The Gopés Attracted by the Flute- KIRAN GIRI (Discussion) With the arrival of the beautiful autumn season, the waters in the lakes and rivers became as clear as crystal and filled with fragrant lotus flowers, and breezes blew very pleasantly. At that time, Kåñëa entered the forest of Våndävana with the cows and cowherd boys. Kåñëa was very much pleased with the atmosphere of the forest, where flowers bloomed and bees and drones hummed very jubilantly. While the birds, trees and plants were all looking very happy, Kåñëa, tending the cows and accompanied by Çré Balaräma and the cowherd boys, began to vibrate His transcendental flute. After hearing the vibration of the flute of Kåñëa, the gopés in Våndävana remembered Him and began to talk amongst themselves about how nicely Kåñëa was playing His flute. When the gopés were describing the sweet vibration of Kåñëa’s flute, they also remembered their pastimes with Him; thus their minds became disturbed, and they were unable to describe completely the beautiful vibrations. While discussing the transcendental vibration, they remembered also how Kåñëa dressed, decorated with a peacock feather on His head, just like a dancing actor, and with blue flowers pushed over His ear. His garment glowed yellow-gold, and He was garlanded with a vaijayanté necklace. Dressed in such an attractive way, Kåñëa filled up the holes of His flute with the nectar emanating from His lips. So they remembered Him, entering the forest of Våndävana, which is always glorified by the footprints of Kåñëa and His companions. Kåñëa was very expert in playing the flute, and the gopés were captivated by the sound vibration, which was attractive not only to them but to all living creatures who heard it. One of the gopés told her friends, “The highest perfection of the eyes is to see Kåñëa and Balaräma entering the forest and playing Their flutes and tending the cows with Their friends.” Persons who are constantly engaged in the transcendental meditation of seeing Kåñëa, internally and externally, by thinking of Him playing the flute, entering the Våndävana forest and tending the cows with the cowherd boys have really attained the perfection of samädhi. Samädhi (trance) means absorption of all the activities of the senses in a Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Intl. All Rights Reserved. 188 particular object, and the gopés indicate that the pastimes of Kåñëa are the perfection of all meditation and samädhi. It is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gétä that anyone who is always absorbed in the thought of Kåñëa is the topmost of all yogés. Another gopé expressed her opinion that Kåñëa and Balaräma, while tending the cows, appeared just like actors going to play on a dramatic stage. Kåñëa was dressed in glowing garments of yellow, Balaräma in blue, and They held new twigs of mango tree, peacock feathers and bunches of flowers in Their hands. Dressed with garlands of lotus flowers, They were sometimes singing very sweetly among Their friends. One gopé told her friend, “How is it Kåñëa and Balaräma are looking so beautiful?” Another gopé said, “My dear friends, we cannot even think of His bamboo flute—what sort of pious activities did it execute so that it is now enjoying the nectar of the lips of Kåñëa, which is actually the property of us gopés?” Kåñëa sometimes kisses the gopés; therefore the transcendental nectar of His lips is available only to them. So the gopés asked, “How is it possible that the flute, which is nothing but a bamboo rod, is always engaged in enjoying the nectar from Kåñëa’s lips? Because the flute is engaged in the service of the Supreme Lord, the mother and the father of the flute must be happy.” The lakes and the rivers are considered to be the mothers of the trees because the trees live simply by drinking water. So the waters of the lakes and rivers of Våndävana were in a happy mood, full of blooming lotus flowers, because the waters were thinking, “How is it that our son, the bamboo rod, is enjoying the nectar of Kåñëa’s lips?” The bamboo trees standing by the banks of the rivers and the lakes were also happy to see their descendant so engaged in the service of the Lord, just as persons who are advanced in transcendental knowledge take pleasure in seeing their descendants engage in the service of the Lord. The trees were overwhelmed with joy and were incessantly yielding honey, which flowed from the beehives hanging on the branches. Another gopé spoke thus to her friend about Kåñëa: “Dear friend, our Våndävana is proclaiming the glories of this entire earth because this planet is glorified by the lotus footprints of the son of Devaké. Besides that, when Govinda plays His flute, the peacocks immediately become mad, as if they had heard the rumbling of a new cloud. When all the Copyright © 1998 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Intl. All Rights Reserved. 189 animals and trees and plants, either on the top of Govardhana Hill or in the valley, see the dancing of the peacocks, they all stand still and listen to the transcendental sound of the flute with great attention. We think that this boon is not possible or available on any other planet.” Although the gopés were village cowherd women and girls, they had extensive Vedic knowledge. Such is the effect of Vedic civilization. People in general would learn the highest truths of the Vedas simply by hearing from authoritative sources. Another gopé said, “My dear friends, just see the deer! Although they are dumb animals, they have approached the son of Mahäräja Nanda, Kåñëa. Not only are they attracted by the dress of Kåñëa and Balaräma, but as soon as they hear the playing of the flute, the deer, along with their husbands, offer respectful obeisances unto the Lord by looking at Him with great affection.” The gopés were envious of the deer because the deer were able to offer their service to Kåñëa along with their husbands. The gopés thought themselves not so fortunate because whenever they wanted to go to Kåñëa, their husbands were not very happy. Another gopé said, “My dear friends, Kåñëa is so nicely dressed that He appears to be the impetus to various kinds of ceremonies held by the womenfolk. Even the wives of the denizens of heaven become attracted after hearing the transcendental sound of His flute. Although they are traveling in the air in their airplanes, enjoying the company of their husbands, on hearing the sound of Kåñëa’s flute, they immediately become perturbed. Their hair is loosened, and their tight belts are slackened.” This means that the transcendental sound of the flute of Kåñëa extended to all corners of the universe. Also, it is significant that the gopés knew about the different kinds of airplanes flying in the sky. Another gopé said to her friends, “My dear friends, the cows are also charmed as soon as they hear the transcendental sound of the flute of Kåñëa. It sounds to them like the pouring of nectar, and they immediately spread their long ears just to catch the liquid nectar of the flute. As for the calves, they are seen with the nipples of their mothers pressed in their mouths, but they cannot suck the milk. They remain struck with devotion, and tears glide down their eyes, illustrating vividly how they are embracing Kåñëa heart to heart.” https://lh3.googleusercontent/-_f2W_JC4Yqo/VJJkNZZHv8I/AAAAAAAAAR0/Zj4EVH5vTqw/w346-h260/551450_357357504385207_652961727_n%2B%281%29.jpg
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 11:15:30 +0000
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