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Issue no. 11 Excerpts from the following articles:
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The Dwaraka Queens Hear
Bhagavatam * Rasikananda Prabhu and the Srimad Bhagavatam By Sri Gopijanavallabha Das |
The Dwaraka Queens Hear Bhagavatam
Adapted from the Vaiṣṇava-Khaṇḍa of Skanda Purāṇa chapters one and three
After Krishna’s disappearance from this world, his queens came to Vraja where Vajranabh, Krishna’s great-grandson, was protecting them. One day, while being tormented by the pain of separation from Krishna, they noticed that their co-wife Kalindi was happy. Without succumbing to jealousy, they inquired from her, “You are a wife of Krishna just like the rest of us. We, however, are distressed by the misery of separation while you are not. Please explain this.”
Uddhava’s Remedy
Kalindi smiled and told them, “Sri Radhika is the very self of self-satisfied Krishna. It is on the strength of being situated in her service that the pain of separation does not affect us. All of Krishna’s consorts are her partial expansions. His eternal pleasures go on by virtue of her being present. He is she, and she is he. His flute is the very form of their love. [I served Radha Krishna in Vrindavan as the Yamuna river and] eager to continue serving the two of them, I have assumed a different form and have joined you. Thus you see me here. Actually, you are never separated from Krishna. Unaware of this you are experiencing distress. Previously the gopīs also felt the pain of separation when Akrura came here. [I experienced how] Uddhava spoke to the gopīs and remedied that pain. If you good women were to meet the same Uddhava then you could surely achieve eternal enjoyment with your beloved.”
Very eager to regain the association of their dearmost, Krishna’s wives further inquired from the placid Kalindi, “O friend, you are most fortunate to not be feeling deprived of your beloved. Because your life is so successful we want to be your maidservants. If we could only find Uddhava, everything we desire would be achieved. So please tell us, dear Kalindi, how can we meet him?”
Kalindi said, “As he was departing this world, Krishna instructed Uddhava to stay at Badari in the Himalayas. There, Uddhava is present in his manifest form, teaching spiritual wisdom to the world. But earlier Krishna granted him Vraja-bhumi with all its secrets as the land of his perfection. Even now at the gopīs’ place near Govardhan Hill, Uddhava is present in an unseen way in the form of sprouting plants and creepers, eager to obtain dust touched by the gopīs.
Kirtan at Govardhan
In the company of Maharaja Parikshit and Vajranabh, the queens set out to find Uddhava. In the Vrindavan forest, not far from Govardhan, by the lake known as Kusum Sarovar, they began a great festival of kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana. That kīrtana was tumultuous. Feeling great separation from Krishna, everyone emotionally sang poems and devotional songs and played on vīṇās, flutes and mṛdaṅgas. The kīrtana was so splendid that the pastimes of Krishna, the beloved of Vrishabhanu’s daughter, seemed to become manifest. Suddenly, as everyone watched, Uddhava came out of a grove of bushes and creepers. He wore a flower garland, had a dark-blue complexion, and wore a yellow garment. Wearing a necklace of guñjā berries, he was constantly singing about the darling of the cowherd girls. With his arrival, the saṅkīrtana festival reached a peak of splendor. He glowed like a jewel embedded in a crystal tower caught in the rays of the moon. Seeing him, they all became submerged in an ocean of joy and forgot everything else. After a moment they regained their external awareness. Observing that Uddhava’s appearance was exactly like Sri Krishna’s, they worshiped him. They thought that now their cherished desire was fulfilled.
Finding all of them absorbed in kṛṣṇa-kīrtana, Uddhava offered his respects. He then embraced Maharaja Parikshit and addressed him. Uddhava said, “O king, you are most fortunate. You are always full in exclusive devotion to Krishna. Indeed, your mind is merged completely in the festival of kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtana. By the favor of fortune you have inspired pure love in Krishna’s wives and in Vajranabh. Among all the inhabitants of Dwarka, these queens are without a doubt the most fortunate. The Lord ordered Arjuna to settle them in Vraja. Under the influence of Krishna’s yogamāyā potency these queens have forgotten themselves and are suffering anxiety caused by separation from Krishna. Unless Krishna becomes visible to them, none of them will regain their proper consciousness. But Krishna has wound up his pastimes and is no longer externally manifest in this world. That time is finished, and now we have entered a different age. However, listen and I will tell you another way. He can be visible through the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.
(This article is continued in the printed magazine.)
Rasikananda Prabhu and the Srimad Bhagavatam
By Sri Gopijanavallabha Das
Rescuing the Bhagavatam
With many great devotees in his company, Rasik would tour from place to place chanting the name of Hari. To add to the sweetness of the kīrtana, some played musical instruments. Crowds of people came running just to observe the beauty of Rasik and to allow his sweet words to soothe their ears. Hypnotized by his merciful looks, they would surround him and not want to leave. After meeting Rasik, everyone became a devotee of Krishna and many became his disciples. Rasik went to Dhamnagar, and from there to Sukapala, and then to Jajpur, where he took bath at Asvamedha Ghat on the banks of the Vaitarini River. He then had darśana of Lord Varaha. The day was spent absorbed in kīrtana, and as he chanted and danced, streams of tears rolled down from his eyes. Rasik offered many gifts to the brāhmaṇas.
He went to the banks of the Vaitarani River, which was then very high due to flooding. A boat was there to take them to the other side of the river, but seeing the waves, the people trembled in fear. Chanting the holy name of Krishna, Rasik and his followers boarded the boat. As the craft began moving, it rocked from side to side in the fierce wind. By the time the vessel reached the middle of the river, the waves became furious and the boat went out of control. The boatman prayed to Rasik to save the situation and Rasik advised everyone not to be afraid, but to think of Krishna. Just as he said this, the boat toppled over, and Rasik and his companions fell into the bottomless water. Although the Vaitarani River at this place is famous as being bottomless, the river suddenly appeared only knee deep and everyone was able to stand up.
Singing the glory of Rasik, they said, “Prabhu is an ocean of mercy. We fell into the bottomless depth of the river and he saved us from drowning. Rasik has appeared in this world just to save us from the clutches of Kali. Oh Prabhu! You are the friend of the helpless and an ocean of mercy.” People standing on the banks of the river began to cry when they saw the boat capsize, for they thought that not a single person would survive. At that time they prayed to Narayan to save them. One person said, “Rasik is with them, so by his grace no one will die. By remembering his name at the time of danger one can avoid all kinds of misfortune and even pass safely through wild animals. He is with them so there is no need for fear. Rasik’s power is such that he can destroy the sinners and deliver the fallen.”
As sage-like persons eulogized Rasik, a few boats were sent to rescue the drowning people. Although the boat had capsized in the middle of the river, it was found that everyone was saved. Rasik was standing in the river at a place where even a twenty-foot bamboo pole would not touch the bottom. Yet those who had fallen into the river were standing there as if in knee-deep water. Seeing this, the boatmen on the rescuing boats were astonished. They helped all the people onto the boats and rescued all the luggage. But Rasikananda’s copy of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam was missing. Rasik was pained by this, and he requested everyone to look for the book. Dvija Radhamadan dove into the water and swam some distance against the tremendous current until an iron casket touched his hands. He brought the casket ashore, but unfortunately, although none of the books contained therein had been damaged by water, the Bhāgavata was not there. In his anxiety, Rasikananda Prabhu wanted to enter into the river himself. Sensing this, some of his companions jumped into the water to join the search. Rasik instructed Radhamadan, “You had better bring a boat, because although I can find the manuscript, I am unable to swim.” A boat was brought and the Bhāgavatam was located. However, ten to twenty of Rasik’s companions were unable to lift it out of the water. Then, using all their might, everyone in the boat tried to lift it, but they could not succeed and the manuscript floated away. In amazement, they told Rasik, “Although there are so many of us, we were unable to lift the book out of the water, and because of the tremendous current we are unable to move it.” Rasik then had the boatman take him as near as possible to the manuscript. Rasik stretched out his hand, caught hold of the book, and quickly lifted if from the water as if it were a flower.
(This article is continued in the printed magazine.)
From the latest issue of Sri Krishna Kathamrita Magazine
There is a humorous saying in Oriya, ṣandha śuṇuchi bhāgavata — “A bull hearing the Bhāgavatam,” that indicates something useless. If you recite Śrīmad Bhāgavatam before a bull, what will he understand or appreciate? However, in Bhubaneswar, Orissa recently, this phrase took on a new meaning.
In March 2004, many people had gathered at the ancient Shiva temple known as Kapileshwar Mahadeva in the Old Town area of Bhubaneswar to observe the 22-year-old tradition of hearing a nine-day recitation of Śrīmad Bhāgavatam. Just as the recitation was about to begin, a large bull entered the compound and sat down next to the devotees. Some devotees tried to chase him away, but he was a bit, well ... bullish, and patiently ignored their protests. Everyone was surprised to see that as soon as the talk was finished, the bull got up to leave. However, they were even more surprised when he showed up on time the next day, listened, and again left when it was over. This went on for the duration of the event.
By the following year, most everyone had forgotten about the episode. That is until the first day of the recitation, when the same bull showed up, right on time, and again took his seat to hear the Bhāgavatam. Again this went on every day for the duration of the program. This year, in 2006, everyone was wondering if he would come again. Sure enough, on the first day, our stubborn bovine friend came sauntering through the gate and quietly took his place next to the devotees. Whatever it may mean, this bull hearing the Bhāgavata has become the biggest attraction of the festival.
Bhāgavata-māhātmya of Padma Purāṇa recounts the Bhāgavata-saptāha conducted by the great devotee Gokarna. It is said there that due to his reciting the Bhāgavatam his brother Dhundhukari was delivered from his form of a ghost and attained the spiritual world. The Padma Purāṇa says that although many others were listening to that recitation, no one else achieved liberation because, unlike Dhundhukari, they were not listening attentively. Gokarna later spoke the Bhāgavatam again. This time everyone in the village attended and listened attentively, including even the animals. Chapter 197 of the uttara-khaṇḍa of Padma Purāṇa describes the results:
-- By Madhavananda Dastad-grāme ye sthitā jīvā āśva-cāṇḍāla-jātayaḥ
vimāne sthāpitāste ‘pi gokarṇa kṛpayā tadāBy the mercy of Gokarna, all the living entities in that village, including even the dogs and dog-eaters, ascended into a transcendental airship [and attained the abode of the Lord].
