Krishna's World

[Some devotees from Internet expressed their appreciation to Maharaj for these lectures that he gives].

Well, it reminds me of once we were with Srila Guru Maharaj, there is a Bengali devotee named Sarvabhavana Prabhu, not to be confused with Sarvabhavana in Soquel. So, I was speaking with Srila Guru Maharaj and he was taking some pictures. And Guru Maharaj was, as they say, legally blind, which means he could see, but, if you know what legally blind means not so clearly or with great depth. So Guru Maharaj was trying to see what he was doing. And he used to like taking these pictures and Govinda (?) Maharaj said, "Waste of time and energy." And he was trying to (?) his way out of the situation so he could keep taking pictures and saw him sort of stalling (?) or he said, "If we were taking pictures of a mundane person." But that's not the case here. And I started quoting the lines from the famous Narottam Thakur song, that one it's about Ganga Parashata (?), by bathing in Ganga you will become purified, it's ei baro kaduna moro vainava gosai, like the second of third, it's says, by bathing in the Ganga you will become purified. So, you have to do that, that requires something on your part, but if you bathe in the glance of the vaisnava, you get that and more.

So, I was wondering how Guru Maharaj will respond to this and he sang the whole song, he started singing that, and he sang every verse. And didn't make any comments, but whatever, Sarvabhavana took the pictures, and then Guru Maharaj said, "Waste of time, waste of energy."  (?) No, but taking pictures of vaisnava and I thought in the reverse, being seen by you is our good fortune, and then he's singing that song.

New alphabet

So, really we are at the dispose of the vaisnavas, as the saying goes, when someone says, "How are you?", the answer is, "As you keep me." So, that is the proper way to think. Sometimes Guru Maharaj says with regard to Krsna Consciousness, "You have to learn a new alphabet, new alphabet, new language, new way of expressing, of seeing, of hearing, everything. New. All the acquired prejudice and ego and pride of experience that goes with it, throw it in the dustpan, the trash, the rubbish ban, the garbage can, whatever euphemism.

That reminds me of another thing, and it sort of on theme. Cause one devotee kept quoting to Guru Maharaj the observations of the mundane scholar, who'd gone to India, missed with some Radha-kunda Babajis, and on the basis of that wrote some scholarly academic works on what his impressions of Gaudia-vaisnavism were. And Srila Guru Maharaj didn't come (?) visibly annoyed as a saying goes. He kept bringing up this man's name, which I won't vibrate. Until finally Guru Maharaj said, he was, as we heard from Prabhupad in the beginning, "Vaisnav is a perfect gentleman." So, (?) Guru Maharaj indulging someone, again that word, did you look it up? Indulge, I used it last time. [laughs]. That's an important word to know, so, it's being gentlemanly, social etiquette etc., but then Guru Maharaj stopped at one point, and he mentioned this man's name one more time, one more of his mundane observations about Krsna Consciousness, and Guru Maharaj said, "I take him and throw him in my dustbin, in the rubbish bin." And again Sarvabhavana Prabhu, was a Bengali there (?) and he said, "Well, at least he has some place on your veranda." So, that was nice also. At least, he has a place in your garbage can.

How can knowledge be poison?

So, jnana priyasam udapasya namanta eva, the pride of knowledge, which is nothing more than the acquired prejudice has to be left away. We're being given the advice by no less than Brahma himself, saying, “When it comes, maybe that will be of some use to you in assessing or the value of things within the finite world, within the world of measurement. But it comes to the Vaikuntha world and not only Vaikuntha world, but the upper hemisphere of the Vaikuntha world, cause Vaikuntha means adhoksaja, beyond what the mind and intellect can verify. And the topmost, supreme most region of adhokshaja realm the aprakrta domain of Krsna. jnana priyasam udapasya namanta eva. Here again Guru Maharaj, "Knowledge is poison." We are so proud, he said this frequently, but in a particular to a devotee was a quote-in-quote (?) scholar, studying at the University in Switzerland, and Guru Maharaj said, "Are you ready to admit that knowledge is poison? Not yet." It still has some, "Knowledge is poison, how can that be?" When it comes to try to estimate the Infinite, a new alphabet will have to be learned, a new vocabulary, adhokshaja, aprakrta. Adha means "to push down", akshaja, "sense experience." Rather, when that plane descends here it will suppress the mind, the intellect, the senses and make itself known. And not the inverse, by the suppression of the senses, mind and intellect that it will be known, not like that. That is the mistake of the jnanis, renunciates and others.

Another meaning of the word adhokshja

Or when Uddhava at the behest of Krsna deliver the message to the Vraja-gopis feeling intense separation from Krsna, at one point he invoked the word adhokshja in a new way, cause an other meaning aksaja is eyes and adha, so, he says, adha aksaja, "Close your eyes." And the Vraja-gopis they dutifully closed their eyes, and as they closed their eyes Krsna appeared to them and they engaged in the rasa-lila for the yuga. While their eyes were closed.

yugaitam nimisena caksusa pravisyaitam sunyaitam jagad sarvvam govinda virahena me

Normally, their position is that the blink of an eye, this gives us a hint of the depth of their love for Krsna, the blink of an eye feels to their hearts like a day of Brahma. Bhagavad-gita says,

sahasra yuga parjantam aho yat brahmano vidhu

A day of Brahma how long is that? Four billion three hundred million years. The blink of an eye of separation from Krsna to them feel like four billion three hundred million years. That is inconceivable that such is their love. When cowherd boys, they go with Krsna in to the forest, if a tree become between of them their hearts stop beating. There was a tree between them then Krsna came out the other side. They are okay. So much love and affection. And here by the divine will and grace, mercy of Krsna, Uddava tells, "Shut your eyes, adha aksaja, And Krsna appears to them and at that moment of eye shut they have four Brahma-ratri, a night of Brahma, four billion three hundred million years.

How can God lose His mind?

When Krsna, we heard, gopi-jana-vastra-hari, went to steal the garments of the gopis, who were bathing, to conclusion of the Katyayani (?), one month austerity, the little toddlers followed Krsna, not older cowherd boys, but little toddlers, means two years old or three years old, they are all following Krsna, he said, "Why?" Because they loved him so much. They just like being around him. So, when Krsna is going somewhere they're following after Him, the whole group of two and three year olds. So, when Krsna was arguing and teasing the Vraja-gopis, he said, "I don't lie, you can ask all these boys, they know that." They didn't reach the speaking level yet, "Anyone here has heard me lie? They will verify that I never lie, I don't steal people's clothes. (?) my fingers touched another persons property. These boys stand as my witness, that everything I'm saying is true." "Heeh." "See? You can ask them."

And Krsna said, "From the distance I saw these trees, and they were so colorful, I thought, they must be full of fruits and flowers. Then I came here (?) to find all these clothes. [laughs] And then I thought, and gopis, they are all in the water, up to their neck, but it's cold, when I saw that, I thought, "Who would put clothes in a tree? Oh, maybe some heavenly, some goddesses come in the night in the forest and tonight they will come and collect their garments."

So, although Krsna, navanita-chora, He is the butter thief, gopi-jana vastra hari, stealing the garments of the gopis, but then it's mentioned for those who what about the naga babas or those who live naked? What is going to steal from them? Chitta hari, bamsi dhari, steals their minds, so although Krsna in this sense humiliated the Vraja-gopis, they are very happy to be the (?) for Krsna's enjoinment, actually, although their mock argument is there really they are very happy to be enjoyed by Krsna in this way and fully offered themselves to Him, and in reciprocation they capture Krsna, body, mind, soul heart, everything. Guru Maharaj likes very much says,

ratnastava garhini, the devotees noticed that Krsna has lost His mind, and the devotees are offering his mind to Krsna, saying, "I see, you have everything

bhogtaram yagya tapasam sarva loka mahesvarame, He owns everything, controls everything, but it appears as if you've lost  your mind.

Hare Krsna, Guru Maharaj said means hara, harana, Radharani, is a greater thief than Krsna, cause She can steal away Krsna's mind, heart and soul. So the devotee's seeing Krsna has lost His mind, he's offering his own mind. And when once some devotee hearing that from Srila Guru Maharaj he said, "Then what did Krsna say?" Guru Maharaj said, "Oh, whatever little bit of mind I've got left, you want to take that?"

That is inconceivable. Can (?) God has lost His mind? In Krsna Conception you have that. Who can digest that God can lose His mind. The Supreme Entity, the Supreme Reality, the Supreme Controller. He can be besides Himself, can lose His mind, forget His existence, be so overwhelmed by the love and affection of His devotee, that He forgets Himself, naivatma charita bhavan, that is the Infinite coming under the control of finite, that's the impossible possible of Krsna Consciousness, sri krsna karsinicasa (?), how wonderful, how extraordinary, how inconceivable.

And the cowherd men in Vrndavan witnessing so many miraculous advents with Krsna central stage (?) they begin to wander about Him. Some of the cowherd boys (?), "They say Gopal is not one of us. He maybe some sort of God, some say He is God Himself, that is parakiya bhav, reflected in sakhya rasa. The cowherd men seeing all of these miraculous advents they are thinking also, "Some say he is Narayana Himself, but they console one another saying, "But He is so dependent upon us, our love and affection, if we neglect Him, He mopes, He is always try to get our attention. He talks so much nonsense, how can He be the Supreme entity, sometime He's taking just absolute nonsense, like an ordinary child.

aprakrta-lila krsnera jateka kela sarwatam nara lila nara vapu tanhara swarup gopa ves venu kar nava kisor nata bar nara lila hoy anurup

It's not only that human-like Pastimes are perfect expression of Krsna-lila, but Krsna-lila forms the template for humanness, janmadyasya yataha (?). Actually everything is emanating from the aprakrta-lila of Krsna. So, the Supreme Lord as He is reflected in the minds of His devotees that's a better picture than a picture. It's not that they didn't have cameras. They couldn't think to make a camera (?). That sort of picture is actually static, has a least position in the upper world.

As sometimes Guru Maharaj said that whereas in Gokula there are actual demons in the Pastimes, in Goloka Vrndavan there are rumors of demons or he said “posters”, like we them (?), “If you see this,” you know, “Wanted! Bakasura.” “Wanted! Putana. Killed numerous children. If you see this lady, please, report her on the neighborhood watch.” Some passive representations of santa-rasa in Goloka Vrndavan wich is exalted, but is the least substantial thing there, but rather as the Lord Himself is reflected in the hearts and minds of His devotees, a more living growing dynamic form is to be seen there. Therefore we're so much riveted to the lotus feet of Guru and vaisnav. Nama rupa guna lila, means from this sound, nama, rupa, from sound form will manifest. 

Form will manifest from sound

So, Srila Saraswati Thakur, Guru Maharaj said, he did not advise when taking a Holy Name as in chanting japa, he didn't advise to take the Holy Name of Krsna before the picture of Krsna, saying that the senses like vultures will turn the image into their food. Whereas from divine sound form rup, from nam rupa will manifest in the heart of the devotee. This is also corroborated in Saranagati, Bhakti Vinod Thakur, nama bole hrdoyite (?), saying not that we will take the Name of Krsna and its substance will appear, but rather, what was heard from the vaisnava, the vaisnava vibrated the Holy Name of Krsna and Holy conception of Krsna, and that has through the ear, pravista karna randrena svanam bhanam saroruham, dunoti syamalam krsna, has entered the heart and then the heart expresses Krsna-nam, and from there the divine form of Krsna manifest. The heart under the influence of Krsna conception of the vaisnava, that sequence. Not that I will vibrate the sound and purify myself. But rather what I've heard from the vaisnava will enter the heart and express itself outward. So any question?

Devotee: We have forty viewers.
Goswami Maharaj: Four zero?
Devotee: Yes.
Goswami Maharaj: Hare Krsna. Our dandavats to all the viewers. So any question?

Question: One of the questions of Sahadev here was, "What are the qualities of God and why Beauty is the most important one, is above all other qualities?
Goswami Maharaj: There is an expression, satyam sivam sandaram. And many times like we've heard sat cit anandam, so it's paralleled. Guru Maharaj quoted many times, "Satyam is truth, Sivam is auspiciousness, Sundaram is Beauty. But he equated sandaram and anandam. So, beauty, ecstasy, love, charm, sweetness. So, when Rupa Goswami is identifying what distinguishes Krsna or makes Him most unique, we're saying, ita manasa karsi lila madhurja venue madhurja rupa madhurja (?), saying what makes Krsna, when he says, "Yes, sixty four qualities, kivas have fifty, executive class fifty five, Narayan sixty, Balaram, Ramachandra sixty two, Krsna sixty four. It doesn't mean that He has literally sixty four qualities, He has innumerable of qualities, but these sixty four are prominent and four are specific to Krsna, just like the gopis they say, "Vaijuntha is not embellished with the lotus footprints of Krsna, there is no cow herding in Vaikuntha, there is no Jamuna, Vrndavan, so, they don't find that that particular sweetness is there, radha padmam kitatam vrndavan jaranam, Bhakti Vinod Thakur is saying, “Not only that, the lotus form of Krsna, but Vrndavan is identified, is that place which is embellished by the lotus footprints of Srimati Radharani. So we're told that this sweetness aspect is there in His Pastimes, the sound of His flute, His divine form and His devotees, the sweet interactions with His devotees. So, beauty is equated with sweetness and charm. When Krsna is in Dvaraka, sometimes we hear He sees a picture of His Vrndavan days, and He is thinking, “Oh, I was so beautiful then, I am not so beautiful now.” Cause as we're told before “perfect, more perfect, most perfect.” Davaraka, Mathura, Vrndavan. So, Davaraka is perfect, he is saying, “Oh, but not most perfect.” He even thinks, “Oh, now I see, I guess that's why the gopis were not (?) so attracted.” What it is? We need to exchange our way of seeing. The new alphabet, the new vocabulary, the way of seeing, for their way of seeing and expressing, and these hands or even avert (?) statements are there.

So, when Radharani and vraja-gopis meet, we're talking about Krsna on Kuruksetra, after a hundred hers of separation, saying they can't tolerate the blink of an eye separation, but after hundred years of separation they're finally meeting Krsna, how intense can that be and seeing Him in a royal dress of the King, surrounded by, with so much kingly paraphernalia, their hearts are crushed with disappointment. And we think, "Is it that important?" Yes.

And they, what do they say, “Oh, we want to see you, in this sense the environment is inseparable from Krsna. Guru Maharaj went so far as he says, because here we're generally putting an environment in the secondary position, saying there they are putting the environment in a primary position, saying, “We want to be with you, where you're in the gopa-ves, dressed as a cowherd boy, venu-kar, holding your flute and on the banks of the Jamuna, and with the peacocks and the moonlight, that's how we remember you, and the sweet sound of your flute, and now we don't see any flute, and your cowherd dress is replaced by this royal dress of the King and it's rago dhaya junchhati, it's crippling, having a crippling effect upon the rag, or love and devotion, within their hearts. Krsna doesn't look as beautiful.

Where can Krsna be fully Himself?

Even in this world we find, especially with people who are very famous, privileged, they may complain that they can't be themselves, they can't find anyone they can fully be themselves with. There is always something constraining, constricting that. Vaikuntha, Ayodhya, Ram-lila, there is some constriction there. So when the danda-karanya rsis seeing the beauty of Ramachandra, conjugal sentiments are awakened in them and expressed in their minds and Ramachandra's saying, “That seva in Ram-lila is exclusive to Sita, even after Sita was banished sometimes he had to perform yagya, and the King needs His wife, so they made murtis of Sita to be beside Him for the yagya. Ramachandra was so beautiful, that the murtis felt conjugal attraction for Him and He conveyed to the murtis that this is reserved for Sita. But in Krsna-lila you'll be accommodated. So, the danda-karanya rsis, this Sita murtis, the veda-stutis,many others, where the lila or pastimes could not harmonize these aspirations, they are all accommodated in Krsna-lila, but that Krsna, Srila Guru Maharaj informes us, He is only fully Himself, or Himself, fullest expression at the right hand of Radharani, when He is beside Radharani, then He is fully Krsna, that's Svayam Bhagavan Krsna. And at the side of another gopi, svayam prakash (?) or many other thing. Prakas-rupa, vilas-rupa, this that. Rupa Goswami describes these things, some of them are mentioned in Chaitanya-charitamrta.

So, Radharani is Krsna Moi She brings Krsna to His fullest expression of beauty, charm and sweetness. So, the devotees in the rupanuga-line, they are, like we have

Krsna to the extreme degree and distribute that to Her servant group. So, Krsna's described as Beauty personified. We're all hardwired to seek out what is beautiful and who is beautiful. And it is the beauty and charm and sweetness of Krsna, that compels the devotee to totally offer themselves to Him in service.

Another place Rupa Goswami says, where Krsna sees His reflection and He is stunned by His own beauty and unaware that it is Himself, and thinks, “Who is this? This person is so beautiful. Suddenly I feel like Radharani. This person is making me feel like Radharani. Who is that? (?) bhajan-tvam anyam manaso gyadbhutad…devim prakrtim asveta. The compulsion is so great, bhajam-tvam anyam manaso, Guru Maharaj says, twenty-four hours non-stop engagement is only possible in madhurya-rasa. He observes that vatsalya-rasa and madhurya-rasa in this sense are antagonistic to one another. Mother Yasoda wants Krsna to get a good night's rest, after a hard day of cow-herding, and Radharani and the Vraja-gopis want to rendezvous with Krsna in Vrndavan forest in the depth (?) of night, bhajan tvananya manaso.

Devotee: Maharaj. I have one question about beauty. In this world we know that beauty depends on those who is seeing.
Goswami Maharaj: Oh, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Devotee: Yes, Maharaj. And about Krsna. On one side, He is all attractive and everyone is attracted to Him because He is beautiful, but on the other side, when He came to Dvaraka, different people saw different in Him, like women saw beautiful man, but Kamsa and others saw death, something not so attractive. So how to…?

Yes, that's a good point. So, that's how they will perceive Krsna is on the perspective of the viewer. So, as we're told, mrtyu bhoja pate (?), Kamsa saw Krsna as death personified. So, why couldn't he see His beauty? So, as we told before when Krsna appears to Vasudev and Devaki in Mathura and He is as Visnu, four-armed Visnu, and in their parental loving affection and divine madness they are thinking, “If Kamsa and his associates see we have a four-armed baby Visnu they will kill him.” Not saying, "But if He is Visnu, how are they going to kill Him?" But so they're pleading with Krsna to appear like an ordinary boy to disguise him that way. But at one point Visvanath Chakravarti Thakur says that Krsna may say to them, "But if he sees me, he will just see how beautiful I am and sweet and he'll be charmed." And Vasudev's thinking, "He won't see you as sweet and beautiful, he won't believe me, just take it from me, he won't see you that way. So, you need to change into a regular boy, and we can hide you quickly."

So, they are also. Krsna is so soft. But when He entered the mouth of Bakasura, the duck, it was like burning, what is so soft, we're told, Krsna is so soft and cool. His lotus feet, His divine form very soft and very cool. Like sometimes about Nityananda Prabhu, koti chandra susitala, like ten million moons, very soft, very cool, but inside Bakasura is like hot iron. He's vomiting Him out.

So, different comparisons are made to, like sugar, is sugar sweet or not? Sugar is sweet it's innately sweet, but if someone is diseased like jaundice. I had jaundice once and I'd heard all these examples from Upadesamrta, but when I finally had jaundice, I didn't realize it until I went to drink some very sweet juice and I spitted it out and said, "I think they put some kind of poison in it or chemicals or something." And my friend, before we chastised  those who gave it me, he said, "Let me try it." Cause he knew I was already losing it. And he tasted and said, "Oh, it's so sweet." It's full of sugar. And then I went, "Oh!" and saw my eye are yellow, I have jaundice. Now not just sugar, anything that is supposed to be sweet tastes like poison.

So, that disease, hrd-rogam, heart disease, of Kamsa and others, I mean, this is the criterion, by which we will judge anyone's piety. Coming in connection with Krsna Conception will they a favorable response to that or not? If there's a certain level of innate envy, they'll find it less enchanting. So again, is it the sugar that's bitter, no, the sugar is not bitter, it is not poisoned, it is sweet to the extreme, but that diseased condition is preventing one from fully appreciating, but, and when Krsna at the conclusion of the Aghasura-lila, where Krsna enters the giant serpent, Aghasura, it's mentioned by the Bhagavatam commentary, “Some how or another we have to allow Krsna to enter within us.” So, manvi papa pitastrita ye pisu papayonayo striyo vaisya tata sudra stre piyanti param gatim, if somehow we come in connection with Krsna, we'll even, it's mentioned, Pariksit and Sukadev, he's saying, “I don't understand, some people out of hatred to Krsna they get a good result. Vraja-gopis think He is an ordinary boy and they are lusting after Him, and they get the highest result. He examines all these different ways. But by analysis we'll see Krsna anusilanam.

anayabhuilasita sunyam jnana kamarditam anukulyena krsna anusilanam bhaktiruttama. That what is preferable is what is krsnaanusilanam, favorable. So, we're not advising people to become fully absorbed in Krsna through hatred, although even that can be seen to produce and ultimately favorable result, cause akama sarvakama moksa kama uddharati bhakti yogena yejeta purusam bram, for whatever reason we come in connection with Krsna that will converted into something better. Gradually the poisonous, the diseased part will be cured. We see Kamsa, Sisupal, Dandavakra, Ravana, Hiranyaksa, Hiranyakasipu, Putana, Aghasura, they all achieve some divine position, that's why it says lila-madhurya is sweet pastimes, one of the distinguishing features, characteristics, so, Krsna has this type of extraordinary pastimes.

Dvaraka Pastimes

We see when Krsna and Balaram and cowherd boys are going towards the arena of Kramsa for the wrestling match before they get there the first person they meet is a tailor and the (?) him down, “We're new to the city, we're just country boys, if you could help us out, dress us up a little bit for the event,” and he goes, “What?! These are the clothes of the King! How dare are you? And Krsna, (?) with His hand chops his head off. So merciful is our Lord. And when they put, they're wearing Kamsa's clothes, Krsna's wearing, Balaram's wearing, and then they give the rest to the rest of the cowherd boys. So, when they finally do enter the arena, Kamsa looks (?) and he seed, Krsna, Balaram they are wearing His clothes. [laughs] Like you look, "Isn't that my coat?" But when they are in that Kuja (?), who is Trivakra, hunchback lady, perfumer, she immediately offered the best things she had to them. And Visvanath Chakravarti points out, that she is a Bhu-shakti, expansion of Bhu, Bhumi. Told the Earth is overburden due to the presence of sinful Kings. So, that's why She was bent over as a hunchback due to the weight of burden of all these sinful Kings, being expansion of Bhu-shakti.

Oh, what did Krsna do in the case of Hiranyaksa when the Earth was in the (?) regions? With his tusks as Varaha,  he lifted the Earth and put the Earth in the rightful position. So, what did he do here? With His two fingers he stepped with His feet, stepped on her feet, and with His two fingers under her (?), straightned her out, and she also being an expansion of Satyabhama turned into an extraordinary beautiful woman, who is immediately endowed with conjugal sentiments. That's extraordinary pastimes. It's Krsna-lila. On His way to another Pastime. He is liberating people, creating beautiful shaktis. Singing and dancing with His friends of the way.

Krsna is different for different people

But entering there, asanam malanam gopanam sajanam satam sati bhujam sastra chopitra sesu mrtyu bhoja pate viradabidam param yogenam vrsninam paradeva deti vidito rangam gata savraja malanam asanim smaram murti ma, everyone there is seeing Him, as He enters the arena differently, the wrestlers is like thunder, lightning striking, others are seeing the most extraordinary, the best among man, striya striyo smaro murtiman, the ladies are seeing Cupid personified, gopanam svajanam, the gopas are seeing their hometown boy, Devaki and Vasudev are seeing their son, Kamsa is seeing death personified, the yogis are seeing Param tattva, all is possible. And when we say, akhila-rasamrta murti, He is reciprocating the love and affection in the hearts or the absence of love and affection in the hearts. However they want to see, mrtyu sara charas cha ham, and if they can't see any other way, at last He appears like for Kamsa as death personified. So many ways, all are accurate. But by analysis the gopa-ves venu-kar, Krsna, dressed as a cowherd, playing His flute is the sweetest and the most beautiful. Reality the Beautiful. Hare Krsna.