Hare krishna!!!
Dandvat pranam!!!
Dandvat pranam!!!
The 12 months of the calendar, according to the Vedic system, each month is given a name of Krishna. But this particular month – Damodar is also called Kartik. Kartik is a name of Srimati Radharani. In Bhakti rasamrita Sindhu, Srila Rupa Goswami tells that Ojavrat is the spiritual practices that are prescribed during this month. Srimati Radharani is Vrajeswari, which means she is the supreme goddess of all the Lord’s potencies.
Our acaryas and our scriptures teach us that whatever spiritual practices are sincerely performed during this month, especially in Vrindavan are specially blessed by Srimati Radharani. It is the time of the year where in accessing the grace of Sri Radha, accessing the love within our heart is made specially available, if we take the opportunity.
Our acaryas and our scriptures teach us that whatever spiritual practices are sincerely performed during this month, especially in Vrindavan are specially blessed by Srimati Radharani. It is the time of the year where in accessing the grace of Sri Radha, accessing the love within our heart is made specially available, if we take the opportunity.
The first day of Kartik is Sharad purnima, and it is also the day of the disappearance of Murari Gupta, which is quite significant.Also in this month there is appearance day of radha kund(holiest place in this world) and shayama kund, govardhan Puja takes place in the same month ,Gopashtami(the day Krishna was given the charge of cows)
KRISHNA TASTES DEVOTEES’ LOVE
Dipavali or Diwali, it is the day in Ramlila, when after 14yrs of exile in the forest, Ram Sita and Lakshman returned to Ayodhya. And every one welcomes them with the lamps of their love. For this festival Yashoda Mai woke up very early in the morning, because she wanted into churn special yogurt into butter for the pleasure of Krishna, Gopal, who is sleeping in his bed. As she was churning, churning, churning and churning making butter she would sing songs about Krishna’s pastimes. Vrindavan where Krishna was out herding the cows during the day he would perform so many lilas, this is later on of course, and the gopas would tell all the other Vrajavasis. And all next day they would just be remembering and composing beautiful songs about those pastimes. When Krishna would just be a small child, Yashoda Mai was with Him, all day and all night. And practically everything He did, everything He said was so absolutely charmingly that it was imprinted in Yashoda Mai’s heart. And her and the other gopis would compose beautiful poems, just to help each other remember Krishna 24hrs a day. So she would be singing about Krishna. Not exactly to help them remember more accurately it was just an expression of their spontaneous love that composed these songs. And as she was singing about Krishna’s beauty, Krishnas pastimes, immersed in rembering about Him, milk began to flow from her breasts. Now God is atma rama, He is self satisfied. God is not in need of anything, but his nature is He is always hungry for the love of His devotees. As that milk was flowing from Yashoda Mai, it was her motherly love for Krishna manifesting. Now as has been explained so many times before, Krishna does not accept what you offer, but the intention in which it is offered. So many ladies through out history, milk comes out of them. But it doesn’t wake Krishna up. But Yashoda Mai, it was her love, that milk was her love and Krishna was so thirsty for that milk that that He woke up. He came out of His bed, walked right up to Yashoda Ma and put one hand on the churning rod to stop her and demanded her to stop all that other business and give Him milk. And her heart melted. Krishna climbed up on her lap and she began to feed Him her milk. And oh how he was enjoying that Love! So beautiful! This is God, who in some religions appears as a very very strong father who throws thunder bolts and destroys universes. Maha Vishnu, Karanodakshayi Vishnu is only an expansion of an expansion of an expansion of an expansion of Gopal. And what happenes when he sucks? Gopal was suking mother Yashoda’s milk with all his might. He was really sucking enthusiastically. Maha Vishnu, when he sucks, the entire goes into His belly. Not the universe, the entire cosmic manifestation, all the unlimited universes. This is Krishna. Conquered by the love of his devotees. Who is more lovable, Maha Vishnu devouring manifestations or Krishna crying for the milk of his mother? So Krishna was enjoying His mother’s love.
Dipavali or Diwali, it is the day in Ramlila, when after 14yrs of exile in the forest, Ram Sita and Lakshman returned to Ayodhya. And every one welcomes them with the lamps of their love. For this festival Yashoda Mai woke up very early in the morning, because she wanted into churn special yogurt into butter for the pleasure of Krishna, Gopal, who is sleeping in his bed. As she was churning, churning, churning and churning making butter she would sing songs about Krishna’s pastimes. Vrindavan where Krishna was out herding the cows during the day he would perform so many lilas, this is later on of course, and the gopas would tell all the other Vrajavasis. And all next day they would just be remembering and composing beautiful songs about those pastimes. When Krishna would just be a small child, Yashoda Mai was with Him, all day and all night. And practically everything He did, everything He said was so absolutely charmingly that it was imprinted in Yashoda Mai’s heart. And her and the other gopis would compose beautiful poems, just to help each other remember Krishna 24hrs a day. So she would be singing about Krishna. Not exactly to help them remember more accurately it was just an expression of their spontaneous love that composed these songs. And as she was singing about Krishna’s beauty, Krishnas pastimes, immersed in rembering about Him, milk began to flow from her breasts. Now God is atma rama, He is self satisfied. God is not in need of anything, but his nature is He is always hungry for the love of His devotees. As that milk was flowing from Yashoda Mai, it was her motherly love for Krishna manifesting. Now as has been explained so many times before, Krishna does not accept what you offer, but the intention in which it is offered. So many ladies through out history, milk comes out of them. But it doesn’t wake Krishna up. But Yashoda Mai, it was her love, that milk was her love and Krishna was so thirsty for that milk that that He woke up. He came out of His bed, walked right up to Yashoda Ma and put one hand on the churning rod to stop her and demanded her to stop all that other business and give Him milk. And her heart melted. Krishna climbed up on her lap and she began to feed Him her milk. And oh how he was enjoying that Love! So beautiful! This is God, who in some religions appears as a very very strong father who throws thunder bolts and destroys universes. Maha Vishnu, Karanodakshayi Vishnu is only an expansion of an expansion of an expansion of an expansion of Gopal. And what happenes when he sucks? Gopal was suking mother Yashoda’s milk with all his might. He was really sucking enthusiastically. Maha Vishnu, when he sucks, the entire goes into His belly. Not the universe, the entire cosmic manifestation, all the unlimited universes. This is Krishna. Conquered by the love of his devotees. Who is more lovable, Maha Vishnu devouring manifestations or Krishna crying for the milk of his mother? So Krishna was enjoying His mother’s love.
AMUSING PASTIMES OF LITTLE KRISHNA
But in the next pot, she had milk cooking, that was the very very special Padma Gandha milk, that was sweet like lotus nectar, from the choicest of the cows of all of Nanda Maharaja’s herds. And that milk was so sacred, so fragrant so nutritious, that she was making a special preparation just for Krishna on divali. So she put Krishna down, so she could save that milk, so she can offer something so delicious to Krishna. Its all for Krishna. But Krishna wanted to attract the whole world for all time to come. So he was thinking, “why she has left?” Krishna wanted to teach the world that exclusive devotional service for the pleasure of Krishna is the highest perfection. So he appeared to be angry and He took a stone and broke the pot that she was churning. Then He went to the next room and he saw grinding mortar. And broke the pot which she was churning. And he went to the next room and saw the grinding mortar. He climbed up the grinding mortar, and there was some butter in a clay pot hanging from ropes in a ceiling. So he broke it open and reached up and started to eat it. He called the local monkeys. And so many monkeys came into the house in the courtyard of Yasodamayi. He started feeding these monkeys. In his heart of hearts he was thinking, in my past life as Lord Ramacandra you served me so nicely risking your life by fighting that battle against Ravana and at time I was living in the forest and I had nothing to give in return and so now come and take this butter. So the monkeys were enjoying and Krsna was enjoying. And Yasoda Mayi came back after saving the milk and Krsna was gone. The pots broken. Where is He? Then she saw little tiny butter footprints on the floor, she followed them and there Krsna was on the grinding mortar and enjoying himself. In the meanwhile many of his friends were watching. And he was looking very nervously in all directions to see if his mother was coming. She picked up a stick, not to hit him, she would never hit him, but she had to teach him a lesson, she wanted to show him that stick. Srila Prabhupada in gurukul said, “Never hit children, but you can show them the stick if they disobey.” So mother Yasoda picked up a stick and she was very quietly sneaking up to Krsna. And the monkeys saw her and they were so scared, they all started diving through the windows, and diving away and running away and Krsna looked around and he saw his cowherd friends were all running away.
SUPREME LORD GETS FEARFUL
Then he saw Yasoda Mayi approaching him with a stick. He jumped down from the mortar and ran. Yasoda Mayi ran after him. He was running and she was running. Flowers were falling from her hair. Some of the flowers were on Krsna’s side and some were on Yasoda’s side. The ones on Yasoda’s side, they said “She is having such difficulty catching Krsna, may be our access weight, is slowing her down. so they dove to the floor to make her lighter.” Those on Krsna’s side were thinking “She is going to catch Krsna and punish him, we don’t want to be a part of this and they jumped off.” Ultimately no one can catch Krsna. But by Krsna’s own will He was captured by His mother’s love. And Krsna was actually crying and the Kajal were mixing with His tears and were making streaks down his cheeks and chest. And His lips were quivering. His limbs were trembling and His eyes were restlessly moving in different directions. He couldn’t even look at his mother. And he cried our “Mother, Mother, please put down that stick.” I am sorry, I promise I will never do it again, just give another chance.” Queen Kunti remembered this scene in great love. And she was glorifying Krsna that “He who is feared by fear personified, was afraid of His mother.” Now in Bhagavad Gita, 11th chapter, we read about the Universal form. Even Arjuna the most fearless warrior of the entire world was afraid of this darshan. He is the original source of all incarnations, the original source of all existence, his personification in this world, is the all-devouring time. Was he really afraid of his mother? Was he just pretending to make the pastime interesting? Was it just like a show? No he really was afraid. Acintya shakti, Krsna’s inconceivable potencies. By the power of his mother’s love, he was actually exhibiting these feelings. This is the sweetness and beauty of Krsna. He who is beyond all fear, exhibits these emotions in reciprocation to the pure unalloyed love of his mother.
Then he saw Yasoda Mayi approaching him with a stick. He jumped down from the mortar and ran. Yasoda Mayi ran after him. He was running and she was running. Flowers were falling from her hair. Some of the flowers were on Krsna’s side and some were on Yasoda’s side. The ones on Yasoda’s side, they said “She is having such difficulty catching Krsna, may be our access weight, is slowing her down. so they dove to the floor to make her lighter.” Those on Krsna’s side were thinking “She is going to catch Krsna and punish him, we don’t want to be a part of this and they jumped off.” Ultimately no one can catch Krsna. But by Krsna’s own will He was captured by His mother’s love. And Krsna was actually crying and the Kajal were mixing with His tears and were making streaks down his cheeks and chest. And His lips were quivering. His limbs were trembling and His eyes were restlessly moving in different directions. He couldn’t even look at his mother. And he cried our “Mother, Mother, please put down that stick.” I am sorry, I promise I will never do it again, just give another chance.” Queen Kunti remembered this scene in great love. And she was glorifying Krsna that “He who is feared by fear personified, was afraid of His mother.” Now in Bhagavad Gita, 11th chapter, we read about the Universal form. Even Arjuna the most fearless warrior of the entire world was afraid of this darshan. He is the original source of all incarnations, the original source of all existence, his personification in this world, is the all-devouring time. Was he really afraid of his mother? Was he just pretending to make the pastime interesting? Was it just like a show? No he really was afraid. Acintya shakti, Krsna’s inconceivable potencies. By the power of his mother’s love, he was actually exhibiting these feelings. This is the sweetness and beauty of Krsna. He who is beyond all fear, exhibits these emotions in reciprocation to the pure unalloyed love of his mother.
MOTHER YASHODA’S DILEMMA
Yasoda Mayi didn’t like to see Krsna like this so she threw the stick away. “Krsna you should not be so naughty.” She had other chores to perform that day, it was a holy day. She wanted to protect Krsna from doing other mischief. Because he was very mischievous that day. After all there were monkeys with claws and there were bulls with horns, and there were insects, so many ways that he could hurt himself. So while she was performing her duties so she took a silk rope. The same rope that is used to tie the calves and she was going to bind Krsna around the waist and tie Him to the grinding mortar. As she put the silk rope around Krsna’s weight. The rope was two inches too short. What to do, she picked up another piece of rope, tied a tight knot, put the two ropes together, put it around Krsna's waist. It was exactly two fingers too short. Another rope, tied that with the other two ropes. Once she put it around Krsna's waist it was again two fingers too short. She picked up every rope in the entire house and soon other gopis found out about this and they all came from their houses with their ropes. There were mountains of ropes and Yasoda mayi's house and all the Gopis together were helping Yasoda mayi to tie them together. And even though there was enormous proportions of ropes all tied together, when she went to put it around Krsna's waist it was exactly two fingers too short. This is God. Krsna didn't grow, its not that Krsna became fatter and fatter and fatter. He was the same. His waist was probably this big and ropes could have circumambulate Bombay. But it was always two fingers too short. Now if you ask a mathematician to try to figure out how that possible- the only solution is surrender to Krsna to understand it.
Yasoda Mayi didn’t like to see Krsna like this so she threw the stick away. “Krsna you should not be so naughty.” She had other chores to perform that day, it was a holy day. She wanted to protect Krsna from doing other mischief. Because he was very mischievous that day. After all there were monkeys with claws and there were bulls with horns, and there were insects, so many ways that he could hurt himself. So while she was performing her duties so she took a silk rope. The same rope that is used to tie the calves and she was going to bind Krsna around the waist and tie Him to the grinding mortar. As she put the silk rope around Krsna’s weight. The rope was two inches too short. What to do, she picked up another piece of rope, tied a tight knot, put the two ropes together, put it around Krsna's waist. It was exactly two fingers too short. Another rope, tied that with the other two ropes. Once she put it around Krsna's waist it was again two fingers too short. She picked up every rope in the entire house and soon other gopis found out about this and they all came from their houses with their ropes. There were mountains of ropes and Yasoda mayi's house and all the Gopis together were helping Yasoda mayi to tie them together. And even though there was enormous proportions of ropes all tied together, when she went to put it around Krsna's waist it was exactly two fingers too short. This is God. Krsna didn't grow, its not that Krsna became fatter and fatter and fatter. He was the same. His waist was probably this big and ropes could have circumambulate Bombay. But it was always two fingers too short. Now if you ask a mathematician to try to figure out how that possible- the only solution is surrender to Krsna to understand it.
DETERMINATION & ENTHUSIASM TO SERVE KRISHNA
Krsna is inconceivable. Krsna can put banyan tree into a banyan seed. For Krsna, he is unlimited. One time Yasoda mayi looked in Krsna's mouth to see if he ate dirt and she saw the entire universe within his belly, within his mouth but his mouth didn't grow. She saw all the planets, all the devtas and all the human beings and all the 84,00,000 species of life, she saw herself, everything in a mouth this big. That is Krsna. Yasoda mayi, she was perspiring, her sari was loosening, she kept tying more and more ropes and Gopis were saying "don’t you see Krsna is not going to let you tie him up". Some were saying that god must be in favour of Krsna, he doesn't want him to be tied off after all there is no way. But Yasoda mayi was so motherly, she was thinking "No No i will tie him". In her mind she was thinking "I have to protect him no matter what". Then she was also thinking “I will just find out how much rope its going to take to bind my son". And seeing the determination of her love, Krsna allowed himself to be bound by a tight knot.Those two fingures, Vishwanath Chakravati Thakur explains they are representative to bind Krsna two things are important. One is our enthusiasm and determination to serve under all circumstances. But thats not enough, the other is Krsna's mercy.Unless Krsna allows himself to be tied no matter what we do we cannot do. Our enthusiasm is just an expression of sincerity to attract Krsna's mercy. There is a verse in the Gita "Raga dvesh vimukta ...." , that one who follows the regulative principles of freedom, who follows the path of bhakti sincerely, can attain the mercy of the Lord and by that mercy we become free from all the attachments and aversions of this world.
LESSONS FROM DAMODAR LILA
Krsna wanted to show the world for all time to come that he is conquered by the love of his devotee.He wanted to show the world forever that bhakti,love and devotion is the supreme power becuase it is the power of Srimati Radharani, Krsna's supreme pleasure potency. All devotion is her power. Even a drop of her love that manifests through any of our hearts can conquer Krsna. When we are totally conquered by love for Krishna, Krishna is conquered by that love. That is the deepest mystery and highest secrets of all wisdom cultures and all scriptures. Krishna was bound by the rope of Yasoda’s affection. But then Krishna, when Yasoda mayi went back to do her duties, Krishna wanted to do more mischief, apparently. He saw two Arjuna trees in the courtyard, and then crawled and pulled that grinding mortar between the trees and then crawled a little more and both the trees crashed down to the ground. And Nalakuvera and Manigriva came out of those trees – two great demigods - sons of Kuvera who are extremely arrogant. And because of that arrogance, they were extremely selfish and disrespectful and they offended the great rishi Narada. Out of his mercy, he understood that nothing less than making them into trees will curb their pride. Let them become Krishna’s associates. They became trees in Krishna’s courtyard. They were trees for a long time. But it culminated – they got to watch Krishna’s lilas. And ultimately Krishna delivered them and gave them pure devotional service.
Krsna is inconceivable. Krsna can put banyan tree into a banyan seed. For Krsna, he is unlimited. One time Yasoda mayi looked in Krsna's mouth to see if he ate dirt and she saw the entire universe within his belly, within his mouth but his mouth didn't grow. She saw all the planets, all the devtas and all the human beings and all the 84,00,000 species of life, she saw herself, everything in a mouth this big. That is Krsna. Yasoda mayi, she was perspiring, her sari was loosening, she kept tying more and more ropes and Gopis were saying "don’t you see Krsna is not going to let you tie him up". Some were saying that god must be in favour of Krsna, he doesn't want him to be tied off after all there is no way. But Yasoda mayi was so motherly, she was thinking "No No i will tie him". In her mind she was thinking "I have to protect him no matter what". Then she was also thinking “I will just find out how much rope its going to take to bind my son". And seeing the determination of her love, Krsna allowed himself to be bound by a tight knot.Those two fingures, Vishwanath Chakravati Thakur explains they are representative to bind Krsna two things are important. One is our enthusiasm and determination to serve under all circumstances. But thats not enough, the other is Krsna's mercy.Unless Krsna allows himself to be tied no matter what we do we cannot do. Our enthusiasm is just an expression of sincerity to attract Krsna's mercy. There is a verse in the Gita "Raga dvesh vimukta ...." , that one who follows the regulative principles of freedom, who follows the path of bhakti sincerely, can attain the mercy of the Lord and by that mercy we become free from all the attachments and aversions of this world.
LESSONS FROM DAMODAR LILA
Krsna wanted to show the world for all time to come that he is conquered by the love of his devotee.He wanted to show the world forever that bhakti,love and devotion is the supreme power becuase it is the power of Srimati Radharani, Krsna's supreme pleasure potency. All devotion is her power. Even a drop of her love that manifests through any of our hearts can conquer Krsna. When we are totally conquered by love for Krishna, Krishna is conquered by that love. That is the deepest mystery and highest secrets of all wisdom cultures and all scriptures. Krishna was bound by the rope of Yasoda’s affection. But then Krishna, when Yasoda mayi went back to do her duties, Krishna wanted to do more mischief, apparently. He saw two Arjuna trees in the courtyard, and then crawled and pulled that grinding mortar between the trees and then crawled a little more and both the trees crashed down to the ground. And Nalakuvera and Manigriva came out of those trees – two great demigods - sons of Kuvera who are extremely arrogant. And because of that arrogance, they were extremely selfish and disrespectful and they offended the great rishi Narada. Out of his mercy, he understood that nothing less than making them into trees will curb their pride. Let them become Krishna’s associates. They became trees in Krishna’s courtyard. They were trees for a long time. But it culminated – they got to watch Krishna’s lilas. And ultimately Krishna delivered them and gave them pure devotional service.
-HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj
Thank you very much
Servant of the servant
Priya Pujari
Priya Pujari
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