Sri Krishna Kathamrita

Tav k QaaMa*Ta& TaáJaqvNaMa( tava kathāmta tapta-jīvanam BBBiiinnndududu Issue No. 114 Fortnightly email mini-magazine from Gopal Jiu Publications 28 Oct. 2005 Śrī Ramā Ekādaśī, 11 Dāmodara, 519 Gaurābda Circulation, 1635

• FEELING SEPARATION IS REQUIRED His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada • DISCIPLESHIP IS ETERNAL Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja • THE GLORIES AND POWER OF GOVARDHAN HILL Highlights Highlights Extracts from Śrī Garga Sahitā, 3.10-11

FEELING SEPARATION IS REQUIRED TheyPAGE were ONE simply TOP COLLUMNfeeling separation. TWO They lived in Vrindavan, but they never said, “Last night I saw His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Krishna dancing.” Rather, they said, “Krishna and Swami Prabhupada the gopīs, Radharani, where are you all? Where are Radharani thinks, “All others are you? Are you near Govardhan Hill or on the bank engaged in Krishna’s devotion, of the river Yamuna? Where are you?” This is called but I am not.” Similarly, Chaitanya bhajana, devotion in separation. We should increase Mahaprabhu said, “I have not a our aspiration in this way more and more. That is pinch of devotion to Krishna. required. That āśā, that hope, that expectation, will Then if someone asks him, lead us to the topmost platform of devotion. “Why you are crying?” — Bhagavad-gītā lecture in Hawaii. 8 February 1975. “To make a show.” Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, “I am crying for Krishna just to advertise DISCIPLESHIP IS ETERNAL that I have become a big devotee, but actually Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami Maharaja I don’t have a pinch of devotion for Krishna.” Devotee 1: You said that we should eter- “No, you are such a great devotee. Every- nally remain as a disciple. Some devotees say one says.” we are eternally the disciple of one particu- “No. Everyone may say, but I am not.” lar guru, one jīva. Is that correct? “Why you are not?” Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. He is eternally “Although I am separated from Krishna, my guru. I am eternally his disciple. still I am living. That is the proof that I have Devotee 1: What does “eternally guru” no love for Krishna.” mean? The person who is appearing as guru This is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s statement. may be different in different lifetimes. It may “If I had a drop of love for Krishna, how I not be the same person. could live so long without him?” This is love Gour Govinda Swami: It is the same soul, not of Krishna, “How can I live in separation the body. cak u-dāna dila yei, janme janme prabhu from Krishna?” This is Chaitanya sei — Life after life he is my master. [Narottam Mahaprabhu’s philosophy. The Goswamis Das Thakur’s Śrī Guru-vandanā]. My master is followed this. They never said, “Now I have he who has opened my eyes. Which eyes? Bhakti- seen Krishna.” cak u, the eyes of devotion. That person is my he rādhe vraja-devike ca lalite he nanda-sūno kuta master life after life — eternally. If you have that śrī-govardhana-kalpa-pādapa-tale kālindī-vane kuta eye you can see him. “Oh, here is my guru.” gho antāv iti sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-vihvalau Devotee 1: Some disciples have two spiritual mas- vande rūpa-sanātanau raghu-yugau śrī jīva-gopālakau ters. One may have a dīk ā-guru, and a śik ā-guru. next column ! ! Issue One hundred fourteen, Page — 2 é[q k* ZMathura, the holy place that and future. removes all sins. After performing his religious Devotee 1: How can the guru-disciple rela- duties, he went to Govardhan Hill and took one tionship go on there? of the stones there. Going in a leisurely way from Gour Govinda Swami: Why not? Krishna forest to forest, he finally left the circle of Vraja. says, rādhikāra prema-guru, āmi śi ya na a␣— At that moment, he saw a horrible rāk asa mon- Radharani is my guru and I am her disciple. ster approaching, having three heads, three When even Krishna says this, is it not true in chests, six arms, six legs, three hands, huge lips, your case? and a huge nose. His hands were raised in the Devotee 1: I was reading in Prema-vivarta air. His seven-hands-long tongue moved to and that in the perfectional stage one is trained fro, the hairs of his body were like a tangle of under Vishakha. thorns, his eyes were red, and he had long, Gour Govinda Swami: Yes. Sakhīs, mañjarīs, curved, frightening fangs. Wishing to eat him, the guru is one of them. He is rādhā-prīya-sakhī the snorting monster approached the brāhma a. — an intimate companion of Srimati The brāhma a struck the monster with his Radharani. Your relationship is eternal. You’ll govardhana-śilā. Hit by the stone from go there and serve under them. nikuñja-yūno Govardhan Hill, the monster gave up his body. rati-keli-siddhyai␣— The guru is expert in mak- The creature suddenly transformed into a ing arrangements for the conjugal pastimes handsome dark person with large lotus-petal of Radha Krishna. [Gurv-a aka 6] eyes, dressed in yellow garments, garlanded Devotee 2: You once said that only a sur- with forest flowers, wearing a crown and ear- rendered soul can hear. So what about those rings, holding a flute and stick, glorious as who hear, become attracted, and then sur- another Cupid, and his features like those of render. What is their state? Lord Krishna. With folded hands he then Gour Govinda Swami: Attracted means bowed before the brāhma a again and again. they are surrendered. Otherwise this kathā The liberated soul said, “O best of brāhma as, will never enter... If he has no faith he cannot you earnestly work for the salvation of oth- hear. One who is developing faith means he ers. O noble-hearted one, you have rescued is a disciple. It means surrender. me from a monster’s life. Good fortune has ! ! TopSri leftKrishna-kathamrita 3 Bindu top rightIssue 3 One hundred fourteen, Page — 3 come to me simply by the touch of this stone. girirājasya yātrāyā tasmāt ko i-gu a phalam No one but you could have delivered me.” girirāja-sama tīrtha na bhūta na bhavi yati The brāhma a said, “I am astonished by your By going on pilgrimage to Govardhan Hill one words. I have no power to deliver you. I don’t attains piety ten million times greater than the know how, simply by a stone’s touch, this has piety he would attain by going on pilgrimage to happened. O saintly one, please explain this.” Rishyamuka or Devagiri. There never was, nor will there ever be a holy place equal to Govardhan śrī-siddha uvāca Hill. (10.23-24) girirājo hare rūpa śrīmān govardhano giri śrī-śaile daśa var ā i ku e vidyādhare nara tasya darśana-mātre a naro yāti ktārthatām snāna karoti suktī śata-yajña-phala labhet The liberated soul said, “Glorious Govardhan govardhane puccha-ku e dinaika snāna-kn nara Hill, the king of mountains, is the personal form ko i-yajña-phala sāk āt pu yam eti na saśaya of Lord Krishna. Simply by seeing it one attains the supreme goal of life. (10.15) By bathing every day for ten years in Vidyadhara Kunda on Sri Saila one attains the result of a hun- gandhamādana-yātrāyā yat phala labhate ara dred yajñas. By once bathing in Puccha Kunda on tasmāt ko i-gu a pu ya girirājasya darśane Govardhan Hill one attains the result of ten mil- “By seeing Govardhan Hill one attains a pious re- lion yajñas. Of this there is no doubt. (10.25-26) sult many millions of times greater than the results citrakū e payasvinyā śrī-rāma-navamī-dine of a pilgrimage to Mount Gandhamadan. (10.16) pariyātre ttīyāyā vaiśākhasya dvijottama pañca-var a-sahasrā i kedāre yat tapa-phalam kukurādrau ca pūr āyā nilādrau dvādaśī-dine tac ca govardhane vipra k a ena labhate nara indrakīle ca saptamyā snāna dāna tapa kriyā “O brāhmaa, the same results one attains by tat sarva ko i-gu ita bhavatīttha hi bhārate performing austerities for five thousand years govardhane tu tat sarvam ananta jāyate dvija at Mount Kedara is attained in a single moment O best of brāhma as, bathing in sacred rivers, at Govardhan Hill. (10.17) giving charity, performing austerities, and per- malayādrau svar a-bhāra-dānasyāpi ca yat phalam forming pious deeds, all these performed dur- tasmāt ko i-gu a pu ya girirāje hi māsikam ing Rāma-navamī on Mount Citrakut, during the third day of the month of Viśākhā on pariyātra, “By staying for one month at Govardhan Hill during the full-moon on Mount Kukura, during one attains a pious result many millions of times dvādaśī on Mount Nila, or during saptamī at greater than the result of giving in charity a bas- Indrakila bring a great pious result. That pious ket of gold in the Malaya Hills. (10.18) result is multiplied ten million times by visiting parvate ma gala-prasthe yo dadyād dhema-dak i ām Bharata-varsha. It is multiplied unlimited times sa yāti vi u-sārūpya yukta pāpa-śatair api by visiting Govardhan Hill. (10.29-31) tat pada hi naro yāti girirājasya darśanāt govinda-ku e viśade ya snāti k a-mānasa girirāja-sama pu ya anyat tīrtha na vidyate prāpnoti k a-sārūpya maithilendra na saśaya Even though he has committed hundreds of sins, One who, thinking of Lord Krishna, bathes in a person who at Mount Mangala gives gold in sacred Govinda-kund, attains a transcendental charity attains a spiritual form like Lord form like Lord Krishna’s. O lord of Mithila, of Vishnu’s. That same result is attained simply this there is no doubt. (10.39) by seeing Govardhan Hill. No other holy place aśvamedha-sahasrā i rājasūya-śatāni ca is as sacred as Govardhan Hill. (10.19-20) mānasī-ga gayā tulya na bhavanty atra no girau abhādrau kū akādrau kolakādrau tathā nara Neither a thousand aśvamedha-yajñas nor a hun- suvar a-ś ga-yuktānā gavā ko ir dadāti ya dred rājasūya-yajñas are equal to visiting Manasi- mahā-pu ya labhet so ‘pi viprān sampūjya yatnata ganga on Govardhan Hill. (10.40) tasmāl lak a-gu a pu ya girau govardhane dvija O brāhma a, you have directly seen and O brāhma a, simply by visiting Govardhan Hill one touched Govardhan Hill. You have bathed in its attains piety a hundred thousand times greater than sacred waters. In this world no one is more for- the piety he would attain if on the sacred moun- tunate than you. If you don’t believe my words, tains Rishabha, Kutaka, and Kolaka he had wor- consider the story of this great sinner who, be- shiped many brāhmaas and given in charity ten cause he was touched by a govardhana-śilā, at- million cows with golden horns. (10.21-22) tained a transcendental form like Lord Krishna’s. yamūkasya sahyasya tathā deva-gire puna When he heard the liberated soul’s words, yātrāyā labhate pu ya samastāya bhuva phalam the brāhma a became struck with wonder. ! ! é[q k* Zmanvantara. ated soul bowed down before the chariot. Climb- For a kalpa I was forced to embrace the red-hot ing the chariot, and at that moment losing all iron statue of a woman. I suffered greatly. By interest in his heart to stay in the material world, ! the liberated soul went to Sri Krishna’s beautiful abode, graceful with many pastime gardens, the SRI KRISHNA KATHAMRITA BINDU highest of all spiritual realms. A free bi-monthly service provided by: Then the brāhma a returned to Govardhan Gopal Jiu Publications Hill, the deity worshiped by the kings of moun- c/o Sri Krishna Balarama Mandir tains. Circumambulating the hill, bowing down National Highway No. 5, IRC Village before it, and now aware of its great power and Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India, 751015 glory, the brāhma a went to his home. Phone: (0674) 2553250, 2557026 ya ś oti girirāja-yasaśya Email: [email protected] gopa-rāja-nava-keli-rahasyam Website: www.gopaljiu.org deva-rāja iva so ‘tra sameti Subscriptions: [email protected] nanda-rāja iva śāntim amutra Gopal Jiu Publications is a branch of the Inter- One who hears the glories of Govardhan Hill, glo- national Society for Krishna Consciousness, ries that are filled with the secrets of Lord Krishna’s Founder-Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. ever-new transcendental pastimes, will become as Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. fortunate as King Indra in this life and as fortu- Quotations from the books, letters, and lectures of His nate as King Nanda in the next. (11.26) Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Bibliography ©Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. All other mate- rials, unless specified, © ISKCON Bhubaneswar/Gopal — Garga Muni. Śrī Garga-sahitā. English translation by Jiu Publications. All rights reserved. Blanket permission is Kusakratha Das. Krishna Library. Culver City, California. 1990. given to redistribute Bindu in electronic or print form pro- — Garga Muni. Śrī Garga-sahitā. Sanskrit with Bengali vided no changes are made to the contents. translation. Chaitanya Saraswat Math. Nabadwip, West Ben- gal, India. 2002.