The Waylayer – Govinda-lilamrta Kavirāja Gosvāmī describes madhyana-līlā , the mid-day pastimes. Now, the sun is in the middle of the sky. When one takes birth, and is an infant, this is like the dawn of life. Then, at nine a.m. one’s age is like a child, and in mid-day, one is in the pinnacle of youth. The sun comes at mid-day and is at the apex of the sky. In the morning, it is like the sun comes and touches the feet, and then he begins to walk along the sky, like when a child learns how to walk, and in the mid-day, the sun attains fresh youth. The king of lovers, kandarpa rāja , Kṛṣṇa, is in the groves of Vraja. The sakhās swim, jump, play, drink honey, eat juicy fruits, collect roots and engage in many loving pastimes. Kṛṣṇa says, “The sun is coming in the middle of the sky. There is something he wants. If we give him something, he will be very pleased. We will give him sraddhanjali , and some bhoga . He works very hard from morning to evening. If we don’t give him any food, he will be upset. We should offer him something.” “O sakhās ,” Kṛṣṇa said, “I will go to perform sūrya-pūjā at choti badna , and badi badna . I will soon return. After accepting worship, the sun will be pleased and will not heat us too much. He will go along his way towards the western horizon. He is always doing parikramā , from east to west.” Sometimes the sun goes from the south to east, and sometimes from the north to east. When he comes from the northern side it is called the summer season, and he heats the world more and when he comes from the southern side, this is the winter season. The sun doesn’t go on a middle path, he comes more to one side or the other. Kṛṣṇa said, “I will go and worship the sun and offer him some respect. If we don’t serve him, he will take away our strength and possessions.” When a beggar comes to one’s door and says, “Rādhe Syāma! Hare Kṛṣṇa! Haribol!” If one gives him some bhikṣā , it is good. He will be satisfied and go on his way. But if one gives no alms, he will take away one’s pious results and sukṛti and leave. He will never go empty-handed. He came to take something and only when he is successful, will he leave. This is his nature. Kṛṣṇa said, “All the demigods are the same. The Sun and Moon don’t only give to the living entities. They also take some offering, like a tax. If one doesn’t respect the Moon, when one sleeps at night, the Moon will come and steal one’s energy. And if one doesn’t respect the Sun, he will steal one’s intelligence and one will become mad. If one doesn’t respect the Moon, he will increase the water in the body, and while sleeping, one will pass urine. This is the nature of the demigods. Therefore I have to properly respect and worship everyone at the appropriate times. Don’t worry, I will be back soon.” Kṛṣṇa told this to the sakhās and then left them to play, joke and swim, while He walked off into the forest. In another area, the sakhīs spoke amongst themselves while picking flowers. “Dear friend,” one sakhī said, “look at this Punnaga tree! He is covered completely in flowers of many colors in the summer season. This tree is like Kṛṣṇa. If anyone looks at Him, chants His name, respects Him, speaks with Him, remembers Him, or takes His prasādam , everything is helpful, like this tree. A Mālatī creeper has climbed up this tree and is blossoming at the top with great beauty in many colors and with a wonderful fragrance. She does not become dry in the summer heat. This is like a gopī embracing Kṛṣṇa.” Another sakhī , who had a contrary mood, said, “This creeper and tree cannot always stay together. One may think, ‘I will be his friend, but this friendship is only temporary. When one friend becomes attracted to another person, then the friendship will be over.” “No, no, no!” another sakhī said, “Kṛṣṇa is not like that. He never gives up or rejects a friend. With time, His friendship only increases and becomes more and more deep and close. It is never lost!” Kṛṣṇa appeared of a sudden before the sakhīs , and with hands on His waist, He loudly proclaimed, “I am the king of this forest! I own everything. I am also cupid Himself. Hear My decree! I have allowed you all to come here, but this does not mean you should wreak havoc in My garden, picking the fruits and flowers and taking the honey as you please. You are young and careless. Also, you are all wealthy and healthy. You don’t need to steal from My garden. You have quite large chests. Those who have large breasts are clearly healthy and strong. One with a small chest is weak and famished, but all your breasts are large and plump. You don’t have a small balance. Because of your wealth and health you have become very proud and strange-natured.” Kṛṣṇa continued, “You may think you can ask Me and then collect flowers, but hear one thing more. I don’t want to see any ladies with My eyes in this garden. This is My prohibition. Give up your hope of taking these flowers, leaves and fruits here in My garden. I am young, and you are young. It is inappropriate for us to be here together in the forest. I am a brahmacārī . You should leave at once. How can I speak with young ladies? How will I control My senses? If so many youthful damsels come to talk to Me from all sides, and by chance I lose control of Myself, and I am alone, then you may all attack Me. You are not only ten or twenty; there are thousands and thousands of you. You will easily overwhelm Me and make Me into your lunch and dinner! Nothing will be left of Me!” Hearing this, the gopīs eyed Kṛṣṇa with a fierce glance and began to surround and advance on Him. Kṛṣṇa at once said, “I know you are thieves and I appear to be weak and alone, but be wary. These trees are all My sakhās and will protect Me.” Seeing the gopīs unperturbed, and continuing to advance on Him, readying themselves to pounce, Kṛṣṇa clapped loudly and called out, “O sakhās , save Me!” Then, from all sides, thousands and thousands of fruits fell down from the trees and the sakhīs retreated, covering their heads and looking down, being hit by all the falling fruits. When the rain of fruit ceased, the sakhīs looked up, and in astonishment, saw many sakhās standing around Kṛṣṇa like a vanguard. The trees have so many fruits, and all these fruits are conscious souls. At any time, Kṛṣṇa can bestow spiritual forms upon them. This is no wonder. Also, the sakhās cannot live without Kṛṣṇa. When He departed into the forest, some sakhās slyly followed behind Him. As Kṛṣṇa stopped to speak with the sakhīs , the sakhās stealthily climbed up in the trees and hid in the foliage. When Kṛṣṇa called out in distress, they shook the trees and under camouflage of all the falling fruits, they jumped down to protect their friend. When the sakhīs looked up, Kṛṣṇa’s sakhās surrounded Him, and stared at the gopīs with menacing looks. Then, Kṛṣṇa again clapped and the sakhās suddenly vanished. “O beautiful girls,” Kṛṣṇa warned, “don’t think I am alone. I have millions of strong friends. If you try to steal My wealth I will punish you. My nature, desire and character are My wealth and you have come to steal that. Don’t think you can steal everything without a struggle. I have a guardian here named kandarpa (cupid). He will capture and punish you all. Hear Me carefully, don’t reenter My forest. If you do, you will have to suffer the consequences. I am not only the controller and guardian of this area, I am the be all and end all. Anyone who acts without My permission will be punished. If you take anything without permission, you will be punished by kandarpa . I came here to My forest to graze and care for My cows. I waited for a long time tolerating your impudent actions, but it has gone too far. You should leave at once, otherwise I warn you, I have sharp nails. I will catch and scratch your bodies and will then bind you in My arms and submit you to the king, Kandarpa Cakravartī.” “We never heard the name of this king before,” the gopīs said. “There is no deed announcing this Kandarpa Cakravartī as the king of this forest.” “Well,” Kṛṣṇa said, “I am He, and also, My name is smara-cakravarti . I immediately go in the heart of anyone who remembers Me, and never leave once I acquire any place. I am here, so you must have thought of Me.” Kṛṣṇa continued, “Do not think this is an ordinary forest. It is more beautiful and valuable then Indra’s heavenly gardens. Each creeper and tree is due great respect. Many times you have offended them and taken from them without permission. Many times they have forgiven you, but I can no longer endure their suffering. I cannot causally say, ‘Do as you will.’ I also know that if I leave you to independently roam here and there, you will continue to wreak havoc. Hence, I am sorry to say that I must imprison you for an indefinite period. The king has total right to control his territory and He has informed Me that I should arrest and offer you before His highness, Kandarpa Mahārāja, also known as Smara-cakravarti Mahārāja. “O dear beauties,” Kṛṣṇa next said, “This state of Vṛndāvana is not so large. The grass is the wealth of this state, and the subjects are all the maidens. Be honest and follow what you are told, otherwise you will be punished. You have stolen the wealth of this forest like rampant elephants for so long that you have become fat and healthy. This will be tolerated no longer. I will make your bodies into resting places for King Kandarpa. Your bodies have become so healthy by all the wealth of this forest, now I will sacrifice you all to Kandarpa to repay the theft.” Kṛṣṇa then described Rādhārānī’s bodily limbs and how they stole all the splendor of Vṛndāvana’s forest. “Your body is the thief that has stolen everything beautiful from the Vṛndāvana forest! With the palms of Your hands and the soles of your feet You stole the sprouts and water lotuses, with Your nails the mirrors, and with Your gait the baby elephants and the swans. With Your hips You stole the golden bananas and the trunk of the elephants, with Your knees golden baskets, with Your buttocks Cupids chariot and with your thighs the wonderful beauty of the forests platforms, with Your waist the thinness of the lions waists, with Your navel, lakes of nectar, with Your belly the Banyan leaves, with Your chest Cupids seat and with Your belly hairs the beauty of black snakes. With Your breasts You stole the lotus buds, the temples of the elephants, the bael leaves and palm trees, with Your palms the charms of the reddish Asoka-leaves and with Your arms the lotus stems and the ropes of Cupid. With Your fingers You stole the Campaka buds that are Cupids greatest power and with Your bodily luster the lightning and gold. With Your teeth You plundered the luster of pearls and with Your curly locks that of the black bees! With Your nose You stole the beauty of the parrots beak and with Your voice the sweet singing of the cuckoos! With Your dancing You eclipsed the cleverness of the peacocks and with the pupils of Your eyes You stole the fishes, with the thirsty look in them the cakora birds, with the loving look in them the does and with their restless glances the wagtail birds. With the beautiful color of Your eyes You stole the blue lotus flowers, with the color of Your lips the bright red Bandhujiva flowers, lava flowers and red lotus flowers, with Your chewing teeth the pomegranate seeds, with Your hair the tails of the cāmara does, with Your neck the conchshells and the three lines in them the thin current of the Yamunā. On top of it all, You stole king Cupids own arrows with which he protected this forest until now, with Your glances, and You bound Me up with them. All the other items of the forest You have also invested in Your body. Thus everyone in the forest is upset and is looking all around, searching for You! (Ch. 9, Text 35-38, Govinda-lilamrta, Ācārya Base) With Kṛṣṇa’s joking words, He described the beauty of Śrīmatī Rādhārānī and the Vraja-devīs one after the other. Hearing this, the gopīs became very shy and fearful, realizing King Kandarpa was preparing to attack them. They thought, “He is a clever cheater, let us depart at once before we are captured.” As they turned to leave, Kṛṣṇa said, “You neglect Me and try to walk away!” He walked in front of them and blocked their path with His arms. Śrīmatī Rādhārānī tried to brush Kṛṣṇa’s arms out of the way and pass, and it was like being caught by electricity. When one touches something with a strong electric current, he cannot let go. Now, Rādhārānī tried to go to one side and pass Kṛṣṇa, but She only circled around Him. Kṛṣṇa held a corner of Rādhārānī’s cloth and She could not leave Him. The sakhīs thought to rescue Her, but could not. Kṛṣṇa said, “I will have to punish You. You are proud and have stolen the wealth of this forest and kept it all in Your body. I will take this back as tax.” Feeling Kṛṣṇa’s touch, internally, Rādhārānī was very pleased and experienced many ecstatic moods. Her beauty was very wonderful at that time. It cannot be described with mundane words. She tried to take Her cloth from Kṛṣṇa’s hand, but could not. Rādhārānī said, “What can I say to You, who are the king of thieves! And yet You have no shame and dare to call us thieves! When the gopīs were mere innocent children You stole all their clothes. When they pleaded for You to return their clothes, you made them come before You naked and offer obeisances towards the sky. What kind of saint are You? Why don’t You marry any young girl and live an honest life, rather than harassing us! You call Yourself a brahmacārī , celibate, who does not want to even see the face of any girl, then why are You acting like a young rake with us? Alas! I know why You are unmarried. Anyone who hears of Your wicked nature immediately rejects any thought of becoming related to You! You proudly think of Yourself as a brahmacārī simply because no one will accept You. Your words have no substance. Why do You look at us with lusty glances? You are a hypocrite. You play Your flute, like a dīkṣā-mantra , attracting everyone to You. You never planted a single creeper or tree in this forest, so how do You claim to be the owner? With Your cows, You daily ravish the forest. Vṛndā-devī maintains this garden, therefore it is known as Vṛndāvana.” “No, no,” Kṛṣṇa responded, “The Creator came along with all the demigods, performed My abhiṣeka and declared Me the proprietor of Vṛndāvana, thus My name is also Govinda. This is well known, have You somehow not heard?” “Useless person,” Rādhārānī said, “do You have any proof? Do You have any throne?” “Yes,” Kṛṣṇa said, “My royal seat is the throne of Kandarpa. From there, I instruct others on the art of being My nearest and dearest lovers.” “Let us go,” Rādhārānī said to Her sakhīs . “No good person remains listening to Kṛṣṇa’s insolent banter. Kṛṣṇa, You are a debauchee and a hypocrite, who calls Himself a chaste celibate. Why did You come here where we ladies were peacefully picking flowers? Go and stay with Your animals. You are fit only for animal society. Go with Your animals and graze on the grass of the fields!” Kṛṣṇa smiled and shot crooked glances at Śrīmatī Rādhārānī. “You think I am joking,” He said, “but really, I am that king, Kandarpa-rāja.” But the gopīs shirked Him and continued picking flowers, ignoring His rambling. – Article of Śrīpāda Premānanda Prabhu, penned by his amanuensis This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License .
Posted on: Sun, 27 Oct 2013 05:04:38 +0000
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