga can be taken to mean the five upper planetary systems from Indras world up to Brahms. Above those planets is found the end of the material universe, and above that is Brahmaloka (Vaikuha), the transcendental realm. Vaikuha is also called Brahmaloka because it is the abode of brahma, pure spirit, and because it is the world presided over by the Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Brahman, r Ka. Of course, beyond the five higher lokas, or worlds, mentioned here are the seven coverings of the universe, beyond them is the abode of liberation (mukti-pada), then comes r ivaloka, and then the spiritual world. The verse quoted above, however, mentions only Svargaloka and Vaikuha because the universal coverings are not normally understood to be worlds and because Svarga is well known as the heavenly destination of pious workers. To give some idea of the greatness of Vaikuha, therefore, a description that conceives of the spiritual world as simply lying beyond Svarga is sufficient. Rather than refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead merely as Brahman, it is more correct to refer to Him as Para-brahman, the Supreme Brahman. Ka is called para brahma narkti, the Supreme Absolute Truth appearing in human form. Thus in Bhagavad-gt (10.12) Arjuna says to Ka: para brahma para dhma pavitra parama bhavn You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. tm and Brahman, therefore, may also be accepted as secondary names of Ka because they identify
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His expansions, namely the Supersoul and the impersonal Supreme. Therefore in a later verse of the Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gt (10.20) Ka begins to describe His opulent material expansions (vibhtis) by saying: aham tm gukea sarva-bhtaya-sthita I am the Supersoul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living entities. The Bhat-sahasra-nmastotra, when referring to the Supreme Persons vibhtis in its list of secondary names, also calls Him tm: tm tattvdhipa (He is the Supreme Soul and the ruler of the elements of creation). The words of saintly Vaiavas also identify impersonal Brahman as one of the Supreme Lords vibhtis: part para brahma ca te vibhtaya (Theseincluding the Supreme Brahman, which is beyond everything elseare Your opulent expansions). Therefore, since the Bhat-sahasranma-stotra includes among its one thousand names of the Personality of Godhead the names of His vibhtis, these are factually His names, and r Ka can properly be called Brahman. Consequently, r ukadeva has said: mrdhabhi satya-lokas tu brahma-loka santana Satyaloka, the topmost planetary system, is situated on the head of the universal form. Brahmaloka, however, is eternal. (Bhgavatam 2.5.39) rla rdhara Svm paraphrases this idea in his commentary: The world of Brahman, known as Vaikuha, is perpetual, eternal. It is not contained within the material creation. In other words, Brahmaloka means Vaikuha. The verse from r Hari-vaa cited here in the Bhad-bhgavatmta by Mahrja Parkit says that brahmariseither those absorbed in Brahman or
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great devotees like Nrada dedicated to Parabrahman, Bhagavnalways serve Brahmaloka. That spiritual realm is aspired for by the most exalted persons, including Lord iva and his consort as well as liberated sages who have realized oneness with the self-luminous Supreme. In truth such candidates for entrance into Brahmaloka are not impersonalists but great devotees of the Personality of Godheads lotus feet, like Sanakakumra and his brothers, who know from their direct experience the insignificance of impersonal liberation. Nrada and other associates of Lord Nryaa are also on this level of spiritual competence, but because they are considered eternal residents, not candidates for entrance into Vaikuha, the second sentence of this verse from r Hari-vaa does not mention them among persons who make Vaikuha their goal. If the word jyotim in the last line of this verse were taken literally to mean the sun, moon, and stars, the statement being made would be weak. To say that the spiritual world is beyond the sun and moon is not to say much, since even Maharloka lies beyond the solar and lunar orbits. The sun and moon cannot approach Satyaloka, what to speak of Vaikuha. The word jyotim, therefore, is better understood to refer to the spiritually effulgent sages who worship the Supreme Person. TEXT 81 TaSYaaePair Gava& l/aek-" SaaDYaaSTa& Paal/YaiNTa ih ) Sa ih SavRGaTa" k*-Z<a Mahak-aXaGaTaae MahaNa( ))

tasyopari gav loka sdhys ta playanti hi sa hi sarva-gata ka mahka-gato mahn

tasya upariabove it; gavmof the cows; lokathe planet; sdhythe Sdhyas; tamit; playanti protect; hiindeed; sait; hiindeed; sarva-gata
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all-pervading; kaO Ka; mah-akathe total ether; gatapervading; mahninfinitely expansive. Above Brahmaloka is the planet of the cows, which is protected by the Sdhyas. O Ka, that great planet is infinitely expansive, pervading the unlimited spiritual sky. TEXT 82 oPaYauRPair Ta}aaiPa GaiTaSTav TaPaaeMaYaq ) Yaa& Na ivae vYa& SaveR Pa*C^NTaae_iPa iPaTaaMahMa( ))

upary upari tatrpi gatis tava tapo-may y na vidmo vaya sarve pcchanto pi pitmaham
upari uparifurther above; tatrathere; apialso; gatigoal; tavaYour; tapa-maygained by intense concentration; ymwhich; na vidmacannot understand; vayamwe; sarveall; pcchanta inquiring; apialthough; pitmahamfrom our grandfather. That planet is above all others, and there You are to be achieved by intense concentration of the heart. None of us can understand that world, though we have inquired about it from our grandfather. Commentary: Since Vaikuha is unlimited, nothing can be beyond it in ordinary time and space. Yet there is a transcendental sense in which Goloka, the planet of the cows, lies above Vaikuha. Just as r ivaloka, due to its comparative excellences, is considered above the infinite abode of liberation, and just as Vaikuha is understood to be above the boundless ivaloka, so r Goloka is above Vaikuha. To assert that Goloka lies beyond even Vaikuha is valid because only on Goloka do the pastime energies of the Personality of Godhead display reality in its most perfect state.
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Goloka is presided over by the Sdhyas, meaning those who are worshiped by great saints. These Sdhyas are Kas dearmost devoteesr Nanda and otherswhom Brahm, Sanaka, iva, and Nrada try to emulate by all the means of spiritual discipline at their command. Another way to understand the word sdhyaas derived from the verb meaning to accomplishis that all the cowherd men and women of Goloka manage to bring Ka under their control by the unique ecstatic sentiments they have for Him. Or else these Sdhyas are the gops, headed by r Rdh, Kas dearest devotees and therefore the most important residents of Goloka, who perpetually manage to maintain the glories of that abode by their wonderful pastimes with Ka. The term sdhyas normally refers to a class of ordinary demigods. But the notion that texts 81 and 82 refer to these demigods is no more reasonable than the idea that the luminaries mentioned in Text 80 refer to the sun, moon, and stars. The ordinary Sdhyas, like the celestial bodies of the material world, cannot travel even to Satyaloka, what to speak of Vaikuha. Certainly, therefore, these Sdhyas cannot reach Goloka, and their being its protectors is out of the question. Goloka pervades the spiritual sky, exceeds all limiting conditions of material existence, and most fully manifests pure eternity, cognizance, and bliss. In contrast to the tiny sky of the material world, the spiritual sky is infinite. Goloka has its place in that infinite sky. The Absolute Truth is called ka (the sky) because as the sky, or the material ether, pervades the created universe and remains unchanged as long as the universe exists, Brahman is all-pervading and eternal. The greatest sky, mahka, is Para-brahman, the Supreme Person r Ka with His dense, dark-blue effulgence. Vaikuha, the complete manifestation of sac-cid-nanda, is present within Ka, and thus in essence nondifferent from Him. And within
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that spiritual existence, Goloka is the supreme abode. It is above r Vaikuha, which is above all other worlds. As difficult as it is for conditioned souls to comprehend Vaikuha, Goloka is even more mysterious. Goloka can be understood only by the tapas of complete concentration of the heart. Mundane reason fails even to begin to approach it. And it remains unknown even to the great sages, who for information about it approach the grandfather of the universe, Brahm. TEXT 83 GaiTa" XaMadMaaaNaa& SvGaR" Sauk*-Tak-MaR<aaMa( b]ah(MYae TaPaiSa Yau-aNaa& b]l/aek-" Para GaiTa" ))

gati ama-damdyn svarga sukta-karmam brhmye tapasi yuktn brahma-loka par gati
gatithe goal; amaof mind control; damasense control; dynmand so on; svargaSvarga; sukta pious; karmamof those whose activities; brhmye spiritual; tapasiin discipline; yuktnmwho are engaged; brahma-lokaBrahmaloka; parthe highest; gatidestination. Svarga is the goal achieved by such pious practices as control of the mind and senses, and Brahmaloka is the highest destination, achieved by those who engage in intense spiritual discipline. TEXTS 8485 GavaMaev Tau Gaael/aek-ae duraraeha ih Saa GaiTa" ) Sa Tau l/aek-STvYaa k*-Z<a SaqdMaaNa" k*-TaaTMaNaa )) Da*Taa Da*iTaMaTaa Daqr iNaganTaaePad]vaNa( GavaMa( )) wiTa ) gavm eva tu goloko
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durroh hi s gati sa tu lokas tvay ka sdamna kttman dht dhtimat dhra nighnatopadravn gavm iti. gavmof the cows; evaindeed; tubut; goloka Goloka; durrohdifficult to ascend to; hiindeed; sit; gatigoal; sathat; tubut; lokaworld; tvayby You; kaO Ka; sdamnaunder siege; kta-tmanwho are competent; dhtsustained; dhti-matand wise; dhraO steadfast one; nighnatwho destroy; upadravndisturbances; gavmto the cows; itithus. But to rise to Goloka, the planet of the cows, is most difficult. That world was under attackbut You, O Ka, competent, steadfast, and wise, saved it by putting an end to all outrages against the cows. Commentary: Here the name Goloka is explained. Goloka is the residence mostly of cows and their herders. Hardly anyone can gain the privilege to go there. Svargaloka and the higher planets of the sages are comparatively easy to enter, being open to pious fruitive workers who can keep their minds and senses under control. Karms with less selfcontrol can still reach the lower heavenly regions, known as Bila-svarga and Bhauma-svarga. In contrast, the world of the Supreme, Vaikuha, is attained only by those who perfect the Vaiava discipline of concentrating the mind on the Personality of Godhead, who always engage in spiritual activity, and who have pure love of God. Yet compared to either the higher planets of the material world or the spiritual planets of Vaikuha, Goloka is in all ways superior. It is the supreme destination, from which one never returns.
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Certainly Goloka is not the home only of cows, since the gopas and gops who tend those cows have already been indicated by the words sdhys ta playanti hi (The Sdhyas protect it). Just as Gokula in the Mathur district on earth, even though named after the cows, is also the residence of cowherds, Goloka in the spiritual world is also populated by devotees in various relationships with Ka. Reciting these prayers to Ka, Indra confesses that he tried to disturb the peace of Kas abode. Of course, Goloka is eternal and always fully blissful, and everyone allowed to go there is immune from all troubles. But Indra, not completely aware of the glories of Goloka, wrongly thinks he created a disturbance there. Describing his offenses from his own limited point of view, he imagines that by attacking Gokula on earth he also created anxiety in Goloka, the topmost spiritual kingdom. TEXT 86 ik&- c, Wv& bhuivDaE PaEraMaqh vSauNDaraMa( ) b]l/aek&- c k-aENTaeYa Gaael/aek&- c SaNaaTaNaMa( )) wiTa ) ki ca, eva bahu-vidhai rpai carmha vasundharm brahma-loka ca kaunteya goloka ca santanam iti. kim caalso; evamthus; bahu-vidhaiof many kinds; rpaiin; carmiI move; ihahere; vasundharmon the earth; brahma-lokamon Brahmaloka; caand; kaunteyaO son of Kunt; golokamin Goloka; caand; santanameternal; itithus.

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Also: Thus, O son of Kunt, in many different forms do I move about here on earth, on Brahmaloka, and in the eternal Goloka. Commentary: This verse is from a conversation between r Ka and Arjuna found in the Skanda Pura. Before making this statement, Ka spoke about several of His incarnations, including Lord Jaganntha in Puruottama-ketra. The Goloka in which Ka appears is an eternal spiritual realm, but in the material world there is also another planet of cows. The Surabhi who visited Ka on the earth after Ka lifted Govardhana Hill was the mother of all cows in the material universe. She came from her residence on the material Goloka, in the Satyaloka planetary system, to perform the abhieka of Ka. Being very pleased with Him for having saved her descendants in Mathur Gokula, Surabhi wanted to take part in the ceremony conducted by the demigods to officially recognize Ka as indro gavm (Govinda, the Indra of the cows). The Goloka where Mother Surabhi lives is the destination of fortunate cows who do not live in Mathur-maala and associate with Ka and His gopas but who belong to Brahm and other demigods. Since Ka is always present in Mathur (yatra nitya sannihita), the cows with whom r Gopladeva shares His eternal pastimes in Gokula later become eternal residents of the Goloka above Vaikuha.TEXT 87 [qJaNaMaeJaYa ovac vEZ<avaGa[y MaYaa SaiNTa vEXaMPaaYaNaTa" [uTaa" ) WTae aek-aSTadaNaq=& c k-idQaaeR_vDaairTa" ))

r-janamejaya uvca vaiavgrya may santi vaiampyanata rut ete loks tadn ca kacid artho vadhrita
r-janamejaya uvcar Janamejaya said;
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vaiava-agryaO foremost of Vaiavas; mayby me; santithere are; vaiampyanatafrom Vaiampyana; rutwhich were heard; etethese; lokverses; tadnmat that time; caand; kacitsome; artha understanding; avadhritaascertaining. r Janamejaya said to the sage Jaimini: O foremost of Vaiavas, I heard these same verses from Vaiampyana, and I derived some understanding from them. TEXT 88 Tvtaae_ [v<aadeza& k-ae_PYaQaaeR >aaiTa Mae id ) Ahae >aaGavTaaNaa& ih MaihMaa ParMaauTa" ))

tvatto dya ravad e ko py artho bhti me hdi aho bhgavatn hi mahim paramdbhuta
tvattafrom you; adyanow; ravatby hearing; emthese; kawhat; apialso; artha understanding; bhtishines; memy; hdiin the heart; ahooh; bhgavatnmof the devotees of the Lord; hiindeed; mahimthe glories; paramaadbhutamost amazing. But now by hearing these verses from you, my heart shines with fresh insight. Oh, just see the most amazing glories of the Supreme Lords devotees! Commentary: The deep meaning of statements such as these from r Hari-vaa can be fathomed only by the mercy of exalted devotees of the Supreme Lord. King Janemejaya acknowledges that the great sage Jaimini has kindly blessed him with the ability to understand the purport of these verses. The king praises Jaimini, his spiritual master, hoping to hear more. TEXT 89 k-QaaSaMaaiMaaXa&KYa MaNaae Mae PairTaPYaiTa ) ik-id]SaaYaNa& deih iTaeeNa SauiNav*RTaMa( ))

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kath-samptim akya mano me paritapyati kicid rasyana dehi tihed yena su-nirvtam
kathof the narration; samptimthe completion; akyaanticipating; manaheart; memy; paritapyatiburns; kicitsome; rasa-yanam medicinal tonic; dehiplease give; tihetit may remain; yenaby which; su-nirvtamcompletely satisfied. Fearing that this narration is about to end, my heart burns with sadness. Please dispense some medicinal tonic by which my heart may again be fully satisfied. Commentary: Having offered suitable praise, Janamejaya now reveals his heart. Just as a person attacked by fever may dread the approach of death, Janamejaya dreads the end of his conversation with Mahmuni Jaimini. Janamejaya pleads for something to pacify his heart, as a fever-stricken man might beg medicine from his doctor. Janamejaya wants Jaimini to directly administer a rasyana tonic flavored with the transcendental tastes of the glories of the Supreme Lord and His devotees. That elixir, administered through the ear, will make his heart again feel happy. TEXTS 9091 [qJaEiMaiNavac Yau-aNYauPaa:YaaNavrYaSYa PaaiNa YaaNYaSYa JaGaaE iPaTaa Tae ) Gaael/aek-MaahaTMYak-QaaPa[ae >aae vTSa >aavEMaRDaurEivRic}aE" )) [uiTaSMa*TaqNaaMai%l/aQaRSaar= MaYaaiNa GaaYaNicrai<a YaaiNa ) i+aPaN>avtaaTaivYaaeGadu"%& Sau%q craMaqh vdaiMa TaaiNa ))

r-jaiminir uvca yuktny upkhyna-vara-dvayasya

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padyni yny asya jagau pit te goloka-mhtmya-kath-praho bho vatsa bhvair madhurair vicitrai ruti-smtnm akhilrtha-sramayni gyan ruciri yni kipan bhavat-tta-viyoga-dukha sukh carmha vadmi tni
r-jaimini uvcar Jaimini said; yuktni suitable; upkhynaof narrations; varathe best; dvayasyaof the pair; padyniverses; yniwhich; asyathis; jagausang; pitfather; teyour; goloka-mhtmyaof the glories of Goloka; kathby the telling; prahadelighted; bho vatsamy dear child; bhvaiwith ecstasies; madhurai sweet; vicitraivarious; ruti-smtnmof the rutis and smtis; akhilaall; arthaof the meaning; sra-maynicontaining the essence; gyan chanting; ruciricharming; yniwhich; kipan casting aside; bhavatyour; ttafrom the father; viyogaof separation; dukhamthe sorrow; sukh happy; carmiI travel; ihain this world; vadmiI now tell; tnithem. r Jaimini said: My dear child, in the joy of having spoken about the glories of Goloka your father recited several verses that complement these two wonderful histories. Those charming verses express various sweet ecstasies and bear the essential purport of all the rutis and smtis. By chanting them I am able to dispel the sorrow I feel in the absence of your respected father, and thus I travel happily in this world. Now I shall recite those verses to you. Commentary: Janamejayas request reminds Jaimini that Parkit Mahrja, after finishing the history of Gopa-kumra, recited a few verses of r Brahmasahit that glorify Goloka and spoke several verses of rmad-Bhgavatams Tenth Canto that
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extol Mathur Vraja-bhmi and its residents. The verses of the Tenth Canto highlight various special ecstasies of vraja-bhakti that will be discussed in the commentaries. Since remembering these verses gives Jaimini relief from the disappointment caused by King Parkits departure, Janamejaya, Parkits son, should also feel enlivened to hear them. TEXT 92 AaNaNdicNMaYarSaPa[iTa>aaivTaai>aSa( Taai>aYaR Wv iNaJaPaTaYaa k-l/ai>a" ) Gaael/aek- Wv iNavSaTYai%l/aTMa>aUTaae GaaeivNdMaaidPauz& TaMah& >aJaaiMa ))

nanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhvitbhis tbhir ya eva nija-rpatay kalbhi goloka eva nivasaty akhiltma-bhto govindam di-purua tam aha bhajmi
nandabliss; citand knowledge; mayaconsisting of; rasamellows; pratibhvitbhiwho appear as reflections; tbhiwith those; yawho; eva certainly; nija-rpataywith His own form; kalbhiwho are parts of portions of His pleasure potency; golokein Goloka Vndvana; evacertainly; nivasatiresides; akhila-tmaas the soul of all; bhtawho exists; govindamGovinda; di-puruam the original person; tamHim; ahamI; bhajmi worship. I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord. He resides in everyones heart as the Supersoul and simultaneously in His own realm, Goloka, with Rdh, who resembles His own spiritual figure and embodies the ecstatic potency [hldin]. Their companions are Her confidantes, extensions of Her bodily form who are permeated with ever-blissful spiritual rasa. Commentary: Texts 92 through 95 come from the fifth chapter of r Brahma-sahit, in which Lord Brahm sings the glories of di-purua, the original
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Personality of Godhead, r Govinda. Here, in the thirty-seventh verse of that chapter, Lord Brahm reveals the superexcellence shown by Govinda and His associates and paraphernalia in the supreme abode, Goloka. In the phrase nija-rpatay kalbhi (Ka in Goloka is accompanied by His counterparts) the word kalbhi can be understood in different ways. One meaning of kal is the means of artistic expression, which in this context indicates Kas skills in the arts of enchantment. By those skills He exploits the wondrous attractions of His beauty and personal qualities. Kal also means expanded parts, which can be understood to refer either to rmat Rdhr and Her principal companions or to all the gopas and gops of Goloka. The phrase nija-rpatay means either that the devotee expansions of Kathe gops and all the cowherdsare spontaneous in their devotional exchanges with Him or that they are expansions of His personality and similar to Him in form. They are fully endowed with nanda-cinmaya-rasa, direct perception of transcendental ecstasy, which they know in its most intense aspects. In fact the power of bhakti eternally manifests these various devotees to serve as prototype emblems of each rasa. Ka is the Supersoul of all beings, the witness and regulator dwelling always in the hearts of everyone, yet He also lives eternally in Goloka to enjoy with His intimate devotees. He is the original Purua, the source of all avatras, greater even than the Lord of Vaikuha. To indicate greater distance, Brahm uses the thirdperson pronoun tam to refer to Govinda: tam aha bhajmi (I worship that Lord). In this way Brahm speaks as if Govinda, who resides in such a faraway place, were impossible for him to see. TEXT 93 Gaael/aek-NaaiMNa iNaJaDaaiMNa Tale/ c TaSYa
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devqMaheXahirDaaMaSau Taezu Taezu ) Tae Tae Pa[>aaviNacYaa ivihTaa YaeNa GaaeivNdMaaidPauz& TaMah& >aJaaiMa ))

goloka-nmni nija-dhmni tale ca tasya dev-mahea-hari-dhmasu teu teu te te prabhva-nicay vihit ca yena govindam di-purua tam aha bhajmi
goloka-nmniin the planet known as Goloka Vndvana; nija-dhmnithe personal abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; talein the part beneath; caalso; tasyaof that; deviof the goddess Durg; maheaof Lord iva; hariand of Nryaa; dhmasuin the planets; teu teuin each of them; te tethose respective; prabhva-nicay opulences; vihitestablished; caalso; yenaby whom; govindamGovinda; di-puruamthe original person; tamHim; ahamI; bhajmiworship. Lowest of all is the mundane world [Dev-dhma], next above it is the abode of Mahea [Maheadhma], above Mahea-dhma is the abode of Hari [Hari-dhma], and above them all is Kas own realm, named Goloka. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda, who has allotted to the rulers of those graded realms their respective authorities. Commentary: This is Verse 43 of the same chapter of r Brahma-sahit. Below the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead expand countless worlds, presided over by Lord Nryaa, Lord iva, and the goddess Dev. r Nryaa rules over the Vaikuha planets and the replicas of Vaikuha within the material realm, such as Mahkla-pura, the abode of liberation. Dev rules the entire material universe, and she is the presiding deity of the unmanifested material nature, the eighth layer of the shell that encloses the universe. The infinite variety of wonders displayed in all these worlds is produced by the personal power of Govinda. Thus His energies, nondifferent from Him because they
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proceed from Him, are the source of endless variety. Govindas expansions like Nryaa, iva, and Dev are wonderful, and the worlds those expansions create are wonderful. Certainly, then, the original world of Govinda is the most wonderful. TEXTS 9495 i[Ya" k-aNTaa" k-aNTa" ParMaPauz" k-LPaTarvae d]uMaa >aUiMaiNTaaMai<aGa<aMaYaq TaaeYaMaMa*TaMa( ) k-Qaa GaaNa& Naa$y& GaMaNaMaiPa v&Xaq iPa[YaSa%q icdaNaNd& JYaaeiTa" ParMaiPa TadaSvaMaiPa c )) Sa Ya}a +aqraiBDa" SariTa Saur>aq>Ya SauMahaNa( iNaMaezaDaaR:Yaae va v[JaiTa Na ih Ya}aaiPa SaMaYa" ) >aJae eTaqPa& TaMahiMah Gaael/aek-iMaiTa Ya& ivdNTaSTae SaNTa" i+aiTaivrl/cara" k-iTaPaYae )) wiTa ) riya knt knta parama-purua kalpa-taravo drum bhmi cintmai-gaa-may toyam amtam kath gna nya gamanam api va priya-sakh cid-nanda jyoti param api tad svdyam api ca sa yatra krbdhi sarati surabhbhya ca su-mahn nimerdhkhyo v vrajati na hi yatrpi samaya bhaje vetadvpa tam aham iha golokam iti ya vidantas te santa kiti-virala-cr katipaye iti. riyaLakms, goddesses of fortune; kntloving consorts; kntathe enjoyer, lover; paramapuruathe Supreme Personality of Godhead; kalpataravadesire trees; drumall the trees; bhmi the land; cintmai-gaa-maymade of the transcendental touchstone jewels; toyamthe water; amtamnectar; kathtalking; gnamsong; nyam dancing; gamanamwalking; apialso; vathe flute; priya-sakhthe constant companion; citnandamtranscendental bliss; jyotieffulgence; paramthe supreme; apialso; tatthat; svdyam
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everywhere perceived; api caalso; sathat; yatra where; kra-abdhian ocean of milk; saratiflows; surabhbhyafrom surabhi cows; caand; su-mahn very great; nimea-ardhahalf a moment; khya called; vor; vrajatipasses; nanot; hi certainly; yatrawhere; apieven; samayatime; bhajeI worship; veta-dvpamvetadvpa; tamthat; ahamI; ihahere; golokamGoloka; itithus; yam which; vidantaknow; tethey; santaself-realized souls; kitiin this world; viralaseldom; cr going; katipayefew; itithus. I worship that transcendental realm known as vetadvpa, where as loving consorts the Lakms in their unalloyed spiritual essence practice the amorous service of the Supreme Lord, Ka, their only lover, where every tree fufills all desires, where the soil is made of purpose gems, and the water is nectar, and every word a song, every step a dance, and the flute is the favorite attendant. Effulgence in that realm is full of transcendental bliss, and the supreme spiritual entities are all to be tasted and enjoyed. There, numberless cows always give transcendental oceans of milk, and transcendental time, ever present, without past or future, eternally exists, not subject to passing away even for the space of half a moment. That realm is known as Goloka only to a very few selfrealized souls in this world. Commentary: Here r Brahma-sahit (5.56) directly speaks of the glories of r Goloka. Brahm calls Goloka by the esoteric name vetadvpa and portrays it with several short descriptions, tied together by the word yatra (in which place). All the girlfriends of the Supreme in Goloka are goddesses of fortune, or in other words they are in no way inferior to Mah-lakm, the consort of Lord Nryaa. In Goloka, however, the supreme enjoyer is not Nryaa but the original Godhead, r Govinda. He is the lover of all the Lakms of Goloka. In some manuscripts of Brahma-sahit we
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find the variant word parama-puru, which is in the plural form. With that word the verse can be understood to mean either that the husbands of the gops in Goloka are all mah-puruas, fully surrendered devotees of Govinda, or that Govinda expands Himself into numerous duplicate forms to associate with each gop simultaneously. All the trees in Goloka can fulfill any desire. All talk is as pleasing as pure music. All movement has the aesthetic grace of dancing. And Ka always holds His flute affectionately in His hands. In Goloka the para jyoti (supreme light), comprising perfect consciousness and bliss, is directly perceivable (svdyam). This jyoti can be identified either with Ka Himself, or with the unique prema that pervades Goloka, or even with the lamps and other sources of light in Goloka, all of which radiate absolute light and ecstasy because they emanate from the bodily effulgence of Parabrahman, r Ka. It can also be identified with the nectar of Kas lips, which in Goloka is able to be tasted (svdyam) by His most worthy devotees, the divine gops. The cows of Goloka are known as surabhi and kmadhenu. They flood the land with their milk. And absent from Goloka is the passing of time, from the smallest fraction of a second to the ultimate length of Brahms life. In the material world, all events are pervaded by the control of time, but in Goloka time has no dominance. Sequences of events may appear for the pleasure of Ka and His devotees in their pastimes, but never manifest are any of the material effects of timebirth, change, fear, destruction. Goloka is called vetadvpa, but it is a different place from the vetadvpa found within the Ocean of Milk in the material universe. In this universe only a few rare saints know that highest vetadvpa, and they are rarely seen, not only because they are so few but also because they
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generally prefer to remain in seclusion to avoid materialistic association and to freely relish Ka consciousness. Thus Goloka is a very secret place, unknown to most people. The Supreme Person also appears in the vetadvpa of the Milk Ocean, but there not all the women are His goddesses of fortune, He is not the only male consort, and His flute is not visible as His constant companion. vetadvpa in the material universe is surrounded by an ocean of milk, but that ocean is not created from cows milk. All these special features can be seen only in Goloka, the vetadvpa above Vaikuha. r Goloka is called veta (white) because it is supremely pure and also because it is flooded by the white milk of Kas cows. It is a dvpa (island) not only in the sense of being a place separate from all others but also because it is a secluded place, a shelter, the residence of exalted pure souls such as Nanda Mahrja. Like Mathur-maala on earth, Goloka is shaped like a round island, bordered by the shores of the river Yamun. And in Goloka milk flows so abundantly that the whole Goloka world seems to be an island floating in the middle of an ocean of milk. Predominated by cows, r Mathur in the spiritual world is like the Milk Ocean, with milk everywhere. And within that region is r Vndvana, the white island vetadvpa, the land where Nanda Mahrjas cows graze and ever drench the ground with their milk. TEXT 96 ik&- c, Pau<Yaa bTa v[Ja>auvae YadYa& Na*il/= GaU!" Paura<aPauzae vNaic}aMaaLYa" ) Gaa" Paal/YaNSahbl/" Kv<aYa& ve<au& iv-I@YaaiTa iGair}arMaaicRTaai]" ))

ki ca, puy bata vraja-bhuvo yad aya n-liga1284

gha pura-puruo vana-citra-mlya g playan saha-bala kvaaya ca veu vikraycati giritra-ramrcitghri

kim caand furthermore; puypious; bataindeed; vraja-bhuvathe various regions of the land of Vraja; yatin which; ayamthis; nhuman; ligaby characteristics; ghadisguised; pura-purua primeval Personality of Godhead; vanamade of flowers and other items of the forest; citraof wonderful variety; mlyawhose garlands; gthe cows; playanherding; sahatogether with; bala Lord Balarma; kvaayanvibrating; caand; veum His flute; vikraywith various pastimes; acati He moves about; giritraby Lord iva; ramand the goddess of fortune; arcitaworshiped; aghriHis feet. Commentary: Starting with this verse, the next fifty-eight verses come from the Tenth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam. Of these the first eleven (texts 96 through 106) establish in a general way the glories of Vraja-bhmi and its residents. The current verse (10.44.13) was spoken by the women of Mathur City. Ka had just arrived in Mathur from Nanda-gokula. Early that morning He had killed the elephant Kuvalaypa, and now as the women watched He was wrestling with Cra. Shocked to see such an unfair competition between powerful athletes and little boys, some of the women sharply criticized their friends and the other people present: mahn aya batdharma e rja-sabh-sadm ye balbalavad yuddha rjo nvicchanti payata Alas, what a greatly irreligious act the members of this royal assembly are committing! As the king watches this fight between the strong and the weak, these assembly members also want to see it.
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(Bhgavatam 10.44.7) Other outraged women spoke the verse under discussion, in which they declared that only Vrajabhmi is a pious place, unlike the metropolis of Mathur. The women referred to vraja-bhuva in the plural to offer Vraja respect, to indicate its large extent, and to include not only the land of Vraja but all its living beings, and even its sticks, stones, and other inert objects. In Vraja, r Ka is visible to everyones eyes in all His charm, wandering about to enjoy His many different pastimes. As the speakers of this verse described that scene, they thought, This assembly, in which Ka is being threatened with defeat, should be condemned. But the land of Vraja, where Ka moves about and plays, is pious. The people of that place are good, but the residents of this city are not. The word acati means he moves about, but it may also mean he honors. Taken in that sense, it indicates that Ka honors the people of Vraja by His presence. While speaking this verse, the women used the pronoun ayam (this), and one of them pointed her finger towards Ka. The women avoided saying Kas name because they considered Him like their own husband (a chaste woman does not speak of her husband by name) and because they were afraid that if they pronounced His name out loud they might lose control of themselves in ecstasy. Someone hearing the women condemn Mathur might assert that from the authoritative prediction of the venerable i Garga it was already known that Ka would become the master of Mathur. That city, then, and all its residents gathered at the assembly were destined to become very fortunate. As unavoidable as this truth might have been, the women of Mathur still insisted that Vraja-bhmi is the only truly pious place. Ka, the primeval Lord of all living beings, is realized by spiritual aspirants in countless ways.
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He is the Supersoul dwelling in every creatures heart, and His feet are worshiped by Lord iva and the goddess Mah-lakm. Even so, in Vraja He disguises Himself as an ordinary human being. To deceive enemies like Kasa, He hides His prowess, and to enjoy with His devotees He hides in the bushes of Vndvana. In Vraja Ka wears all sorts of garlands made with forest flowers. He is always accompanied by BalaHis older brother Balarmaor by forces (bala), an army of friends. Ka herds His cows, plays on His flute, and enjoys the rsa dance and other pastimes with His devotees. But the residents of Mathur think of Ka differently. Mathurs eminent katriyas, steeped in knowledge of the smtis and rutis, always see Ka as the timeless Personality of Godhead, an attitude that prevents them from having more intimate relationships with Him. They and the other residents of Mathur, seeing Him as Vsudeva, the Lord in the heart, feel no urgent need to have Him always present before them outside the heart. Generally, the devotees of Mathur envision Ka with four arms and all the other opulent features of the Supreme Lord, and they remember how He is worshiped by Lord iva and other demigods; consequently, they cannot realize the same fullness of prema as the devotees of Vndvana. In Vndvana, all the Vraja-vss are always so eager to see Ka that they cannot tolerate being absent from Him even for a moment. They forever see Him in His most attractive humanlike form, and their love for Him is always fully awakened. Thinking of Him as the darling son of r Nanda and Yaod, they feel for Him the sweetest of sentiments. Their relationships with Him are a treasure so precious and confidential, they feel, that their lives depend upon protecting it. Worshiping Him in various intimate ways, they enjoy the extreme limits of happiness. Certainly they are more fortunate than anyone else, and so
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the land where they live is naturally the most fortunate of places. Of course, the Ydavas of Mathur are great Vaiavas, situated on the transcendental platform of love of God, but Ka never appears among them decorated with wonderful garlands of forest flowers, as He does among the Vraja-vss. And even if by His royal wealth He does sometimes acquire such garlands in the big city of Mathur, we cannot expect to see Him tending cows there. And even if He owns a royal herd of cows and sometimes plays at taking care of them, how in Mathur can He always be in the company of Balarma? Very often one or the other of the two transcendental brothers has to go somewhere else to carry out His duties. And in Mathur how can Ka play with all the young cowherd boys? The young Yadus may sometimes dress up as cowherd boys in games to imitate Kas friends in Vraja, but even then in Mathur Ka doesnt play His flute. Nor does He exhibit the many special pastimes unique to Vraja, like His rsa-ll. By using the word kray (with His playful pastimes), the speakers of this verse hinted at Kas rsa dance, but due to feminine shyness they avoided mentioning it by name. The last phrase of this verse states that Kas feet are worshiped by giritra-ramLord iva and Mah-lakm. But there is another way to understand these words, a way that shows careful regard for the consistency of the verse as glorification of Vraja-bhmi. While Ka held Govardhana Hill, rmat Rdhr freed Him from the danger of dropping the mountain by relieving Him of His fatigue with Her loving glance. Thus She, the original goddess of fortune (ram), saved Him from the mountain (giri-tr). Or else Ka Himself, having saved Vraja-bhmi by means of the mountain, is called Giritra, and because Rdh gives pleasure to that Govardhana-dhr, She is called Giritraram. She worships Kas feet, but only in Vraja,
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so Vraja alone is pious. By recounting the glories of r Goloka, Parkit Mahrja realized such an advanced level of prema that he felt the ecstatic mood of the women of Mathur-pur, and in this frame of mind he sang this verse. TEXT 97 Ahae_iTaDaNYaa v[JaGaaerMa<Ya" STaNYaaMa*Ta& PaqTaMaTaqv Tae Mauda ) YaaSaa& iv>aae vTSaTaraTMaJaaTMaNaa Yata*Yae_aPYaQa Naal/Mara" ))

aho ti-dhany vraja-go-ramaya stanymta ptam atva te mud ys vibho vatsatartmajtman yat-tptaye dypy atha nlam adhvar
ahooh; ati-dhanymost fortunate; vrajaof Vndvana; gothe cows; ramayaand the gops; stanyathe breast milk; amtamwhich is like nectar; ptamhas been drunk; atvafully; teby You; mudwith satisfaction; ysmof whom; vibhoO almighty Lord; vatsatara-tmaja-tmanin the form of the calves and the sons of the cowherd women; yatwhose; tptayefor the satisfaction; adya api even until now; athaand; nanot; alamsufficient; adhvarthe Vedic sacrifices. O almighty Lord, how greatly fortunate are the cows and ladies of Vndvana! Taking the form of their calves and children, You have happily drunk to Your full satisfaction the nectar of their breast milk. All the Vedic sacrifices performed from time immemorial up to the present day have not given You as much satisfaction. Commentary: Texts 97 through 106 form the final part of Lord Brahms prayers to Ka in Vndvana (Bhgavatam 10.14.3140). While in Vndvana, Brahm witnessed the unlimited mercy of Ka and bathed in the rasa of Kas omnipotence. And after Ka removed the misgivings from Brahms
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heart, Brahm was also able to taste that rasa fully. So Brahm now understands that the greatest way one can praise the Personality of Godhead is simply to describe the unlimited glories of His devotees and devotional service. From the very beginning of his life, Brahm had prayed to the Supreme Lord for bhakti, the most fortunate of goals, but only now that he has received the special mercy of Ka in Vndvana has the true greatness of the Vraja-vss been revealed to Him. Now that he has some idea of just how much they cherish Ka, he hopes to obtain the same kind of bhakti they have, and he acclaims them the Supreme Lords most fortunate devotees. First he mentions the greatness of the gops and cows who serve as Kas mothers by giving Him their milk. The interjection aho expresses great surprise, and the prefix ati- in the word atidhany indicates that the good fortune of these mothers is extraordinary. By suckling Ka the ladies and cows of Vraja please Him, and so their glories give pleasure to the entire universe. The motherly gops are referred to after the cows because the mothers are even more fortunate. Why? Because even though Ka is not fully satisfied by all the Avamedha-yajas and all the other sacrifices performed since the creation of the universe by great demigods and sages like Brahm himself, He is satisfied at every moment while drinking the milk of these mothers. Exalted devas and is are expert in gratifying anyone they choose to favor, but they cannot so fully satisfy Ka. Ka assumed the forms of the calves and the sons of all those mothers in Vraja just so He could drink their milk. By using the past tense (ptam), Brahm implies that the time for that special arrangement has come to an end, for the calves and boys he had stolen have now returned to their mothers.
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The word atva (fully) can be understood to be connected either with the preceding word ptam (has been drunk) or the following word mud (with satisfaction). Because of the unlimited affection Ka has for His devotees, He drank the milk of all those mothers very much, and He drank with great pleasure. By addressing Ka with the word vibho (O infinite Lord), Brahm establishes that even during the time Ka assumed the forms of calves and calf-herding boys He remained unlimited. The word vibho also describes Ka as endowed with supreme mystic power, by which He remains the unlimited Absolute Truth even when He appears in limited sizes to entertain His devotees. Ka can easily do what is ordinarily impossible. Although it would have been most appropriate to describe first the glories of the best of Kas beloved devoteesrmat Rdhr and Her companionsBrahm does not do so, because he has not yet realized how extraordinary is the rasa of the gops love for Ka. Since knowledge of the gops supreme devotion has not yet awakened in Brahms heart, he does not pray for elevation to their standard of bhakti. In Vndvana Brahm could see Ka only in the form of Bla-gopla, so when he begins his prayers he addresses Ka as the son of a cowherd, with small, tender feet, not as Gopntha, the Lord of the gops. Besides, despite being Kas oldest servant, Brahm thinks of himself as Kas son, so he naturally wants to avoid intruding into Kas amorous affairs. As Parkit Mahrja sang these ten verses, he felt in his own heart the moods of r Brahm, the spiritual master of all classes of Vaiavas. TEXT 98 Ahae >aaGYaMahae >aaGYa& NaNdGaaePav[JaaEk-SaaMa( ) YaiNMa}a& ParMaaNaNd& PaU<a| b] SaNaaTaNaMa( ))

aho bhgyam aho bhgya

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nanda-gopa-vrajaukasm yan-mitra paramnanda pra brahma santanam

ahowhat great; bhgyamfortune; ahowhat great; bhgyamfortune; nandaof Mahrja Nanda; gopaof the other cowherd men; vraja-okasmof the inhabitants of Vraja-bhmi; yatof whom; mitramthe friend; parama-nandamthe supreme bliss; pram complete; brahmathe Absolute Truth; santanam eternal. How greatly fortunate are Nanda Mahrja, the cowherd men, and all the other inhabitants of Vraja-bhmi! There is no limit to their good fortune, because the Absolute Truth, the source of transcendental bliss, the eternal Supreme Brahman, has become their friend. Commentary: Ka acts for the benefit of the Vraja-vss not just in certain situations but always. And He not only delivers them from fear but also provides for them the highest varieties of ecstasy. Thus He is the source of their intense happiness, and they consider Him their dearmost friend. Were He merely God, their love for Him would be severely restricted. But Ka, at once, is both the Supreme Absolute Truth and the dear friend of the residents of Nandas cowherd village. TEXT 99 Wza& Tau >aaGYaMaihMaaCYauTa TaavdaSTaaMa( Wk-adXaEv ih vYa& bTa >aUir>aaGaa" ) WTa*zqk-czkE-rSak*-iTPabaMa" XavaRdYaae_&gYau[dJaMaMa*TaaSav& Tae ))

e tu bhgya-mahimcyuta tvad stm ekdaaiva hi vaya bata bhri-bhg etad-dhka-caakair asakt pibma arvdayo ghry-udaja-madhv-amtsava te
emof these (residents of Vndvana); tuhowever; bhgyaof the good fortune; mahimthe greatness; acyutaO infallible Supreme Lord; tvatso much;
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stmlet it be; ekdaathe eleven; eva hiindeed; vayamwe; bataoh; bhri-bhgare most fortunate; etatof these devotees; hkaby the senses; caakai(which are like) drinking cups; asakt repeatedly; pibmawe are drinking; arva-daya Lord iva and the other chief demigods; aghriudajaof the lotus feet; madhuthe honey; amtasavamwhich is a nectarean, intoxicating beverage; teof You. Yet even though the extent of the good fortune of these residents of Vndvana is inconceivable, we eleven presiding deities of the various senses, headed by Lord iva, are also most fortunate, because the senses of these devotees of Vndvana are the cups through which we repeatedly drink the nectarean, intoxicating beverage of the honey of Your lotus feet. Commentary: In the material world, Lord iva is the deity who presides over every individuals ego, and Candra and nine other demigods preside over everyones mind and other senses. These eleven demigods are very fortunate because they perceive through the ego, intelligence, mind, eyes, ears, skin, tongue, nose, speech, hands, and feet of every Vraja-vsthe nectar coming from Kas lotus feet. These demigods witness how the Vrajavss use their egos to identify themselves as servants of Ka, their intelligence to make up their minds to act always for His satisfaction, their eyes to see Him, their tongues to chant, and their ears to hear His glories. The Vraja-vss experience Kas lotus feet to be amta, immortal nectar, and also sava, extremely invigorating to their senses (asava). Or we can understand these words another way: The Vraja-vss perceive His lotus feet to be sava, a beverage extremely intoxicating even for those who are amta, liberated souls beyond birth and death. This implies that the nectar of Kas feet provides pleasure even greater than the joy of liberation.
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Because the demigods preside over the various senses, each demigod has the opportunity, through the one sense he oversees, to serve Ka by one of the many methods of devotional service. If the demigods attain the success of their lives merely by offering themselves to Ka in this partial way, how can anyone describe the good fortune of the Vraja-vss, who use all the senses to serve Ka in every way possible? The demigods take part in the sensory experience of every living being in the universe, but not even through the senses of other Vaiavas can the demigods relish the same nectar they receive through the senses of the Vraja-vss. Certainly, therefore, the Vraja-vss are even greater than all other devotees of the Supreme Lord. Why does Brahm mention only eleven presiding deities of the senses? Excluding the Supreme Lord Vsudeva, who rules over the consciousness (citta) of the conditioned jvas, there are actually thirteen such deities. One explanation is that because the functions of the anus and genitals cannot be directly engaged in worship of the Personality of Godhead, the presiding demigods of these two senses do not enjoy their share of the nectar of Kas lotus feet. The gops may engage their genitals in service to the Lord, but Brahm wants to avoid being impudent by discussing that subject. Or, alternatively: The demigod Viu, who presides over the feet, is an empowered incarnation of Lord Vsudeva, so by not counting him and Mitra, the deity of the anus, we have eleven deities. Of course, because the residents of Vraja have purely spiritual bodies, their senses are not subject to the control of material demigods. Yet as we have earlier heard from Lord iva, the Vrajavss imitate the behavior of ordinary materially embodied humans. At any rate, the Vaikuha demigods Candra, Srya, and others, who have spiritual bodies, descend to earth to take part in
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Kas pastimes in Vraja; therefore Brahm is not wrong to describe these demigods as being extremely fortunate by association with the Vraja-vss. It is an established fact that Lord iva and Lord Brahm have spiritual bodies, so we can accept that the other demigods Brahm refers to have spiritual bodies also. Since a connection with the Vrajavss makes the Vaikuha demigods especially fortunate, we can deduce that the Vraja-vss are more exalted than anyone else. TEXT 100 TaUir>aaGYaiMah JaNMa ik-MaPYa$=VYaa& Yaaeku-le/_iPa k-TaMaai]rJaae_i>azek-Ma( ) YaqivTa& Tau iNai%l&/ >aGavaNMauku-NdSa( TvaiPa YaTPadrJa" [uiTaMa*GYaMaev ))

tad bhri-bhgyam iha janma kim apy aavy yad gokule pi katamghri-rajo-bhiekam yaj-jvita tu nikhila bhagavn mukundas tv adypi yat-pada-raja ruti-mgyam eva
tatthat; bhri-bhgyamthe greatest good fortune; ihahere; janmathe birth; kim apiany whatsoever; aavymin the forest (of Vndvana); yatwhich; gokulein Gokula; apieven; katamaof any (of the devotees); aghriof the feet; rajaby the dust; abhiekambathing; yatwhose; jvitamlife; tu indeed; nikhilamwhole; bhagavnthe Supreme Personality of Godhead; mukundaLord Mukunda; tu but; adya apieven until now; yatwhose; padarajadust of the feet; rutiby the Vedas; mgyam sought after; evacertainly. My greatest possible good fortune would be to take any birth whatever in this forest of Gokula and have my head bathed by the dust falling from the lotus feet of any of its residents. Their entire life and soul is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mukunda, the dust of whose lotus feet is still being searched for in the Vedic mantras. Commentary: In this prayer Brahm elaborates on the
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request he has already made: tad astu me ntha sa bhri-bhgo bhave tra vnyatra tu v tiracm yenham eko pi bhavaj-jann bhtv nieve tava pda-pallavam My dear Lord, I therefore pray to be so fortunate that in this life as Lord Brahm or in another life, wherever I take my birth, I may be counted as one of Your devotees. I pray that wherever I may be, even among the animal species, I can engage in devotional service to Your lotus feet. (Bhgavatam 10.14.30) Lord Brahm would very gladly take birth again in this world, even as a blade of grass or other lowly being. And that blade of grass could even be in a wild forest. And that forest could even be a residence of cows and cowherds. The only condition Brahm insists on is that he always be able to serve Kas lotus feet. But couldnt Brahm serve Ka comfortably in liberation or in a high position, such as ruler of a universe? No, Brahm asserts, he does not aspire for any such advantage. He is willing to neglect the goal of liberation and accept janma, another birth. And rather than be born on some glorious planet of his own, he is willing to be born on this earth (iha). And rather than in a big city or town, he is willing to be born in a forest. And rather than a tapo-vana, a forest where ascetics go for their spiritual advancement, he is willing to belong to a simple cowherd village. And what would Brahm gain by trading his Satyaloka for a birth in Gokula? He would get the opportunity to bathe in the foot dust of one or another of Gokulas residents. Such an abhieka would be equivalent to a bath in all the sacred waters of the universe because Gokula is the supreme holy trtha. Such a coronation bath would be equivalent to being exalted to whatever position in this world
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he might desire. Why pray to take birth only as a creature who might be touched by the dust of the feet of the Gokulavss? Why not ask for birth as one of cowherds in Gokula? To this question Brahm replies that the Vedas have been searching for this dust from the time of their birth yet to this day have not obtained it. What to speak of birth as a cowherd, they are disqualified from achieving even this dust, because they identify themselves with various conceptions of material life and engage people mainly in paths and disciplines leading to material success or impersonal liberation. And since Brahm is younger than the Vedas, who are his teachers, what hope can he have for obtaining dust from the feet of the Vraja-vss? He can only pray for it. Here Brahm notes that Ka, being eager to display fully His supreme power, beauty, charm, and compassion in His appearance on earth, is now more than ever Bhagavn, the eternal Personality of Godhead. Thus He is called Mukunda, the giver of the topmost happiness of prema. He is the life and soul of the residents of Vraja, for in their lives no time passes, nor does any activity occur, either external or internal, in which He is not present, always submitting Himself to their desires. Because Brahm, being much younger than the Vedas, considers himself their disciple, he is shy to even imagine becoming a direct associate of Ka in Gokula. He thinks it inappropriate to pray for something that for him is impossible. In his opinion, if he were to submit such a prayer, just like a sickly, poverty-stricken person praying to become a king, people throughout the universe might laugh at him, a prospect that fills him with embarrassment. TEXT 101 Wza& gaaeziNavaiSaNaaMauTa >avaiNk&- dev raTaeiTa NaXa( ceTaae ivf-l/aTf-l&/ TvdPar& ku-}aaPYaYaNMauiTa
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) Saezaidv PaUTaNaaiPa Saku-l/a TvaMaev devaiPaTaa YaaMaaQaRSauiTPa[YaaTMaTaNaYaPa[a<aaXaYaaSTvTk*Tae ))

e ghoa-nivsinm uta bhavn ki deva rteti na ceto viva-phalt phala tvad-apara kutrpy ayan muhyati sad-ved iva ptanpi sa-kul tvm eva devpit yad-dhmrtha-suht-priytma-tanayaprays tvat-kte
emto these; ghoa-nivsinmresidents of the cowherd community; utaindeed; bhavnYour Lordship; kimwhat; devaO Supreme Personality of Godhead; rtwill give; itithinking thus; na our; cetamind; viva-phaltthan the supreme source of all benedictions; phalama reward; tvat than You; aparamother; kutra apianywhere; ayat considering; muhyatibecomes bewildered; sat-vet by disguising herself as a devotee; ivaindeed; ptanthe demoness Ptan; apieven; sa-kulalong with her family members, Baksura and Aghsura; tvmYou; evacertainly; devaO Lord; pitwas made to attain; yatwhose; dhmahomes; artha wealth; suhtfriends; priyadear relatives; tma bodies; tanayachildren; pralife air; ayand minds; tvat-ktededicated to You. My mind becomes bewildered just trying to think of what reward other than You could be found anywhere. You are the embodiment of all benedictions, which You bestow upon these residents of the cowherd community of Vndvana. You have already arranged to give Yourself to Ptan and her family members in exchange for her disguising herself as a devotee. So what is left for You to give these devotees of Vndvana, whose homes, wealth, friends, dear relations, bodies, children, and very
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lives and hearts are all dedicated only to You? Commentary: Lord Brahm is amazed at the indescribable perfection of the Vraja-vss, whose unique devotion makes Ka completely indebted to them. But Ka might ask, How can I ever become insolvent, incapable of clearing a debt? After all, He is all-powerful. Whatever a person requires from Him, regardless of the situation, He should be able to give. In Brahms opinion, however, Ka cannot repay the Vraja-vss properly, not even by giving them His own self. Ptan was an envious demon who took pleasure in murdering babies. Disguised as a respectable lady, she entered the company of Kas devotees just to kill Him. Yet she obtained Ka as her sonin other words, Ka gave Himself to her. Ka, however, might propose that He did more for the Vraja-vss than merely give Himself, because He gave Himself to all their relatives as well. But this too He did for Ptan. Baka and Agha were her brothers, and other demons sent to Vraja by Kasa were her close friends. And true as it may be that the main cause of their salvation was their contact with Ka, they achieved even that contact by virtue of being related to Ptan. How favored then must Ptan have been.Thus Brahm considers inadequate Kas payment of giving the Vraja-vss only Himself, because they have surrendered to His service their homes and everything they have. Ka also gives Himself to demons, so what makes pure devotional service to Him more desirable than demonic behavior? Certainly the Vraja-vss deserve better. TEXT 102 Taavd]aGaadYa" STaeNaaSTaavTk-araGa*h& Ga*hMa( ) TaavNMaaehae_i]iNaGa@ae YaavTk*-Z<a Na Tae JaNaa" ))

tvad rgdaya stens tvat kr-gha gham tvan moho ghri-nigao

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yvat ka na te jan
tvatfor that long; rga-dayamaterial attachment and so on; stenthieves; tvatfor that long; kr-ghama prison; ghamones home; tvatfor that long; mohathe bewilderment of family affection; aghriupon their feet; nigaa shackles; yvatas long as; kaO Lord Ka; na do not become; teYour (devotees); janany persons. My dear Lord Ka, until people become Your devotees, their material attachments and desires remain plunderers, their homes remain prisons, and their affectionate feelings for their family members remain foot-shackles. Commentary: Here Brahm responds to a question Ka might ask: Why should the Vraja-vss expect any more from Him than do the sannyss, who have renounced everything? Renunciants who have freed themselves from all material contamination obtain nothing more than Ka, so why shouldnt the Vraja-vss also be happy by having just Him? Brahm answers by reminding Ka that material desires, like thieves, rob their victims of discernment, determination, and other assets, and the home, in which one lives with spouse and children, is a prison that the infatuations of love keep one forever from escaping. Successful sannyss deserve credit for somehow avoiding these thieves and securing release from the prison of home life. The Vraja-vss, however, are much more praiseworthy because their homes, attachments, and desires and the love they share among themselves actually free them from bondage. Brahm argues, therefore, that the Vraja-vss deserve a greater reward for their worship of the Supreme than impersonal sannyss. As we have already heard from the authoritative statements of rmad-Bhgavatam and other scriptures, the spiritual achievements of
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nondevotee renunciants are similar to those of demons like Kasa. Such demons intensely concentrated on Ka while striving to destroy Him. Being directly killed by Ka elevated them to the status of liberation, oneness with Brahman, which in effect is attainment of the Supreme Lord because Brahman is one of the Personality of Godheads own opulences. But there is still a great difference between this impersonal liberation and the perfection Vaiavas achieve when they gain entrance into the spiritual kingdom, Vaikuha, and reach the lotus feet of the Lord. Brahms apparently simple prayer can be understood in several different ways. One is that Brahm is answering a potential doubt about why the Vrajavss, full as they are with attachments and desires, are more praiseworthy than more exemplary Vaiavas who are renounced both in their external behavior and in the core of their hearts. Here Brahm argues that although material attachments corrupt anyone who has not developed a personal relationship with Ka, Kas devotees have learned the value of devotional service to Him, and so they dovetail those same attachments in a spiritually constructive way. Without devotion for Ka, strict sannyss practice renunciation in vain, because ultimately none of their disciplines will bear the desired fruit. Most likely the results of their labor will be pride and selfdelusion. In contrast, the unlimited desires held by every devotee of Ka can never be satiated, for those desires are all in relationship with Ka. In particular, the Vraja-vss never feel they have had enough of Ka. Brahms statement can also be understood as a response to Kas suggestion that by sharing with the Vraja-vss the enjoyment of unique loving exchanges Ka can repay them for their devotion. As Brahm points out, as long as one does not become Kas devotee one remains in bondage. Thus
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Ka has a more important reason for coming to this world than just to enjoy with His friends: He displays varieties of captivating attachments and desires because He wants to entice all living beings to enter His devotional service. Therefore, since He performs His pastimes not for the satisfaction of His devotees but for purposes of His own, why should the Vraja-vss consider His debt to them repaid just because He plays with them? Still another explanation of Brahms statement, when one reads its grammar differently, is that Ka will be anxious until everyone in the universe becomes His devotee. Until then Kas attachments and desires will be like thieves that rob Him of His mental equilibrium and selfsatisfaction, and His abodes in Vaikuha and elsewhere will be like prisons because the company of those who constantly live with Him will restrict His freedom. The special affection He has for Mahlakm and others in Vaikuha will be like footshackles that restrict His movement and prevent Him from always enjoying the company of His dearest devotees. He will not feel the ecstasies of intimate reciprocation, therefore, but only the pains of separation. Thus Brahm predicts that after Ka leaves the Vraja-vss to go to Mathur He will always feel separation from them and always remain indebted. TEXT 103 Pa[Pa& iNaZPa[Paae_iPa iv@MbYaiSa >aUTale/ ) Pa[PaJaNaTaaNaNdSaNdaeh& Pa[iQaTau& Pa[>aae ))

prapaca niprapaco pi viambayasi bh-tale prapanna-janatnandasandoha prathitu prabho

prapacamthat which is material; niprapaca completely transcendental to material existence; apialthough; viambayasiYou imitate; bh-taleon
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the surface of the earth; prapannawho are surrendered; janatof people; nanda-sandohamthe great variety of different kinds of ecstasies; prathitumin order to spread; prabhoO master. My dear master, although You have nothing to do with material existence, You come to this earth and imitate material life just to expand the varieties of ecstatic enjoyment for Your surrendered devotees. Commentary: Ka might explain that He comes to Vraja not only to enjoy pastimes with His devotees but also to become their relative. In this way, by imitating the ways of material life, He intends to increase the ecstasy of His devotees. But Brahm thinks that merely putting on a superficial show of being a son or other family member is not enough to absolve His debt to the Vraja-vss. Or else Brahms statement, if reinterpreted as a rhetorical question, asks whether Kas becoming the son or other relative of the Vraja-vss on earth isnt in fact an illusion, a false show. The answer, Brahm implies, is Of course not. Ka proves the seriousness of His intentionsHe shows that He intends to enlighten, not deludeby displaying before Mother Yaod His universal form and in other ways revealing to His devotees His identity as the Supreme Lord. And not only the Vraja-vss but anyone who comes in contact with Ka is relieved of material delusion, for Ka cannot hide His true nature from His devotees. Ka comes to the earth to share with His devotees the highest degrees of ecstasy, whereas on other planets, like Svarga, the corresponding exchanges, such as those between Aditi and her son Vmanadeva, are hampered by over-awareness of His supremacy. If even in Vraja-bhmi Ka were known to be God, then how would He ever repay His debt to the Vrajavss? His attempts to bestow the highest ecstasy on them would be frustrated, just as on Svargaloka. By Kas inconceivable potencies, devotees who
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dedicate themselves fully to Ka, who abandon themselves to the control of ka-prema, lose all attachment to material things. They then give up the main causes of delusiontheir family entanglements and the affection for relatives and friends. But although Kas association makes material life dissolve, Brahm tells Ka, For certain very special devotees, You create an illusion [viambayasi] by increasing their attachments and desires. Thus You, O Ka, who are prabhu, capable of doing anything, expand the vast ocean of ecstasy for Your devotees on earth, something You never do in Vaikuha. Kas fully surrendered devotees accept all their worldly assets as His mah-prasda and maintain their attachments only for His sake. Thus their possessions and attachments, which fill them with the variegated sweetness of bhajannanda, the supreme bliss of pure devotional service, do nothing but enhance their spiritual lives. What can Ka do for such exalted devotees? He can only remain in debt to them. TEXT 104 JaaNaNTa Wv JaaNaNTau ik&- bhU-ya Na Mae Pa[>aae ) MaNaSaae vPauzae vacae vE>av& Tav Gaaecr" ))

jnanta eva jnantu ki bahkty na me prabho manaso vapuo vco vaibhava tava gocara
jnantapersons who think they are aware of Your unlimited potency; evacertainly; jnantulet them think like that; kimwhat is the use; bahu-uktyof many words; naare not; memy; prabhoO Lord; manasaof the mind; vapuabody; vcaand words; vaibhavamopulences; tavaYour; go-carawithin the range. There are people who say, I know everything about Ka. Let them think that way. As for me, I do
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not wish to speak very much about this matter. O my Lord, let me say this much: As far as Your opulences are concerned, they are all beyond the reach of my mind, body, and words. Commentary: There are three ways to understand the purpose of this statement by Brahm: First, he is declaring the unimportance of jna and the superiority of bhakti. Second, he began his prayers by focusing on the supreme object of praise, namely the transcendental form of the Personality of Godhead; as his prayers went on he digressed to deal with various doubts; and now, having solidly justified his aim of glorifying Kas opulences, he is returning to his original topic. Or third, after drinking from the vast nectar ocean of the glories of the Supreme Lord and the Vraja-vss, Brahm cannot help but laugh at those who think they know those glories. According to the first of these understandings, Brahm here addresses the seekers of knowledge. He ironically encourages them to pursue that goal, if that is what they want. He has no desire to argue with them or spend any more time proving bhakti more important than jna. He wants only to state that the unlimited, inconceivable greatness of pure devotion to Ka lies beyond the scope of his body, mind, and words. And, he implies, compared to bhakti mere knowledge and whatever is achievable with the help of that knowledge are of limited value. In the second understanding, we hear Brahm call Ka prabhu, a word derived from the verb pra-bh (to manifest in an exceptional way). The idea is that Ka has appeared as the perfection of all beauty and all other attractive qualities, unequaled by anyone else. Thus the physical opulence of Kas beauty is both incomprehensible to Brahms mind and indescribable by his words. Or, reading the grammar another way, the opulences of Kas body, mind, and words are all
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unexcelled. And just as the intent of Kas mind and words are unpredictable, so are His physical activities. According to the third understanding, because Brahms prayers repeatedly refer to the glories of the Vraja-vss, here his statement can be understood to be a glorification of their opulences: O prabhu, possessor of unlimited, various energies, the glories of these residents of Vraja are beyond the reach of my body, mind, and words. Even while Brahm physically composes the words of the Vedic literature, he cannot mentally grasp the extent of the greatness of the Vrajavss. Brahm is the Supreme Lords gua-avatra; as such, he has a transcendental body endowed with all potencies. One should expect him, then, to be able to comprehend these glories, somehow or other. But the fact is that he cannot. For this purpose the powers of his body, mind, and words are insufficient. TEXT 105 ANauJaaNaqih Maa& k*-Z<a Sav| Tv& veiTSa SavRd*k( ) TvMaev JaGaTaa& NaaQaae JaGaETatavaiPaRTaMa( )) anujnhi m ka sarva tva vetsi sarva-dk tvam eva jagat ntho jagac caitat tavrpitam anujnhiplease give leave; mmto me; kaO Lord Ka; sarvameverything; tvamYou; vetsi know; sarva-dkall-seeing; tvamYou; evaalone; jagatmof all the universes; nthathe master; jagatuniverse; caand; etatthis; tavato You; arpitamis offered. My dear Ka, I now humbly request permission to leave. Actually, You are the knower and seer of all things. Indeed, You are the Lord of all the universesand yet I offer this one universe unto You.
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Commentary: Now that Brahms prayers have evoked the Lords mercy, Brahms false conception of being lord of the universe has been erased, and he has achieved the priceless treasure of utter humility. Thus he considers himself unfit to stay near the Vraja-vss very long. Fearing he might commit more offenses, he requests permission to return to his own home. Ka knows everything, including His own greatness and the fallen condition of persons like Brahm. Brahm, therefore, realizing his inability to offer prayers to Ka properly, asks to be allowed to leave. This verse can also be understood as Brahms reply to a potential request from Kathat Brahm further describe the glories of Kas beauty and other qualities, of devotional service to Him, and of His devotees who reside in Vraja. Anticipating such a request from the Lord, Brahm asks in astonishment whether Ka actually knows everything about His own glories or not. By asking such a question, Brahm implies that Ka, though supposedly omniscient, doesnt know His own endless glories in full. Or, understanding this verse another way: Ka might ask Brahm why he now wants to leave, just after praying for any birth in Vraja? Why not simply stay here and delight Kas ears with more descriptions of Vrajas glories? Brahm answers that Ka, knowing everything, knows that it will be difficult for Brahm, in his present four-headed body, to stay in Vraja and very difficult for him to change that body before his destined twoparrdha life is finished. Thus Ka knows that Brahm, in his present life, will not get the opportunity to bathe in the dust of the feet of the residents of Vraja. And Ka knows how embarrassing it would be for Brahm to try to describe the glories of those great devotees, a task for which Brahm is altogether unfit. Moreover, Ka Himself is so much in debt to the
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Vraja-vss that He is totally under their control. Their loving devotion alone attracts Him, and He dislikes spending even a moment doing anything else than indulging them with His pleasure pastimes. Certainly Ka, the only source of happiness for Vraja, knows all this, so why should Brahm stay just to tell Ka what He already knows? Or Ka might be asking Brahm why he submitted prayers without fully considering the complexities of his request. After all, isnt Brahm the creator of the universe? Shouldnt he know everything? No, Brahm answers. Only You are omniscient; the knowledge of lesser persons like me is limited. Or, taking the word sarva-dk to mean one who makes everyone see, who gives all living beings their ability to perceive, Brahm prayed only as inspired by Ka, the Lord of his heart. Whatever Brahm said, therefore, is not to his own credit or blame. Any credit deserved for these prayers belongs to the Lord, who inspired them, and if there is anything wrong with the prayers their puppetlike speaker should not be blamed. Ka certainly knows all this very well. Ka might retort that what Brahm says is true for a mere servant but Brahm is much more than a servantBrahm is the Lord of the universe. No, Brahm replies, You, Ka, are Jaganntha, the real Lord of the universe. Neither Brahm nor any other jva should be called the Lord of the universe; everyone is Kas servant. Still, Ka might ask, Am I the Lord of the universe? You are the grandsire of the entire visible cosmos, and its rulers are your sons and grandsons and their descendants. How then are you My servant? Brahm, using the word arpita to mean placed within, answers this question by saying that since the whole universe is within Ka (tava arpitam), all creation is subordinate to Him. Or, taking tavrpitam to mean placed by You, it is only because Ka skillfully placed the universe under
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Brahms authority that the universe seems to be Brahms. And suppose Ka were to admit that He Himself is the Lord of the universe and that everyone in the universe is therefore His servant. Why then did Brahm condemn nondevotees with such gusto? And why did Brahm praise devotion to the Lord as something exceptional and beg so enthusiastically to become one of the Lords servants? Why, in particular, did he pray for any birth in Vraja? What difference should all this make to Brahm if everyone in the universe is already a servant of the Supreme Lord? Brahm answers, Of course, everyone is naturally Your servant, subordinate to Your control. But a servant with pure love for You in one of bhaktis special forms has a superexcellent status. Such a position, rarely achieved, is something everyone should strive for. And because service to You in pure love cannot be achieved without complete surrender, I surrender everything I have unto You. Saying this, Brahm offers the universe he considers his own and the body he considers himself all to Ka. And he offers his prayers, hoping they will please Ka. Everything that exists belongs to Lord Jaganntha and is known to Him, but that same Lord has directed Brahm from within. Thus inspired, Brahm, like an infant bird chewing again what its mother has already chewed, offers this universe, together with his personal realizations, hoping that Ka will accept this offering like a kind parent and excuse him for requesting something impossible. TEXT 106 [qk*-Z<a v*iZ<aku-l/PauZk-rJaaezdaiYaNa( +MaaiNaJaRriJaPaXaUdiDav*ik-airNa( ) oMaRXaavRrhr i+aiTara+aSaDa]uGa( Aak-LPaMaakR==MahRN>aGavMaSTae ))

r-ka vi-kula-pukara-joa-dyin km-nirjara-dvija-padadhi-vddhi-krin

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uddharma-rvara-hara kiti-rkasa-dhrug -kalpam rkam arhan bhagavan namas te

r-kaO Lord Ka; vi-kulaof the Yadu dynasty; pukarato the lotus; joapleasure; dyinO You who bestow; kmof the earth; nirjara the demigods; dvijathe brhmaas; pauand of the animals; udadhiof the great oceans; vddhithe increase; krinO You who cause; uddharmaof atheistic principles; rvaraof the darkness; haraO dispeller; kitiupon the earth; rkasaof the demons; dhrukthe opponent; -kalpamuntil the end of the universe; -arkamas long as the sun shines; arhanO supremely worshipable Deity; bhagavanO Supreme Personality of Godhead; namaI offer my respectful obeisances; teunto You. My dear r Ka, You bestow happiness upon the lotuslike Vi dynasty and expand the great oceans consisting of the earth, the demigods, the brhmaas, and the cows. You dispel the dense darkness of irreligion and oppose the demons who have appeared on this earth. O Supreme Personality of Godhead, as long as this universe exists and as long as the sun shines, I will offer my obeisances unto You. Commentary: In this last verse of his prayers, Brahm begs leave of his master and compares Him to both the sun and the moon. Ka is like the sun because He gives joy to the flowering lotus of the Vi dynasty. He is like the moon because He nourishes the earth, demigods, brhmaas, and animals. And He is like both the sun and moon because He counteracts the darkness of irreligion; just by appearing on the earth, Ka checks the power of Rkasas like Kasa. Having said all that, Brahm reconsiders: Comparing Ka to the sun and moon fails to do Him full justice. Thus Brahm comments further that Ka deserves the worship of everyone, including the sun
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(-arkam). And finally Brahm offers his obeisances unto Ka and promises to continue bowing down the same way until the end of the millennium (kalpam), which lasts the full length of his day. Thus, by chanting Kas holy names with great devotion and by summarizing the manifold purposes of Kas descent on earth, Brahm, in this last prayer, offers the best glorification he can muster. Kas birth in the Vi dynasty brought with it all signs of promise for the worlds good fortune. Just as the rising sun drives away the darkness of night and awakens the sleeping lotuses, Kas appearance assured Vasudeva and Kas other relatives and devotees that the demons who oppressed them would soon be destroyed. As described by r ukadeva Gosvm in rmadBhgavatam (10.2.17): sa bibhrat paurua dhma rjamno yath ravi dursado durvisaho bhtn sambabhva ha While carrying the form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within the core of his heart, Vasudeva bore the Lords transcendentally illuminating effulgence, and thus he became as bright as the sun. He was therefore very difficult to see or approach through sensory perception. Indeed, he was unapproachable and unperceivable even for such formidable men as Kasa, and not only Kasa but all living entities. Similarly, when the demigods come to glorify Mother Devak, they tell Ka, who is in her womb: diy hare sy bhavata pado bhuvo bhro pantas tava janmaneitu diykit tvat-padakai su-obhanair drakyma g dy ca tavnukampitm

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O Lord, we are fortunate because the heavy burden of the demons upon this earth is at once removed by Your appearance. Indeed, we are certainly fortunate, for we shall be able to see upon this earth and in the heavenly planets the marks of lotus, conchshell, club, and disc that adorn Your lotus feet. (Bhgavatam 10.2.38) The demigods also tell Devak: diymba te kuki-gata para pumn aena skd bhagavn bhavya na m bhd bhaya bhoja-pater mumror gopt yadn bhavit tavtmaja O Mother Devak, by your good fortune and ours, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, with all His plenary portions, such as Baladeva, is now within your womb. Therefore you need not fear Kasa, who has decided to be killed by the Lord. Your eternal son, Ka, will be the protector of the entire Yadu dynasty. (Bhgavatam 10.2.41) And while describing the conditions on the earth when Ka was about to be born, ukadeva says: mah magala-bhyihapura-grma-vrajkar Decorated with towns, villages, mines, and pasturing grounds, the earth seemed allauspicious. (Bhgavatam 10.3.2) Of course when the earth prospers, everyone and everything on the earth automatically prospers, including the Ydavas, the brhmaas, and all domestic animals. But Brahm considers it his duty to highlight the significance of Kas special compassion for the cows and brhmaas in this avatra. Pure love for Ka was bestowed upon Brahm by Ka Himself. For this, Brahm next expresses his gratitude. Ud-dharma can be understood to mean the higher principles of religion, or in other words,
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the obligations of individual religious duties. By manifesting the rsa-ll and other pastimes, Ka removed the gops ignorance and fear, along with the dark nighttime of such restrictive dharma. When Brahm offers this prayer, Kas conjugal pastimes with the gops have not yet taken place, but Brahm knows past, present, and future and so speaks of these pastimes as if they have already occurred. Or we can take the meaning of uddharma in another way: The prefix ud can mean away from, so uddharma denotes false principles that lead one away from dharma, or religion. Real religion is devotional service to Ka. In rmad-Bhgavatam (11.19.27) Ka Himself says, dharmo mad-bhaktikt prokta: True religious principles, it is said, are those that lead one to My devotional service. Uddharma, therefore, is whatever deviates one from true dharma, pure devotional service to Ka, whether the deviation be by jna, karma, or anything else. Although the dharma of pure bhakti is eternal and inviolable, it is sometimes hidden, like a lost treasure sitting deep in a cave, unnoticed even to visitors of the cave because extraneous objects cover it from view. All deviant religious methods, then, are forms of darkness; but Kas appearance has driven them all away. By descending to earth, Ka has brought back to the light of day the perfect religion of devotion to Him. Like Rkasas, who roam at night and eat men, persons who move about in the darkness of deviant dharma try to obstruct the path of bhakti, on which every living being depends for his eternal welfare. These deviantskarms and jnsmostly live on the planet earth, also known as karma-bhmi, and so Brahm refers to Ka as kiti-rkasa-dhruk, the valiant opponent of such Rkasas on earth. Also present on earth are other Rkasas, namely enemies of the Vis and enemies of other devotees of the
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Lordenemies like Kasa and his cohorts, and demons like akhaca and Aria, who disturbed Kas rsa dance and other pastimes. Ka displays many wonderful feats in which He destroys all these demons. As Brahm indicates by the word arhan (deserving), only Ka is capable of performing such deeds in the defense of eternal religion. In His expanded forms of Godhead, Ka may possess the same complete potencies, but only Ka Himself reveals the ultimate extent of His supreme powers. Thus He is the right person to perform pastimes for the deliverance of the earth, pastimes never shown even by Lord Nryaa or any of His incarnations. By acting as an enemy of relatives like His maternal uncle Kasa, Ka seems to oppose the religious principles and duties prescribed by the Vedas for pious men, and this may cause some doubts. Brahm, however, denies the validity of such doubts by referring to Ka as Bhagavn, the all-merciful Lord. Ka acts as He does solely for the benefit of everyone, even His antagonists. Although persons dedicated to karma and jna harbor within themselves the nature of demons, Ka deals with them in a way that rectifies their miserable asuric mentality. And to the most vicious demons, like Kasa, Ka is even more merciful; to them He gives liberation by killing them with His own hands. rla rdhara Svm, in his commentary on rmadBhgavatam, gives another explanation of the words arhan bhagavan namas te: You deserve the worship of everyone because now even those who were dedicated to karma and jna, persons like Akrra and Bhma, have entered the path of bhakti. Avowed demons like Kasa have also resorted to Your devotional service by absorbing themselves in thought of You in moods like fear. While these demons inwardly meditated on You as their enemy, externally they were unable to exercise their
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natural demonic propensities and so became inactive, like dead men. By killing them, You brought them back to life and gave them liberation. Even while the killing of Kasa and other demons is yet to happen, Brahm feels free to describe such events as if they have already occurred. Had Ka never performed such feats of delivering the nondevotees, Brahm implies, Ka would not be worshipable by everyone. As Brahm, drowning in a sweet ocean of prema-rasa, prepares to leave Vraja, he offers his homage not only to Ka but to all the Vraja-vss. The least important of all species of trees growing in Vraja is the arka. Vaiavas have little regard for that tree because it produces nothing useful for the Supreme Lords worship. Yet Brahms obeisances to everyone in Vraja extend even to the arka trees. Brahm says, I bow down to You, Ka, and to everyone living in Your abode, whether moving or nonmoving. These final words match the mood of his earlier prayer: tad bhri-bhgyam iha janma kim apy aavym, I would consider it my greatest fortune to take any birth whatsoever in this forest. (Bhgavatam 10.14.34) In effect Brahm says, Because all the residents of this forest, even the arka trees, are better devotees of Ka than I, they deserve my homage. I have no right to expect a birth here like any of them. I should pray for less ambitious blessings. O all-wonderful Ka, I can never offer adequate obeisances to You! TEXT 107 DaNYaeYaMa Dar<aq Ta*<avqDaSTvTa(= PaadSPa*Xaae d]uMal/Taa" k-rJaai>aMa*a" ) Naae_d]Ya" %GaMa*Gaa" SadYaavl/aekE-r( GaaePYaae_NTare<a >auJaYaaeriPa YaTSPa*ha [q" ))

dhanyeyam adya dhara ta-vrudhas tvatpda-spo druma-lat karajbhim nadyo draya khaga-mg sadayvalokair gopyo ntarea bhujayor api yat-sph r
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dhanyfortunate; iyamthis; adyanow; dhara earth; taher grasses; vrudhaand bushes; tvat Your; pdaof the feet; spareceiving the touch; drumathe trees; latand creepers; kara-jaby Your fingernails; abhimtouched; nadyathe rivers; adrayaand mountains; khagathe birds; mgand animals; sa-dayamerciful; avalokaiby Your glances; gopyathe gops; antareabetween; bhujayoYour two arms; apiindeed; yatfor which; sphmaintains the desire; rthe goddess of fortune. Commentary: After reciting for his mother the prayers in which Lord Brahm glorifies Vraja-bhmi and its residents in a general way, Mahrja Parkit now recites this verse (Bhgavatam 10.15.8), spoken by Ka to His elder brother, Balarma. Here Ka praises Balarma as the most glorious person and also describes in brief the extreme good fortune of the other Vraja-vss. Ka in His paugaa age wandered all over the area of Vndvana, tending the cows. It gave Him great pleasure to see the exalted qualities of the people, animals, and nonmoving beings. Eager to say something about the excellence of life in Vndvana but reluctant to praise Himself, Ka decided to direct His comments toward Lord Balarma. By thus showing respect to His elder, He set a good example to follow. And we can understand that everything Ka says about His brother is also applicable to Ka Himself. The planet earth has been engaged in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead since time immemorial. Countless incarnations and empowered representatives of Ka have graced her with their presence. In the distant past, Kas ll-avatra Varhadeva lifted the earth from the darkness of Ptla-loka and accepted her as His wife. Lord Ananta ea bears her perpetually upon one of His hoods. But only now, with the appearance of Ka in His original form, has Mother Bhmi become
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supremely fortunate. The word dhany most obviously means fortunate, but as the English word fortunate is connected with the word fortune, the Sanskrit word dhany is connected with the word dhana, meaning wealth. The greatest possible wealth is religious merit (dharma), and the highest dharma is prema-bhakti. In rmad-Bhgavatam (11.19.39, 27) Lord Ka has said, Dharma is the most desirable wealth of mankind (dharma ia dhana pusm) and Actual religious principles are said to be those that lead one to My devotional service (dharmo mad-bhaktikt prokta). In other words, with Kas appearance the earth has gained the opulence of pure love of God, which relegates the four ordinary goals of human endeavor to insignificance. Ka describes the prosperity of the earth in detail. Her plants, bushes, and grass are much more fortunate than those of Svarga and the other higher planets because the Supreme Lord, having descended to the earth in r Mathur in the role of a cowherd boy in the cowherd village of Nanda Mahrja, is touching those plants, bushes, and grass with His feet. The plant life of the earth previously obtained the touch of Lord Rmacandras feet, especially during His exile in the Daaka forest and elsewhere, but only now that Ka and Balarma have appeared has the vegetation of the earth become most extremely fortunate. What Ka is saying may sound like very general praise of the earth, but while speaking He points to the plants, bushes, and grass of Vndvana, to whom His glorification is actually directed. Particularly during His paugaa-ll, the land of Vndvana has become most fortunate, for He displays His pastimes of tending the cows all over Vndvana and makes known the unique rasas of this time of His life. Even more fortunate than the plants, bushes, and grass are the trees and creepers of Vndvana, for
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Ka, to pick their fruits and flowers and take their leaves, twigs, and so on for decorating His body, touches them with His hands. And more fortunate still are the rivers like r Yamun, the mountains like r Govardhana, the birds like the peacocks, and the wild animals like the black deer, for Ka favors all of them by His merciful glances. It is true that Ka casts His glances all over Vndvana, but the good fortune of the rivers, mountains, birds, and forest animals is described here as special because of the special pleasure Ka enjoys from drinking and bathing in the water of the rivers, climbing the mountain peaks and resting in the caves of the mountains, and playing with the birds and animals in wonderful ways. By associating with the best of rivers, Kas most beloved Yamun, and the best of mountains, Giri Govardhana, who is the foremost servant of Lord Hari, the other rivers and mountains in Vndvana obtain Kas favor. The birds and beasts of Vndvana, who by the nature of their birth have little opportunity to be at the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, derive their good fortune mostly from His glance. And He also shows His mercy to the birds and animals by calling out to them, by picking up their feathers, by touching them, and by other kinds of gentle dealings. Kas feet touch the trees and creepers in Vraja, but it is the surface of the earth that becomes marked with His beautiful and auspicious footprints. Therefore the good fortune of being touched by Kas feet belongs especially to the earth. The grass, bushes, and low-growing plants also have ample opportunities to be touched by Kas feet, a privilege seldom given to the trees and higher plants. But of course the cows and cowherds of Vraja have the greatest opportunities to associate with Ka. Although the cows and the young cowherd boys who
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tend them with Ka and Balarma are not explicitly mentioned in this verse, they are by far more fortunate than the plants and other animals. Most fortunate of all, however, are the gops, whose hearts are always drawn to Ka. Just as Ka, by glorifying the earth, is actually glorifying only the land of Vraja, so by mentioning the gops He is referring only to the cowherd girls of Vraja, not the gops of any other place. The goddess r cannot have the good fortune of the gops of Vraja but can only aspire for it as a distant goal. The gops, favored by the embrace of Kas arms, are more fortunate than the birds and animals He glances upon, the trees and creepers He touches with His hands, and the grass, plants, and bushes He touches with His feet. As indicated at the end of the verse by the word api (also), the gops also receive the same opportunities as all the othersKa also touches the gops with His feet and hands and glances at them very mercifully but in addition the gops receive the good fortune of Kas embrace. In Vndvana, therefore, the gops are surely Kas most favored devotees. TEXT 108 v*NdavNa& Sai% >auvae ivTaNaaeiTa k-IiTa| Yaevk-ISauTaPadaMbuJal/BDal/i+Ma ) GaaeivNdve<auMaNau MataMaYaUrNa*TYa& Pa[e+Yaaid]SaaNvvrTaaNYaSaMaSTaSatvMa( ))

vndvana sakhi bhuvo vitanoti krti yad devak-suta-padmbuja-labdha-lakmi govinda-veum anu matta-mayra-ntya prekydri-snv-avaratnya-samasta-sattvam
vndvanamVndvana; sakhiO friend; bhuvaof the earth; vitanotispreads; krtimthe glories; yat because; devak-sutaof the son of Devak; padaambujafrom the lotus feet; labdhareceived; lakmithe treasure; govinda-veumthe flute of Govinda; anuupon hearing; mattamaddened; mayra of the peacocks; ntyamin which there is the
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dancing; prekyaseeing; adri-snuupon the peaks of the hills; avaratastunned; anyaother; samasta all; sattvamcreatures. O friend, Vndvana is spreading the glory of the earth, having obtained the treasure of the lotus feet of Ka, the son of Devak. The peacocks dance madly when they hear Govindas flute, and upon seeing them from the hilltops other creatures all become stunned. Commentary: Simply mentioning the gops special love for Ka has put Parkit Mahrja in their mood. Thus he is inspired to recite some of the prayers the gops sang in praise of the great personalities of Vraja, beginning with the Vndvana forest itself. When a group of gops heard the song of Kas all-enchanting flute as He entered the Vndvana forest, they were immersed in the rasas of pure love and shared their thoughts with one another. In this verse (Bhgavatam 10.21.10) one of them says to rmat Rdhr that Vndvana has made the earth more glorious than Indras heaven or, in other words, more glorious than all the other planets in the universe. Ka, by marking Vndvana with His unique auspicious footprints, has bestowed upon every creature in Vndvana the rarely found prize jewel of all goals of lifebhakti-yoga, the treasure of blissful devotional service to Him. Ka marked Vndvana not with His shoes but with His bare feet, which are compared to lotuses because of being very tender. The ground of Vndvana, therefore, is exceedingly lucky to be touched by Kas lotus feet despite being strewn with pebbles and thorns. Vndvana is most fortunate because of Kas presence. Though Lord Viu and other forms of Godhead appear in Svargaloka and other places, they are only avatras of Ka, but Devak-nandana, who appeared in Vndvana, is the source of all avatras. Therefore to establish Ka as avatr, the source
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of all expansions of God, the gops need only call Him Devak-suta, the son of Devak. Saying this is enough to prove that Vndvana has raised the earth to a status higher than that of the heavenly planets, for even when Ka appears as other incarnations on other planets of the universe those planets never become as blessed with opulence (labdha-lakmi) as the earth does when He appears in Vndvana. In other incarnations Ka behaves like the supreme controller, and this makes it difficult for Him to leave His bare footprints freely here and there. Although the gops know everything there is to know, their overwhelming ecstatic love forces them to see the Supreme Lord as the son of Yaod, and no one else. They call Him Devak-suta only because it was Devak who brought Him, the original avatr, into this world. Only in Vndvana does the Supreme Person appear as Govinda, the Lord of the cows (gavm indra), who delights in playing with the cows and cowherds, wears a peacock feather and guj berries on His head, decorates Himself with a garland of kadamba flowers and other forest ornaments, and holds in His hand His constant friend the flute. As soon as the peacocks in Vndvana hear the murmuring of Govindas flute, they conclude that a dark cloud is announcing the approach of rain and begin to dance. And seeing the peacocks dancing, all the other living beings gathered in groups on the peaks of the hills stop whatever they are doing and just stand there, stunned in ecstasy. Thus Vndvana makes the earth more glorious than any other realm, even Vaikuha. The words veum anu (following the flute) mean that as soon as the peacocks drink with their ears a few drops of the nectar coming from Kas distant flute they burst into wild dancing. But the words can be split differently. Veu-manu (the mantra chanted by the flute) indicates that the
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sound of Kas flute has the mystic power to enchant the peacocks and make them dance in intoxication. That powerful mantra produces various peculiar effects throughout Vndvana. The peacocks are the first to respond to it, but its echoes reach even the peaks of the hills, which are attractive (prekya) to everyone and are the source of the birth of the bamboo flute. Hearing this mantra, all the living beings standing on the peaks cease their activities. Another possible reading is that the peak of Govardhana Hill is prekya, most beautiful and always visible to the people of Vraja. At the outset of the Govardhana-pj, as the multitude of offerings were being presented to feed Govardhana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead seated Himself on Govardhanas peak and announced, ailo smi: I am this hill. The words avaratnya-samasta-sattvam mean that all other creatures become stunned. But these words also apply to Vndvana in the sense that the lower material modespassion and ignorancecannot act there and only the perfectly pure mode of viuddhasattva prevails. As confirmed in rmad-Bhgavatam (10.35.9), even the trees and creepers in Vndvana have attained the status of pure goodness: vana-lats tarava tmani viu vyajayantya iva pupa-phalhy praata-bhra-viap madhu-dhr prema-ha-tanavo vavu sma The trees and creepers in this forest are so luxuriant with fruits and flowers that they seem to be manifesting Lord Viu within their hearts. As their branches bend low with the weight, the filaments on their trunks and vines stand erect in the ecstasy of love of God, and both the trees and the creepers pour down a rain of sweet sap. Viuddha-sattva is the substance of Vaikuha, as described in the Bhgavatams Second Canto
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(2.9.10): pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayo sattva ca mira na ca kla-vikrama na yatra my kim utpare harer anuvrat yatra sursurrcit In the spiritual world there is neither the mode of passion, nor the mode of ignorance, nor a mixture of both, nor is there adulterated goodness, nor the influence of time or My itself. Only the pure devotees of the Lord, who are worshiped both by demigods and by demons, reside in the spiritual world as the Lords associates. In other words, the mode of sattva in Vaikuha is never mixed with rajas or tamas; it is always viuddha, completely pure. Thus in Vaikuha there is no material goodness, which is a product of My. Na yatra my kim utpare: My and her products have no presence in Vaikuha. The transcendental nature of Vaikuha is called sattva only because the behavior of Vaikuhas residents resembles in some ways that of persons influenced by the material sattva-gua; Vaikuha has demigods, for example, who resemble their sttvika counterparts in the material world. And since Vndvana on earth equals and surpasses Vaikuha, Vndvana too is permeated by viuddha-sattva. And there is yet another way to understand prekydri-snv-avaratnya-samasta-sattvam: When the creatures of Vndvana hear Ka playing His flute, many of them faint from ecstasy and fall on top of one another, and stacked in piles they resemble the peaks (snus) of Govardhana and Vrajas other beautiful hills (prekya-adri). Others respond to the sound of the flute by standing still and staring into the distance to try to locate Ka. Actually, apart from the peacocks, all living beings at once cease their external activity when they hear Kas flute, but transcendentally they respond in various ways. When
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the peacocks dance wildly, the other animals remain motionless to fix their minds on hearing the flute and to look for Ka. Every one of them, however, experiences the greatest limit of ecstasy. There is also another possible reading: All the living beings of Vraja who were standing in high places (snu) were intently engaged (avarata) in offering their services to Ka. The birds, for example, were mildly chirping for Kas pleasure, and all other beings were happily absorbed in their own personal services. Or else by standing in high places to better view r Ka the various creatures were arranging for their protection (ava) from the terrible pain of being separated from Ka, and they were busily absorbed (ratni) in their own services for Ka. Not only the dancing peacocks but all the other animals (anya-samastasattvam)the kokila birds, for examplewere busily engaged in service. And for the mischievous and violent animals the main way to serve Ka was to put aside their natural proclivities. Alternatively, the logical connection of the phrases in this verse can be understood in a different order: First Ka saw the peacocks dancing, and then responded by playing His flute. When the peacocks first noticed Ka entering the forest, they saw the friend of all peacocksthe one with a peacock feather always decorating His head pick up their feathers from the ground. They then became mad with joy and began to dance. Seeing the peacocks dance, Ka happily raised His flute to His lips and played. All the living beings on the mountain peaks responded to the sound by stopping all activity other than looking at Ka and listening to His flute. And as implied by the word samasta (all), the peacocks as well stopped dancing. At first they manifested the ecstasy of dancing, and then after hearing the flute they were stunned, overcome by ecstasy. Such a scene is never observed in Vaikuha.
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TEXT 109 hNTaaYaMaid]rbl/a hirdaSavYaaeR Yad]aMak*-Z<acr<aSParXaPa[Maaed" ) MaaNa& TaNaaeiTa SahGaaeGa<aYaaeSTaYaaeYaRTa( PaaNaqYaSaUYavSak-Ndrk-NdMaUlE/" ))

hantyam adrir abal hari-dsa-varyo yad rma-ka-caraa-sparaa-pramoda mna tanoti saha-go-gaayos tayor yat pnya-syavasa-kandara-kanda-mlai
hantaoh; ayamthis; adrihill; abalO friends; hari-dsa-varyathe best among the servants of the Lord; yatbecause; rma-ka-caraaof the lotus feet of Lord Ka and Balarma; sparaaby the touch; pramodajubilant; mnamrespect; tanoti offers; sahawith; go-gaayothe cows, calves, and cowherd boys; tayoto Them (r Ka and Balarma); yatbecause; pnyawith drinking water; syavasavery soft grass; kandaracaves; kandamlaiand edible roots. Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my friends, for Ka and Balarma, along with Their calves, cows, and cowherd friends, this hill supplies all necessitiescaves, fruits, flowers, edible roots, water for drinking, and very soft grass. In this way the hill offers respects to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Ka and Balarma, Govardhana Hill appears very jubilant. Commentary: Next, Parkit Mahrja cites a verse in praise of Govardhana (Bhgavatam 10.21.18), spoken by another of the gops. She addresses her girlfriends with the interjection hanta, which expresses both joy and amazement. This hill Govardhana, she says, is certainly the best of all the servants of the Supreme Lord, who is named Hari because He takes away everyones sins and miseries, and everyones heart. As evidence that Govardhana is the best of Kas devotees, she mentions that
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from the touch of the lotus feet of Ka and Balarma he displays ecstasy, the grass growing on his body looking just like bodily hair standing on end, the water trickling down his sides looking just like perspiration. Furthermore, Govardhana performs elaborate worship not only of Ka and Balarma but also of Their cows and cowherd friends. In addition to the cows, the word go here indicates the other animals herded by Ka buffaloes, goats, and others. The gaas are Kas companionsBalarma, rdm, and the other cowherd boys. Govardhana worships them all with the things that give them special pleasure, including drinks (pnya) like water, honey, and sugarcane juice. He also offers s-yavasa, excellent grass. Or, taking s to mean various products like fruits and flowers, he offers such things along with fresh grass. In his caves he provides beds and seats made of stones, and lamps and mirrors made of jewels. And he gives various root vegetables for Ka and the boys to eat. Thus he is the best of Kas devotees because with loving devotion he serves not only Ka but also Kas brother, His friends, and His cows. By saying this and by calling the other girls abal (feeble girls), the gop speaking implies that she and the other gops are less fortunate than Govardhana; bewildered by their love for Ka, they lack the strength to render such valuable services. Another way to understand the words rma-kacaraa-sparaa-pramoda is that Kas feet give happiness to the entire world and always enjoy many kinds of sports. Govardhana delights those two lotus feet whenever they touch the stones on his surface, which then at once become soft like newly churned butter and very cool, or else slightly warm, as may suit the time. Or, taking yet other meanings of rma and caraa, Kas playful behavior (caraa) is enchanting (rma) for the entire world. Govardhana takes pleasure (pramoda)
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in helping Ka reveal His enchanting pastimes, which bring everyone in the world in contact (sparaa) with His lotus feet. Because we gops cannot do what Govardhana does, the speaker of this verse seems to say, we are condemned! Thus even though the gops are full in all virtues, they consider themselves inadequate. Such is the natural dissatisfaction of persons on the highest levels of pure love of God. TEXT 110 d*=aTaPae v[JaPaXaUNSahraMaGaaePaE" SaarYaNTaMaNau ve<auMaudqrYaNTaMa( ) Pa[eMaPa[v* oidTa" ku-SauMaavl/Ii>a" Sa:YauVYaRDaaTSvvPauzaMbud AaTaPa}aMa( ))

dvtape vraja-pan saha-rma-gopai sacrayantam anu veum udrayantam prema-pravddha udita kusumvalbhi sakhyur vyadht sva-vapumbuda tapatram
dvseeing; tapein the full heat of the sun; vraja-panthe domestic animals of Vraja; saha together with; rma-gopaiLord Balarma and the cowherd boys; sacrayantamherding together; anu repeatedly; veumHis flute; udrayantamloudly playing; premaout of love; pravddhaexpanded; uditarising high; kusuma-valbhi(with droplets of water, which resemble) groups of flowers; sakhyufor his friend; vyadhthe constructed; sva-vapuout of his own body; ambudathe cloud; tapatraman umbrella. In the company of Balarma and the cowherd boys, Lord Ka is continually vibrating His flute as He herds all the animals of Vraja, even under the full heat of the summer sun. Seeing this, the cloud in the sky has expanded himself out of love. He is rising high and constructing from his own body, with its multitude of flowerlike droplets of water, an umbrella for the sake of his friend. Commentary: Mahrja Parkit has glorified Vraja1327

bhmi in a general way by praising its principal attractionsthe Vndvana forest and Govardhana Hill. Now, in forty-one verses, beginning with this one (Bhgavatam 10.21.16), he will continue to glorify Vraja-bhmi by praising various forms of life in Vraja. One after another, in order of increasing importance, he selects those living beings that receive Kas special mercy, each in its own way. We can understand that King Parkit, while reciting each of these verses, felt something of the individual ecstatic moods of the devotees he was describing. The clouds in the sky above Vraja-bhmi may not have taken birth inside Vraja and by ordinary judgment may not even be considered living beings, but simply by floating over Vraja and obtaining Kas mercy these clouds have come to life. Therefore the gops glorify them. The gops single out a particular cloud that went out of his way to serve Ka. That cloud once saw Ka, Balarma, and Their friends herding their countless cows, buffaloes, and other animals and letting the animals wander, even into the hot summer sun, Ka playing constantly on His flute. The cloud guessed that Ka and His friends might be getting tired, so he placed himself just above the spot where the boys gathered at midday, on the relatively cool ground in the shade of a circle of trees. Listening to Ka play His flute and call out to the cows, the cloud, filled with ecstasy, rumbled with gentle thunder, as if his voice were ecstatically choking in his throat, and sprinkled fine drops of rain, as if to shed ecstatic tears of joy. These offerings of love inspired Ka to encourage the cows even more, in His sweet deep voice, to take advantage of the opportunity to eat plenty of grass. The clouds increasing ecstasy as he watched Ka from closer and closer made the cloud grow bigger and bigger. He could presume himself Kas friend
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because both he and Ka were fully absorbed in working for the general welfare of the world. So as a person naturally serves a dear friend, the cloud took care to serve Ka. Like a huge umbrella, he shaded Ka, and he poured down a cooling rain. A clouds raindrops are called its flowers (meghapupa), so the drops that fell on the boys were like small flowers. Or else the cloud literally showered them with heavenly flowers. This cloud gave special pleasure to Ka by trying to serve not only Ka but also His brother Balarma and all the cowherd boys and cows and the other animals. By describing this situation, the gop speaking means to say, My dear girls, that cloud is most fortunate, but we are unfortunate. In every respect, our fate is just the opposite of his. When Ka goes out to herd His cows, we hardly ever have a chance to see Him. And even if we do, we become bewildered by hearing His flute. Distressed by love, we become debilitated, unable to act. How then can we do any practical service for Ka, like shading Him from the noontime sun? TEXT 111 NaSTada TaduPaDaaYaR Mauku-NdGaqTaMa( AavTaRl/i+aTaMaNaae>av>aGanveGaa" ) Aail/NaSQaiGaTaMaUiMaR>auJaEMauRrarer( Ga*iNTa PaadYauGal&/ k-Mal/aePahara" ))

nadyas tad tad upadhrya mukunda-gtam varta-lakita-manobhava-bhagna-veg ligana-sthagitam rmi-bhujair murrer ghanti pda-yugala kamalopahr
nadyathe rivers; tadthen; tatthat; upadhrya perceiving; mukundaof Lord Ka; gtamthe song of His flute; vartaby their whirlpools; lakita manifest; mana-bhavaby their conjugal desire; bhagnabroken; vegtheir currents; liganaby their embrace; sthagitamheld stationary; rmibhujaiby the arms of their waves; murreof Lord Murri; ghantithey seize; pda-yugalamthe two
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lotus feet; kamala-upahrcarrying offerings of lotus flowers. When the rivers hear the flute-song of Ka, their minds begin to desire Him, and thus the flow of their currents breaks, and their agitated waters move around in whirlpools. Then with the arms of their waves the rivers embrace Murris lotus feet and, holding on to them, present offerings of lotus flowers. Commentary: The rivers in Vraja receive even greater mercy than the clouds. To external eyes the rivers of Vraja may seem unconscious, but they are not ordinary bodies of water. Thus another gop sings this verse (Bhgavatam 10.21.15) in praise of all those rivers, headed by r Yamun and Mnasgag. Or else only one river is being praised, namely the Yamun, and she is being referred to in the plural out of great respect. In any case, since the other rivers of Vraja are r Yamuns companions, when she is glorified so are they all. Ka is called Mukunda because He is the bestower of supreme happiness. The vibration of His flute is the sweetest of all songs. When He plays His flute near the rivers, the sound enters the rivers ears and captures their hearts, making them feel the intense attraction of Cupid, which brings agitated whirlpools to their surface and stops their flowing currents. Or, understanding the word lakita differently, the rivers undergo many thousands of ecstatic transformations caused by desire. If the words mukunda-gtam varta are split instead as mukunda-gta-mvarta, the luxuriant potency (m) of the song from r Mukundas flute brings about recurring waves (varta) of ecstatic symptoms, which disclose that the rivers are feeling agitated by Cupid. The gop speaking, in the depth of her love for Ka, is too confused and fearful to mention His flute explicitly, but obviously enough the words tat and gtam, which refer back to previous verses, imply the flute.
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The waves of the rivers are like arms, with which the rivers take hold of Kas feet in utter humility, gently covering those lotus feet in their embrace. The rivers do this just to calm the fever of lust in their hearts. If instead of covered we take sthagitam to mean unmoving, the rivers embrace Kas lotus feet with loving enthusiasm even though those feet are unmoved, too proud to reciprocate. Or else, taking sthagitam to mean stopped, Kas feet are very restless, always moving here and there, yet they become tranquil by the pleasant touch of the rivers embrace. The rivers express their love for Ka by catching hold of His feet with their waves. Any river fortunate enough to have Ka standing within her waters would certainly want to offer suitable worship to His divine feet. But the force of Cupids attraction bewilders the rivers and slows their currents, so despite possessing immense treasures of jewels, pearls, and other riches, the rivers can manage to present only lotus flowers. Or, reading the word kamal as a female nameby convention, a name of the goddess Lakmthe rivers who worship Ka with their embraces are themselves worshiped by Lakm. When the rivers hear the enchanting song of Kas flute, they forget their normal tendency to flow toward their husband, the ocean. Instead they turn still and assume humanlike forms. And instead of their own gems and pearls, they offer Ka His favorite Vraja-grown lotuses, presenting them on top of golden necklaces (upa-hr). The rivers would touch the two feet of r Murri with their many long armstheir wavesand hold His feet firm in their embrace. Therefore, the gop says, we are not actually fortunate, but these rivers are. Not only are we unable to listen to the song of Kas flute, but our desire to be with Ka does not stop the endless flow of service to our husbands, nor our other household duties. We cannot
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appear before Him in person, nicely dressed and suitably ornamented for His worship. Nor do we have many long, broad arms with which we can stop the restlessness of His lotus feet and place them on our breasts. TEXT 112 vNal/TaaSTarv AaTMaiNa ivZ<au& VYaYaNTYa wv PauZPaf-l/a!ya" ) Pa[<aTa>aariv$=Paa MaDauDaara" Pa[eMaTaNavae vv*zu" SMa ))

vana-lats tarava tmani viu vyajayantya iva pupa-phalhy praata-bhra-viap madhu-dhr prema-ha-tanavo vavu sma
vana-latthe forest creepers; taravaand the trees; tmaniwithin themselves; viumthe Supreme Lord, Viu; vyajayantyarevealing; ivaas if; pupawith flowers; phalaand fruits; hyrichly endowed; praatabowed down; bhrabecause of the weight; viapwhose branches; madhuof sweet sap; dhrtorrents; premaout of ecstatic love; ha hairs standing on end; tanavaon whose bodies (trunks); vavu smathey have rained down. The trees and creepers in the forest respond to the sound by becoming so luxuriant with fruits and flowers that they seem to be manifesting Lord Viu within their hearts. As their branches bend low with the weight, the filaments on their trunks and vines stand erect in the ecstasy of love of God, and both the trees and the creepers pour down a rain of sweet sap. Commentary: Greater than the clouds and rivers are the forest plants, who are sentient beings. Another of the gops recites this verse (Bhgavatam 10.35.9) in praise of the trees and creepers of Vndvana, who have the great fortune to associate with Ka during the day. The gops, by singing these verses to remind themselves of how Ka is
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enjoying in the forest, achieve some solace from the pain of being separated from Him. In the previous verse of the Bhgavatam (10.35.8) the gops sang of Kas playing His flute to call the cows (veun hvayati g sa yad hi). Thus the sound the trees and creepers are responding to is the sound of Kas flute. The flute song directly addresses the cows, not the trees and creepers, yet the trees and creepers of Vndvana and the other forests of Vraja react in ecstasy, pouring down a continuous flow of sap. It seems that they behold the Supreme Personality of Godhead everywhere, inside their hearts and outside. And though the all-pervasive Supreme Lord Viu appears in numerous forms, they see Him in the one form who submits Himself to the control of pure devotionr Nanda-kiora. The creepers try to hide that they are seeing Him, as one might try to hide that one is seeing a rare and secret treasure, but their ecstatic love confounds their attempts. Unwittingly, they let everyone see that Ka is manifest in their hearts. The symptoms of Kas inner presence are obvious: The creepers are outwardly rich with an endless supply of fruits and flowers. And their branches bend low, not only from the weight of those fruits and flowers but also from an inner mood of humility, which shows a deep wealth of good qualities derived from piety and spiritual knowledge. Moreover, the gross and subtle bodies of the creepers show signs of transcendental ecstasy, evidence that the creepers possess the deepest inner wealth of pure devotion. The creepers, and also their husbands, the trees, are fully endowed with these symptoms of external and internal wealth. The gops mention the creepers before the trees because the creepers are women like themselves. These creepers and trees very much resemble r Kas devotees, who are rich with the fruits of
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beauty, aristocracy, wealth, and influence and with the flowers of children and other family members. Kas devotees are rich with the flowerlike Vedas (which offer lush promises of rewards), are richly steeped in study of the Vedas and performance of Vedic sacrifices, and are also rich with the fruits of enjoyment in this life and the next. Nonetheless, these devotees remain always bowed down in humility, shyness, and other saintly qualities, and their family members (viap) show these qualities as well. The devotees of the Lord try to keep r Viu hidden in their hearts, like a housewife who tries to conceal her extramarital affair, but the Lord so thoroughly pervades the inner and outer workings of all the senses of that the devotees cannot keep Him from openly shining forth. Especially when they hear the song of Kas flute, their intensified love expresses itself in their bodies as horripilation on their limbs, and they shed torrents of ecstatic tears and show other signs of joy. As indicated in this verse by the words vyajayantya iva (as if exhibiting), Vaiavas naturally want to respect the sanctity of their prema by not showing it to anyone and everyone. Prema should not be allowed to degrade into a cheap public spectacle. But when symptoms of increased ecstasy appear in their bodies, Vaiavas sometimes cannot completely conceal their inner feelings. The songs, like this one, that the gops sing in the thirty-fifth chapter of the Tenth Canto differ from their complaints of separation from Ka, cited earlier from previous chapters. Before, the gops mostly lamented their bad fortune, but now they are seriously trying to raise themselves above the misery of being separated from Ka during the day. By singing these songs, they actually feel great joy. As ukadeva Gosvm states at the end of the chapter (10.35.26): eva vraja-striyo rjan
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ka-llnugyat remire hasu tac-citts tan-manask mahoday O King, during the daytime the women of Vndvana thus took pleasure in continuously singing about the pastimes of Ka, and the minds and hearts of those women, absorbed in Him, were filled with great festivity. Although the women intensely felt the pain of separation from Ka, by singing about His pastimes they were able to keep their minds fixed on Him, and so they were happy even during the day. At the beginning of Chapter Thirty-five (10.35.1) rla ukadeva also said: gopya ke vana yte tam anudruta-cetasa ka-ll pragyantyo ninyur dukhena vsarn Whenever Ka went to the forest, the minds of the gops would run after Him, and thus the young girls, although saddened, spent their days singing of His pastimes. This statement can be understood to mean that even though being apart from Ka made the gops sad, they managed to pass the days happily (ninyu) by singing about His pastimes. According to the explanation given by rla rdhara Svm, the gop praising the creepers and trees of Vndvana means to say, If even the plant life has such deep love for Ka, how can we be expected to tolerate being separated from Him? All the same, by singing the glories of Ka, whose transcendental body is the essence of all bliss, the gops feel great pleasure. Their songs are not pitiful lamentations but the highest revelations of ecstatic love. Or if one prefers to see the negative side of love in separation, the word mahodaya (festivity) can be understood to be used ironically to indicate just the opposite of what it
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literally means; that is to say, because the hearts of the gops burn incessantly in the fire of prema, they never enjoy a moments happiness. TEXT 113 WTae_il/NaSTav YaXaae_i%l/l/aek-TaqQa| GaaYaNTa AaidPauzaNauPaQa& >aJaNTae ) Pa[aYaae AMaq MauiNaGa<aa >avdqYaMau:Yaa GaU!& vNae_iPa Na JahTYaNagaaTMadEvMa( ))

ete linas tava yao khila-loka-trtha gyanta di-purunupatha bhajante pryo am muni-ga bhavadya-mukhy gha vane pi na jahaty anaghtma-daivam
etethese; alinabees; tavaYour; yaaglories; akhila-lokafor the whole world; trthama place of pilgrimage; gyantaare chanting; di-puruaO original Personality of Godhead; anupatham following You along the path; bhajantethey are worshiping; pryafor the most part; amthese; muni-gagreat sages; bhavadyaamong Your devotees; mukhythe most intimate; ghamhidden; vanewithin the forest; apieven though; na jahati they do not abandon; anaghaO sinless one; tmadaivamtheir own worshipable Deity. O original personality, these bees must all be great sages and most elevated devotees of Yours, for they are worshiping You by following You along the path and chanting Your glories, which are themselves a holy place for the entire world. Though You have disguised Yourself within this forest, O sinless one, they refuse to abandon You, their worshipable Lord. Commentary: Better than the nonmoving creatures are those who can move, beginning with the insects, bugs, and worms. Parkit Mahrja now recounts Lord Kas praise of the bees who follow His brother Balarma wherever He goes (Bhgavatam 10.15.6). As explained before, this praise is also applicable to Krsna Himself. Those bees never stop
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chanting Kas glories, which are like holy pilgrimage sites that bestow spiritual upliftment on all living beings. Kas glories, like a universally magnanimous spiritual master, can deliver any person, whether fit to be saved or not. Those glories bestow upon everyone who comes in contact with them divine knowledge of the greatness of pure devotional service. The bees that follow Ka are great sages, but not sages like the self-satisfied impersonalists; rather, they are Kas devotees (bhavadya). And of His devotees they are among the most elevated (mukhy) because although Ka hides Himself in the forest they never stop following Him. He is their all-in-all, the Lord of their life. To join Him in the forest, they disguise themselves as bees and thus take the opportunity to worship Him always with their songs. Here Lord Ka calls Balarma di-purua, the original Supreme Person. This means that the bees, who are always with Ka, are among the disevakas, the Lords original eternal servants. They always worship Him suitably according to the various pastimes He performs. r Ka also calls Balarma anagha, meaning sinless, free from all faults, neglectful of all offenses against Him, and granting salvation from all miseries. Because Ka is anagha in these ways, the bees can never abandon Him; they worship Him in any circumstance, fearless of reactions for their offenses and confident that devotional service will protect them from all distress. In truth, the bees of Vndvana are better than other sages because the bees never stop singing the glories of Ka whereas other sages sometimes fall silent, absorbed in ecstatic trance. Those bees are like the great Vaiava munis who never stop seeking Ka even though He is hidden in the forest of the Vedas. Though His pastimes are difficult to understand and His service is
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difficult to achieve, the determined Vaiavas never abandon Him; they strive to locate His glories even on the paths of karma and jna. They always sing those glories and promote them as the most serviceable spiritual asset, and so they realize Ka directly as the indwelling Supersoul of all jvas, their worshipable Supreme Lord. As Vaiava sages surrender to Ka, giving up everything to serve Him in pure love, so do the bees in Vndvana. TEXT 114 SariSa SaarSah&SaivhaXa( caGaqTaTaceTaSa WTYa ) hirMauPaaSaTa Tae YaTaictaa hNTa Maqil/Tad*Xaae Da*TaMaaENaa" ))

sarasi srasa-hasa-vihag cru-gta-hta-cetasa etya harim upsata te yata-citt hanta mlita-do dhta-maun
sarasiin the lake; srasathe cranes; hasaswans; vihagand other birds; crucharming; gtaby the song (of His flute); htataken away; cetasa whose minds; etyacoming forward; harimLord Ka; upsataworshiped; tethey; yataunder control; cittwhose minds; hantaah; mlitaclosed; da their eyes; dhtamaintaining; maunsilence. The charming flute song steals away the minds of the cranes, swans, and other lake-dwelling birds. Indeed, they approach Ka, close their eyes and, maintaining strict silence, worship Him by fixing their consciousness upon Him in deep meditation. Commentary: This is another verse sung by the gops who were trying to console one another during the daytime, when Ka was absent. The birds of Vraja are superior to the bugs and insects, but even among the birds there are different levels of Ka consciousness. The waterfowl are a little less fortunate than the others because they have less
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opportunity to be close to Ka. The waterfowl described in this verse (Bhgavatam 10.35.11) live in a far-away lake filled with clean water, clusters of lotuses, and various other attractions. Innumerable cranes, swans, and other birds forever sport in that lake. But when they hear the beautiful song of Kas flute, their minds are captivated. First they become bewildered and fly about madly in all directions. Then they return to the lake and settle down to engage in serious worship of Lord Hari. To fix their attention exclusively on Him, they restrain their minds, bodies, and speech. They subdue their minds, close their eyes, and resort to complete silence, bringing not only mind, sight, and speech but all their senses under strict control. Or, understanding the word upsata to mean they approached rather than they worshiped, the birds leave the lake to come near Ka and sit by His side. Being close to Ka gives them the highest pleasure, as shown by the way they become peaceful, closing their eyes and staying silent. The word hanta in this verse indicates joy and surprise. But it can also be taken to express disappointment, and accordingly the whole statement of the verse can be understood in a different way: The birds approached Ka and apparently calmed down, but were their minds actually peaceful? Not at all. Taking the liberty of adding the negative prefix a- to the words mlita and dhta-maun, we can read , we can read te yata-citt / hantmlita-do dhta-maun: the birds could not control their minds (ayata-citt), could not close their eyes (amlita-da), and could not be silent (adhta-maun). Their meditation on Ka caused such ecstatic mental transformations that they couldnt possibly keep their minds calm. They were in such anxiety from being unable to see Ka that they couldnt close their eyes, which even lost the natural ability to blink. And they took to such
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loud sakrtana of Kas names that any trace of sobriety was out of the question. Or, understanding the birds condition in another way: As a result of worshiping Ka by meditating on Him, they attained the ecstasy of mrcch, loss of consciousness. Their minds dissolving into oblivion, they simply closed their eyes and fell silent. In other words, the gop speaking implies, though these birds are members of a different species of life, though they live in the sky, though they are males, and though they live in a distant lake, where they are busy enjoying in various ways, the song of Kas flute has forcibly dragged them into Kas association. Concentrating their minds on Ka has awakened in the birds a transcendental prema that has destroyed their natural peace and thoughtfulness, disturbed their consciousness with all sorts of agitation, and rendered them completely bewildered. What can be said, then, of the constant state of the gops, who have no other purpose in life than to serve Ka? They too must be suffering, but much more severely. TEXT 115 Pa[aYaae bTaaMb MauNaYaae ivhGaa vNae_iSMaNa( k*-Z<aei+aTa& TaduidTa& k-l/ve<auGaqTaMa( ) Aa Yae d]uMa>auJaaNicrPa[val/aNa( Xa*<viNTa Maqil/Tad*Xaae ivGaTaaNYavac" ))

pryo batmba munayo vihag vane smin kekita tad-udita kala-veu-gtam ruhya ye druma-bhujn rucira-pravln vanti mlita-do vigatnya-vca
pryaalmost; batacertainly; ambaO mother; munayagreat sages; vihagthe birds; vanein the forest; asminthis; ka-kitamin order to see Ka; tat-uditamcreated by Him; kalaindistinct yet melodious; veu-gtamflute song; ruhya rising; yewho; druma-bhujnto the branches of the trees; rucira-pravlnhaving beautiful creepers
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and twigs; vantithey hear; mlita-daclosing their eyes; vigata-anya-vcastopping all other sounds. O mother, in this forest all the birds have risen onto the beautiful branches of the trees to see Ka. With closed eyes they are simply listening in silence to the sweet vibrations of His flute, and they are not attracted by any other sound. Surely these birds are on the same level as great sages. Commentary: Another gop, enchanted by hearing Kas flute, sings this verse (Bhgavatam 10.21.14) to Mother Yaod, or else to a girlfriend. Here even more fortunate birds are glorified, those who live in the same trees that provide shade for Ka as He wanders about the Vndvana forest. All the birds in Vndvana should be recognized as great sages; or, as indicated by the word prya (taken to mean many), sages are not so numerous in Vraja, but there are many birds. These birds are able to hear the mellow song of Kas flute, which Ka plays for the enjoyment of the cows and the cowherd boys and girls of r Vndvana. When Ka is far away, the birds may not hear the sound distinctly, but still its effect on them is vivid. That sound bestows upon them the vision of Ka (kasya kitam), and by bringing them to the tops of the trees it also becomes the means by which Ka sees them (kena kitam). The flute song is also kekitam (seen by Ka), in the sense that only Ka can conceive of such beautiful music. It is produced from Ka (kasya uditam), and this suggests also that the sound of the flute creates an opportunity for the birds to perceive Ka by hearing; hearing the sound is another way for them to see Ka, who is not easily visible to them through the abundant foliage. Though the rich new growth on the branches makes it
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difficult for the birds to see Ka, it also attracts Ka to the trees to pick the fresh leaves, fruits, and flowers. So the birds put aside their normal business of foraging and fly to the highest branches, where the leaves and twigs dont block the line of sight between them and Ka. Perched in the treetops, eyes closed in meditation, the birds appear like great sages. Indeed, sages who want to devote themselves to Ka perch themselves on various branches of the tree of the Vedas, which bear the attractive, tender twigs of various methods for spiritual advancement. The sages learn from the Vedas how to realize Ka, and with enthusiasm they practice the disciplines approved by the Vedas, such as offering to Ka the results of all work. But even while seriously studying the Vedas and pondering what they mean, the sages become attracted to hearing Kas allattractive flute and become eager to see Him. They cease to be attached to their Vedic education and instead become attached to seeing Ka constantly in their hearts. Closing their eyes in great ecstasy, they then dedicate themselves exclusively to His nma-sakrtana. Or else it may be understood that sages devoted to the Personality of Godhead come to the Vndvana forest to become birds and listen to the song of His flute. According to the commentary of rla rdhara Svm, all sages, even if content in their own selves, should become birds in the Vndvana forest. Or, granting that some sages are disqualified from entrance into Vndvana because they are less fortunate and confused by My, at least most of them should (prya). They should become birds in Vndvana because thus they can easily achieve what they aspire for, and much more. Because the birds living in the Vndvana forest have the great fortune to be able to hear Kas flute so often, they should be acknowledged to be greater devotees than the bees. And thinking about
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the birds makes Kas girlfriends even more disappointed than before: How terrible this is! We dont have such unalloyed devotion for Ka. We cant see Ka or hear His flute when He goes to the forest. We cant renounce everything and climb the branches of the trees. And when we dont see Him, we cant simply stop talking and close our eyes like these birds. To hell with us gops! TEXT 116 DaNYaa" SMa MaU!MaTaYaae_iPa hir<Ya WTaa Yaa NaNdNaNdNaMauPaataivic}avezMa( ) Aak-<YaR ve<auri<aTa& Sahk*-Z<aSaara" PaUJaa& dDauivRricTaa& Pa[<aYaavl/aekE-" ))

dhany sma mha-matayo pi hariya et y nanda-nandanam uptta-vicitra-veam karya veu-raita saha-ka-sr pj dadhur viracit praayvalokai
dhanyfortunate, blessed; smacertainly; mhamatayaignorant; apialthough; hariyashe-deer; etthese; ywho; nanda-nandanamthe son of Mahrja Nanda; uptta-vicitra-veamdressed very attractively; karyahearing; veu-raitamthe sound of His flute; saha-ka-sraccompanied by the black deer (their husbands); pjm dadhuthey worshiped; viracitmperformed; praaya-avalokai by their affectionate glances. Blessed are all these foolish deer because they have approached Mahrja Nandas gorgeously dressed son after hearing Him play on His flute. Indeed, both the doe and the bucks worship the Lord with looks of love and affection. Commentary: In this verse (Bhgavatam 10.21.11) another gop glorifies the deer. The deer, being similar in species to the cows and other creatures tended by the Personality of Godhead, are able to accompany them while grazing. Dhany sma means they [the deer] are fortunate. Or, considering the grammatical license granted to saintly authors
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like Vysadeva, another way to understand dhany sma is we are fortunate. This is possible if we allow rla Vysa the liberty of leaving off the final letter of the word sma (we are), the way it is sometimes left off in the texts of the Vedas. In other words, We consider it our great fortune that these deer have responded to the flute song of our beloved r Nanda-nandana by approaching to worship Him with all respect. The worship done by the deer was very simple, being performed with nothing more than loving glances. The deer had no paraphernalia at their disposal for worship, and other than those loving glances, nothing would have satisfied Ka. As expressed by the prefix vi- in the word viracitm (well arranged), the deers method of worship was exceptionally pleasing to Ka. The deer saw Ka decorated with wonderful forest ornaments like flower garlands and with peacock feathers and guj berries in His hair. Thus even though the deer had taken birth as unintelligent animals (mha-mati), they were supremely fortunate. Or, understanding the meaning of mhamataya differently, just by hearing Kas flute the deer lost their power to think clearly, and their internal and external senses all became stunned. This is the natural influence of Vraja: even living beings possessed of various skills are deprived of them by the reverberation of Kas flute and rendered dumb and immobile like inert beings. The doe normally stay hidden deep within the forest. But the sound of Kas flute drew them out into the open, where they came near Ka and, beholding His beauty, were bewildered by Cupid. In that condition, they could think of nothing but Him. They simply gazed at Him in great love, as if worshiping Him. And their husbands also reacted the same way to the song of Kas flute. The doe and bucksthose most exalted of animalswere endowed
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with such deep love for the Supreme Lord that they could never become proud of their good fortune; they always behaved like innocent creatures. As the gops meditate on the devotional service of the deer, they cannot help but think, These deer are fortunate because they can worship Ka along with their husbands. But our foolish husbands cannot tolerate our worship of Ka. Therefore, despite being born as human beings, fully able to understand and act, we are unfortunate. In fact, we are most unfortunate, even though born in the very virtuous and clever cowherd caste, because we cannot follow Ka and listen to His flute while He wanders about in His forest dress. We cannot gaze at Him with wide-open eyes filled with love and serve Him with pleasing glances. And even if a few of us can occasionally perform such service for Him, our husbands object. The word ka-sra means the black deer. But the word sra also means important. So the gops think, The husbands of the deer are called ka-sras because only Ka is important to them; the attitude of our husbands, however, is just the opposite. Actually, the cowherd men are also most fortunate Vaiavas, exclusively devoted to Ka; still, the gops, as subordinates, as wives, feel shy to disclose to their husbands their worship of Ka. Constrained by the husband-and-wife relationship, the gops have to worship Ka secretly as a paramour. This unique style of worship enables the gops to achieve the extreme limit of successthe highest degree of pure love for Ka. TEXT 117 Gaav k*-Z<aMau%iNaGaRTave<auGaqTa= PaqYaUzMautai>aTak-<aRPau$E=" iPabNTYa" ) Xaava" uTaSTaNaPaYa"k-vl/a" SMa TaSQaur( GaaeivNdMaaTMaiNa d*Xaa[uk-l/a" SPa*XaNTYa" ))

gva ca ka-mukha-nirgata-veu-gtapyam uttabhita-kara-puai pibantya

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v snuta-stana-paya-kaval sma tasthur govindam tmani dru-kal spantya

gvathe cows; caand; ka-mukhafrom the mouth of Lord Ka; nirgataemitted; veuof the flute; gtaof the song; pyamthe nectar; uttabhita raised high; karawith their ears; puaiwhich were acting as vessels; pibantyadrinking; v the calves; snutaexuding; stanafrom their udders; payaof the milk; kavalwhose mouthfuls; sma indeed; tasthustood still; govindamLord Ka; tmaniwithin their minds; dwith their vision; aru-kaltheir eyes full of tears; spantya touching. Using their upraised ears as vessels, the cows are drinking the nectar of the flute-song flowing out of Kas mouth. The calves, their mouths full of milk from their mothers moist nipples, stand still as they take Govinda within themselves through their tear-filled eyes and embrace Him within their hearts. Commentary: By far superior to the deer of the Vndvana forest are the cows personally tended by r Gopladeva. In this verse (Bhgavatam 10.21.13) other gops glorify Kas cows. To the cows, the sound of Kas flute was just like pya, the nectar created on the moon. This means that Kas face seemed to them like the moon. Anxious not to spill a drop of that nectar, they used their ears like cupped palms to drink it carefully. In other words, they listened to the flute with rapt attention. Despite the cowherds vigilance, the vas, or calves, some of them newly born, had somehow joined their mothers and were busy drinking their mothers milk. But as soon as the calves heard Kas flute, they forgot what they were doing; they simply kept their mothers milk in their mouths without swallowing it. Or else it may be that the calves were not present and the word v refers to the cows themselves.
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The cows were so absorbed in drinking the nectar from Kas moonlike face that they became motionless like corpses (av). As love for Ka swelled in the hearts of the cows, milk spontaneously flowed from their udders, and the grass they were eating remained in their mouths because they were unable to chew. The cows were raised to the highest platform of love of God by seeing Ka with their eyes and embracing Him within their hearts. They were so moved that drops (kal) of tears (aru) appeared in their eyes. Or, taking kal to mean producing, the cows were shedding profuse tears. Hearing this description, the gops commented, Dear friends, if the cows act like this, then we gops, as human beings, should be excused for being driven to extremes by the force of prema. TEXT 118 v*NdXaae v[Jav*za Ma*GaGaavae ve<auvaTaceTaSa AaraTa( ) dNTadk-vl/a Da*Tak-<aaR iNaid]Taa il/i%Taic}aiMavaSaNa( ))

vndao vraja-v mga-gvo veu-vdya-hta-cetasa rt danta-daa-kaval dhta-kar nidrit likhita-citram ivsan

vrdaain groups; vrajakept in the pasture; vthe bulls; mgathe deer; gvaand the cows; veuof the flute; vdyaby the playing; hta stolen away; cetasatheir minds; rtat a distance; dantaby their teeth; daabitten; kavalwhose mouthfuls; dhtaholding up; kar their ears; nidritasleep; likhitadrawn; citram an illustration; ivaas if; santhey were. When Ka vibrates His flute, Vrajas bulls, deer, and cows, standing in groups at a great distance, are all captivated by the sound, and they stop chewing the food in their mouths and cock
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their ears. Stunned, they appear as if asleep, or like figures in a painting. Commentary: This verse (Bhgavatam 10.35.5) describes the rare good fortune shared by the cows and the bulls and the other animals that were with them. Dear friends, please now hear something wonderful! When the bulls, deer, and cows hear Kas flute, they feel the urge to approach Him. They all come from far away and stand nearby Him, fully enchanted. They forget about the grass in their mouths, and it either stays there unchewed or else falls from their mouths to the ground. Their ears standing upright, the animals remain still, as if asleep or as if not living beings but painted images. Thus these animals, bewildered by prema, lose their powers of thought and activity. Or, explaining what happens in another way, at first the cows hear Kas flute from a distance as an indistinct murmur, without embellishments or even a discernable melody. But simply that faint sound is enough to capture their hearts and completely agitate them. After a short time, when the cows, bulls, and deer hear the song of Kas flute more clearly, they feel fear that death might intervene and separate them from Ka. So to prevent themselves from hearing any more, they lift their front legs and forcibly cover the holes of their ears. When that fails to stop the sound, they come closer to Ka, holding blades of grass in their mouths as a sign of humble entreaty. And when that also fails to stop Ka from playing, they all become stunned. The word citram in this verse is in the singular form because as these animals fell into a stupor they came together into a densely packed group, like figures posed together in a painting. TEXT 119 PaU<aaR" Pauil/N oGaaYaPadaBJaraGa= [qku-uMaeNa diYaTaaSTaNaMai<@TaeNa ) TaXaRNaSMarJaSTa*<aizTaeNa
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il/MPaNTYa AaNaNaku-cezu JahuSTadaiDaMa( ))

pr pulindya urugya-padbja-rgar-kukumena dayit-stana-maitena tad-darana-smara-rujas ta-ritena limpantya nana-kuceu jahus tad-dhim

prfully satisfied; pulindyathe wives of the abara tribe; urugyaof Lord Ka; pada-abjafrom the lotus feet; rgaof reddish color; rkukumenaby the transcendental kukuma powder; dayitof His girlfriends; stanathe breasts; maitenawhich had decorated; tatof that; daranaby the sight; smaraof Cupid; rujafeeling the torment; taupon the blades of grass; ritenaattached; limpantyasmearing; nanaupon their faces; kuceuand breasts; jahuthey gave up; tatthat; dhimmental pain. The aborigine women of the Vndvana area become disturbed by lust when they see the grass marked with reddish kukuma powder. Endowed with the color of Kas lotus feet, this powder originally decorated the breasts of His beloveds, and when the aborigine women smear it on their faces and breasts, they feel fully satisfied and give up all their anxiety. Commentary: The human beings in Vraja, of course, are more exalted than the lower forms of life. In this verse (Bhgavatam 10.21.17) one gop first glorifies the outcaste women who dwell in the forest. The Pulindas are an aborigine tribe living in Vraja. They are also known as abaras. Referring to them also implies other tribes of Vraja, including the Bhilla tribe. The low-class Pulinda women felt fully satisfied (pr) when they smeared themselves with the effulgently red kukuma that came from the lotus feet of r Ka, Urugya, who plays His flute (gyati) in many wonderful ways (urudh). As soon as they smeared this cosmetic powder on their faces and breasts,
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the Pulinds felt relief from the piercing arrows of Cupid. How was this kukuma, usually found on the breasts of women, found on the grass by the Pulinds? Out of shyness, the gops do not explain the reason in so many words, but the fact is that this kukuma came from the breasts of some of the gops. Those particular gops, who had succumbed to the allure of ka-sakrtana and the song of Kas flute, had allowed Him to seduce them. During their intimate pastimes, the kukuma had been transferred from their breasts to His lotus feet. Later, as Ka walked through the forest, the same kukuma fell from His feet onto the grass and stones on the path. Apparently Ka was walking vigorously, because the kukuma became firmly attached to the grass and stones. And when the aborigine women, foraging for wood and wild herbs, came to the same part of the forest, they discovered the kukuma. Why were the Pulinds disturbed by lust? Seeing the kukuma on the ground reminded them first of Ka and then of His intimate affairs with the gops. Thinking about these things agitated their minds. (The word smara can be understood to mean either remembrance or Cupid.) And how were the aborigine women relieved of this agitation? By picking up the red powder and smearing it on their faces and breasts, which were burning with lust. Having done this, the Pulinds felt completely satisfied. In contrast, the gops speaking and hearing this account lament that they will never feel so satisfied. As implied by the words r (splendid) and maita (adorned), the kukuma became more beautiful by being smeared on the breasts of Kas beloved gops, and even more effulgent by contact with Kas lotus feet. Though the Pulinds normally have no beauty or glow in their faces, when they decorated their own bodies with this kukuma from the grass and stones they became
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beautiful, effulgent, and free from the pain of lust. The gop speaking means to say, We are condemned because we cannot become exalted like the aborigine women! Or, looking at the situation another way, because the blessed gops are always immersed in the torment of separation from Ka, they tend to presume that everyone else must also be suffering the same way. And so the Pulinds too, they think, must now be suffering the pain of separation from Ka. The limbs of the Pulinds were covered (pr) with kukuma that looked exactly like the color of the soles of r Urugyas lotus feet. So when the gops saw the Pulinds, the gops remembered how for Kas pleasure they themselves had first decorated their own breasts with that same kukuma. Because the color of that kukuma resembled the hue of Kas feet, the gops liked to use it. Another explanation is also possible. The wonderful music of Kas flute had drawn the gops into the forest to wander about searching for Him, and when they couldnt find Him anywhere, in the anguish of viraha-bhva they rolled on the ground, smearing the grass with the kukuma from their breasts. Later, when the Pulinds came, simply seeing the red powder made them remember Ka and His dealings with the gops, and they were stung by the arrows of Cupid. Thinking about the great love the gops have for Ka and recalling that this kukuma had been in contact with the gops bodies, the aborigines picked up some of the powder with great reverence and applied it to their faces. Then their own lust impelled them to smear it also on their breasts. But then they wiped this kukuma off their bodies and threw it away. Why? Because it caused them intense pain. They were already disturbed by lust just by seeing the kukuma, and when they touched it their minds became thoroughly agitated. Then when they smeared it on their faces and breasts the
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pain became so extreme that they quickly wiped the kukuma off and threw it away, afraid that otherwise they would come to a bad end. Alas! the gop speaking complains. Just like those Pulinds, we too are most unfortunate, cast into an ocean of intolerable pain. But just see how especially unlucky we gops are! Just by touching the cosmetics from our bodies, people feel such misery that they throw the stuff away to protect their lives! TEXT 120 Yaid dUr& GaTa" k*-Z<aae vNaXaae>ae+a<aaYa TaMa( ) Ah& PaUvRMah& PaUvRiMaiTa Sa&SPa*XYa reiMare ))

yadi dra gata ko vana-obhekaya tam aha prvam aha prvam iti saspya remire
yadiif; dramto a distant place; gatawent; kathe Supreme Personality of Godhead; vanaobhthe beauty of the forest; kayafor visiting and enjoying; tamHim (Ka); ahamI; prvamfirst; ahamI; prvamfirst; itiin this way; saspyaby touching; remirethey enjoyed life. Sometimes Ka would go to a somewhat distant place to see the beauty of the forest. Then all the other boys would run to accompany Him, each one saying, I shall be the first to run and touch Ka! I shall touch Ka first! In this way they enjoyed life by repeatedly touching Ka. Commentary: The cowherd boys who constantly accompany Ka are certainly superior to the aborigine forest women. Parkit Mahrja now recites six verses to praise those cowherd boys, or gopa-kumras. The first three verses are spoken by ukadeva Gosvm in the Tenth Canto, Chapter Twelve (texts 6, 11, and 12). They describe how those boys joined Ka in tending the cows. Very early in the
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morning, the Supreme Lord, eager to enjoy the days countless pastimes, like killing Aghsura and eating lunch on the grass, called out to His friends by bugling on His buffalo horn, and they came out of their houses by the thousands. Tending thousands, millions, and billions of calves, they all set out to the forest. They decorated themselves with forest ornaments of fruits, twigs, and other items and sported by playing their flutes, blowing their horns, imitating animals, and playing keep away with one anothers lunches. They played all these games simply for Kas enjoyment. They had a chance to touch Ka and embrace Him, which gave them the highest happiness. In their eagerness, they competed to see who would be first to touch Ka. Sometimes the beauty of Vndvana and other forests would so beguile Ka that He wanted to go alone to explore them. But He was so attached to the company of His friends that He would leave them only for a short time. Then the boys would run after Him, trying to follow Him on His solitary side trips. The cowherd boys were not satisfied unless they could be right there with Ka and able to touch Him. TEXT 121 wTQa& SaTaa& b]Sau%aNau>aUTYaa daSYa& GaTaaNaa& PardEvTaeNa ) MaaYaai[TaaNaa& Nardarke-<a Saak&- ivJah]u" k*-TaPau<YaPaua" ))

ittha sat brahma-sukhnubhty dsya gatn para-daivatena myritn nara-drakea ska vijahru kta-puya-puj
itthamin this way; satmfor the transcendentalists; brahma-sukhaof the joy of the impersonal Supreme; anubhtywith Ka, who appears in the form of their experience; dsyam servitorship; gatnmfor the devotees who have accepted; para-daivatenawith the Supreme
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Personality of Godhead; my-ritnmfor those in the clutches of material energy; nara-drakeawith Him who is like an ordinary child; skamtogether; vijahru(the cowherd boys) enjoyed; kta-puyapujwho had accumulated the results of life after life of pious activities. In this way, all the cowherd boys, having accumulated the results of pious activities for many lives, used to play with Ka, who for impersonalist jns is realization of the bliss of Brahman, who for devotees in eternal servitorship is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and who for ordinary persons is but another ordinary child. Commentary: Amazed by the incomparable good fortune of the cowherd boys, r Bdaryai continues to praise them for joining Ka in His cow-tending and other such pastimes. By associating so intimately with Ka, these boys were directly experiencing the transcendental happiness of Brahman realization. Ka is the supreme worshipable Deity of saints (satm) who have been given the privilege to enter His service. Satm also means liberated souls. Kas friends in Vraja are liberated persons who take part in the happiness of knowing Brahman, the Absolute Truth. Most people, however, are not liberated. They are myrita, bewildered by the Supreme Lords power of illusion, and therefore they consider Ka an ordinary cowherd boy (nara-draka). Satm can also be understood to indicate the seekers of spiritual knowledge, who realize Ka in His impersonal Brahman feature and enjoy the happiness of knowing Brahman in that way. But to the Vaiava devotees who consider themselves Kas servants (dsya gatnm), Ka, the supreme master (para-daivata), gives Himself, submitting Himself to their control. Material nature bewilders the entire creation, but Kas pure servants bewilder Him by the strength of their pure love and thus defeat material nature. Taken in another sense, myritnm refers to
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Kas beloved gops, who worshiped the goddess My with choice mantras: ktyyani mah-mye mah-yoginy adhvari nanda-gopa-suta devi pati me kuru te nama iti mantra japantyas t pj cakru kumrik Each of the young unmarried girls performed her worship while chanting the following mantra. O goddess Ktyyan, O great potency of the Lord, O possessor of great mystic power and mighty controller of all, please make the son of Nanda Mahrja my husband. I offer my obeisances unto you. (Bhgavatam 10.22.4) These gops could see Ka only as an attractive youth (nara-draka). They gave no thought to His godly omnipotence. As if ordinary girls, they simply focused their attention on Him as the sole object of their desire and affection. Oranother readingthe same Ka who is the constant companion of the cowherd boys is also amorous appeal personified for all human females (naradr). Or else Ka figuratively tears apart all persons (narn drayati) by filling their hearts with unique love for Him. Of course, Kas attraction in the conjugal rasa is most appropriately described in relation to women, but because the gops presume every human being to be like themselves, they think that Ka tears apart the heart of everyone and fills it with love. This presumption is suggested by the use of the masculine form nara-drakea, which can be grammatically understood to include both males and females. Accepting that myritnm refers to the gops, in this verse we have a hierarchy in which the devotees in eternal servitorship are higher than the jns, and the gops are still higher. Thus in
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this verse, which glorifies the cowherd boys, the greatness of the gops is also to be seen. The cowherd boys of Vraja, to become eligible to play as they do with Ka, must have performed heaps of pious deeds in their previous lives. The word puja (great quantity) implies that these boys must have had an inexhaustible stock of pious credits. And the word kta in kta-puya-puj, as in the similar expression ktrtha (having achieved the success of ones life), indicates that their past pious works were of a very special qualitypure acts of sacrifice offered to the Supreme Lord for His pleasure. Or the word puya in this context can be interpreted to mean activities of pure devotional service, for Ka Himself says, dharmo mad-bhakti-kt prokta, Actual religious principles are stated to be those that lead one to My devotional service. (Bhgavatam 11.19.27) Or else kta can mean the ancient Satya-yuga (Ktayuga), when the great souls who were later to become Kas friends performed faultless meditation on the Personality of Godhead and became all-around perfect Vaiavas. Although the darling son of Nanda Mahrja is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, very few persons are fortunate enough to know Him as He is. The knowers of the impersonal Supreme realize Him in the form of brahma-sukha; in other words, within their hearts they can enjoy only the perception of His existence as pure spirit. And even most Vaiava devotees realize Ka only as the embodiment of eternity, knowledge, and blissthe Supreme Truth, the Supreme Soul, the Supreme Lord. Burdened by a sense of reverence for Him, they worship accordingly and experience a corresponding quality of bliss. But Kas beloved gops in Vraja realize Him as r Nandas young son. Freed from theoretical knowledge and reverence that would damage the treasure of their most exalted love, they experience the highest prema. This truth has
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been stated repeatedly in r Bhad-bhgavatmta, but it cannot be overstressed. The gops are always beside themselves with transcendental anxiety due to the excessive love they feel for Ka. They usually cannot be with Him during the day, and even in their nocturnal meetings they do not feel as completely free to enjoy with Him as they would like, because of the constant threat of opposition from their husbands and families. The cowherd boys, on the other hand, are always free to play with Ka in varieties of pastimes, both at home and in the forest. Therefore their good fortune is most exceptional. This does not contradict the many statements of rmad-Bhgavatam that confirm that the blessed gops are more exalted and fortunate than all other beings; rather, it indicates that the revered ukadeva, in the core of his heart, is a follower of the gops mood of devotion and therefore while elaborating on the wonderful pastimes of Ka and the cowherd boys and glorifying the boys for being able to play constantly with Ka in the forest he speaks like the gops themselves. ukadevas style of praising the gopa-kumras as supremely fortunate is nondifferent from the way the gops themselves describe as the perfection of vision the sight of r Kas face while He sports within the forest: akavat phalam ida na para vidma sakhya pan anuviveayator vayasyai vaktra vrajea-sutayor anu-veu-jua yair v niptam anurakta-kaka-mokam O friends, the eyes that see the beautiful faces of the sons of Mahrja Nanda are certainly fortunate. As these two sons, surrounded by Their friends, enter the forest, driving the cows before Them, They hold Their flutes to Their mouths and glance lovingly upon the residents of Vndvana. For those who have eyes, we think there is no greater object of vision. (Bhgavatam 10.21.7)
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TEXT 122 YaTPaadPaa&XaubRhuJaNMak*-C^\Taae Da*TaaTMai>aYaaeRiGai>arPYal/>Ya" ) Sa Wv Yad( d*iGvzYa" SvYa& iSQaTa" ik&- v<YaRTae idMaTaae v[JaaEk-SaaMa( ))

yat-pda-pur bahu-janma-kcchrato dhttmabhir yogibhir apy alabhya sa eva yad-dg-viaya svaya sthita ki varyate diam ato vrajaukasm
yatwhose; pda-pudust of the lotus feet; bahu-janmain many births; kcchratafrom undergoing severe austerities and penances; dhtatmabhiwho are able to control the mind; yogibhiby yogs; apieven; alabhyaunachievable; sathe Supreme Personality of Godhead; evaindeed; yatof whom (the Vraja-vss); dk-viayathe object of direct vision, face to face; svayam personally; sthitapresent in front of them; kim what; varyatecan be described; diamabout the fortune; atatherefore; vraja-okasmof the inhabitants of Vraja-bhmi. Yogs may undergo severe austerities and penances for many births. Yet in due course of time, when these yogs attain the perfection of controlling the mind, they will still be unable to taste even a particle of dust from the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What then can we describe about the great fortune of the inhabitants of Vraja-bhmi, with whom the Supreme Personality of Godhead personally lived and who saw the Lord face to face? Commentary: The good fortune of the cowherd boys in being able to see Ka face to face defies description, what to speak of how blessed they must be to be able to play with Ka constantly. The cowherd boys and all the residents of Vraja-bhmi are the most fortunate beings in creation because they can look directly on the beauty of Ka.
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Dedicated yogs endeavor for lifetimes to approach Ka, but for all their labor they can never hope to become as fortunate as the Vraja-vss. Even one particle of dust from Kas feet is impossible to achieve for yogs who do not follow humbly in the footsteps of the devotees of Vraja. The meaning of the dust from Kas feet may be understood in several ways. It can mean a single atom of His feet. It can mean the marks of His footprints in the dust of Vraja-bhmi. It can mean dust that has been in contact with His feet and then shaken off somewhere in His wanderings. It can refer to anything that has been even indirectly in contact with His feet, no matter from how far away. Or the words pda-puthe dust from Kas feetcan be redivided and modified to pdapa-au, meaning the effulgence (au) emanating from Kas favorite kadamba trees and the other trees (pdapa) of the Vndvana forest. Even the most distant contact with Kas pda-pu in any of these senses is for mystic yogs a rare accomplishment. Determined yogs, in their attempts to succeed, practice severe disciplines, such as brahmacarya and other austerities. For many lifetimes they struggle to steady themselves by withdrawing the mind and senses from material objects. But even if they achieve the success of samdhi, they cannot achieve Ka, who is the full embodiment of spiritual perfection, sac-cid-nanda-ghana-mrti. He is beyond the purview of the senses. Only the Vraja-vss can see Him as He is. The form of the Supreme Lord visible in Vraja is not a vibhti, one of Gods opulent expansions, nor is He a partial incarnation of Godhead, nor is He even Lord Nryaa. He is the original source of all forms of God yet viewable by the cowherds like any other perceptible object and constantly fixed (sthita) in their sight. In other words, He never leaves the path of their eyes. How then can the exalted
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fortune of the Vraja-vss ever be adequately described? Or, translating ukadevas question in a different way, ki varyate diam asks whether the condition of the Vraja-vss is the result of their fate. The answer, of course, is that the Vraja-vss situation is not the karmic effect of pious works done in previous lifetimes. It is solely the result of Kas mercy. Or, dividing words another way, the fortunate condition of the Vraja-vss is a perpetual festival (dia-maho). Or the power of their good fortune is inconceivable (adia- or ada-maho). The pure devotional service of the Vraja-vss displays all these features. A discriminating reader may question the placement of this versewhich tells of the good fortune of merely seeing Kaafter the verse depicting the special fortune of the cowherd boys in being able to always play with Ka. The good fortune of playing with Ka automatically includes the good fortune of seeing Him and goes beyond it, the reader may argue, so placing these items out of the natural logical order of lesser to greater, general to specific, is a fault in poetic style. To accommodate this reasonable doubt, we may construe ukadevas statements in yet another way: The boys who enjoy playing with Ka are indeed extremely fortunate, and this verse amplifies that assertion by showing that actually all creatures living in Vraja are fortunate beyond description. It is easy to prove that any resident of Vraja is greater than the most accomplished yog. So it naturally follows that the boys who live so closely with the Personality of Godhead and are so uniquely dear to Him are, of all living beings, the most exalted. Or we can say that ukadeva is continuing to glorify the cowherd boys in particularthese inhabitants of Vraja-bhmibecause Ka is the constant object of their vision. The eyes of the
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gopa-kumras see Ka and nothing else. As a general rule, each individual sense has its own proper object. The sense of sight perceives only visible forms, not tastes, smells, or other sensations. But the attention of the boys is so engrossed in Ka that they are disregardful of whatever else is present before them. The eyes of other people perceive various objects like pots and cloths, but wherever the cowherd boys turn their eyes they see only Kathat is to say, they see everything in relationship to Ka. The poetry of r Jayadeva Kavi illustrates this kind of special vision: payati dii dii rahasi bhavantam, In every direction, in every secret corner, She sees only You. (Gta-govinda 12.1) Thus it is appropriate for ukadeva to speak this verse after the previous one, since even greater than the cowherd boys good fortune of always playing with Ka is their being always able to see Him everywhere. This marks their love for Ka as being almost as good as that of the gops. TEXT 123 KvicTPavTaLPaezu iNaYau[Mak-iXaRTa" ) v*+aMaUl/a[Ya" XaeTae GaaePaaeTSaaePabhR<a" ))

kvacit pallava-talpeu niyuddha-rama-karita vka-mlraya ete gopotsagopabarhaa

kvacitsometimes; pallavamade from new twigs and buds; talpeuupon beds; niyuddhafrom the fighting; ramaby fatigue; karitaworn out; vkaof a tree; mlaat the base; rayataking shelter; eteHe lay down; gopa-utsagathe lap of a cowherd boy; upabarhaaas His pillow. Sometimes Lord Ka grew tired from fighting and lay down at the base of a tree, resting upon a bed made of soft twigs and buds and using the lap of a cowherd friend as His pillow.
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Commentary: Texts 123 through 125 are from rmadBhgavatam (10.15.1618). Here ukadeva Gosvm describes some of the services the cowherd boys did for Ka while He rested in the forest. These pastimes were a part of Kas paugaa-ll of tending His cows in r Vndvana forest. Ka would enjoy lying down to rest at various times (when fatigued after wrestling with His friends, for instance) and in various places, such as the cool, breezy shore of the Yamun. To rest comfortably, He would choose the base of a kadamba, tamla, or other tree with ample shade. Anticipating Kas daily pastimes, the goddess Vnd would have beds of leaves, flowers, and young soft twigs waiting at the bases of those trees, or sometimes Kas gopa friends would arrange this bedding when they arrived. Even though Ka lay down on only one bed at a time, rla ukadeva refers to the beds in the plural, either because many devotees were involved in making them, or simply out of great respect for the paraphernalia of Kas pastimes, or else because the cowherd boys would compete to make several different beds and Ka would expand His universal form to please all the boys by simultaneously laying down on each bed, unseen by the makers of the others. Ka would accept as His pillow the lap of His most intimate friend, rmat Rdhrs brother rdm. TEXT 124 PaadSa&vahNa& cu-" ke-ictaSYa MahaTMaNa" ) APare hTaPaaPMaaNaae VYaJaNaE" SaMavqJaYaNa( ))

pda-savhana cakru kecit tasya mahtmana apare hata-ppmno vyajanai samavjayan

pda-savhanamthe massaging of the feet; cakru did; kecitsome of them; tasyaof Him; mahtmanagreat souls; apareothers; hata-ppmna
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who were free from all sins; vyajanaiwith fans; samavjayanperfectly fanned Him. Some of the cowherd boys, who were all great souls, free of all sin, would then massage His lotus feet, and others would expertly fan Him. Commentary: When Kas cowherd friends, who loved Him so much, saw that He was fatigued, many of them responded immediately, doing whatever they could to relieve His discomfort. In this flurry of activity, the boys were overcome by ever-increasing affection for Him. Many boys would massage His legs, either one boy at a time in turns or else all the boys massaging various places at once. It may also be that to please His beloved friends, who all wanted to serve Him in this way, the Supreme Lord manifested His all-pervasive formwithout leaving aside His form as the son of r Nandaand allowed a huge crowd of cowherd boys to massage His feet simultaneously, each unseen by the others. Thus Ka displayed His supreme powers even in His childhood pastimes, as expressed in a later verse of the Bhgavatam (10.15.19) by the words aceita (exhibiting feats only God can perform). With this in mind, instead of taking the word mahtmana in this verse to refer to Kas friends, we can take it as referring to Ka (the Supreme Soul). In these pastimes, Ka demonstrates the greatness of the Supreme Being even more convincingly than in Gods typical activities like creation. In these childhood pastimes, Ka shows His power to enchant the entire world with His sweetness. ukadeva Gosvm speaks of Kas friends as hatappmna, persons who have had their sins destroyed. For ordinary pious persons, whatever contradicts the principles of religion is sin, but for devotees of the Supreme Lord, sin is anything that obstructs pure devotional service, and that is the sense that applies here; the cowherd boys of Vraja have not the slightest inclination to do
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anything that does not please Ka. Ka Himself is also called hata-ppmna in the sense that He destroys the sins of all the worlds by displaying His glories for everyone to hear and chant. TEXT 125 ANYae TadNauPaai<a MaNaaejaiNa MahaTMaNa" ) GaaYaiNTa SMa MaharaJa ehi-iDaYa" XaNaE" ))

anye tad-anurpi mano-jni mahtmana gyanti sma mah-rja sneha-klinna-dhiya anai

anyeothers; tat-anurpisuitable for the occasion; mana-jniattractive to the mind; mahtmanaof the great personality (Lord Ka); gyanti smathey would sing; mah-rjaO King Parkit; snehaby love; klinnamelted; dhiya their hearts; anaislowly. My dear king, other boys would sing songs, appropriate to the occasion, that would enchant Ka, and the hearts of the boys would melt out of love for Him. Commentary: Some of Kas friends sang songs with sweet, gentle melodies, just right for His nap time. This encouraged Him to fall asleep quickly. Ka is the most exalted of persons, graver than the combined depth of millions of oceans, but these songs fascinated Him because they described His loving dealings with the gops. And His mind was strongly attracted even to the parts of those songs that merely glorified His devotional service in general ways. It may be that here ukadeva Gosvm uses the word mahtmana ironically. Unable to control his ecstasy, ukadeva calls Ka a great soul with the understanding that Ka is actually the prince of womanizers, who shamelessly indulges His lusty propensities by stealing the clothes of the cowherds daughters, making them appear naked
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before Him. The songs sung by Kas friends for His pleasure inspired intensified prema, which melted the boys hearts. They sang softly, their voices choked with tears of ecstasy. From this we can know that even though pure love for Ka arises in the course of all kinds of devotional service, it appears most quickly and fully when one performs sakrtana by singing songs dear to Ka and otherwise glorifying His name and fame. As stated in the previous verse, the boys who served Ka while He rested were hata-ppmna, free from all sin. They were great souls, extremely advanced in devotional service, each capable of purifying the entire universe. Thus as they performed their individual services for Ka they felt more and more love for Him, and their hearts melted in ecstasy. And again, the word mahtmana applies equally well to both Ka and His friends. In this verse rla ukadeva addresses King Parkit as mah-rja. This may mean that the pastime of Kas being served in royal style is fit to be heard by a king. Or it may imply that kings like Parkit Mahrja can hardly expect such luxurious comforts. Or describing to Parkit the supreme fortune of the cowherd boys creates an upsurge of loving feelings in r ukadevas heart that makes him address Parkit as mah-rja to attract the attention of the king, who is also overwhelmed by the bewilderment of pure prema. Or ukadeva calls Parkit mah-rja, the best of the royal class, because only King Parkit is competent to understand the sublime good fortune of these cowherd boys. Or else the term may indicate that the fondness cherished by the cowherd boys for Ka is supremely splendid; it is the mah-rja of loving sentiments. Although this sneha, or love, is always present within the boys, in this setting of intimate service it now rises to the peak of its
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potency. It radiates with infinite brilliance, leaving all contamination far behind. TEXT 126 NaNd" ik-Mak-raed( b[H^\eYa Wv& MahaedYaMa( ) YaXaaeda va Maha>aaGaa PaPaaE YaSYaa" STaNa& hir" ))

nanda kim akarod brahman reya eva mahodayam yaod v mah-bhg papau yasy stana hari
nandaMahrja Nanda; kimwhat; akarotperformed; brahmanO learned brhmaa; reyaauspicious activities, like performing penances and austerities; evamthus (as exhibited by him and Yaod); mah-udayamfrom which they achieved the greatest perfection; yaodMother Yaod; valso; mah-bhgmost fortunate; papaudrank; yasyof whom; stanamthe breast milk; harithe Supreme Personality of Godhead. O learned brhmaa, Mother Yaods breast milk was sucked by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. What past auspicious activities did she and Nanda Mahrja perform to thus achieve such perfection in ecstatic love? Commentary: Texts 126 through 130 are dedicated to the supreme glories of Goparja Nanda and his wife, r Yaod. After ukadeva explains to Parkit Mahrja the special way Ka favored Mother Yaod, Parkit speaks the current verse (Bhgavatam 10.8.46). By showing the universal form and by displaying other exceptional pastimes, Ka made Himself known to all the Vraja-vss as the Supreme Lord. But then, to show His most extreme mercy especially to His mother, He again covered her consciousness with His unique potency so that she could think of Him only as her son. Thus Ka made the highest degree of pure affection pervade His mothers mind and all her senses.
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Parkit addresses the son of Badaryaa Vysa with the word brahman, O direct embodiment of the Supreme Absolute Truth, because Parkit is asking a question that only the Lord Himself can answer: What special pious acts could Nanda and Yaod have done to achieve such a blessed state, unattainable in this material world? The devotional success of Nanda and Yaod is mahodayam, the greatest perfection, unequaled by other devotees, including Vasudeva and Devak. In the very next Bhgavatam verse (10.8.47), r Parkit states: pitarau nnvavindet kodrrbhakehitam gyanty adypi kavayo yal loka-amalpaham Although Ka was so pleased with Vasudeva and Devak that He descended as their son, they could not enjoy Kas magnanimous childhood pastimes, which are so great that simply chanting about them vanquishes the contamination of the material world. Vasudeva and Devak were Kas true parents, but they were less fortunate than Nanda and Yaod, who witnessed Kas childhood pastimes, in which He generously bestowed upon the world sense enjoyment, liberation, devotional service, and ecstatic love. Gyanty adypi kavaya: Even today, in the Kaliyuga, great poets like Brahm and Vysadeva sing about these pastimes because this is the means for uprooting all the evils of the modern age. Without glorifying Kas pastimes, no one can eradicate the faults of Kali-yuga. Pure devotees have always chanted these glories of Ka, and continue to do so up to the present day. The phrase loka-amalpaham can be explained in several ways. One is that this glorification, or sakrtana, removes (apaha) the misery (amala) of all living beings. Or, taking ama to mean peace
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of mind, lpa to mean speech, and ha to mean killing, another explanation is that by engaging in this hearing and chanting one develops the highest quality of prema, which in turn disturbs the equilibrium of the mind and brings the faculty of speech to a complete halt. Or, reading ama as well-being and lpa as discussion, another idea is that engaging in sakrtana transforms the attitude of all who take part, leaving no scope for further discussion of impersonal self-contentment. rmad-Bhgavatam (10.8.2145) describes some of the wonderful pranks the infant Ka shared with Nanda and Yaod by His special mercy. Were it not for this unprecedented mercy, Mother Yaod would be on the same level as Devak, who also fed Ka with her breast milk. Later in the Tenth Canto (Bhgavatam 10.85.55), while narrating how Ka recovered His dead elder brothers, ukadeva says: ptvmta payas tasy pta-ea gad-bhta nryaga-sasparapratilabdhtma-daran By drinking Devaks nectarean milk, the remnants of what Ka Himself had drunk, the six sons touched the transcendental body of the Lord, Nryaa, and this contact awakened them to their original identities. This verse confirms that Ka once drank from Devaks breast. Right after Kas birth in Kasas prison, Devak begged four-armed Ka to become an ordinary baby, and at that time He must have sat on her lap for a few minutes and drunk from her breast. Later, too, when Brahm stole Kas calves and friends, Ka took on their forms and drank the milk of all their mothers. Therefore, in the verse quoted as the present text of r Bhad-bhgavatmta, Parkit takes care to distinguish Yaods special good fortune from that of Kas other mothers. It is for this reason that he uses the word evam
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(thus). Parkit here calls Ka by the name Hari, indicating that by the motherly love Ka kindled in Yaod through His childhood lls He constantly stole her mind. And by speaking of her as mahbhga, Parkit implies that she is even more fortunate than Nanda Mahrja. It is common knowledge that children are more strongly bound by affection to their mothers than to their fathers. This general truth applies to Ka also, as shown in the Tenth Canto by the descriptions of Kas infant behavior, especially in the pastime of His being tied up with rope. We will hear some of these descriptions in the verses recited next by King Parkit. Although Vasudeva and Devak worshiped Ka with devotion for the duration of four yugas and underwent severe austerities to gain Him as their son, they could not achieve a trace of the blessings Ka showered upon Nanda and Yaod. Vasudeva and Devak could not directly enjoy Kas pastimes of crawling about and otherwise acting as an infant, pastimes great poets headed by r Brahm praise in song. TEXT 127 TaTaae >ai->aRGaviTa Pau}aq>aUTae JaNaadRNae ) dMPaTYaaeiNaRTaraMaaSaqd( GaaePaGaaePaqzu >aarTa ))

tato bhaktir bhagavati putr-bhte janrdane dam-patyor nitarm sd gopa-gopu bhrata

tatathereafter; bhaktidevotion; bhagavatifor the Supreme Personality of Godhead; putr-bhtewho became their son; janrdaneLord Ka; dam-patyo in both husband and wife; nitarmperfectly fixed; stthere was; gopa-gopuin all the inhabitants of Vndvana, the gopas and the gops; bhrataO Mahrja Parkit.

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Thereafter, O Mahrja Parkit, best of the Bhratas, when the Supreme Personality of Godhead became the son of Nanda Mahrja and Yaod, they attained perfectly fixed devotional love for Him, and so also did all the other inhabitants of Vndvana, the gopas and gops. Commentary: To explain why Nanda and Yaod were able to drink so fully from the nectar ocean of r Kas all-auspicious childhood pastimes, ukadeva Gosvm answered the question from Parkit Mahrja by recounting how in a previous birth Nanda and Yaod were blessed by Lord Brahm to achieve the highest devotion for Ka. In this verse (Bhgavatam 10.8.51), ukadeva concludes that description. Because Brahm is a first-class devotee, by his benediction Nanda and Yaod developed perfect love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead Janrdana, the annihilator of demons and other wicked persons, and the Lord assumed the role of their son. Ka is also called Janrdana because all people (jan) hanker with ardor (ardanti) to achieve from Him what they imagine to be important in life. Nanda and Yaod, who considered Ka alone important, were able to obtain Him as their son. Here the grammatical form of the expression putrbhte indicates something that has become what it was not before. He who is the Supreme Truth, Supreme Soul, and Supreme Lord cannot be the born son of anyone, yet because He understood that the highest mode of devotion to Him cannot develop unless He becomes the son of His devotees, He became the child of Nanda and Yaod. By doing this, He displayed His superexcellent qualities, especially His selfless concern for His devotees. By Brahms benediction, the devotion of Nanda and Yaod became irrevocably fixed (nitarm st). All the gopas and gops of Vraja have great love for Ka, but the love shown by Nanda and Yaod is greater than that of everyone else, at least in the
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context of Kas early childhood. Later, of course, when Ka reaches the paugaa age, and especially the kaiora age, the ultimate form of love for Him becomes revealed in the young gops. The gops mdhurya-rasa, the most precious of all devotional jewels, begins manifesting itself slightly even during Kas blya years. As Parkit Mahrja continues reciting verses from rmad-Bhgavatam, he gradually comes to this point of realization, in particular when he speaks the verses describing Uddhavas visit to Vndvana. In the present verse, r ukadeva addresses Parkit as a descendant of the eminent Bhrata dynasty, implying that Parkit himself should now be able to answer his own question as to how Nanda and Yaod attained the perfection of having Ka as their son. The answer to that question is as follows: In a previous life, r Devak and Vasudeva worshiped the Supreme Lord with the desire to obtain a son like Him. The Lord bestowed upon them that specific blessing by pledging to become their son in three births. r Nanda and Yaod, however, prayed to render the best devotional service to Ka, and it was Brahm who awarded the fulfillment of their prayer. Thus the Personality of Godhead demonstrated that a benediction from His devotee is more valuable than one directly from Him. By descending to earth in Vraja-bhmi, Ka expanded His supremely attractive childhood pastimes for the benefit of His parents Nanda and Yaod, and for the benefit of everyone related to them. The ecstatic devotion for Ka those pastimes evoked eclipses the importance of the four great goals of life. Nanda and the other Vrajavss are Kas eternal companions and most dear devotees; they only seem to obtain devotion for Ka by Brahms blessing, just as Ka only apparently obtains Smba as His son by the blessing of r Rudra. The address O Bhrata also implies
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that Parkit Mahrja should already be aware of this. TEXT 128 NaNd" SvPau}aMaadaYa Pa[aeZYaaGaTaMaudarDaq" ) MaUDNYaRvga]aYa ParMaa& Maud& le/>ae ku-h ))

nanda sva-putram dya proygatam udra-dh mrdhny avaghrya param muda lebhe kurdvaha
nandaMahrja Nanda; sva-putramhis son Ka; dyataking on his lap; proyahaving traveled away from home; gatamand returned; udra-dh because he was always liberal and simple; mrdhni on Kas head; avaghryaformally smelling; parammthe highest; mudambliss; lebheachieved; kuru-udvahaO Mahrja Parkit. O Mahrja Parkit, best of the Kurus, Nanda Mahrja was very liberal and simple. On returning home from his trip, he at once took his son Ka on his lap, and by formally smelling Kas head he undoubtedly enjoyed transcendental bliss. Commentary: Vasudeva may also be able to claim Ka as his son, but Nanda has an even greater right to consider Ka sva-putra, his own son. This verse (Bhgavatam 10.6.43) tells of Nanda Mahrjas special glories. After Nanda paid taxes to Kasa and returned home from Madhu-pur, he discovered that Ka had killed the demoness Ptan. Nanda was overjoyed to see his son alive and safe from near calamity. Though the Vraja-vss, astonished to see the great Rkas killed by Ka, couldnt help but wonder what kind of powerful being Ka really was, this heightened awareness of Kas greatness did not at all undermine Nanda Mahrjas firm conviction that Ka was nothing more or less than his own dependent son. His affection for Ka was too pure to be weakened by any distraction.
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When Nanda arrived home, he met Ka, took Him on his lap, and embraced Him with enthusiasm. In ecstasy, Nanda smelled the hair on his sons head and felt the highest limit of happiness (param mudm). Or, if we split the first of these words as para-mm, the happiness Nanda felt at that moment was greater than the joy felt by the goddess Lakm (M) when she serves her Lord. Nanda Mahrja deserves such pleasure because he is udra-dh, a very saintly and generous devotee. On the occasion of Kas name-giving ceremony, for example, he gave away vast amounts of charity. The word udradh also means that he is very intelligent. After all, didnt he disregard all other possible benedictions and ask Brahm only for the boon of exclusive devotion for Ka? One might question why this verse singles out the good fortune of Nanda Mahrja, since Mother Yaod had also prayed for devotion to Ka and had shared equally in Lord Brahms blessing. In a previous life, as Droa and Dhar, Nanda and Yaod had requested Brahm:

jtayor nau mah-deve bhuvi vivevare harau bhakti syt param loke yayjo durgati taret
Please permit us to be born on the planet earth so that after our appearance the Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller and master of all planets, will appear also and spread devotional service, the ultimate goal of life. Thus those born in this material world may very easily be delivered from the miserable condition of materialistic life by accepting devotional service. (Bhgavatam 10.8.49) Since both Nanda and Yaod, in a previous life, had together offered the same prayer, shouldnt they both have the same ecstasy? The verse above
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from Bhad-bhgavatmta highlights the ecstasy shown by Nanda Mahrja after the killing of Ptan, but wasnt Mother Yaods ecstasy just like his? Or since a mother normally loves her son even more than the childs father does, shouldnt her love have been even greater than his? Yes, although Nanda and Yaod both have extraordinary love for Ka, her love for Ka is greater. The special ecstasy shown here by Nanda Mahrja was occasioned by special circumstances. Nanda had just returned from an extended trip to Mathur City. Upon coming home from a distant journey, one only naturally feels special love for dear ones he has not seen for some time and feels extra eagerness and happiness. r Yaod always felt that high level of ecstatic affection. Actually, the love of great devotees of the Lord like Nanda and Yaod is always fully developed to its ultimate limit; it can never diminish or increase. Thus the constant love Nanda Mahrja has for Ka could not have changed into something new on his return from Mathur. Only in imitation of ordinary family relationships does it appear to have changed. Or, looking at this a different way, the rare treasure of pure prema constantly gives rise to all varieties of endearing emotions, perceived as newer and newer at ever moment. This distinguishes the ecstasy of prema from the joy of mere liberation. Nanda Mahrjas apparent momentary increase in love for his son was simply a special ecstasy occasioned by the circumstance of his coming home. TEXT 129 Sa MaaTau" iSvGaa}aaYaa ivSTak-brJa" ) d=*a Pair[Ma& k*-Z<a" k*-PaYaaSaqTSvbNDaNae ))

sa mtu svinna-gtry visrasta-kabara-sraja dv parirama ka kpayst sva-bandhane

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saHe (Ka); mtuof His mother (Yaoddev); svinna-gtrywho was perspiring all over; visrastafalling down; kabarafrom the braids of whose hair; srajathe flower garlands; dv seeing; pariramamthe fatigue; kathe Supreme Personality of Godhead; kpayby His causeless mercy; stwas (agreeable); sva-bandhanefor His being bound. Because of Mother Yaods hard labor, her whole body became covered with perspiration, and the flowers were falling from the braids of her hair. When child Ka saw His mother thus fatigued, He became merciful to her and agreed to be bound. Commentary: This verse and the next (Bhgavatam 10.9.18, 20) glorify Mother Yaod, who is more advanced in Ka consciousness than even Nanda Mahrja. One morning she wanted to churn butter herself for her son Ka, who was very fond of fresh butter. With great love in her heart, she set about the laborious task of churning from the previous days yogurt. Just then, however, Ka rose from His sleep and demanded her breast milk. She began to feed Him while continuing to churn, but He again interfered by grabbing the churning rod. And then she noticed that the milk she had put on the stove was boiling over. So although Ka had not finished drinking, she quickly put Him aside to run to the kitchen. When she came back, after a moment, she found that the churning pot had a hole in its bottom, obviously made by the nearby grinding stone. And Ka had disappeared. She looked around and found Him inside the house, and as she watched unseen from the corridor she saw Him sitting on a large upturned mortar, stealing butter and feeding it to young monkeys. She picked up a stick and came up to Him from behind, but He ran away, making her chase Him around before she finally caught up to Him. Seizing her crying son, she scolded Him sharply, but then, not wanting to frighten Him too much, she threw the stick away.
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Still, she wanted to do the right thing for His benefit, so she decided to punish Him by tying Him up. She tied a rope around His waist, but as people know throughout the world, the rope was too short by just two finger-widths. She tried tying together all the ropes she could find in the house, but still the rope remained short by the same length. Seeing this astonished her. Finally Ka, choosing to reward His mother for her strenuous devotional effort, agreed to let her bind Him. Although Kas all-spiritual body is beyond the limitations of time and space and the individuality of objects, He responded mercifully to the strenuous labor of His mother. He cannot be bound by anyone, but in His exceptional mercy He allowed Himself to be tied. Taking the alternative reading sva-mtu (His own mother) instead of sa mtu, we get the idea that Yaod is eternally established in this intimate relationship with Him and so she certainly deserves His special mercy. When she tried to bind Him, Ka submitted to her effort because of her exalted love, which was evident externally by the perspiration on her limbs and by the falling of the flowers from her hair. TEXT 130 NaeMa& ivirae Na >avae Na [qrPYaSa&[Yaa ) Pa[Saad& le/i>are GaaePaq YataTPa[aPa ivMaui-daTa( ))

nema virico na bhavo na rr apy aga-saray prasda lebhire gop yat tat prpa vimukti-dt
nanot; imamthis (exalted position); virica Lord Brahm; nanor; bhavaLord iva; nanor; rthe goddess of fortune; apiindeed; agasarayalthough she always takes shelter of His body; prasdammercy; lebhireobtained; gopthe cowherd woman (Mother Yaod); yat tatas that which; prpaobtained; vimukti-dtfrom Ka, who
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gives deliverance from this material world. Neither Lord Brahm, nor Lord iva, nor even the goddess of fortune, who always seeks refuge at the chest of the Supreme Lord, can obtain from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the deliverer from this material world, such mercy as received by Mother Yaod. Commentary: While describing the good fortune of Mother Yaod, rla ukadeva Gosvm became more and more amazed, and the hairs on his body stood on end. Although many devotees of Ka obtain Kas favor, the mercy received by Yaod was most wonderful. While thinking of this, ukadeva Gosvm spoke this verse (Bhgavatam 10.9.20). ukadeva affectionately refers to Mother Yaod as gop, alluding to her privileged status as the wife of the king of the gopas. The favor she obtained from Ka was never achieved by Kas son Brahm, by Kas friend iva, or by His dear consort Lakm, who always resides on His chest. How then could lesser persons than these ever receive as much favor as Yaod? Yaod is a better devotee than Lord Brahm, Lord iva, and the goddess Lakm because all three of them merely worship Ka with reverence as the Supreme Godhead but she has pure affection for Him as her son. The Dmodara pastime, in which Yaod tied Ka with rope, demonstrated the power of God to resist all attempts to capture Him, but when Yaod witnessed Kas omnipotence her pure maternal love only increased. To emphasize the unique position of Mother Yaod, in this verse rla ukadeva repeats three times the negation na. The three greatest personages of the material world may obtain great favor from Ka, but they are unable to please Ka or obtain as much favor as Yaod. Most people living in this material world are much less fortunate than Brahm, iva, and Lakm and cannot even imagine the sublime position of Mother Yaod. To sincere
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aspirants for spiritual perfection, Ka gives liberation from the bondage of birth and death, but His love for His mother is so special that He lets her bind Him with ropes meant for tying cows. To some pure Vaiavas, Ka grants vi-mukti, the superior liberation of elevation to His own world to live in His proximity in transcendental bliss. Let Him grant this vimukti to fortunate souls, but even such Vaiavas cannot expect the favor shown to Mother Yaod. TEXTS 131132 PaYaa&iSa YaaSaaMaiPabTPau}aehuTaaNYal/Ma( ) >aGavaNdevk-IPau}a" kE-vLYaai%l/aQaRd" )) TaaSaaMaivrTa& k*-Z<ae ku-vRTaqNaa& SauTae+a<aMa( ) Na PauNa" k-LPaTae raJaNSa&Saarae_jaNaSaM>av" ))

paysi ysm apibat putra-sneha-snutny alam bhagavn devak-putra kaivalydy-akhilrtha-da tsm avirata ke kurvatn sutekaam na puna kalpate rjan sasro jna-sambhava
paysimilk; ysmof all of whom; apibatLord Ka drank; putra-sneha-snutnithat milk coming from the bodies of the gops, not artificially but because of maternal affection; alamsufficiently; bhagavnthe Supreme Personality of Godhead; devak-putrawho appeared as the son of Devak; kaivalya-dilike liberation, or merging into the Brahman effulgence; akhila-artha-dathe bestower of all blessings; tsmof all of them (the gops); aviratamconstantly; keunto Lord Ka; kurvatnmmaking; sutaas at their own child; kaamglances; nanever; punaagain; kalpatecan be imagined; rjanO King Parkit; sasrathe material bondage of birth and death; ajnafrom
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ignorance; sambhavawhich is created. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Ka, is the bestower of many benedictions, including liberation, or oneness with the Brahman effulgence. For that son of Devak, the gops always felt maternal love. They looked at Him as if He were their own son, and Ka with full satisfaction sucked the milk that by maternal affection flowed freely from their breasts. Therefore one should never think that after leaving their bodies they returned to material existence, which arises as a result of ignorance. Commentary: Parkit is now coming to the point of glorifying Kas supermost devotees, the young gops. But first he takes the opportunity to praise the elder gops, the mothers of Kas cowherd friends. While narrating the history of Ptans attempt to kill Ka, ukadeva spoke these two verses (Bhgavatam 10.6.3940) comparing Ptans good fortune to that of these elder gops, from whose breasts Ka drank when He assumed the forms of His friends after Lord Brahm had kidnapped the friends and calves. The son of Devak drank the breast milk of these gops plentifully (alam) because He took the role of their sons for an entire year. He bestowed this favor on them even though He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, complete and self-satisfied in all respects. Because of the motherly relationship these gops had with Him, they were freed from the prospect of future suffering in the cycle of birth and death; their material existence was finished once and for all, in that very lifetime. Conditioned living beings are trapped in sasra due to their ignorance, but the elder gops were steeped in the highest spiritual knowledge. They were the most perfect jns because they constantly thought of Ka as their son. Indeed, all transcendental knowledge and its corollary benefits are automatically included in pure Ka
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consciousness. Other devotees might feed Ka without identifying Him as their son, but these women had already attained such a high realization of love of Godhead that they thought of Ka with intense parental affection. They loved Ka so much that milk would spontaneously flow from their breasts. Ka is the giver of liberation and all other goals of life. But as the word alam implies, Ka, not satisfied with the milk of only His mother Devak, was eager to drink from the gops also. He had every right to the breast milk of Devak, but He abandoned her to drink extensively from these gops instead. His love for them was that great. Therefore, since He gives desired goals like liberation to other persons, why shouldnt He grant liberation to these women, whom He favored over His own mother by drinking their milk for one whole year? How could they remain entangled in material existence? ptan loka-bla-ghn rkas rudhiran jighsaypi haraye stana dattvpa sad-gatim ki puna raddhay bhakty kya paramtmane yacchan priya-tama ki nu rakts tan-mtaro yath Ptan was always hankering for the blood of human children, and with that desire she came to kill Ka; but because she offered her breast to the Lord, she attained the greatest achievement. What then is to be said of those who had natural devotion and affection for Ka as mothers and who offered Him their breasts to suck or offered something very dear, as a mother offers something to a child? (Bhgavatam 10.6.3536)

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ytudhny api s svargam avpa janan-gatim ka-bhukta-stana-kr kim u gvo nu-mtara Although Ptan was a great witch, she attained the position of a mother in the transcendental world and thus achieved the highest perfection. What then is to be said of the cows whose nipples Ka sucked with great pleasure and who offered their milk very jubilantly with affection exactly like that of a mother? (Bhgavatam 10.6.38) Ptan attained a destination possible only for saintly devotees of the Personality of Godhead. She became a mother of Ka like Devak in the highest heaven, r Vaikuha. Svarga, or heaven, is commonly conceived as the world of unlimited happiness, but true happinessin freedom from birth and deathis found only in the kingdom of God. There Ptan achieved liberation and was established in vtsalya-rasa. So how can the elder gops of Vraja be expected to attain anything less? The word sa-sra may be taken to refer to liberation as the complete essence of the four goals of life, and this liberation may be understood to be jna-sambhava, indicating that it is achieved by the discipline of philosophical knowledge. But these gops deserve more than this inadequate reward. For these gops, liberation is inadequate because they possess pure devotion for Ka, which includes knowledge, liberation, and everything else desirable. Liberation, therefore, is meaningless for the gops because they are already liberated. To devotees unconditionally surrendered to Him, Ka never gives mere liberation. And from devotees full of material desires He withholds it. Thus ukadeva Gosvm calls Ka kaivalydyakhilrtha-da, He who destroys (dyati) all the inferior goals of life (arthas), headed by liberation (kaivalya), which in comparison to
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attainment of r Vaikuha are insignificant. Since Ka is so kind even to materialistic devotees, why should He give mere liberation to absolutely selfless devotees like the gops? The great achievement, even for the residents of Vaikuha, is the attainment of Goloka. In the Sixth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (6.11.23) the demon Vtra says: trai-vargikysa-vightam asmatpatir vidhatte puruasya akra tato numeyo bhagavat-prasdo yo durlabho kicana-gocaro nyai Our Lord, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, forbids His devotees to endeavor uselessly for religion, economic development, and sense gratification. O Indra, one can thus infer how kind the Lord is. Such mercy is obtainable only by unalloyed devotees, not by persons who aspire for material gains. Because efforts to attain dharma, artha, and kma can achieve little more than the pain of the endeavor, the supreme protector of His devotees ruins a devotees attempts to achieve these goals. This should be understood as the greatest mercy of the all-compassionate Lord. But dont some devotees of the Lord succeed in obtaining the three goals dharma, artha, and kma? Yes, but we should understand who is eligible to receive the Lords mercy in full. The Personality of Godhead gives full protection to devotees who are akicana (free from false identifications), who renounce everything material for His sake, who offer their very bodies and all bodily possessions for His service, and who have no support but Him. For others His full mercy is very difficult to obtain. To devotees distracted by material desires, who fall short of the akicana standard, Ka sometimes gives the benefits of dharma, artha, and kma. Even neophyte Vaiavas, being more or less free
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from material desires, can at least aspire for the special mercy of the Lord, but nondevotees can never come near it. Nondevotees have no hope of gaining the Supreme Lords favor, by which material entanglement is destroyed. Vtrsura therefore tells Indra that being king of heaven is useless because Indra is not a pure devotee of the Personality of Godhead. Vtra disdains Indras heaven because Vtra has his eyes set on r Vaikuha. A similar statement is found in the Fifth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (5.19.27): satya diaty arthitam arthito n naivrtha-do yat punar arthit yata svaya vidhatte bhajatm anicchatm icchpidhna nija-pda-pallavam The Supreme Personality of Godhead fulfills the material desires of a devotee who approaches Him with material motives, but He does not bestow benedictions that will cause the devotee to demand more benedictions again. However, the Lord willingly gives the devotee shelter at His own lotus feet, even when the devotee does not aspire for it, and that shelter satisfies all desires. That is the Supreme Personalitys special mercy. For God no request is impossible to fulfill. He is the root of the tree that can satisfy all desires. Still, though people pray to Him for liberation and other perfections, He often refuses to give what is asked. This means that when granting a request will result in the devotees being impelled by still more desires, the Lord protects His devotee by withholding the desired object. A person whom the Lord allows to become proficient in religious formularies may become greedy for the fruits of religiosity. Elevated by piety and endowed with such fruits, the person may then become attracted to sense gratification. Addicted to sense gratification, he may turn again to
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religiosity, just to get more of the same sense gratification. Only rarely does anyone take proper advantage of the cycle of pururthas, or goals in human life, by experiencing dharma, artha, and kma, evaluating them realistically, and then redirecting his aim to moka. Then, if such a rare person is truly fortunate, after achieving liberation he may come in contact with pure devotees of the Supreme Lord, learn the insignificance of liberation, and strive for bhakti. As stated in r Padma Pura, muktai prrthy harer bhakti: Lord Haris devotional service is prayed for by those who are liberated. But even in this most unlikely set of fortunate circumstances, the candidate for spiritual advancement has to go through so much trouble to aspire after various goals, one after another, and achieve them. Therefore the Personality of Godhead prefers to cut short the involvement of His devotees in dharma, artha, kma, and moka. But when the Supreme Lord refuses to give His devotees what they beg, doesnt that spoil His reputation as the wish-fulfilling cow who can satisfy countless desires? The demigods speaking the above verse from the Fifth Canto answer this doubt by referring to the Lord as artha-da, the giver of what is of real value. In other words, the Lord never gives His devotees what is anartha, or not good for them. As a good father refuses a sons demand for some unwholesome food or drink, the Supreme Lord refuses to give His devotees anything that will cause them harm. This behavior only enhances the Lords reputation as the well-wisher of His servants. What higher artha, then, does the Lord prefer to give? And how will this artha satisfy the Lords devotee in the face of unfulfilled personal desires? The demigods answer that the Personality of Godhead gives away His own lotus feetor, in other words, pure devotion to His feet. He gives
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this even to those who dont want it or who harbor desires for other things, such as liberation, and therefore dont consider pure devotion their exclusive goal. By the gift of devotion to His lotus feet, the Lord obliterates those other desires, because in pure devotional service all possible desires are automatically fulfilled. In devotional service there is such an abundance of pure ecstasy that a devotee loses all interest in inferior pleasures. Thus even though before attaining prema-bhakti pure devotees may have asked something from Ka and now may not have gotten it, they do not feel at all slighted or dissatisfied. They are too absorbed in the sheer bliss of Ka consciousness to even notice the discrepancy. Ka is so extremely merciful that He shows this kindness even to devotees who dont want it, just as a father entices his child to take a nice sweetball when he sees the child trying to eat dirt. The child may not want the sweet, but the father forces it on him to take the childs mind away from eating dirt. Thus the father gives the child real happiness. This is Kas way of reciprocating with His devotees for the service they have done at His lotus feet. As r ukadeva told Mahrja Parkit: rjan patir gurur ala bhavat yadn daiva priya kula-pati kva ca kikaro va astv evam aga bhajat bhagavn mukundo mukti dadti karhicit sma na bhakti-yogam My dear king, the Supreme Person, Mukunda, is actually the maintainer of all the members of the Pava and Yadu dynasties. He is your spiritual master, your worshipable Deity, your friend, and the director of your activities. To say nothing of this, He sometimes serves your family as a messenger or servant. This means He works just like an ordinary servant. Those engaged in getting the Lords favor attain from the Lord liberation very
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easily, but He does not very easily give the opportunity to render direct service unto Him. (Bhgavatam 5.6.18) Paraphrasing this verse and taking the last line in a different way, rla Santana Gosvm gives this meaning: My dear King Parkit, for the Pavas and Yadus the Supreme Lord Mukunda is very much absorbed in acting in roles like that of master. And for you, the sons of Pu, He sometimes even acts as a menial servant. Even though bestowing bhakti-yoga makes the Lord subordinate to His devotees, He still gives this bhakti-yoga to those who worship Him. In the context of this reading, bhakti-yoga means not only perfect love of God but also devotional service in practice, which enables one to achieve that love, mainly through association with pure devotees. As Ka explained to r Uddhava in the Eleventh Canto (11.3.31), bhakty sajtay bhakty: the one kind of bhakti awakens the other. The Supreme Lord never gives liberation to His surrendered devotees. Because liberation is achievable by the seekers of impersonal knowledge, He thinks that to give liberation to His pure devotees would devalue their devotional service. Parkit Mahrja has glorified the other mothers of Ka in Vraja after r Yaod, but this does not mean that they are greater devotees than she. After all, they fed Ka their milk for only one year, and their love for Ka never equaled hers. We should understand, therefore, that praise of the other gops has been placed here just to underscore the glories of Mother Yaod. If these other gops are so great, how great must be Yaods unique motherly affection. TEXT 133 GaaePaqNaa& ParMaaNaNd AaSaqaeivNddXaRNae ) +a<a& YauGaXaTaiMav YaaSaa& YaeNa ivNaa>avTa( ))

gopn paramnanda
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sd govinda-darane kaa yuga-atam iva ys yena vinbhavat

gopnmfor the young cowherd girls; paramanandathe greatest happiness; starose; govinda-daranein seeing Govinda; kaama moment; yuga-atama hundred millenniums; ivajust as; ysmfor whom; yenawhom (Ka); vinwithout; abhavatbecame. The young gops took the greatest pleasure in seeing Govinda come home, since for them even a moment without His association seemed like a hundred ages. Commentary: In texts 133 through 152, Parkit Mahrja praises the supremely glorious gops. He begins by quoting this verse from rmad-Bhgavatam (10.19.16), in which r Bdaryai describes the gops ecstasy at seeing Ka return home in the evening after saving His friends from a fire in the Muja forest. Just to catch a glimpse of Govinda would raise all the gops to the highest limit of ecstasy. Who can describe, then, what they felt later when they enjoyed talks and various sports with Him? If for even the shortest time they couldnt see Ka, to them that small portion of the day would seem like a hundred yugas. In their own words: aati yad bhavn ahni knana trui yugyate tvm apayatm kuila-kuntala r-mukha ca te jaa udkat pakma-kd dm When You go off to the forest during the day, a tiny fraction of a second becomes like a millennium for us because we cannot see You. And even when we can eagerly look upon Your beautiful face, so lovely with its adornment of curly locks, our pleasure is hindered by our eyelids, which were
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fashioned by the foolish creator. (Bhgavatam 10.31.15) Of course the days spent without Ka didnt literally last hundreds of yugas, but, as indicated by the word iva, such was the gops subjective experience while in the pain and anxiety of separation. And it makes perfect sense that these same gops who would suffer intensely from a moments separation from Ka would conversely enjoy the topmost bliss from but a moments sight of Him. Though the gops passed every day with such ecstasies, the description given here is especially appropriate for the day Ka saved His cowherd friends from the fire in the Muja forest, because on that same day He saved His girlfriends from the forest fire of viraha-bhva in their hearts. TEXT 134 TaNMaNaSk-aSTadal/aPaaSTaiceaSTadaiTMak-a" ) Tau<aaNaev GaaYaNTYaae NaaTMaaGaarai<a SaSMa" ))

tan-manasks tad-lps tad-vices tad-tmik tad-gun eva gyantyo ntmgri sasmaru

tat-manasktheir minds filled with thoughts of Him; tat-lpconversing about Him; tat-vice imitating His activities; tat-tmikfilled with His presence; tat-gunabout His qualities; eva simply; gyantyasinging; nanot; tmatheir own; grihomes; sasmaruremembered. Their minds absorbed in thoughts of Him, they conversed about Him, acted out His pastimes, and felt themselves filled with His presence. They completely forgot about their homes as they loudly sang the glories of Kas transcendental qualities. Commentary: This verse (Bhgavatam 10.30.43) describes how the force of love for Ka made the gops forget everything else. At the beginning of
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the rsa dance, when Ka disappeared, leaving the gops in total distress, they searched everywhere but couldnt find Him. By the time they gave up their search, they had wandered far into the thickest part of the forest, where even the light of the autumn moon couldnt go. Under the circumstances, one would have expected them to go home in disappointment, but they couldnt even remember that they had homes. In this condition, instead of complaining about Kas cruelty, the surrendered gops continued to sing His glories. All their faculties were fixed on Him: their minds, with which they could only accept Him, never reject Him; their power of speech, by which they called out plaintively to Him and performed His sakrtana; and their other working senses, by which they made garlands and beds from flowers and leaves. Mind, body, and words, the gops were fully absorbed in Ka; their whole existence was dedicated to Him. Even at home the gops were so focused on Ka in thought, word, and deed that they went about their household duties oblivious of what was going on around them. Now that they were outside, why should they give any thought to their homes? Abandoned by Ka in the forest in the midst of the night, they simply went on chanting His glories. Another meaning of the words tan-manasks tadlps tad-vices tad-tmik is that in the anxiety of separation the gops became so intense in their remembrance of Ka, the enthusiastic enjoyer of wonderful pastimes, that they began to assume the unique characteristics of His personality. Their minds, just like His, became free from fear and suffering. Their speech became grave, articulate, and charming, just like His. They started to behave just like Him, embracing and kissing one another. Their bodies even appeared like His, as they emulated His threefold-bending posture. But unlike impersonal yogs who forget
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devotion to God as they begin to develop His qualities, the gops only increased in their natural devotion for Ka more and more, and they went on singing His glories. In this utter absorption in Ka, they forgot themselves, what to speak of the homes and other things they were meant to enjoy. TEXT 135 GaaePYaSTaPa" ik-MacrNYadMauZYa Pa& l/av<YaSaarMaSaMaaeRMaNaNYaiSaMa( ) d*iG>a" iPabNTYaNauSavai>aNav& duraPaMa( Wk-aNTaDaaMa YaXaSa" i[Ya WerSYa ))

gopyas tapa kim acaran yad amuya rpa lvaya-sram asamordhvam ananya-siddham dgbhi pibanty anusavbhinava durpam eknta-dhma yaasa riya aivarasya
gopyathe gops; tapaausterities; kimwhat; acaranperformed; yatfrom which; amuyaof such a one (Lord Ka); rpamthe form; lvaya-sramthe essence of loveliness; asama-rdhvamunparalleled and unsurpassed; ananya-siddhamnot perfected by any other ornament (self-perfect); dgbhiby the eyes; pibantithey drink; anusava-abhinavam constantly new; durpamdifficult to obtain; eknta-dhmathe only abode; yaasaof fame; riyaof beauty; aivarasyaof opulence. What austerities must the gops have performed! With their eyes they always drink the nectar of Lord Kas form, which is the essence of loveliness and is not to be equaled or surpassed. That loveliness is the only abode of beauty, fame, and opulence. It is self-perfect, ever fresh, and extremely rare. Commentary: Texts 135 though 137 (Bhgavatam 10.44.1416) are spoken by the women of Mathur who watch Ka as He enters Kasas arena to wrestle with Cra. The ladies of Mathur praise the gops of Vndvana because the gops can always enjoy
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seeing Ka and chanting His glories, in all circumstances. First the ladies praise the gops for being always able to see the beauty of Kas transcendental form. The Vedic scriptures explain various benefits to be gained by a variety of disciplines, but the women of Mathur have never heard of anyone receiving such a benefit as bestowed upon the gops. What penances, religious duties, or meditation could enable one to attain such perfection? What tapas could the gops of Vraja have performed to earn the privilege of drinking Kas beauty with their mortal eyes, directly relishing His beauty the way one relishes nectar with the tongue? Out of reverence for Ka, at this moment the city women cannot utter His name, but can only refer to the son of Nanda as Him. According to the description of the Mathur women, Ka is the most charming of persons. Indeed, He embodies the very essence of charm. Even those who consider Him an avatra of Viu cannot find any avatra equal to Him; and persons who know that He is in fact the source of all avatras can understand that no one is greater. Moreover, His supreme excellence is not created by anyone or anything else. His excellence is not lent to Him by His ornaments; it is innately His own. As r Uddhava states in the Third Canto of rmadBhgavatam (3.2.12): yan martya-llaupayika sva-yogamy-bala darayat ghtam vismpana svasya ca saubhagarddhe para pada bhaa-bhagam The Lord, by His internal potency, Yogamy, appeared in the mortal world in His eternal form, just suitable for His pastimes. Those pastimes were wondrous for all, even for those who were proud of their own opulence, including the Lord Himself in His form as the Lord of Vaikuha. Thus r Kas
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transcendental body is the ornament of all ornaments. Ananya-siddham can also be understood in another way, as meaning that these excellences of Ka are not realized anywhere else but in Vraja. Furthermore, persons who taste Kas glories are never satiated; rather, they always experience those glories as newer and newer at ever moment. As the poet Mgha says, kae kae yan navatm upaiti / tad eva rpa ramayaty: The true form of attractiveness is that which appears newer at every moment. Therefore the full glories of Ka are very difficult to realize; other than the gops, no one can ever expect to know them directly. And only the gops have Ka completely under their control. Ka is the most charming of persons, and He possesses all supreme qualities. He is the only constant reservoir of fame, splendor, and the six divine opulences indicated by the word bhagavn. Thus both His form and His personality are in all ways supremely attractive. In stating that the gops of Vraja always enjoy the sight of Kas beauty, the women speaking in the wrestling arena use the present tense (pibanti). By this they mean to say that the beauty of Ka never actually abandons the gops, for the gops never fail to see Him, even when He is physically absent. The gops are the most fortunate of women. We ladies of Mathur are not at all pious, because we can see Him only at inauspicious times and places. There is no chance of our ever drinking the nectar of His beauty with the same love and respect as the gops. TEXT 136 Yaa daehNae_vhNaNae MaQaNaaePale/Pa= Pa[eeNaa>aRidTaae+a<aMaaJaRNaadaE ) GaaYaiNTa cENaMaNaur-iDaYaae_[uk-<#yae DaNYaa v]JaiYa o-MaictaYaaNaa" ))

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y dohane vahanane mathanopalepaprekhekhanrbha-ruditokaa-mrjandau gyanti cainam anurakta-dhiyo ru-kahyo dhany vraja-striya urukrama-citta-yn
ywho (the gops); dohanewhile milking; avahananethreshing; mathanachurning; upalepa smearing; prekhaon swings; ikhanaswinging; arbha-rudita(taking care of) crying babies; ukaasprinkling; mrjanacleaning; dauand so on; gyantithey sing; caand; enamabout Him; anurakta-dhiyawhose minds are very much attached; aru-kahyawhose throats are full of tears; dhanyfortunate; vraja-striyathe ladies of Vraja; urukramaon Ka; citta-ynwhose minds were fixed. The ladies of Vraja are the most fortunate of women. Their minds fully attached to Ka, their throats always choked with tears, they constantly sing about Him while milking the cows, winnowing grain, churning butter, gathering cow dung for fuel, riding on swings, caring for their crying babies, sprinkling the ground with water, cleaning their houses, and so on. Their minds are fixed on Ka alone. Commentary: Even if in the course of Kas infinitely varied pastimes the gops are sometimes unable to see that most clever Ka, they can remain submerged in an ocean of transcendental pleasure by chanting His glories. The gops do not engage in sakrtana only when circumstances are conducivewhen performing special services for Him like making garlands. They chant His names and glories always, in all situations. While describing the autumn rsa dance, Parara Muni says in the Viu Pura (5.13.52, 56): ka arac-candramasa kaumud-kumudkaram jagau gop-gas tv eka
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ka-nma puna puna Ka sang about the autumn moon and its light upon the lotus ponds, while the gops simply sang Kas name over and over again. rsa-geya jagau ko yvat tryata-dhvani sdhu keti keti tvat t dvi-gua jagu While Ka sang a rsa-dance song in a resonant voice, the gops congratulated Him and redoubled their chanting of Ka! Ka! In the verse Parkit Maharaja recites here, the phrase vraja-striya (the women of Vraja) indicates not just the gops but also women who live in the forest. The city ladies who are speaking are not careful to distinguish between the gops of Nandas community and the other women of Vraja, who are mostly aborigines. All the women who come in contact with Ka in the forest, whether children, young girls, or old women, become rich in the highest favor of the goddess of fortune. And only the women of Vraja have this kind of excellent luck, not the women of any other place. Why are the women of Vraja so fortunate? Because they always engage in ka-sakrtana, no matter what else they do. They sing while they milk the cows and churn butter for their husbands and children, while they apply kukuma, candana, and other cosmetics to their bodies, while they swing on swings, while they comfort their babies, while they clean their houses with water and cow dung. They sing Kas names while cooking, grinding grains, smearing the courtyards with auspicious pastes, and beautifying the walls of their houses with painted designs. Thus the gops unavoidable duties in taking care of their families and maintaining their own bodies do not at all obstruct the ecstasy the gops feel in worshiping Ka;
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rather, these contribute to it by giving suitable occasions for sakrtana. The gops are so absorbed in Kas glories that they are hardly aware of the effort they expend while working. And so intense is their singing that they actually see Ka. Either by the power of meditation they see Him in their hearts as He plays all around Vraja-bhmi, or else they make excuses to take their work out into the pastures and so directly see Him playing there. Sometimes the presence of their elders makes them too shy to sing about Ka, and then they fly to where Ka is by the inner vehicle of their minds, helplessly attracted by the power of Lord Urukrama, who intrudes by stealth into the minds of His best devotees. As the gops chant about Ka, their minds are more and more attracted to Him, and gradually they are unable to think coherently about anything else. Shedding tears of love, they sob uncontrollably, and their hearts go swiftly (urukramea) to join Ka, wherever He is. In short, they are the most fortunate of women because they always see Ka, always chant His glories, always think about Him, and always feel completely attracted to Him in pure love. The words anurakta-dhiyo ru-kahya, which describe how the gops sing, can be understood to be a response to the following doubt: Isnt it true that a woman does what she does only because she is attracted to doing it? The gops must have some attraction for household work, otherwise why would they be so busy doing it? How then can they be said to be merged totally, exclusively in love for Ka? The Mathur women respond by commenting that such symptoms as tears in the eyes prove that the gops minds are full of loving attraction for Ka. The gops do their household duties only for His sake. But then another doubt might arise: With such distracted minds, how could the gops maintain
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their bodies and fulfill their family responsibilities? The answer is that Ka is Urukrama, the Supreme Lord who possesses amazing energies and accomplishes wonderful feats. The gops, by fixing their hearts on Him, are easily able to carry out all their duties and obtain whatever is needed. Even though the gops think only of Ka, to the exclusion of everything else, they are free from anxiety over the many duties they are obliged to fulfill. Everything they do is for His satisfaction, so they can do everything expertly simply by the force of Ka consciousness. This verse also describes the gops singing about Ka as most prominent. Their remembrance and visions of Him come as natural consequences of this primary service of singing His glories. Therefore the gops meditating on Ka and envisioning Him are not explicitly mentioned. The ladies of Mathur conclude, These women alone are the most fortunate, and in ways for which we can never aspire. How sad! TEXT 137 Pa[aTav]RJaad( v[JaTa AaivXaTa SaaYa& Gaaei>a" SaMa& Kv<aYaTaae_SYa iNaXaMYa ve<auMa( ) iNaGaRTYa TaU<aRMabl/a" PaiQa >aUirPau<Yaa" PaXYaiNTa SaiSMaTaMau%& SadYaavl/aek-Ma( ))

prtar vrajd vrajata viata ca sya gobhi sama kvaayato sya niamya veum nirgatya tram abal pathi bhri-puy payanti sa-smita-mukha sadayvalokam
prtain the early morning; vrajtfrom Vraja; vrajataof Him who is going; viataentering; caand; syamin the evening; gobhi samamtogether with the cows; kvaayatawho is playing; asyaHis; niamyahearing; veumthe flute; nirgatyacoming out; tramquickly; abalthe women; pathion the road; bhriextremely; puypious; payantithey see; sawith; smitasmiling; mukhamface; sa-daya
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merciful; avalokamwith glances. When the young gops hear Ka playing His flute as He leaves Vraja in the morning with His cows or returns with them at sunset, they quickly come out of their houses to see Him. They must have performed many pious activities to be able to see Him as He walks on the road, His smiling face mercifully glancing upon them. Commentary: We ladies of Mathur may also have the privilege of seeing Ka in all His glory, and we too may be able to glorify Him in sakrtana while we engage in our activitiesat least after He kills Kasa and remains here with us. But the experience will never be the same for us as for the gops of Vraja. For only they can watch Ka in the morning as He leaves for the forest and in the evening as He returns home. Only they can see Him surrounded by His cows and His cowherd friends. As soon as the gops hear His flute, they come outside, onto the road on which He will walk. They may be powerless women (abal), devoid of independent strength, but still they are the most fortunate and pious of human beings. When Ka comes into view, the gops not only see Him but also hear His flute song and the jingling of His foot bells as He walks with the grace of a skilled dancer. Kas face is always adorned with merciful glances, and no one ever sees it not smiling. The gops, however, even while gazing on Kas beauty, are in anxiety because they know that He will soon be out of sight. What is so fortunate about seeing Ka go off to the forest? What is so auspicious about being left in the anguish of separation? In fact, however, anything in connection with Ka is auspicious, even when it superficially appears to be a cause for suffering. The gops may see Him leave in the morning, but they also see Him return in the late afternoon. Having languished in their homes during the day, like lotuses almost dead from being
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overexposed to sunlight, the gops rush out of their houses as soon as the nectar of Kas flute song enters their ears. Each time they see Ka is like a festival for them. Every morning they make various excuses to come early to Mother Yaods house to see Ka and follow Him as He leaves for the forest. They are completely absorbed, morning and evening, in meditating on how to get out of their houses to be near Kabut when they hear Him playing His flute they at once run outside, for the sound of the flute arouses in them the urges of Cupid, rendering them helpless and weak (abal). As repeatedly explained in r Bhad-bhgavatmta, the gops receive the greatest mercy of the Personality of Godhead when they are immersed in the mood of separation. Nonetheless, the women of Mathur limit themselves to describing the ecstasy of seeing Ka, because the sublime subject of the gops feelings of separation is beyond their grasp. And they dare not even mention the supreme glories of Kas rsa-ll. Since the wonder of merely seeing Ka is difficult for the Mathur women to describe, what can they tell about the gops greatest fortunebeing able to dance with Ka in the rsa-ll? The Mathur women lament, Because our stock of pious credits is so meager, we will never be able to see Ka in this same way. TEXT 138 Na PaarYae_h& iNarvSa&YauJaa& SvSaaDauk*-TYa& ivbuDaaYauzaiPa v" ) Yaa Maa>aJaNduJaRrGaehXa*l/a" Sa&v*y Ta" Pa[iTaYaaTau SaaDauNaa ))

na praye ha niravadya-sayuj sva-sdhu-ktya vibudhyupi va y mbhajan durjara-geha-khal savcya tad va pratiytu sdhun
nanot; prayeam able to make; ahamI; niravadyafaultlessly; sayujmwho have allied
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with Me; sva-sdhu-ktyamproper compensation; vibudha-yuwith a lifetime as long as that of the demigods; apieven; vato you; ywho; mMe; abhajanhave worshiped; durjaradifficult to overcome; geha-khalthe chains of household life; savcyacutting; tatthat; vaof you; pratiytulet it be returned; sdhunby the good activity itself. I am not able to repay My debt for your spotless service, even within a lifetime of Brahm. Your connection with Me is beyond reproach. You have worshiped Me, cutting off all domestic ties, which are difficult to break. Therefore please let your own glorious deeds be your compensation. Commentary: This verse (Bhgavatam 10.32.22) describes the most exalted position of the gops, earned by their pure love for the Personality of Godhead. When Ka suddenly disappeared at the beginning of the rsa dance, the gops cried in great pain. But then He reappeared, sat comfortably in their midst, and listened to their eager questions. The present verse is Kas answer to those questions. Texts 138 through 146 tell of the Supreme Lords special love for the gops. In these nine verses the Lord Himself, from His own lotus mouth, explains this wonderful aspect of His own glories. The gops are faultless in their love for Ka. Neglecting all considerations other than making Him happy, they submerge their minds in thoughts of Him in spotless prema. Surely these girls should not be criticized for approaching Ka with lust, even though followers of the smti-stras may want to criticize them. Their lust for Ka is in fact a great virtue, since it is the cause of their faultless association with Him. As previously shown in this book, the gops attraction to Ka is an exceptional development of their fully matured love of God. In fact, Ka considers Himself unable to repay the gops for their devotion, even in a
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lifetime of the intelligent demigods or sages or the supremely intelligent Lord Brahm. If we read sva-sdhu-ktyam to mean proper compensation, the Lord says that He is unable to repay the gops for their devotion. And if we read it, alternatively, to mean ones own saintly behavior, the Lord says that He cannot act with the same exceptionally saintly devotion for them as they have for Him. Ka is amazed by how strongly committed to Him the gops are. They have cut the insurmountable knots of attachment to home and husband and children and the multitude of duties centered on them. Severing these attachments, the gops have worshiped Ka fully, whereas Ka, because He has ties of love to so many devotees, feels He can never be as exclusively dedicated. Therefore He can only suggest to the gops that their own saintliness might repay His debt to them. There is nothing He can do in kind to reciprocate. Dividing the phrase sva-sdhu-ktyam differently yields yet another understanding. Su-asdhu-ktyam (which changes to sv-asdhu-ktyam) means very unvirtuous acts. Thus Ka indicates that even the things the gops do that lack virtue, such as behaving cruelly toward Him, are glorious. Even those acts, Ka suggests, contribute to absolving His debt, so what then of the pious things the gops do? Ka says this to the gops out of greed to enjoy with them in all situations, no matter how they treat Him. Unfortunately, Ka cannot properly repay the service of the gops, who have offered Him their faultless bodies (niravadya-sayujm). Ka is encumbered by various household duties of His own, like His constant duty to tend the cows. He cannot abandon His responsibilities and serve the gops properly (m bhajan). And Kas other obligations are unbreakable (durjar), like strong metal chains (khal). As implied by the prefix sam (completely) in the word savcya (completely
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cutting off), Ka might be able to put aside His inner attachment to these other engagements, but He cannot avoid being externally involved in them. Ka thinks that unless He offers Himself to the gops completely, as they have offered themselves to Himunless He worships them in absolutely exclusive devotion, disregarding everything elseHe cannot requite their love. He remains in debt because in His dealings with them He has broken the vow He made in Bhagavad-gt (4.11) ye yath m prapadyante ts tathaiva bhajmy aham: As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. In all humility, Ka sweetly requests the gops that for their saintly behavior they agree to be repaid by their own saintly qualities (sdhun). Or, if we take the word sdhun to mean by a saintly devotee, Ka suggests that although He Himself cannot reciprocate adequately, perhaps in the future some of His devotees will become followers of the gops and serve them faithfully. TEXT 139 GaC^aev v]Ja& SaaEMYa iPa}aaeNaR" Pa[qiTaMaavh ) GaaePaqNaa& MaiYaaeGaaiDa& MaTSaNdeXaEivRMaaecYa ))

gacchoddhava vraja saumya pitror na prtim vaha gopn mad-viyogdhi mat-sandeair vimocaya
gacchaplease go; uddhavaO Uddhava; vrajamto Vraja; saumyaO gentle one; pitroto the parents; naOur; prtimsatisfaction; vahabring; gopnm of the gops; matfrom Me; viyogacaused by separation; dhimof the mental pain; matbrought from Me; sandeaiby messages; vimocayarelieve them. Dear gentle Uddhava, go to Vraja and give pleasure to Our parents. And also relieve the gops, suffering in separation from Me, by giving them My
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message. Commentary: Texts 139 through 146 were spoken by r Ka to His dear servant and best of advisors, Uddhava. What we say about another person when that person is absent usually indicates our true feelings more reliably than what we say in his presence. Therefore Kas confidential statements to Uddhava about the gops confirm that Ka does indeed feel as indebted to them as He claimed while speaking with them. Ka wanted to do what would most help the gops obtain His full mercy, so instead of going to Vndvana Himself, He dispatched Uddhava. He hoped that the message Uddhava was to convey would pacify the Vraja-vss, whose feelings of separation were burning them like an uncontrolled forest fire. Kas message was meant to sprinkle on them the nectar of His company and give them some hope that they might see Him again. This verse and the three that follow come from the Tenth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (10.46.36). In the first half of this verse, Ka follows the way of ordinary dealings by asking Uddhava to console His mother and father. In the second half, He directs Uddhava to give special attention to the gops. The name Uddhava means festival, so by using this name Ka implies that just by meeting Uddhava the Vraja-vss should feel very much encouraged. And Ka refers to Himself by using the plural pronoun na either because He feels proud to be the son of Nanda and Yaod or else because He thinks that since Nanda and Yaod accept Balarma also as their son, they should accept Uddhava the same way. Surely Uddhava deserves this treatment. He is amply endowed with saintly humility and with pure devotion for Ka, so he should give Nanda and Yaod great satisfaction by his uncontrived skill in delivering Kas message. Uddhava is saumya, very mild by nature. Or else
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saumya indicates that since Uddhava is as beautiful as the moon (soma), Nanda and Yaod will be very much pleased just by seeing Him. To pacify the gops, however, will require more than merely Uddhavas finesse. The gops feel the pain of separation from Ka so deeply that to relieve them His own words must be conveyed. Or else Ka is saying that nothing less than His own words, with their pleasing tone and special connotations, will pacify both His parents and the gops. Still, though by hearing His message His mother and father will become happy, the gops will feel only limited relief. So great is their love for Him that they can never feel content in His absence. TEXT 140 Taa MaNMaNaSk-a MaTPa[a<aa MadQaeR TYa-dEihk-a" ) Yae TYa-l/aek-DaMaaR MadQaeR TaaiNb>aMYaRhMa( ))

t man-manask mat-pr mad-arthe tyakta-daihik ye tyakta-loka-dharm ca mad-arthe tn bibharmy aham

tthey (the gops); matabsorbed in Me; manasktheir minds; matfixed upon Me; pr their lives; mat-arthefor My sake; tyakta abandoning; daihikeverything on the bodily platform; yewho (the gops, or anyone); tyakta giving up; lokathis world; dharmreligiosity; caand; mat-arthefor My sake; tnthem; bibharmi sustain; ahamI. The minds of those gops are always absorbed in Me, and their very lives are ever devoted to Me. For My sake they have abandoned everything related to their bodies, including ordinary happiness in this life and the religious duties needed for happiness in the next. Therefore I take it upon Myself to sustain those gops in all circumstances. Commentary: In this verse Ka tells Uddhava why the gops need to be so carefully consoled. He also
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explains why He feels so obliged to them and what attributes set them apart as His greatest devotees. Because the gops always think about Ka, they appear as if possessed by insanity. And because Ka is their very life and soul, whenever He goes any distance away from them they seem on the verge of death. In the past they expressed their unalloyed devotion for Him by making great sacrifices. For His sake they gave up the company of their husbands, children, and homes. But now that they live in Vraja without Him they feel desolate, because they cannot resort to any other shelter than Him. If the gops have actually sacrificed everything for Ka, why dont they just go to Mathur to be with Him? They dont because He promised He would soon return to Vraja. That promise, as well as their concern for Kas happiness, keeps them from abandoning their physical responsibilities to their husbands, children, and so on and keeps them nicely dressing and ornamenting themselves. Otherwise the gops would simply walk away from their families and cast aside their fine clothing and the jewelry Ka sent them from Mathur. The gops have no attachment to any of these. For the sake of Ka, the gops have put aside all hopes for success in this life and the next. They have abandoned all expectations of material happiness (loka) and spiritual happiness (dharma). Ka confesses that because the gops are so perfectly surrendered to Him, He takes it as His duty to maintain them, give them strength, and assure their happiness. Ka alone is the real source of happiness for the gops, and He is their real protector, much more than their husbands. Therefore Uddhava should agree to carry Kas message to Vraja. Here Ka uses the masculine forms of the pronouns ye and tn because, man or woman, any devotee who has such pure love deserves His protection.
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Nonetheless, the gops, through their womanly nature, manifest unique qualifications: they have made what for women is the supreme sacrifice by abandoning for Kas sake their social connections (loka) and their feminine virtues of shyness and chastity (dharma). Uddhava may worry that the gops, having abandoned everything, must be wandering aimlessly in the wilderness. How then will he be able to find them? And furthermore, since they have rejected all social ties, they must have become like madwomen haunted by ghosts. How then will he be able to reason with them? Ka assures Uddhava that even though the gops have for His sake abandoned loka and dharma, He watches over them and protects them. He continues to provide them the same worldly and superworldly benefits they have rejected. Thus when Uddhava reaches Vndvana he will find the gops at home with their husbands and children, and of sane mind. Whats more, Ka personally continues to provide even for the husbands and children the gops have mentally abandoned. There is no need to worry that the families of the gops might be uncared for, or that the community might have ostracized the husbands for having wives who have abandoned religious principles. Ka is protecting the gops families, and of course He is protecting the gops themselves and their religious principles. Through His personal energies, Ka provides for the needs of the husbands and children, so what doubt can there be that He maintains the gops? He supplies their worldly needs (loka), maintains the integrity of their religious duties as women (str-dharma), and keeps them strongly engaged in their primary interest and highest dharmanma-sakrtana and the other essential aspects of devotional service to Him. According to the rules for Sanskrit euphony, ye tyakta may be read as the elided form of ye atyakta, and when we take the liberty to restore
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the prefix a- (not), another meaning of the last two lines of this verse comes out: Only for My sake have the gops not abandoned their worldly responsibilities [loka-dharma]. Therefore, dear Uddhava, since you are virtually equal to Me, you should go to Vraja, make the gops happy, protect their sanity and natural humility, and do the same for their husbands, their children, and everyone else in Vraja. TEXT 141 MaiYa Taa" Pa[eYaSaa& Pa[ee dUrSQae Gaaeku-l/iYa" ) SMarNTYaae_ ivMauiNTa ivrhaETk-<#yivl/a" ))

mayi t preyas prehe dra-sthe gokula-striya smarantyo ga vimuhyanti virahautkahya-vihval

mayiI; tthey; preyasmof all objects of endearment; prehethe most dear; dra-sthebeing far away; gokula-striyathe women of Gokula; smarantyaremembering; agadear (Uddhava); vimuhyantibecome stunned; virahaof separation; autkahyaby the anxiety; vihvaloverwhelmed. My dear Uddhava, for those women of Gokula I am the most cherished object of love. Thus when they remember Me, who am so far away, they are overwhelmed by the anxiety of separation. Commentary: Here Ka speaks to His friend Uddhava with deep concern for the gops. Never, He tells Uddhava, has He seen in anyone such distress as the gops now suffer, nor has He ever heard of such misery in any historical or literary account. At every moment the gops are so beside themselves in the bewilderment of separation that they seem ready to leave their bodies for the abode of Death. In this world ones spouse, children, and friends are generally very dear. Yet more dear is ones own body, and still more dear the vital air of life.
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More dear than life is dharma, still more dear is moka, and even more dear is ka-bhakti, pure devotional service to Ka. Ka-bhakti finds its perfect culmination in unalloyed prema, and because the gops are more advanced in ka-prema than anyone else, they are most dear to the Supreme Lord and His devotees. For the gops, Ka Himself is the most dear object of attraction. When He goes far away to Mathur and remains there, the gops nearly drown in the anxiety of separation, and stay alive only by the faint hope that He will come back to them. Unable to think and act coherently, they become as if insane. They fall into obsessive remembrance of Ka, thinking about how they used to associate with Him. And they become so confused and distant from reality that it becomes difficult to verify that they are still alive. The gops suffer greatly when Ka leaves them for even a moment, but when He leaves Vndvana for Mathur they approach the extreme limit of distress. Yet even though the greatness of their pain often overwhelms their minds, the gops cannot help but remember Ka. Ka calls Uddhava aga, dear friend, to remind Uddhava, I am depending on your skills as a messenger and counselor to save the lives of the gops by delivering My message. TEXT 142 DaarYaNTYaiTak*-C^\e<a Pa[aYa" Pa[a<aaNk-QaNa ) Pa[TYaaGaMaNaSaNdeXaEr( bVYaae Mae MadaiTMak-a" ))

dhrayanty ati-kcchrea prya prn kathacana pratygamana-sandeair ballavyo me mad-tmik

dhrayantithey hold on; ati-kcchreawith great difficulty; pryabarely; prnto their lives; kathacanasomehow; prati-gamanaabout return;
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sandeaiby the messages; ballavyathe cowherd women; meMy; mat-tmikwho are fully dedicated to Me. Simply because I have promised to return to them, My fully devoted cowherd girlfriends struggle to somehow or other maintain their lives. Commentary: In the previous verse, Ka described the condition of gokula-striya, which can be taken to mean all the ladies of Vraja, old as well as young. Now He focuses His attention on the vrajagops who are most dear to Himthe young gops, such as r Rdhik. As improbable as it seems to Ka, these dear gop girlfriends, including Candrval, even though on the constant verge of death from the pain of separation, manage somehow to survive. Ka is ashamed to confess that He intends to lie to the gops, yet He must explain the contents of the message He is asking Uddhava to carry. Uddhava must assure the gops that Ka will come back to them very soon. This should save the gops from the grips of death, just as such a message saved them once before, when Akrra had taken Ka and Balarma away from Gokula. At that time Ka sent a messenger with the promise that He would return after only a few days, and since the simple gops had full faith in Kas words, they found in this promise the strength to tolerate the disappointment of losing Him. The anticipation of soon again enjoying the beauty of Ka gave them solace. Aware of how daunting the task must appear, Ka explains to Uddhava that the gops, headed by r Rdhik, have dedicated themselves life and soul to Him alone. Only by Kas special efforts to keep them alive do their souls stay in their bodies. The gops are burning in a fire of viraha-bhva, but Ka is still struggling to save them. As Ka indicates by the word prya, most of the gops have somehow managed to survive, but some of them have already died, and others, sad to say,
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will also be lost. As the fire of separation grows in intensity, for the gops to stay alive becomes more and more difficult. In truth, only by the shelter of Kas personal power, provided secretly, are the gops surviving at all. Ka doesnt want to admit this to Uddhava, who might rebuke Him for preserving the gops lives. Were Ka to allow the gops to leave their bodies, their suffering would end, but by keeping them alive He is only prolonging and intensifying their torment. Yet there is something else for Uddhava to consider: Ka will share the gops fate. Ka needs to be saved as much as they do. Therefore Uddhava should take most seriously his mission of bringing the gops a message of renewed hope. For devotees too pained by the account of the gops inner torment, this fourth verse of instruction to Uddhava can be interpreted in a different way, one that places more emphasis on how Ka plans to maintain the gops lives. Two verses before, Ka gave His assurance that He sustains the gops through all difficulties (tn bibharmy aham). Ka thus promised to arrange, somehow or other, for the gops happiness. And now Ka tells just how Uddhava can help. The way to keep the gops alive is to bring them Kas message promising His return. Although to save them is practically impossible, this message may keep the breath of life barely flowing in the gops throats. Uddhava should visit the gops and convince them: r Nanda-nandana is returning very soon. He is already on the way. He is practically here already. TEXT 143 raMae<a SaaDa| MaQaura& Pa[<aqTae af-iLk-Naa MaYYaNaur-ictaa" ) ivGaa!>aaveNa Na Mae ivYaaeGa= Taqv]aDaYaae_NYa& dd*Xau" Sau%aYa ))

rmea srdha mathur prate

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vphalkin mayy anurakta-citt vigha-bhvena na me viyogatvrdhayo nya dadu sukhya

rmeawith Balarma; srdhamtogether; mathurm to the city of Mathur; pratewhen brought; vphalkinby Akrra; mayiI; anuraktaconstantly attached; cittthose whose consciousness was; vighaextremely deep; bhvenaby love; nanot; methan Me; viyogaof separation; tvraintense; dhayawho were experiencing mental distress, anxiety; anyamanything other; daduthey saw; sukhyathat could make them happy. The residents of Vndvana, headed by the gops, were always completely attached to Me with deepest love. Therefore, when My uncle Akrra brought My brother Balarma and Me to the city of Mathur, the residents of Vndvana suffered extreme mental distress in separation from Me and could not find any other source of happiness. Commentary: The next four verses recited by Parkit Mahrja to his mother (texts 143 through 146) come from Kas discussion with Uddhava in the Eleventh Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (11.12.10 13). When Ka and Uddhava were together in Dvrak, Ka explained to Uddhava the great value of associating with saintly devotees of the Lord. Discussing this topic reminded Ka of the most exalted of all saintly Vaiavas, His own beloved gops, and this so overwhelmed Kas heart that He digressed to speak these four verses. King Kasa engaged Akrra, the son of vaphalka, to bring Ka to Mathur, whatever it took. Ka was reluctant to make the trip, but Akrra used His wits to convince Vasudeva and Balarma that going to Mathur was unavoidable. By referring to Akrra as the noble son of vaphalka (vaphalka being a worthy descendant of Yadu), Ka is telling Uddhava that the Vraja-vss, including Ka Himself, have to excuse Akrra. After all, Akrra
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was only doing what he thought necessary to protect his dynasty from the wrath of Kasa. Lord Balarma, who was present when Akrra came to Vndvana, could have expertly pacified the Vraja-vss, as He had done previously when Ka seemed imperiled in the grip of Kliya; but this time, somehow, He made no such attempt. And when Akrra approached Balarma to present the plight of Vasudeva, Devak, and the other Yadus, who were living in fear and misery under the rule of Kasa, it was Balarma who gave His consent for taking Ka from Vndvana to Mathur. Had it not been for this, Ka might never have left Vndvana. After Ka departed, the gops could find no other object of delight for their eyes. Whatever they saw reminded them that Ka was gone, and this only made them more miserable. With the supreme desirable object removed from their sight, everything else appeared worthless. Separation from Ka was like a persistent throbbing in the head that made enjoying anything in life impossible. Even before Ka left, the gops attraction to Him had been obsessive, but now it was utterly out of control, and it tormented them like a raging fever in the brain. They entered the rarest state of ecstasy, in which nothing around them seemed able to give any happiness. Uddhava might wonder why the gops, whose wisdom is praised by the most learned sages, continued to be attracted to Ka even after He had caused them so much anguish. Kas answer is that the gops love for Him was so extremely intense that nothing, not even His mistreatment of them, could impede it. As the sage Parara describes, sa tath saha gopbh rarma madhusdana yathbda-koi-pratima kaas tena vinbhavat Madhusdana gave so much delight to the gops that
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later, when He was absent, a moment seemed to them like ten million years. (Viu Pura 5.13.58) Parara was describing to Maitreya, some years after the fact, the separation the gops felt, and thus he used the past tense. The word gop can here be understood to derive from g pnti, they protect their senses. The gops protected their senses by keeping them away from material objects. In truth the gops were the greatest of self-controlled yogs. But Kas charms so entranced them that they became entangled in loving affairs with Him and therefore suffered. Madhusdana is the name of a particular bee well known for his rapacious nature of greedily collecting honey from many lotus flowers. And another Madhusdana, known as Ka, took from the gops and ruined (sdayati) all their honey (madhu), all their attractive, enjoyable qualities. He stole everything they had. Ka here confesses to Uddhava that it is simply His nature to attract all sorts of people, exploit them for His own pleasure, enjoy them to His full, and then go away and leave them miserable. In the message Ka was instructing Uddhava to carry, Ka might have said that He Himself endured as much torment in separation from the gops as they did in separation from Him. But the facts prove otherwise. The gops surrendered to Ka with absolute dedication, as He Himself will describe in the next two verses; Ka, however, as He confesses to Uddhava, is not nearly as surrendered to them. Ka may have a high reputation as the most exalted of saintly persons, but in His own opinion, expressed in these verses, the gops are much more virtuous. In them there is not a trace of cruelty or ingratitude, and pure love for Him like theirs is not to be found anywhere else. TEXT 144 TaaSTaa" +aPaa" Pa[eTaMaeNa NaqTaa MaYaEv v*NdavNaGaaecre<a )
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+a<aaDaRvtaa" PauNar TaaSaa& hqNaa MaYaa k-LPaSaMaa b>aUvu" ))

ts t kap preha-tamena nt mayaiva vndvana-gocarea kardha-vat t punar aga ts hn may kalpa-sam babhvu
t tall those; kapnights; preha-tamena with the most dearly beloved; ntspent; may with Me; evaindeed; vndvanain Vndvana; gocareawho was present; kaaa moment; ardha-vat like half; tthose very nights; punaagain; agadear Uddhava; tsmfor the gops; hn bereft; mayof Me; kalpaa day of Brahm (4,320,000,000 years); samequal to; babhvu became. Dear Uddhava, all of those nights the gops spent with Me, their most dearly beloved, when I was present in Vndvana seemed to them to pass in less than a moment. But when bereft of My association, the gops felt those same nights drag on forever, as if each night were equal to a day of Brahm. Commentary: Here Ka acknowledges the terrible agony the gops endure on His account. He addresses Uddhava as aga to indicate that Uddhava is as dear to Him as His own body. And He describes how the pleasure of the rsa dance He shared with His beloved gops passed swiftly, as if in a single moment, even though the rsa-ll lasted several nights. As certain smti-stras explain, the word nights can also mean days and nights. By the Supreme Lords special energies, the rsa dance did not end in a single night, but lasted many nights and days. Although outsiders were unaware, Ka and the gops celebrated the rsa-ll for a long time, without interruption. That such an extended festival seemed to the gops to last only a moment proves how happy Kas pure devotees become in His intimate association.
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The moonlit autumn nights when Ka danced with the gops passed quickly for the gops, but not other nights. On other nights the suffering they underwent from Kas absence seemed to last millions of years. Or if we accept that Ka, almost every night, would find ways to sneak out of the house to meet the gops, then every night passed quickly, not just the nights of the rsall season. Only the daytimes were excruciatingly long. Ka admits that the gops great love for Him has cast them into utter misery. This thought might prompt a friend to suggest that Ka bring the gops to Dvrak and again make them happy. But this idea, Ka answers, is not feasible. The rsa dance was a source of delight for Him and the gops because they enjoyed it together in Vndvana. Neither Ka nor the gops can feel the same ecstasy anywhere else. Only in Vndvana does Ka wander among His cows and dress Himself as a cowherd. Only in the atmosphere of Vndvana is the highest ecstasy perceived. Unfortunately, Ka confesses, He is no longer the same person as in Vndvana. He has become ungrateful and hardhearted. Yet the original virtues of the gops have not degraded at all, and therefore Ka considers the gops much more exalted than Himself. TEXT 145 Taa NaaivdNMaYYaNauSab= iDaYa" SvMaaTMaaNaMadSTaQaedMa( ) YaQaa SaMaaDaaE MauNaYaae_iBDaTaaeYae Na" Pa[iva wv NaaMaPae ))

t nvidan mayy anusaga-baddhadhiya svam tmnam adas tathedam yath samdhau munayo bdhi-toye nadya pravi iva nma-rpe
tthey (the gops); nanot; avidanwere aware of; mayiin Me; anusagaby intimate contact; baddha bound; dhiyatheir consciousness; svamtheir own;
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tmnambody or self; adathe next life; tathas well as; idamthis life; yathjust as; samdhauin yoga-samdhi; munayagreat sages; abdhiof the ocean; toyein the water; nadyarivers; pravi having entered; ivalike; nmanames; rpeand forms. My dear Uddhava, just as great sages in yoga trance merge into self-realization, like rivers merging into the ocean, and are thus unaware of material names and forms, the gops of Vndvana were so completely attached to Me within their minds that they could not think of their own bodies, or of this world, or of their future lives. Their entire consciousness was simply bound up in Me. Commentary: The gops are married women with husbands, children, and household responsibilities. How can they be considered superior to renounced, self-contented sages who have given up all material attachments? Here Ka answers this doubt. After sages who follow the aga-yoga system become advanced in the practice of yama, niyama, sana, pryma, pratyhra, dhyna, and dhra, they realize the Absolute Truth as Lord Viu in their perfected trance, or samdhi. In that perfect consciousness, they forget the temporary names and forms of the material world, including the names and forms of their own bodies. The gops resemble such perfect sages, for the activities of the gops minds are all fixed on Ka in a highly developed trance, achieved by virtue of their constant connection with Ka, their natural relationship with Him in pure love. Like sages adept in aga-yoga, the gops have forgotten everything of this worldtheir husbands and children, their own bodies (the normal objects of self-centered attachment), their individual identities as proprietors and enjoyers of the material body, and all their hopes for success in this life and the next.
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As rivers abandon themselves to the waves of the ocean, the gops have merged their hearts in thought of Ka. Thus, being fully dedicated to Ka, they should be recognized as even greater than munis perfect in the aga-yoga system. Even while standing in the midst of a blazing fire, the gops are not burned; rather, all their desires are fulfilled. Furthermore, simply by remaining always in Ka consciousness, the gops have gained the spiritual strength to easily turn away from everything material. Their hearts are irrevocably attracted to Ka in all circumstances, whereas munis have to struggle hard to progress through the successive methods of aga-yoga. The munis must deeply concentrate to bring their minds under subjugation, and only after long endeavor can they possibly reach the goalsamdhi, in which they can forget material names and forms. The gops are much greater because they easily achieve samdhi. But arent self-contented sages like the four Kumras considered the most advanced of saintly persons? In ordinary circles that opinion may prevail, but in truth the gops are more saintly than self-contented sages. The gops differ from sages whose minds flow like rivers into the ocean of samdhi, oblivious of names and forms. Though the gops forget everything material, including their own bodies, they never forget Kas names, forms, and qualities. The lives of the gops are practical and real, full of variety, and imbued with the spirit of devotion to Ka. The gops, fixing their intelligence completely on Ka, never forget His names and forms. Thus they excel all munis by easily realizing the highest limit of happiness in full love of God. In the Ninth Canto of rmad-Bhgavatam (9.4.64) Lord Nryaa tells the muni Durvs: nham tmnam se mad-bhaktai sdhubhir vin riya tyantik vpi
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ye gatir aha par O best of the brhmaas, without saintly persons for whom I am the only destination, I do not desire to enjoy My transcendental bliss or even the association of My consort r, the supreme goddess of fortune. In other words, the Supreme Lord is more attracted to His pure devotees than to the goddess r. Here a doubt may arise: The gops of Vndvana are also said to be goddesses of fortune. Doesnt that put them in the same category with r? How then can they be considered Kas dearmost devotees? Ka dispels this doubt here in His discussion with Uddhava in the Eleventh Canto by disclosing a confidential aspect of the gops glories, an aspect that establishes the gops beyond all doubt as the greatest of saints, and greater even than the goddess r. Earlier, in the Tenth Canto, while giving Uddhava the message to convey to the gops, Ka glorified them. But at that time Ka did not reveal that He Himself was distressed by being separated from them. Had He done so, Uddhava might have told this to the gops, and their condition would only have worsened. But now, in the Eleventh Canto, Ka wishes to refute the popular misconception that He is hard-hearted, and He wishes to satisfy Uddhava, and so, revealing the greatness of His own ecstasy, He discloses His feelings for the gops. In so doing, He describes how it is that the gops are more saintly than everyone else. To understand the hidden meaning of what Ka is saying here, we have to read the word avidan as a present participle (being unaware) instead of a past-tense verb (were unaware). The rules of Sanskrit grammar allow this. As a participle, avidan is a masculine form in the subjective case, and so it must refer to the speaker, Ka Himself. Avidan can therefore be translated as if I am unaware. Kas being the subject of the previous
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verse, which includes the word may (by Me), further justifies such a reading. The sages (munaya) are another subject in the current verse, and thus, by extension, the participle can also refer to the sages. Ka is saying, then, Sages are not really sages if in their samdhi they become like rivers flowing into the ocean and forget My names and forms. Because the activities of their senses completely stop, such forgetful sages become as if dead, for they are devoid of the living souls defining quality of thought and unable to experience transcendental ecstasy. In the same way, were I ever to forget My gops, were I ever to fail to think of them constantly, I would no longer be r Ka, the Personality of Godhead. Or, understanding this idea in an even more radical sense: Then My life would come to an end; I would no longer exist. Ka refrains from openly speaking this last thought, because He wants to spare Uddhava the pain of hearing something so distasteful. Ka, divulging why He feels the way He does, says to Uddhava, I am obliged to the gops because their minds are absolutely fixed on Me. The gops always think exclusively of Me, and their attraction to Me is most sublime. Therefore, dear brother, for them I have the greatest love. I must confess to not having the same kind of love for anything or anyone elsenot for My parents, My brothers, My queens, My children, not for My own transcendental body, not for My Vaikuha abode with all its paraphernalia and associates, nor My special abodes here in Dvrak and Mathur. All of them I could forget and still be Myself, r Ka, and not feel as much pain as if I were ever to forget the gops of Vraja. I am always thinking of the gops with supreme love and attachment. In another verse, found in rla Rpa Gosvms Padyval (135), Uddhava tells the gops:
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viyoginnm api paddhati vo no yogino gantum api kamante yad dhyeya-rpasya parasya puso yya gat dhyeya-pada durpam The path you women traverse who feel separation from Ka, even great yogs cannot approach. You have realized the goal of meditation that others can hardly achievethe Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose form is the most worthy object of meditation. Real yogs, engaged in eternal devotional service to the Supreme Lord, know only Ka as the object of their meditation. But the gops have surpassed even such genuine yogs because the gops are the constant object of Kas meditation. Therefore they are greater than everyone else. TEXT 146 MaTk-aMaa rMa<a& JaarMaSvPaivdae_bl/a" ) b] Maa& ParMa& Pa[aPau" SaaC^TaSahXa" ))

mat-km ramaa jram asvarpa-vido bal brahma m parama prpu sagc chata-sahasraa
matMe; kmthose who desired; ramaamcharming; jramthe lover of anothers wife; asvarpa-vida not knowing My actual situation; abalwomen; brahmathe Absolute; mmMe; paramamsupreme; prputhey achieved; sagtby association; atasahasraaby the hundreds of thousands. All those hundreds of thousands of women, knowing Me as their most charming lover and ardently desiring Me that way, were unaware of My actual position. Yet by intimately associating with Me, they attained Me, the Supreme Absolute Truth. Commentary: The gops fulfilled their highest ambitions by achieving Ka as their lover. Those cowherd women were so exalted that by personal
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contact with them thousands of the outcaste women of VrajaPulinds and other aboriginesachieved the same rarest goal of life. The word abal (women) in its literal sense means not strong, indicating that the aborigine women lacked the assets of knowledge, good birth, good behavior, and devotion to God. They were ignorant of their own eternal identities as spirit souls, and because they had never come close enough to Nanda Mahrjas village to see Ka with their own eyes, they were also ignorant of Kas all-attractive beauty. Nonetheless, in the forest the aborigine women of Vraja accidentally came in contact with grass and leaves smeared with kukuma from the bodies of the gops and in this way gained the transcendental association of the gops and also became infected with the desire to have Ka as their lover. Or if we presume that the Pulinds and other aborigine women, simply by being born in Kas holy dhma, must have known that they were eternal souls, their association with the gops, even though indirect, infused them with sublime devotion for Ka and made them forget whatever spiritual knowledge they had. They were also ignorant of who they were in another sense: taking no heed of their own dirtiness and their dingy complexions, they were helplessly impelled toward Ka by the conjugal attraction they contracted from the gops. The Pulinds and others may have been low-class tribal women, but they had the greatest fortune of being attracted to the Supreme Absolute Truth, the darling son of Nanda Mahrja. And that attraction was extraordinary. They accepted Him as the absolute master of their lives, and that too in the special mood that He was their unmarried lover. They had to keep their love for Ka secret because as outcastes they had little hope of ever meeting Him and if they did chance to meet Him that contact would be considered altogether illicit. Thus they privately cherished the treasure of prema
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within the cores of their hearts. At every moment they tasted newer and newer sweetness in the highest possible limits of blissful satisfaction. Having had some contact with the gops, the aborigine women of Vraja all attained a perfection similar to theirs, if not in this life then in the next. TEXT 147 WTaa" Par& TaNau>a*Taae >auiv GaaePavae GaaeivNd Wv iNai%l/aTMaiNa !>aava" ) vaH^iNTa Yavi>aYaae MauNaYaae vYa& c ik&- b]JaNMai>arNaNTak-QaarSaSYa ))

et para tanu-bhto bhuvi gopa-vadhvo govinda eva nikhiltmani rha-bhv vchanti yad bhava-bhiyo munayo vaya ca ki brahma-janmabhir ananta-kath-rasasya
etthese women; paramalone; tanutheir bodies; bhtamaintain successfully; bhuvion earth; gopavadhvathe young cowherd women; govindefor Lord Ka; evaexclusively; nikhilaof all; tmanithe Soul; rha-bhvwho have perfected their ecstatic loving attraction; vchantithey desire; yatwhich (ecstatic attraction); bhavamaterial existence; bhiyathose who fear; munayasages; vayamwe; caalso; kimwhat use; brahmaas a brhmaa or as Lord Brahm; janmabhiwith births; anantaof the unlimited Lord; kathfor the topics; rasasyafor one who has a taste. Among all persons on earth, these cowherd women alone have actually perfected their embodied lives, for they have achieved the perfection of unalloyed love for Lord Govinda. Their pure love is hankered after by those who fear material existence, by great sages, and by ourselves as well. For one who has tasted the narrations of the infinite Lord, what is the use of taking birth as a high-class brhmaa, or even as Lord Brahm himself? Commentary: Texts 147 through 152 (Bhgavatam
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10.47.5863) were spoken by r Uddhava during his visit to Vndvana. Because of his own solid reputation as an exalted Vaiava, his testimony that the devotional service of the gops is supreme is extremely credible. Uddhava is a favorite student of Bhaspati, the spiritual master of the demigods, and he is a trusted advisor to Ka in Dvrak. Ka Himself praises Uddhava with enthusiasm: athaitat parama guhya vato yadu-nandana su-gopyam api vakymi tva me bhtya suht sakh My dear Uddhava, O beloved of the Yadu dynasty, because you are My servant, well-wisher, and friend, I shall now speak to you the most confidential knowledge. Please hear as I explain these great mysteries to you. (Bhgavatam 11.11.49) vsudevo bhagavat tva tu bhgavatev aham Among those entitled to the name Bhagavn I am Vsudeva. And among the devotees, you indeed, Uddhava, represent Me. (Bhgavatam 11.16.29) na tath me priya-tama tma-yonir na akara na ca sakarao na rr naivtm ca yath bhavn My dear Uddhava, neither Lord Brahm, Lord iva, Lord Sakaraa, nor the goddess of fortune, nor indeed My own self is as dear to Me as you. (Bhgavatam 11.14.15) When Uddhava met with the gops in Vndvana, he used all his diplomatic skill to deliver Kas message in a way that would relieve the agony the
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gops felt in separation from Ka. But after hearing the message, the gops became even more deeply immersed in the ocean of their distress. Uddhava was astonished by the extraordinary intensity of the gops attachment to Ka. He had never seen or even heard of such pure devotional surrender. Therefore, just before leaving Vndvana, Uddhava spoke these six verses, in homage to the gops and their pure devotion for Ka. Here, in the first of these verses, Uddhava declares the gops greater than all aspirants for liberation, greater than all self-realized liberated saints, and greater than all other devotees of the Personality of Godhead. Only the gopsthe goddesses of fortune who reside in the cowherd village of r Nandahave realized the full potential of human life (tanu-bhto bhuvi). That these greatest of all Vaiavas are human beings and residents of earth is fitting because on higher planets like Svarga, the abode of Indra, the residents enjoy so much power and sense gratification that such love for Ka is practically impossible for them to achieve. In other words, the demigods and sages living in the higher regions of the universe can hardly ever perfect their lives like the gops of Vraja. The words tanu-bhto bhuvi (perfecting their lives on earth) can also be understood in another way: By sharing the rare gift of prema-bhakti, the gops deliver the fallen conditioned souls of this earth. In other words, the devotional lives of the inhabitants of earth are nourished by the gops. The influence of the natural compassion and other virtues of the gops is supremely beneficial for everyone because the gops possess the greatest possible love for the inner Lord of all souls, the son of the king of the cowherds, the Lord who is famous as Govinda because He is the Indra of the cows. Moreover, the gops disregard everything
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else and love Govinda as the Lord of their hearts, their lover, their paramour. They enjoyed with Ka the unprecedented rsa-ll festival, and then, by displaying the all-attractive transformations of their viraha-bhva, they deprived Uddhava of his wisdom by vanquishing his sobriety. For a long time the gops had quietly endured within their hearts the pain of separation from Ka; but after hearing Kas message from Uddhava they could no longer hold themselves back. Uddhava then became a witness to the uncontrollable waves of their complete distress. The ecstasy the gops feel in separation from Ka makes the whole world cry in sympathy and brings Vaiavas to the verge of death. In the obvious sense, Ka is nikhiltm in that He is the soul of all beings, but in this verse the phrase nikhiltmani has another, confidential meaning. He is also nikhiltm in that each gop cherishes Him as her very life and soul (literally, her entire self), in a way that other devotees cannot imitate. No one loves Ka as unconditionally as do the gops. Mumukus, renounced aspirants for liberation, fear material existence; and self-satisfied Vaiava devotees of the Lord, who are liberated souls (muktas), are free from such fear. And both, in their own ways, understand Ka to be the supreme goal and the supreme fruit of spiritual endeavors. The liberated Vaiavas and the aspirants for liberation who have the good fortune to get the mercy of those Vaiavas admire the love the gops have for Ka, but rarely do they attain it. Uddhava considers Himself to be in the same categorya sincere servant of Ka who can only admire the gops prema from a distance. But isnt Lord Brahm, rather than the gops, the greatest of all Vaiavas? Since he is the original guru for the path of devotional service, isnt he superior to all aspirants for liberation and to all
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liberated devotees? He sits on the seat of highest sovereignty in this universe, and he is endowed with many excellences. If the gops are so exalted, then, why didnt they accept births like his, in which they would have been worshiped by the whole world, rather than come to the earth as lowly cowherd women? Uddhava answers these questions by saying kim brahma-janmabhir ananta-kath-rasasya. The term ananta-kath refers to topics about the unlimited Lordsr Ka and r Balarma. Uddhava simply states that a rasika-bhakta, a person who has a taste for hearing ananta-kath, sees no use in being born as Lord Brahm, even numerous times. Such rasika-bhaktas regard birth as Brahm as an obstacle to cultivating the taste for ananta-kath because such a birth creates various distractions, such as pride. Therefore the gops, intent on tasting the honey found at r Govindas lotus feet, would rather be born as simple daughters of cowherds than as such an exalted being as Lord Brahm. Alternatively, the rules of Sanskrit grammar allow kath-rasasya to be split as kath-arasasya, meaning for one who has no taste for hearing these topics. If someone has no interest in anantakath, what can he gain by taking birth as the creator of the universe? Nothing of real value. Attraction to ananta-kath is the real fruit of renunciation, liberation, and devotional practice. Thus a person who lacks this taste cannot honestly be called a renunciant, a liberated sage, or a Vaiava. Another way of looking at Uddhavas words is that he is explaining why the gops, though on the highest level of self-realization, chose to abandon the norms of civilized behavior, the principles of dharma taught in the Vedas. In this context, brahma-janma can be interpreted to mean the appearance of Vedic knowledge within. For the gops, or indeed for anyone who has a taste for the
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topics of the unlimited Lord, the presence of Vedic knowledge on the lips and in the heart is less important than attraction to ka-kath. Brahma can also be taken to signify knowledge of the pure self, and janma to signify the means to generate this knowledge, namely the Vedas. In other words, a person who has realized anantakath-rasa has nothing to gain by Vedic study or theoretical knowledge that he is spirit distinct from matter. And to a person who has no anantakath-rasa, of what use is Vedic study or knowledge of the self? Ananta-kath-rasa is the only substantial result to be gained from studying the Vedas and inquiring into the identity of the self. Vedic study and self-realization are only means toward that final goal. Once one has reached the goal, one can put aside the means by which one got there, just as a person who has lit a lamp to find something in his room before going to sleep can put out the lamp and lay down to rest once he has found what he was looking for, or just as one who has paid to take a boat across a river can forget about the boat after crossing. And, conversely, when a person never attains the goal but remains stubbornly attached to the means, all he accomplishes is useless effort, as in beating empty husks of grain. A devotee situated in ananta-kath-rasa is therefore a superior person. Whether practicing the regulations of vaidh-bhakti or helplessly submerged in the ocean of rasa, he can never give up hearing and chanting about Ka, and doing whatever promotes that hearing and chanting. What to speak, then, of the gops, those most fortunate of all women, who have the rarest quality of love for r Govinda? For them, ordinary Vedic cultural standards and the dry realizations of selfish meditation are of no value whatsoever. TEXT 148 KveMaa" iYaae vNacrqVYaRi>acardua"
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k*-Z<ae Kv cEz ParMaaTMaiNa !>aav" ) NaNvqrae_Nau>aJaTaae_ivduzae_iPa Saa+aac( ^\eYaSTaNaaeTYaGadraJa wvaePaYau-" ))

kvem striyo vana-carr vyabhicra-du ke kva caia paramtmani rha-bhva nanv varo nubhajato viduo pi skc chreyas tanoty agada-rja ivopayukta
kvawhere, in comparison; imthese; striya women; vanain the forests; carwho wander; vyabhicraby wayard behavior; ducontaminated; kefor Ka; kva caand where; eathis; parama-tmanifor the Supreme Soul; rha-bhva stage of perfect love (known technically as mahbhva); nanucertainly; varathe Personality of Godhead; anubhajatato one who constantly worships Him; aviduanot learned; apieven though; skt directly; reyathe highest good; tanotibestows; agadaof medicines; rjathe king (namely, the nectar which the demigods drink for long life); ivaas if; upayuktataken. How amazing it is that these simple women who wander about the forest, seemingly spoiled by wayward behavior, have achieved the perfection of unalloyed love for Ka, the Supreme Soul! Indeed, it is true that the Supreme Lord Himself awards His blessings even to an ignorant worshiper, just as the best medicine works even when taken by a person ignorant of its ingredients. Commentary: It is obviously with irony that Uddhava speaks these words. He considers himself unqualified to have the company of the gops, which he has achieved only by the undeserved mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, r Ka. Contrasting himself with the gops, Uddhava thinks that they are Kas dearmost devotees whereas he has deviated in so many ways from the path of devotion: he has committed serious apardhas, refused to carry out Kas instructions, and
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failed to develop confidence in the process of bhakti-yoga. According to him, compared to the gops he is especially fallen. The gops are roamers of the forest. In other words, their intense love for Ka impels them to wander about the Vndvana forest, where so many of His pastimes took place. And in the agony of separation from Ka they live in the most secluded part of the Vndvana forest, where they wander about in the impassable wilderness. These transcendental goddesses of fortune in r Nandas cowherd community are now totally helpless under the sway of their incomparable prema. Uddhavas life is nothing like that of the gops: He is male and lives in a bustling metropolis, where his residence is fixed; he enjoys all comforts and is therefore unfit to wander about the Vndvana forest; he is proud of knowing philosophically who Ka is and so cannot gain the topmost treasure, the gops love for Ka. Thus Uddhava judges himself a most fallen wretch compared with the gops, whose saintly qualities are inexhaustible. He thinks he will never deserve their association. Uddhava refers to himself in the plural (du) either because of the honor he gained by the slight association he had with the gops in Vndvana or else because he speaks on behalf of r Nrada and Akrra also. He does not refer to the gops directly but simply calls them these women (im), thus indicating the awe he feels in their presence. Certainly nowhere but in the hearts of the gops can such elevated pure love for Ka be seen. And certainly, Uddhava thinks, only by the special power of devotional service to Ka could such a foolish person as himself have had the privilege of witnessing the glories of the gops. Ka is vara, the independent supreme controller, free to give suitable rewards for any service done for Him. He can reciprocate with His
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devotees however He wishes. He can shower His kindness even on an ignorant person who knows nothing of His greatness and the greatness of His servants, a person who sees devotees and devotional service with material vision but who somehow has rendered a little service to one of His devotees. If any person, by approaching Kas devotee, takes even a slight step toward accepting service to Ka, Ka at once reciprocates with all kinds of assistance and blessings. Just as a powerful medicine is effective even on patients completely ignorant of its properties, the Lords mercy acts on anyone who comes in touch with Him. The word nanu (certainly) can alternatively be understood as two separate words, na (not) and nu (indeed). Indeed, because Ka is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whatever He wants to do He can, and whatever He does not want to do He can refrain from. Or He can transform reality; in other words, He can undo any situation to change it to whatever He prefers. He has unlimited, all-powerful energies, by which He fulfills all His desires. Thus He can award the highest perfection of life to anyoneto the wise saint who worships Him constantly without deviation (anubhajata), to someone who has worshiped Him irregularly (na anubhajata), or even to someone who has never worshiped Him but has by some good fortune or other come in touch with His devotees. And if Ka wants, He can award this causeless mercy without delay (skc chreyas tanoti). He can make His mercy visible to all, not just a select few. He can make His mercy so obvious that one need not search for it by speculative philosophical conjectures. Kas mercy thus acts like a rare, most potent medicine, effective even if not swallowed and digested but merely brought near the patient and smelled. TEXT 149 NaaYa& i[Yaae_ o iNaTaaNTarTae" Pa[Saad"
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SvYaaeRizTaa& Nail/NaGaNDaca& ku-Taae_NYaa" ) raSaaeTSave_SYa >auJad<@Ga*hqTak-<#== l/BDaaiXaza& Ya odGaad( v[JaSauNdrq<aaMa( ))

nya riyo ga u nitnta-rate prasda svar-yoit nalina-gandha-ruc kuto ny rsotsave sya bhuja-daa-ghta-kahalabdhi ya udagd vraja-sundarm
nanot; ayamthis; riyafor the goddess of fortune; ageon the chest; ualas; nitnta-rate who is very intimately related; prasdathe favor; svaof the heavenly planets; yoitmfor the women; nalinaof the lotus flower; gandhahaving the aroma; rucmand bodily luster; kutamuch less; anyothers; rsa-utsavein the festival of the rsa dance; asyaof Lord r Ka; bhujadaaby the arms; ghtaembraced; kahatheir necks; labdha-imwho achieved such a blessing; yawhich; udagtbecame manifest; vrajasundarmfor the beautiful gops, the transcendental girls of Vraja-bhmi. When Lord r Ka was dancing with the beautiful gops of Vraja in the rsa-ll, the gops were embraced by the arms of the Lord. This transcendental favor was never bestowed upon the goddess of fortune or other consorts in the spiritual world. Indeed, never was such a thing even imagined by the most beautiful girls in the heavenly planets, girls whose bodily luster and aroma resemble the beauty and fragrance of the lotus. And what to speak of worldly women who are very beautiful by mundane estimation? Commentary: Uddhava is astonished that although Mah-lakm, the consort of Lord Nryaa, is famous as His beloved, she cannot enjoy the Supreme Lords favor in the same way as the gops of Vraja. If the supreme goddess of fortune is less fortunate than these gops, what can be said of everyone else?
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This verse has already been explained by r Nrada Muni in an earlier chapter of r Bhadbhgavatmta (2.5.189191). TEXT 150 AaSaaMahae cr<are<auJauzaMah& SYaa& v*NdavNae ik-MaiPa GauLMal/TaaEzDaqNaaMa( ) Yaa duSTYaJa& SvJaNaMaaYaRPaQa& c ihTva >aeJauMauRku-NdPadvq=&= [uiTai>aivRMa*GYaaMa( ))

sm aho caraa-reu-jum aha sy vndvane kim api gulma-latauadhnm y dustyaja sva-janam rya-patha ca hitv bhejur mukunda-padav rutibhir vimgym
smof the gops; ahooh; caraa-reuthe dust of the lotus feet; jumwho are devoted to; aham symlet me become; vndvanein Vndvana; kim apiany one; gulma-lat-oadhnmamong the bushes, creepers, and herbs; y(the gops) who; dustyajamvery difficult to give up; sva-janam family members; rya-pathamthe civilized path of chastity; caand; hitvgiving up; bheju worshiped; mukunda-padavmthe lotus feet of Mukunda, Ka; rutibhiby the Vedas; vimgym which are to be searched for. The gops of Vndvana have given up the association of their husbands, sons, and other family members, who are very difficult to give up, and have forsaken the path of chastity, to take shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, Ka, which one should search for by Vedic knowledge. Oh, let me be so fortunate as to be one of the bushes, creepers, or herbs in Vndvana, because the gops trample them and bless them with the dust of their lotus feet. Commentary: By observing the glories of the gops, by describing those glories in his own words, and by meeting the gops in person, Uddhava is now completely absorbed in the gops special mood of loving Ka. In this exalted state, he has now
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discovered his true hearts desire, which in this verse he prays to achieve as the final fruit of all the service he has done for Ka. In his next life, he hopes to become any of the plants in Vndvana who receive the dust from the gops feet. The enthusiasm Uddhava gains from expressing this wish inspires him to say more about the greatness of the gops. For the service of r Mukundas lotus feet, the gops have abandoned things impossible for young women to give uphusbands, children, and other relatives, and the Vedic standards of behavior. Casting aside everything ordinarily precious, they have chosen to devote themselves utterly to mukunda-padavm, the lotus feet of Ka. Or, understanding padavm in its more literal sense of footpath, every day the gops eagerly go out, morning and evening, to watch the path Ka will use to go to the forest and return. Or else mukunda-padavm is the spiritual path of bhakti-yoga. The gops have abandoned their families and religious principles just to engage in Kas service, even without expecting to obtain Him. For such unique surrender, they should be acknowledged as supremely glorious. But why have these gops, whose feet are worshiped by all respectable persons, set a bad example by abandoning the noble life of dedication to their husbands and fathers? Why have they defied the authority of the Vedas in that way? Uddhava answers that the Vedas themselves consider devotional service to Ka the most important goal in life and aspire for the service of r Mukundas lotus feet. The word vimgym indicates that the Vedas can only strive to achieve the prema of the gops, not achieve it. Therefore, even though the Vedas are the teachers of all principles of religion and spiritual knowledge, it is perfectly fitting that the gops take no heed of Vedic authority and in fact abandon the Vedic principles for the sake of
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obtaining the most precious thingsomething the Vedas themselves can hardly obtain. Indeed, for the gops to observe the religious principles upon which their families insist would only prevent the gops from properly worshiping the lotus feet of Mukunda. On this matter, Lord Ka has given His own opinion: trai-guya-viay ved nistrai-guyo bhavrjuna The Vedas deal mainly with the subject of the three modes of material nature. O Arjuna, become transcendental to those three modes. (Bhagavadgt 2.45) And here in Bhad-bhgavatmta we have just read, in Text 147, Uddhavas own words from rmad-Bhgavatam (10.47.58), ki brahma-janmabhir ananta-kath-rasasya: For one who has tasted the narrations of the infinite Lord, what is the use of taking birth as a high-class brhmaa, or even as Lord Brahm himself? In other words, any real attraction to the topics of Lord Ananta exempts one from having to follow the Vedic injunctions that regulate thought and behavior. The gops, moreover, have earned this exemption even more certainly than have others because the only desire the gops have is to follow the path of their beloved Mukunda. Alternatively, Uddhavas statement may be understood as his answer to another doubt. The Vedas, the rutis, are the supreme object of reverence even for Brahm and the other demigods, who receive their knowledge from the Vedas. This we hear from the very words of the rutis themselves. How then are the gops justified in disregarding the Vedic instructions? In response to this query, Uddhava says that the scope of Vedic authority is limited to the field of ordinary religious life whereas the gops have completely transcended that jurisdiction by taking exclusive shelter of Ka. The Vedas can merely seek Ka, but the gops
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already possess Him. In the opinion of some authorities, the Upaniads earned the right to become gops out of intense hankering to worship Ka in the gops special mode of prema. But this should be rejected as an untenable theory. Why? Because the Upaniads are inferior in devotion even to the goddess Lakm. Thus the Upaniads, on their own merit, do not deserve the good fortune of becoming gops. Only on the strength of Kas special mercy could any of them ever attain that perfection. TEXT 151 Yaa vE i[YaaicRTaMaJaaidi>arak-aMaEr( YaaeGaerEriPa SadaTMaiNa raSaGaaeyaMa( ) k*-Z<aSYa TaGavTa" Pa[PadarivNd& NYaSTa& STaNaezu ivJahu" Pairr>Ya TaaPaMa( ))

y vai riyrcitam ajdibhir pta-kmair yogevarair api sad-tmani rsa-gohym kasya tad bhagavata prapadravinda nyasta staneu vijahu parirabhya tpam
ywho (the gops); vaiindeed; riyby the goddess of fortune; arcitamworshiped; ajaby the unborn (Brahm); dibhiand other demigods; ptakmaiwho have already realized all desires; yogavaraimasters of mystic power; apieven though; sat-tmaniin the pure mind; rsaof the rsa dance; gohymin the gathering; kasyaof Lord Ka; tatthose; bhagavataof the Supreme Lord; prapada-aravindamthe tip of His lotus feet; nyastamplaced; staneuon their breasts; vijahu they gave up; parirabhyaby embracing; tpamtheir torment. Although the goddess of fortune herself and Lord Brahm and all the other demigods have realized all their desires and are masters of yogic perfection, they can worship the lotus feet of Ka only within their purified minds. But during the rsa dance Lord Ka placed His feet upon these gops
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breasts, and by embracing those feet the gops gave up all sorrow. Commentary: Arent all devotees of Ka equally glorious for renouncing their families and whatever else prevents them from approaching Ka? Yes, but the intimacy of the gops surrender makes them special. Kas lotus feet are worshiped by the goddess of fortune with all the opulence at her command; she serves her Lords feet by massaging them, and she attends Him in various other ways. Brahm, Rudra, Indra, and other demigods also worship Kas feet, and so do the mahat-tattva and the other elements of creation; the demigods and the elements over which the demigods preside worship Kas feet by performing Vedic sacrifices and carrying out His orders. Self-satisfied liberated sages also worship with devotion those same feet, aiming at them as the supreme goal of life. The great masters of bhakti-yoga worship His lotus feet within their purified hearts by hearing and chanting Kas glories with pure love. But the worship performed by all these elevated souls (with the exception of the goddess Lakm) is for the most part only mental; rarely does Ka grant His darana to these demigods, sages, and devotees. The gops worship of Kas lotus feet is much more intimate. The words kasya tad bhagavata indicate this intimacy. The pronoun tat (that) implies that even before the rsa dance the gops were already intimately familiar with the supreme beauty of Kas feet. And after Ka left the gops at the very beginning of the rsa-ll, they spent some time vividly remembering those very feet in the ecstasy of separation. Though these were the same lotus feet worshiped by r, the goddess of fortune, the gops realized them in a special way, as the feet of the darling young son of Yaod and Nanda. The lotus feet the gops repeatedly held to their breasts during the rsa dance were thus the
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most excellent embodiment of all beauty. By holding Kas feet in this way, the gops were completely relieved of the pain of separation. Certainly, then, the gops are the greatest devotees, because they worshiped Kas feet not merely by meditating on them but by holding them physically in their embrace. Because the feet they worshiped were the feet of the Supreme Lord in the form of Ka, the gops are superior to the demigods, headed by Brahm. Because the gops touched those feet directly, the gops are superior to the selfsatisfied sages. Because the gops held those feet to their breasts, the gops are superior to the masters of yoga. And because the association of the gops with Ka occurred during the rsa-ll, the gops are superior even to Mah-lakm. As Uddhava describes how the gops, during the rsa dance, obtained relief from the distress of separation, he harbors the concern that the feelings of separation the gops suffer now are much more serious. Now that Ka has left them to go to Mathur, Uddhava doubts whether even a skillfully delivered message from Ka can do much to console them. Although Uddhava has done his best, the effect will most likely be negligible. But in any case, he himself has been deeply affected by his meeting with the gops. He has imbibed the spirit of their special prema, and in that mood he has prayed to take birth in Vraja in any form of life, be it a bush or other plant, that may be touched by the dust of the gops divine feet. Because Uddhava could properly value and learn from the love of the gops, it was him Ka chose to carry the message to Vndvana. Like Uddhava, rla ukadeva Gosvm took to his own heart the gops mood of devotion to Ka. At the end of the Tenth Canto, rla ukadeva expresses this mood when he praises Kas Dvrak queens: y samparyacaran prem
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pda-savhandibhi jagad-guru bhart-buddhy ts kim varyate tapa How could one possibly describe the great austerities performed by these women who perfectly served Him, the spiritual master of the universe, in pure ecstatic love? Thinking of Him as their husband, they rendered such intimate services as massaging His feet. (Bhgavatam 10.90.27) Even though rla ukadeva, while speaking this verse, uses the term bhart (husband) rather than jra (paramour), he is actually thinking of the gops of Vraja and burning in the fire of their ecstasy. But he dares not mention this, out of fear that in ecstasy he would lose his self-control. Even in modern times, and even among men, there are great devotees who are known to have attained pure love for Ka in the mood of the gops. No one should doubt this, thinking that for male devotees the mood of the gops is incompatible. Anyone well versed in the epics and Puras will know the example of the austere sages of the Daaka forest. When the sages saw the beauty of r Raghuntha (Lord Rmacandra), they became attracted in the conjugal mood and wanted to enjoy having Him as their husband. In the Uttara-khaa of r Padma Pura, Lord iva, speaking to his wife Prvat, describes that history: dv rma hari tatra bhoktum aicchan su-vigraham te sarve strtvam pann samudbht ca gokule hari samprpya kmena tato mukt bhavravt When they saw Lord Hari in the beautiful form of Rmacandra, they at once wanted to enjoy Him. Thus they all took birth as women in Gokula and, by
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their lusty attraction to Lord Hari, obtained Him as their husband. In this way they gained liberation from the ocean of material existence. The Krma Mah-pura also states: agni-putr mahtmnas tapas strtvam pire bhartra ca jagad-yoni vsudevam aja vibhum By performing austerities, the wise sons of Agni took birth as women and obtained as their husband Lord Vsudeva, the unborn and unlimited source of creation. TEXT 152 vNde NaNdv[Jaq<aa& Paadre<auMa>aq+<aXa" ) YaaSaa& hirk-QaaeqTa& PauNaaiTa >auvNa}aYaMa( ))

vande nanda-vraja-str pda-reum abhkaa ys hari-kathodgta punti bhuvana-trayam

vandeI offer my respects; nanda-vrajaof the cowherd village of Nanda Mahrja; strmof the women; pdaof the feet; reumto the dust; abhkaaperpetually; ysmwhose; hariof Lord Ka; kathabout the topics; udgtamloud chanting; puntipurifies; bhuvana-trayamthe three worlds. Again and again I offer my respects to the dust from the feet of the women of Nanda Mahrjas cowherd village. When these gops loudly chant the glories of r Ka, the vibration purifies the three worlds. Commentary: After thus taking great satisfaction from sweetly singing the glories of the gops, Uddhava falls flat on the ground, on the very path their lotus feet have touched. Picking up a speck of dust from the path, he places it on his head as
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if it were the rarest treasure in the universe. And after offering again his prostrate obeisance, he recites this final prayer. Uddhava is absorbed in ecstasy, so much so that even though he can see the gops, he speaks and offers homage to them with deep reverence as if they were not present. Obviously, he feels sublime pleasure in chanting their glories. The most ecstatic kind of sakrtana, however, is that chanted by the gops themselves; their loud songs purify all the worlds, including the upper, lower, and middle planetary systems. r ukadeva Gosvm has described this earlier in his narration of Uddhavas visit to Vndvana: udgyatnm aravinda-locana vrajgann divam aspad dhvani dadhna ca nirmanthana-abda-mirito nirasyate yena dim amagalam As the ladies of Vraja loudly sang the glories of lotus-eyed Ka, their songs blended with the sound of their churning, ascended to the sky, and dissipated everything inauspicious in every direction. (Bhgavatam 10.46.46) Uddhava also implies that any suitable praise of the gops, such as the prayers he has just sung, is in fact the most excellent form of hari-kath. Such glorification can easily purify the three worlds, as Uddhava hoped to do by speaking these verses. TEXT 153 GaaePYa" ik-MaacrdYa& ku-Xal&/ SMa ve<aur( daMaaedraDarSauDaaMaiPa GaaeiPak-aNaaMa( ) >aue SvYa& YadviXarSa& h]idNYaae ZYatvcae_[u MauMaucuSTarvae YaQaaYaaR" ))

gopya kim carad aya kuala sma veur dmodardhara-sudhm api gopiknm bhukte svaya yad avaia-rasa hradinyo hyat-tvaco ru mumucus taravo yathry
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gopyaO gops; kimwhat; caratperformed; ayam this; kualamauspicious activities; smacertainly; veuflute; dmodaraof Ka; adhara-sudhmthe nectar of the lips; apieven; gopiknmwhich is owed to the gops; bhukteenjoys; svayam independently; yatfrom which; avaiaremaining; rasamthe taste only; hradinyathe rivers; hyat feeling jubilant; tvacawhose bodies; arutears; mumucushed; taravathe trees; yathexactly like; ryold forefathers. My dear gops, what auspicious activities must the flute have performed to enjoy the nectar of Kas lips independently and leave only a taste for us gops, for whom that nectar is actually meant! The forefathers of the flute, the bamboo trees, shed tears of pleasure. His mother, the river on whose bank the bamboo was born, feels jubilation, and therefore her blooming lotus flowers are standing like hair on her body. Commentary: Now that Parkit Mahrja has sung the praises of the young gops of Vraja, he turns his attention to the most excellent of those gops, the blessed r Rdh, whose ecstatic love for Ka is so deep that mere words cannot do it justice. King Parkit remembers how rmat Rdhr constantly hankers to drink the nectar of r Kas lips, so much so that when She hears Kas flute-song from a distance as He enters the Vndvana forest She imagines the flute to be tasting that nectar as it touches His lips. Thinking like that, She begins to envy the flute as if it were a rival lover. As her girlfriends stand and talk about Ka, rmat Rdhdev then interjects this comment of Her own (Bhgavatam 10.21.9), which Parkit Mahrja now chooses to recite. r Rdh, addressing Her friends, headed by Lalit, asks what good deeds this flute, this lifeless piece of wood, could have done to earn the blessing of enjoying the nectar from Kas lips? If She could find out what the flute has done, the
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gops could also do it and obtain the same favor. After all, the nectar of Kas lips belongs to them, not the flute. r Rdhik doesnt specifically say that the nectar is theirs to enjoy, but says only that the nectar is theirs, because She feels too shy to speak so explicitly. The flute may have the right to rest in the hand of his master, Dmodara, or be held to Dmodaras chest or even His lips, but when that flute dares drink as much as he likes of the intoxicating nectar of Kas lips, that flute is being too bold. Because r Rdh and Her friends are members of the cowherd community and therefore have a close relationship with Ka, they can claim ownership of the nectar from Kas lips. The flute is an outsider. If he continues the audacity of drinking this nectar, the gops will have to steal him and take him to some secret place for safekeeping. Otherwise the flute will take all the nectar himself, leaving only the remnants of its fragrance for the gops. The rivers are like the flutes mothers because their milklike water enabled the flute to grow to his present size. When the rivers contemplate the success of their son, the groves of lotuses growing in their waters bloom, like hair on their bodies standing jubilantly erect. And the bamboo trees in whose family the flute was born are so proud of him that they shed a downpour of ecstatic tears in the form of sweet sap. Their skin erupts in goose bumps, and they cry profusely, like venerable elders of a clan who see one of their children become a servant of the Personality of Godhead. The phrase avaia-rasam has several possible meanings. One is that the flute enjoys all the nectar of Kas lips, leaving not a drop for anyone else. Another is that as much as the flute drinks, his thirst (rasa or rga) remains unquenched, and being frustrated he cannot stop drinking more and more. A third meaning is that the
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gops, having rejected all material tastes (rasa) and having thus lost all interest in sense gratification in this life and the next, are attracted only to the taste of the nectar from Kas lipsand the flute, knowing this well, still deprives them of that nectar by drinking it himself. A more complex explanation of avaia-rasam may be understood as follows. How fortunate this flute must be! The Yamun and the other rivers of Vraja, who purify all the worlds by providing arrangements for bathing and other auspicious activities, are satisfied to partake of the mere remnants of nectar that Kas flute has left behind as dry pulp. Connoisseurs of devotional poetry know very well how the rivers of Vraja, during the water sports enjoyed by Ka and the gops, obtain some of the nectar from Kas lips (adharmta). Or perhaps only one of the rivers, r Klind-dev (Yamun), is allowed to drink that adharmta directly, and the other rivers in r Vndvana-dhma receive remnants from her, an opportunity they have earned by residing in the abode of Kas pastimes. After tasting even the smallest drop of the nectar that remains, all the rivers feel transcendental bliss, and their bodily hairs stand on end. And since the rivers become ecstatic just to have a drop of that nectar, how pious must be Kas flute to be able to drink as much as he wants. By providing shade and fruits for everyone, the pippala and other trees on the banks of Vrajas rivers are like the elders of a noble family who perform auspicious service for others. Those trees cry unhappy tears because they cannot receive the nectar from Kas lips. We may wonder why the trees cannot share this nectar or may doubt whether trees should be crying in disappointment when they dont receive it. After all, a beggar may be sorry to have nothing to eat, but he shouldnt lament that he cant rule a kingdom. This doubt is
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dispelled by knowledge that the trees of Vraja are ryans, great saints. As exalted devotees of r Ka, the trees are moved to tears by sadness when they dont obtain Kas adharmta, even though they have no right to claim it. Or, taking another meaning of the word ry, the ones crying in frustration are the mothers-in-law and other respectable elders of r Rdh. TEXT 154 JaYaiTa JaNaiNavaSaae devk-IJaNMavadae YaduvrPairzTSvEdaeRi>aRrSYaDaMaRMa( ) iSQarcrv*iJaNagan" SauiSMaTa[qMau%eNa v[JaPaurviNaTaaNaa& vDaRYaNk-aMadevMa( ))

jayati jana-nivso devak-janma-vdo yadu-vara-pariat svair dorbhir asyann adharmam sthira-cara-vjina-ghna su-smita-rmukhena vraja-pura-vanitn vardhayan kma-devam
jayatieternally lives gloriously; jana-nivsaHe who lives among human beings and is the ultimate resort of all living entities; devak-janma-vda known as the son of Devak; yadu-vara-pariat served by the exalted members of the Yadu dynasty; svai dorbhiby His own arms; asyanexpelling; adharmamirreligion; sthira-caraof all living entities, moving and not moving; vjina-ghnathe destroyer of all the ill fortune; su-smitaalways smiling; r-mukhenaby His beautiful face; vrajapura-vanitnmof the damsels of Vndvana; vardhayanincreasing; kma-devamthe lusty desires. Lord r Ka, the ultimate resort of all living entities, is also known as Devak-nandana or Yaod-nandana, the son of Devak and Yaod. He is the guide of the Yadu dynasty, and with His mighty arms He kills everything inauspicious, and every man who is impious. By His presence He destroys all misfortune for all living entities, moving and
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inert. His blissful smiling face always increases the lusty desires of the gops of Vndvana. May He be all glorious and happy! Commentary: r Parkit Mahrja recited several verses of rmad-Bhgavatam to glorify, generally and specifically, the residents of Gokula. Now, to conclude properly and invoke auspiciousness, he glorifies the supremacy of the Personality of Godhead by again repeating the words of his own spiritual master, ukadeva Gosvm. Just as Agastya i drank from his palm the entire salt ocean, the divine ukadeva spoke this verse in an effort to drink from his own palm the entire ocean of r Kas pastimes described in the Bhgavatams Tenth Canto. rla ukadeva places this verse (10.90.48) near the very end of the canto as a complete synopsis of the pastimes discussed in several thousand verses. The verse that immediately precedes this in the Bhgavatam mentioned Ka explicitly, and Kas glories are the focus of this part of ukadevas narrative. Thus even though the present verse does not mention Ka by name, it is obviously about Him. Just as Parkit Mahrja sang the praises of different Vraja-vss in order of their relative importance, ukadeva here tells of six special aspects of r Kas superexcellence, in order of increasing importance. First, Ka is the nivsathe residence, shelter, and foundationof all living beings. He also resides as the Supersoul within their hearts. And He is manifest externally, especially among His janas, or favorite devotees, in the forms of His numerous incarnations. Thus He is the Supreme Brahman, the Supreme tm, the Lord of all, the seed of all avatras. Second, Ka displayed the extreme limit of His manifold opulence in the respectful words He spoke to His father and mother at the time of His birth, when He described the reason for His birth as their son and His desire to be carried to Gokula. By this
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unprecedented revelation of the purpose of His descent, He proved Himself the most generous bestower of benedictions and the most compassionate protector of His parents. And by ordering Vasudeva to carry Him to Gokula, Ka showed His intention to distribute far and wide the most precious treasure of prema. Third, by having the most excellent Yadus as His companions and servants, Ka further demonstrates the supreme opulence of His appearance. As r Ydavendra, Ka puts to an end the distress of His dear servants the Yadus and secures their happiness by killing wicked enemies of their clan, like Kasa and Jarsandha. Thus He shows His absolute concern for His devotees. The phrase yaduvara-pariat indicates that Ka is served by the exalted members of the Yadu dynasty. Or, since the word pariat carries the meaning assembly, we can understand the phrase to mean that Ka brought down to the earth the Sudharm assembly hall of the demigods, making it the court of the king of the Yadus, Ugrasena. The Sudharm hall is but one of many treasures of heaven, including the prijta tree, that Ka brought to the earth. Thus Ka, by defeating the demigods on several occasions, displayed His supreme power and opulence. And by giving the royal assembly hall to Ugrasena, the father of His archenemy Kasa, the Lord displayed His causeless unequaled kindness. Fourth, although Ka could have effortlessly done away with the causes of irreligion simply by using His supreme will, to create pleasurable pastimes for His devotees He killed the demonic opponents of religion by using His mighty arms, arms long, well developed, beautifully shaped, adorned with armlets and other ornaments, and bearing weapons like His Sudarana disc. As described in r Hari-vaas narration of Kas battle with Bsura, when fighting such enemies Ka would sometimes, for the special delight of select devotees, manifest
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four arms instead of two. Therefore ukadeva uses the plural form dorbhi instead of the dual form dorbhym, which is normally used to indicate only two arms. Or, understanding the word arms another way, devotees who assisted Ka, such as the Pavas, acted as His arms. Ka used these katriyas, originally born from His arms, to kill envious enemies and uproot the power of irreligion. Of course, Ka by His mere desire could have killed Jarsandha and all the other wicked kings who opposed Him, but out of fatherly compassion He chose to share His fame with His devotees. Fifth, while enjoying His pastimes in Gokula, Ka expanded the fullness of His loving devotional service. Although the pastimes Ka performed in Mathur and Dvrak occurred after His pastimes in Gokula, here they are mentioned in inverse order because Kas excellences are most completely manifest in Gokula. Ka generously bestowed His prema-bhakti on all the residents of Vndvana, including even the nonmoving beings, such as creepers, bushes, and trees, what to speak of the moving creatures, down to even the insects and microbes. Disregarding their lack of qualifications, He gave them the gift of loving devotion to Himself, which automatically destroys all the troubles of material existence. Or, from another angle, just as the happiness available in heaven is an impediment for those who want liberation, the happiness of liberation is an impediment for those who want loving devotional service to Ka. That distressful obstaclethat so-called happinessKa effortlessly destroys for all the devotees spontaneously attracted to Him in Vndvana and elsewhere in Vraja-bhmi. Simply by expanding His prema-bhakti throughout Vraja-bhmi, Ka delivers the moving and nonmoving residents of Vraja from the miseries of both material entanglement and impersonal liberation. Indeed, when Ka expanded the flood of love of God in
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Vraja, all moving and nonmoving living beings in the three worlds were relieved of the unhappiness of material existence. Just as a fire lit for the sake of cooking also dispels cold and darkness, the spread of ka-bhakti automatically freed all living beings from material miseries as a secondary result. In fact, when Ka descended to Gokula on earth, He freed all His devotees throughout the universe from attraction to liberation, which they may obtain as easily as yogs obtain wonderful siddhis. This freedom was an automatic byproduct of the unalloyed prema displayed in Vraja-bhmi. But even though all devotees in the universe were thus freed, the devotees living in Vraja during Kas pastimes gained the fullest relief from the dangers of liberation and material entanglement. Finally, sixth, Ka most fully reveals His greatest gloriesHis fascinating beauty, charm, and clevernessin His pastimes with the young gops of Vraja. During Kas presence Vraja-bhmi becomes like an opulent city (pura), bustling with Kas many different pastimes and romantic dalliances. Kas lovely smiling face, decorated by His flute and various ornaments, enchants the women living in Vraja. The god of love, Kmadeva, is called deva because he is brilliantly radiant (dvyati). The beauty of Kas face gives Kmadeva unlimited power over the gops, a power that conquers the attractions of material life and transcends even the attraction of liberation. Cupid is famous for spoiling the self-interests of everyone he influences, but for the gops of Vraja Cupid destroys the bonds of material existence. He helps the gops bring r Ka under their control and assumes for them the forms of mukti and bhakti. Thus Cupid arranges for the gops to realize Ka in His full glory and enjoy His company as ever fresh at every moment. Attraction to Ka in the mood of the gops may itself be called kma-devathe god of all love
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because the most excellent form of desire is that which focuses unconditionally on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Only such single-pointed desire evolves into the most exalted state of pure love. The word deva also indicates the idea of play. Taken in that sense, it indicates that in pastimes of intimate enjoyment the beauty of Kas face expands the play of Cupid among the gops. The beauty of Kas face has a powerful effect on the gops, much to His delight. It makes them forget the four goals of life and raises them to the highest level of pure prema, which is the mature fruit of all devotional endeavors. In this way, Kas smiling face represents the ultimate greatness of the Supreme Personthe magnificence of His charm, His beauty, and His expertise in loving affairs. It is not without reason that ukadeva Gosvm uses the word vardhayan (increasing) in the present tense. It expresses the fact that Kas pastimes go on eternally in Vraja-bhmi. In rmadBhgavatam (10.44.13) the women of Mathur also use the present tense to describe Kas sporting in Vndvana even after He has moved to Mathur. Vikraycati giritra-ramrcitghri: He whose feet are worshiped by Lord iva and the goddess Ram is wandering about in Vndvana, enacting His many pastimes. The fact of Kas eternal presence in Vndvana is upheld by many statements of scripture and by the personal experience of many unalloyed devotees. As stated in rmad-Bhgavatam (10.1.28), mathur bhagavn yatra nitya sannihito hari: Mathur is very intimately connected with Ka, for Lord Ka lives there eternally. The word pura suggests the city of Mathur. And indeed Ka increases the influence of Cupid for both the women of Vraja and the women of Mathur City. But the mention of the city more confidentially implies that when Ka goes away to
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Mathur the gops become immersed in the agony of separation. It is then that they achieve the highest limit of prema, and therefore rla ukadeva, even while glorifying Kas sports with the gops in Gokula, has alluded to His going to Mathur. In summary, the same Supersoul who resides in the hearts of all living beings took up residence in the womb of Devak. As the Supersoul He is only the passive indwelling supervisor, but as the son of Devak He speaks and reciprocates with her in many loving ways. The mighty heroes of the Ydava dynasty are the Supreme Lords servants, and they are able to defeat all the forces of evil. Still, the Lord chooses to use His own two arms to kill opposing kings. He also destroys the sins and miseries of all moving and nonmoving creatures. But with the gops He acts in a seemingly contrary way. Although they are married to other men, He incites in them the influence of Cupid and becomes their paramour. Thus He only increases their shame and misery. The gops themselves are not at fault in this, because it is the beauty of Kas face that causes their predicament. By thus presenting so many alternative understandings, rla ukadeva Gosvm proves beyond any doubt the superexcellence of Ka and His wonderful qualities, such as His compassionate concern for His devotees. TEXT 155

r-janamejaya uvca ktrtho smi ktrtho smi nicito bhagavan guro guhya goloka-mhtmya
yad aha sevitas tvay r-janamejaya uvcar Janamejaya said; ktaarthaall-successful; asmiI am; kta-arthaallsuccessful; asmiI am; nicitaundoubtedly; bhagavanO lord; guroO spiritual master; guhyam
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the secret; golokaof Goloka; mhtmyamthe glories; yatbecause; ahamI; sevitaprovided; tvayby you. r Janamejaya said: I am all-successful! I am allsuccessful! For You, O lord, O spiritual master, have given me the opportunity to relish the secret glories of Goloka. Commentary: King Janamejaya, having received from Jaimini i everything he asked, is fully satisfied. He repeats Himselfktrtho smi ktrtho smiout of extreme joy and the firm conviction that he has achieved his goal. Addressing r Jaimini, he uses the word bhagavan because he reveres Jaimini, his guru, as equal to God and is grateful for the mercy Jaimini has shown him. TEXT 156 [qJaEiMaiNavac TaaTaaTQa SaTYa& Ya-ya [v<aadiPa k-ITaRNaaTa( ) ASYaa:YaaNaSYa va DYaaNaataTPad& l/>aTae Nar" ))

r-jaiminir uvca ttttha satya yad bhakty ravad api krtant asykhynasya v dhynt tat pada labhate nara
r-jaimini uvcar Jaimini said; ttadear boy; tthayou say; satyamtrue; yatthat which; bhaktywith devotion; ravatby hearing; api also; krtantby chanting; asyaof this; khynasyanarrative; vor; dhyntby contemplation; tatHis; padamabode; labhate achieves; naraa person. r Jaimini said: My dear boy, what you say is true. Anyone who hears or chants or meditates upon this narrative with devotion will achieve the abode of the Supreme. Commentary: r Jaimini is also very much satisfied
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to hear his disciples words, filled as they are with the pure spirit of prema. From what Janamejaya has said, r Jaimini can discern that this disciple has properly assimilated what he has heard. Thus Jaimini answers him affectionately, calling him tta (my dear boy). Janamejaya was correct to say that now his life was successful, because he had listened carefully to Jaiminis narrative about the glories of Goloka. Simply by hearing or chanting this narrative with devotion, or thinking about it deeply, anyone can achieve that most inaccessible of divine abodes. And if one engages seriously in the regulative practice meant for attaining Goloka, then certainly one will achieve success. Jaimini is confident, therefore, that the disciple has now fulfilled his goal in life by having heard these glories, and that he himself has fulfilled his own goal by having recited them. The auspicious fruits of hearing and chanting this narrative have thus been definitely assured. TEXT 157 TaSMaE NaMaae_STau iNaPaaiDak*-Paaku-l/aYa [qGaaeParaJaTaNaYaaYa GautaMaaYa ) Ya" k-arYaiJaJaNa& SvYaMaev >ai&TaSYaaiTaTauZYaiTa YaQaa ParMaaePak-TauR" ))

tasmai namo stu nirupdhi-kpkulya r-goparja-tanayya gurttamya ya krayan nija-jana svayam eva bhakti tasytituyati yath paramopakartu
tasmaito Him; namaobeisances; astulet there be; nirupdhicauseless; kpwith compassion; kulya who is agitated; r-gopa-rjaof the blessed king of the cowherds; tanayyathe son; guru-uttamya the highest guru; yawho; krayancausing; nijajanamfor His own devotee; svayamon His own initiative (not considering the devotees qualifications); evaindeed; bhaktimpure devotion; tasyawith him (the devotee); atituyatiHe is
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extremely satisfied; yathas; paramasupreme; upakartufor a benefactor. Obeisances to Him, the son of the blessed king of the cowherds, who is always astir with causeless compassion, who on His own initiative impels His servant to develop devotion for Him, and who then becomes fully satisfied, as if His devotee were being very kind to Him. Commentary: Coming to the end of his narration, r Jaimini i remembers the supreme kindness of the Personality of Godhead and offers at His feet this entire effort. Nirupdhi-kpkulya can be understood in two ways: Ka is full of many different kinds of causeless compassion (kpkula), or Ka, without any selfish motive, is always keen to do something beneficial (kpkula). r Jaimini calls Ka the son of the king of the cowherds either out of great respect or out of shyness. Since Jainimi now shares the mood of the gops, he is shy to mention Nanda Mahrja, a respectable elder, by name. Ka is the best of all spiritual instructors. Both internally as the Supersoul and externally as a Vaiava spiritual master, He bestows knowledge and everything else required for advancing on the path of devotional service. As Uddhava described to Ka in the Eleventh Canto (Bhgavatam 11.29.6):

naivopayanty apaciti kavayas tavea brahmyupi ktam ddha-muda smaranta yo ntar bahis tanu-bhtm aubha vidhunvann crya-caittya-vapu sva-gati vyanakti
O my Lord! Transcendental poets and experts in spiritual science would not be able to fully express their indebtedness to You, even if they were endowed with the prolonged lifetime of Brahm, for You appear in two featuresexternally as the
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crya and internally as the Supersoulto deliver the embodied living being by directing him how to come to You. Whatever Jaimini has spoken to Janamejaya, therefore, has been inspired by Ka, either directly or on the strength of instructions imparted by Kas representative, the spiritual master. Thus it is fitting for Jaimini to offer the fruits of his labor to Ka, the Supreme Soul. Because Ka is the most compassionate friend of all living beings and is their original spiritual master, Ka, without regard for spiritual qualifications and abilities, tries to engage everyone in devotional service to Him. He tries to engage all the senses of everyone in devotional practices, beginning with hearing and chanting of His glories. And when He sees some positive response from a conditioned soul, Ka becomes extremely pleased. He then showers all favors on the candidate for His service. The gratitude is mutual: Just as people in general are satisfied with someone who significantly helps them, all of Kas devotees are ever thankful to the Lord; and when Ka sees His devotees practicing devotional service, He considers them His most gracious benefactors. To end the Dig-darin commentary on r Bhadbhgavatmta, rla Santana Gosvm offers this prayer:

svaya pravartitai ktsnair mamaital-likhana-ramai rmac-caitanya-rpo sau bhagavn pryat sad

May the Supreme Lord in His form of r Caitanya, who personally made me take up the labor of this writing, be always pleased. The Lord renowned by the name Caitanya is rmn, the possessor of all divine opulences. He is Lord Ka Himself
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appearing as the son of acdev. Or rmaccaitanya-rpa can refer to the most fortunate servant of Lord Caitanya, rla Rpa Gosvm. Describing rla Rpa Gosvm as bhagavn is appropriate according to this definition of the term: yati niyati caiva bhtnm gatgatim vetti vidym avidy ca sa vcyo bhagavn iti One is called bhagavn who knows the future and fortune, the birth and rebirth, the ignorance and enlightenment, of all beings. Thus, both to the Lord and to that best of Vaiavas, rla Rpa Gosvm, rla Santana offers His respects. Thus ends the Seventh Chapter of Part Two of rla Santana Gosvms Bhad-bhgavatmta, entitled Jagad-nanda: The Bliss of the Worlds. THUS ENDS PART TWO This translation was completed at r Puruottamaketra on June 30, 1999, on the occasion of Lord Jagannthas Snna-ytr.

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