Çré Ramä Ekädaçé Issue no:98 4th November 2018 THE GLORIES OF VRINDAVAN DHAMA THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VRINDAVAN GLORIES OF VRINDAVANA DHAMA AND THE ORDINARY WORLD Srila Rupa Goswami His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada VRINDAVAN-DHAMA IS IN THIS WORLD THE STATUS OF THE EARTH IS HIGHER BUT UNTOUCHED BY MATTER. THAN THAT OF THE HEAVENLY PLANETS Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Srila Sanatana Goswami SRI BHAKTIVINODA THAKURA VISIT TO BRAJAMANDALA Autobiography of Çré Bhaktivinoda Issue no 98, Page — 2 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VRINDAVAN AND live there. The sädhus keep cows and THE ORDINARY WORLD provide milk to the tigers, saying, "Come His Divine Grace here and take a little milk." Thus envy A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and malice are unknown in Vrindavan. That is the difference between Vrindavan and the ordinary world. We are horrified The word vana means "forest" or to hear the word vana, but in the forest “jungle”. Generally, we are afraid of of Vrindavan there is no such horror. the jungle and do not wish to go there, Everyone there is happy in pleasing but in Vrindavan the jungle animals are Krishna. Kåñëotkértana-gäna-nartana- as good as demigods, for they have no parau. Whether a Goswami or a tiger envy. Even in this material world, in the or other ferocious animal, everyone's jungle the animals live together, and there ambition is the same—to please Krishna. are no attacks when they go to drink Even the tigers are also devotees. This is water. Envy develops because of sense the special quality of Vrindavan. gratification, but in Vrindavan there is no In Vrindavan everyone is happy. The sense gratification, for the only purpose calf is happy, the cat is happy, the dog there is to please Krishna. Even in this is happy, the man is happy—everyone. material world, the animals in Vrindavan Everyone wants to serve Krishna in a are not envious of the sädhus who also different capacity, and thus there is no Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.ibmedu.org nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 98, Page—3 envy. One may sometimes think that of yore: the monkeys in Vrindavan are envious, because they cause mischief and steal food, ärädhyo bhagavän vrajeça-tanayas but in Vrindavan we find that the monkeys tad-dhäma våndävanaà are allowed to take butter, which Krishna ramyä käcid upäsana vraja-vadhü- Himself distributes. Krishna personally demonstrates that everyone has the right to vargeëä yä kalpitä live. This is Vrindavan life. Why should I live and you die? No. That is material life. The çrémad-bhägavataà pramäëam amalaà inhabitants of Vrindavan think, "Whatever premä pum-artho mahän is given by Krishna, let us divide it as çré-caitanya-mahäprabhor matam idaà prasäda and eat." This mentality will not taträdaräù naù paraù appear all of a sudden, but it will gradually develop with Krishna consciousness; by The Supreme Personality of Godhead, spiritual practice (sädhana), one can come the son of Nanda Maharaja, is to be to this platform. worshiped along with His transcendental In the material world one may go all abode, Vrindavan. The most pleasing form over the world and collect funds in order of worship for the Lord is that which was to distribute food freely, yet those to performed by the gopis of Vrindavan. whom the food is given may not even Çrémad-Bhägavatam is the spotless feel appreciative. The value of Krishna authority on every subject matter, and pure consciousness, however, will gradually love of God is the ultimate goal of life for be appreciated greatly. For instance, in all. We have the highest regard for these an article about the temple of the Hare statements, as they are the opinion of Çré Krishna movement in Durban, South Caitanya Mahäprabhu. Africa, the Durban Post reported, "All the —Caitanya-maïjuña, a commentary on Çrémad Bhägavatam devotees here are very active in the service of Lord Krishna, and the results are obvious to see: happiness, good health, peace of Krishna, the son of Nanda, is the full mind, and the development of all good manifestation of the Supreme Personality of qualities." This is the nature of Vrindavan. Godhead. Lord Krishna manifests Himself Haräv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guëäù: in three features before His devotees without Krishna consciousness, happiness according to their respective qualifications. is impossible; one may struggle, but one All of these features are complete. They cannot even have happiness. We are are not partial or indirect manifestations therefore trying to give human society of Krishna the way His manifestations as the opportunity for a life of happiness, Paramatma and Brahman are partial. These good health, peace of mind and all good three features are described as complete, qualities through God consciousness. more complete, and most complete — Srimad-Bhägavatam (Bhagavata Purana) » Canto 10: The and are situated in Dvaraka, Mathura, Summum Bonum » SB 10.13: The Stealing of the Boys and Calves and Vrindavan respectively. In Dvaraka by Brahma » Verse: 60. Krishna’s manifestation is complete, in Mathura, He is more complete, and in Vraja, He is most complete. VRINDAVAN-DHAMA IS IN THIS WORLD BUT UNTOUCHED BY MATTER. We live on earth, which is situated within Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura the fourteen planetary systems. These fourteen planetary systems consist of seven upper planets, beginning from earth, and We find Sri Caitanyadeva’s philosophy seven planets below the earth. Among the authoritatively summarized in one verse seven upper planets the first three are Bhü, www.ibmedu.org Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya Issue no 98, Page — 4 Top left 4 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Bhüva, and Svaù. These are the residence Sri Caitanyadeva established the of the pious, ambitious materialists. The supremacy of serving the Lord of Vrindavan rest, beginning with Mahar, Jana, Tapa, or Gokula. Krishna is the fountainhead of and Satya are the destination of those who all the Vishnu incarnations; He is the son of practice renunciation. Among them those Nanda and the beloved child of Yashoda. brahmacäris who live at the gurukula He is also the beloved Lord of Radha. for a fixed period of time and then return This Supreme Personality of Godhead home after offering dakñiëä to their guru, Krishna alone is the eternally worshipable attain the planet called Maharloka. Those Lord of the Gaudiyas, the followers of Sri brahmacärés who remain in their guru’s Rupa like ourselves. Sri Caitanyadeva has äçrama for their entire lives and who instructed everyone to worship Krishna, practice strict celibacy attain Janaloka. the Lord of Gokula. The destination of the vänaprasthas is — Amåta Väëé: Nectar of Instructions of Immoratality by His Tapaloka, and sannyäsés to Satyaloka. Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura Prabhupäda, Beyond this however, the devotees who compiled by Çrépäda Bhakti Mayukha Bhägavat Mahäraja, have no desire either to enjoy the material adapted and published by Éçvara däsa. world or to merge into Brahman, attain the most rare Vaikunthaloka. GLORIES OF VRINDAVANA DHAMA Above Vaikuntha is Dvaraka, above Srila Rupa Goswami Dvaraka is Mathura, and above Mathura is Goloka Vrindavan. Those spiritual “May Vrindavana, which is fragrant with abodes, which are eternally present in a gentle breeze that makes the lotuses in the spiritual sky, are also manifest in this the Yamuna rock to and fro, where there world. Whatever is absent in the spiritual are groves of kadamba trees and many world cannot appear in this world. As gopis, whose hearts are blossoming with lotus flowers grow in the water but are happiness by hearing the music of Lord not touched by the water, so Vrindavan Mukunda's flute, grant me her shelter." dhama is in this world but untouched by matter. Those whose hearts are not "May Vrindavan, where Lord Brahma inclined to serve the Lord cannot realize and other jagad-gurus desire to be born the transcendental nature of the Lord’s even as an insignificant blade of grass, abode as it appears in this world. and which, even though it is a forest, is many thousands of times more opulent, Holy places like Ayodhya, Dvaraka, beautiful, charming, and sweet than the and Puri are particular provinces of spiritual cities of Vaikuntha, be my sole Vaikuntha. The happiness one feels in shelter." Ayodhya is superior to the happiness one feels in Vaikuntha; the happiness "May Vrindavan, where the fragrance of one feels in Dvaraka is superior to the the eternally blossoming flower vines fills happiness one feels in Ayodhya; and the the goddess of fortune Laksmi-devi with happiness experienced by the residents wonder, and where the bumblebees in of Goloka Vrindavan is the crest jewel of the trees filled with very sweet honey are all happiness. poets who bow down and recite eloquent prayers, be my sole shelter." The reason the happiness felt in one dhama is superior to the happiness felt "May Vrindavan, whose body is in another is based on the intensity of the decorated with the charming, gracefully rasas expressed in the particular dhamas. marked footprints of the youthful divine The distress the devotees feel in Goloka couple of Vraja, who are as glorious as dances on the head of all happiness. a dark monsoon cloud coupled with Distress in the spiritual world nourishes brilliant lightning, and who incessantly supreme happiness. perform playful pastimes and where the Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.ibmedu.org nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 98, Page—5 tender sprouting grass blades idolize and emulate Their toenails be my sole shelter." "May Vrindavan,