Bhakti Vikasa Swami's Blog, page 104

Follow the Gosvamis, search Vrndavana within your heart

The Gosvamis, when they were in Vrndavana, never said “I have seen Krsna.” Although they were the most perfect, they never said that “I have seen Krsna.” Their prayers were like this: he radhe! vraja-devike! he nanda-suno! kutah. He radhe, Radharani, he radhe! vraja-devike! ca. Radharani does not remain alone. He (She) remains always with His (Her) friends, vraja-devi, Lalita or Visakha and other damsels of Vrndavana. So the Gosvamins are praying, in their mature stage, when they were living at Vrndavana, they were praying in this way, he radhe! vraja-devike! ca lalite! he nanda-suno! kutah: “Where, Radharani, where You are? Where are Your associates? Where You are, Nanda-suno, the son of Nanda Maharaja, Krsna? Where you are, all?” They were searching after. They never said, “I have seen Krsna dancing with the gopis. Last night I saw.” (laughter) This is sahajiya. This is not mature devotee. This is called… They are called sahajiya. They take everything very cheap — Krsna very cheap, Radharani very cheap — as if they can see every night. No. The Gosvamis do not teach us like that. They’re searching after. He radhe! vraja-devike! ca lalite! he nanda-suno! kutah, sri-govardhana-padapa-tale kalindi-vanye kutah: “Are you there under the Govardhana Hill or on the banks of the Yamuna?” Kalindi-vanye kutah. Ghosantav iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair maha-vihvalau. Their business was crying like this, “Where You are? Where You are, Radharani? Where you are, Lalita, Visakha, the associates of Radharani? Where You are, Krsna? Are You near Govardhana Hill or on the bank of the Yamuna?” Ghosantav iti sarvato vraja-pure. So throughout the whole tract of Vrndavana they were crying and searching after Them, khedair maha-vihvalau, as if madman. Khedair maha-vihvalau. Vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau. So we have to follow the footprints of the Gosvamis, how to search out Krsna and Radharani, Vrndavana, or within your heart.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Radhastami,  Srimati Radharani’s Appearance Day — London, August 29, 1971

The post Follow the Gosvamis, search Vrndavana within your heart appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

Bogus: “I do not go out of Vrndavana”

Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission — He practically did it, and He asked everyone to do it. Amara ajnaya guru hana tara ei desa [Cc. Madhya 7.128]. “This is My order.” He could remain a big devotee at His home. He was very popular in Navadvipa, even when He was twenty years old. But still, He took sannyasa and went door to door, village to village, town to town in India, and He left His order, prthivite ache yata nagaradi-grama: “All over the world, as many towns and villages are there, this Krsna consciousness movement should be…”  [CB Antya-khanda 4.126]. Not that “We are big, big gosvamis and babajis. We do not go out of Vrndavana.” They say that “We do not go out of…” You are imitating them.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that prthivite ache yata nagaradi-grama. And they have become very big Vaisnava: “No, I don’t go beyond the limits of Vrndavana.” What is this nonsense? Did Caitanya Mahaprabhu say like that, that “You do not go beyond the limits…”? A devotee, wherever he is, that is Vrndavana. That is Vrndavana. Tirtha-kurvanti tirthani. A devotee, a pure devotee, can make any hell a tirtha, a holy place. That is devotee. Tirthi-kurvanti tirthani.

That is Caitanya Mahaprabhu. These are bogus, that “I do not go out of Vrndavana.” They are making Vrndavana limited. Vrndavana is not limited. Wherever there is Krsna, wherever there is Radha-Krsna temple, that is Vrndavana. That is Vrndavana. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said. Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He, once only, He went to Vrndavana. Does it mean He was not in Vrndavana?

Srila Prabhupada; Arrival Talk — October 9, 1976, Aligarh

The post Bogus: “I do not go out of Vrndavana” appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

If someone goes to Vrndavana

A pure devotee of Lord Krsna resides in the district of Mathura or Vrndavana and visits all the places where Krsna’s pastimes were performed. At these sacred places Krsna displayed His childhood activities with the cowherd boys and Mother Yasoda. The system of circumambulating all these places is still current among devotees of Lord Krsna, and those coming to Mathura and Vrndavana always feel transcendental pleasure. Actually, if someone goes to Vrndavana, he will immediately feel separation from Krsna, who performed such nice activities when He was present there.

From “The Nectar of Devotion” by Srila Prabhupada, ch. 18

The post If someone goes to Vrndavana appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

Everyone can dance with Krsna

Simply by hearing about Krsna, one becomes purified, and what to speak of persons who are dancing with Krsna. This opportunity is there. You can dance with Krsna, you can play with Krsna, you can talk with Krsna.

So our Krsna consciousness movement is giving this chance to everyone. Everyone, without any discrimination.

From Srila Prabhupada’s lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.17 — Los Angeles, August 20, 1972

The post Everyone can dance with Krsna appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

Sex feelings purified by Krsna-katha

This krsna-katha will also be very much appealing to the most materialistic persons because Krsna’s pastimes with the gopis (cowherd girls) are exactly like the loving affairs between young girls and boys within this material world. Actually, the sex feeling found in human society is not unnatural because this same sex feeling is there in the original Personality of Godhead. The pleasure potency is called Srimati Radharani. The attraction of loving affairs on the basis of sex feeling is the original feature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we, the conditioned souls, being part and parcel of the Supreme, have such feelings also, but they are experienced within a perverted, minute condition.

Therefore, when those who are after sex life in this material world hear about Krsna’s pastimes with the gopis, they will relish transcendental pleasure, although it appears to be materialistic. The advantage will be that they will gradually be elevated to the spiritual platform. In the Bhagavatam it is stated that if one hears the pastimes of Lord Krsna with the gopis, from authorities with submission, then he will be promoted to the platform of transcendental loving service to the Lord, and the material disease of lust within his heart will be completely vanquished. In other words, such hearing will counteract material sex life.

This book, Krsna, which is filled with krsna-katha, will thus appeal equally to the liberated souls and to persons who are trying to be liberated, as well as to the gross, conditioned materialist. According to the statement of Maharaja Pariksit, who heard about Krsna from Sukadeva Gosvami, krsna-katha is equally applicable to every human being, whatever condition of life he is in.

From Srila Prabhupada’s Krsna Book — Introduction

The post Sex feelings purified by Krsna-katha appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

Anxiety in love; money always troublesome

Gopis, they are full of anxiety: “Oh, Krsna has gone to the pasturing ground.” Their anxiety is there. Just like Rukmini, she was thinking, “Oh, Krsna may not give me up. He is talking in this way.” She fainted. So anxiety is there. So that…, the anxiety is that one may not be separated from Krsna. That is the anxiety. And actually there is no separation, but the feeling of separation out of ecstatic love. Just like one who has got love for the other person, beloved, he always thinks like that, “My beloved may not be separated from me.” This is ecstasy of love. Just like a miser man who has got much wealth, he always thinks, “My money may not be lost. My money may not be lost.” Out of his too much attachment for the money, he thinks like that. Is it not? “How shall I protect this money? How shall I protect this?” To earn money is also troublesome. To keep money also troublesome. And when it is lost, that is also troublesome. This is the position. But there is no such thing, loss, but the anxiety is there.

Srila Prabhupada — May 1, 1974, Bombay

The post Anxiety in love; money always troublesome appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

Becoming fit to be an associate of Krsna, as we desire

If we take it very seriously, then we become gradually advanced and eligible, or fit candidate, to go into the spiritual world — divyad-vrndaranya-kalpa-drumadhah. We can go there. That is wanted. Be serious. Don’t be misled by the allurement of maya. Remain strong. And then, in this life, you’ll be able to become fit candidate to go back to home, back to Godhead. Divyad-vrndaranya-kalpa-drumadhah. You’ll also be one of the associates of Krsna, as you desire. Krsna will give you the opportunity to serve Him as you desire. If you want to serve Him as a gopi, you’ll get that position. If you want to serve Him as cowherds boyfriend, you’ll get that opportunity. If you want to serve Krsna following the footsteps of Mother Yasoda, accepting Krsna as your son, you’ll get it. Accepting Krsna as your son, Nanda Maharaja following… We have to follow their principle, not that “I shall become Nanda Maharaja” or “I shall become Yasoda,” “I shall…” No, that is Mayavada. You have to follow how they are loving Krsna. You have to learn that. Then you’ll get the chance of Krsna’s association.

(Srila Prabhupada, speaking on Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila 1.16 — April 9, 1975, Mayapur)

The post Becoming fit to be an associate of Krsna, as we desire appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

The purest type of devotion

The exemplary character of devotional service manifested by the devotees of Vrndavana is the purest type of devotion. It is enjoined in authoritative sastras that devotional service must be ahaituki and apratihata. This means that devotional service to Krsna cannot be checked by political or religious convention. The stage of devotional service is always transcendental. The gopis particularly showed pure devotional service toward Krsna, so much so that Krsna Himself remained indebted to them. Lord Caitanya thus said that the devotional service manifested by the gopis in Vrndavana excelled all other methods of approaching the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

From Srila Prabhupada’s Krsna Book, ch. 32: Krsna Returns to the Gopis

The post The purest type of devotion appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

KARTIK: Dhama-aparadhis become monkeys in Vrndavana

Those who are living in Vrndavana and acting like monkey, they’ll get next life a monkey, to remain in Vrndavana, and then next life they will be liberated. In one life all their sinful activities will be punished. Because as soon as animal life is obtained, there is no more further record of the sinful life. The animals cannot make sinful activities more than what is destined by him. But their sinful activity is not taken into account. For this man who is offered this monkey’s body, he suffers the inconvenience of monkey life. So his sinful activities are counteracted, and because he came to Vrndavana and lived in Vrndavana by the mercy of Radharani, next life he will be… That is the glory of Vrndavana-dhama. Otherwise, what is the explanation of these dogs and hogs and monkeys in Vrndavana? If it is dhama-aparadha, committing offense in dhama… Dhama-aparadha. As dhama-bhajana, if one undergoes devotional service out of Vrndavana and one executes devotional service in Vrndavana, that is hundred times better. Similarly, dhama-aparadha also. This aparadha, when offense is committed outside Vrndavana, that is not so grievous as committing offense in Vrndavana. Dhama-aparadha.

Srila Prabhupada; Room Conversation — September 7, 1976, Vrndavana

The post KARTIK: Dhama-aparadhis become monkeys in Vrndavana appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.

How Krsna is available

By following in the footsteps of devotees who are in a direct relationship with Krsna, especially the inhabitants of Vrndavana, one can reach the supreme position of associating with Krsna. As it is said, vrndavanam parityajya padam ekam na gacchati: Krsna does not leave Vrndavana even for a moment. The vrndavana-vasis — Mother Yasoda, Krsna’s friends and Krsna’s conjugal lovers, the younger gopis with whom He dances — have very intimate relationships with Krsna, and if one follows in the footsteps of these devotees, Krsna is available. Although the nitya-siddha expansions of Krsna always remain with Krsna, if those engaged in sadhana-siddhi follow in the footsteps of Krsna’s nitya-siddha associates, such sadhana-siddhas also can easily attain Krsna without difficulty.

From Srila Prabhupada’s purport to SB 10.9.21

The post How Krsna is available appeared first on Bhakti Vikasa Swami.