How to be absorbed continued ....

[Patita Pavana das]

So devotees, by hearing this katha and following the indication of Rupa Gosvamipada, gradually ‘tesam bhavaptaye lubdho, some absorption will come.


Now these young gopis are very obsessed. Every morning they are following this process. They are offering bhoga to Katyayani Devi, so many preparations, and thinking, “We are giving you this offering of foodstuffs. Please fulfill our desires that we may take the remnants directly from Krsna’s mouth.” They are expressing many, many desires by their Katyayani puja. After offering their bhoga, you have to give tambula by chanting mantra. So they have made very nice tambula with supari, elaichi, karpura and labanga, to offer to Katyayani Devi. “Please accept this offering of tambula, and may our lips become reddish from tambula that Krsna has chewed.”


Then they are offering arotika and prayers and they gave pranama to Katyayani Devi. Every day they perform their worship very early in the morning and they became so enthused, so excited with the prospect that “Katyayani Devi will give us mercy.” They became so sure of this that they were increasing the offerings every day, making more and more preparations every single day for one month. By the end of the month, they had so many more offerings of bhoga and so many different types of paraphernalia. So, going on in this way, at the end of the month, then - what will happen if you serve the deities like this? It may be that by the causeless mercy of your deity, your deity may appear in your heart and speak some sweet words in your ear.


So at the end of the month, Katyayani Devi herself appeared within the hearts of all of them. They all felt it. She told them, “O gopis of Vrindavan, you will attain all your desires. Now you can stop your tapasya.” Then Katyayani Devi disappeared. They were all overjoyed, and felt so happy. They had so much confidence. “Yes, now our vrata is successful. What we have prayed for, by offering madhuparka, oil, udbhartan, ghee wicks, and everything, Katyayani is giving her blessing now.” They were so happy that they had a celebration. It was the last day of their vrata. On the last day of a Vedic yajna, a sacrificial bathing, called avabhrtha snana, must be performed. For this celebration, those gopis invited Srimati Radhika, Lalita, Visakha, Citra, Campakalata, Induleka, Tungavidya, Rangadevi, Sudevi, Rupa Manjari, Rati Manjari, all the nitya-siddha kaya-vyuha gopis. Those who were doing this vrata were not nitya-siddha, they were sadhana-siddha. And they invited all the nitya-siddhas to come and take part in their festival on the last day.


On that day they were very, very happy. Singing and dancing, they prepared to take their avabhrtha snana. This takes place in the daytime, not before sunrise. The sun had risen. Although it was the end of Hemanta, the sun was somewhat warm in the daytime, but the water was still cold because the night is very cold. So then the gopis, according to their local customs, removed all their clothes, and leaving them on the bank of the river, went into the water all together. The water was cold warm but the sun was shining, so it is not so bad in the warm daytime sun.


At that time Krsna was grazing the cows in the forest with His cowherd boyfriends. He knew what they had been doing for one month and that they were now taking their final bath, and He wanted to reciprocate with them. So He sneaked off from the cows and all His friends and headed toward Cira Ghata. I think many of you have been to Cira Ghata on Vraja Mandala parikrama with us. It is a very beautiful place. At that time, there were some very little boys, only two or three years old, who followed Krsna because they were so attached to Him. In the morning when Krsna goes out for cow grazing, these little boys sneak out of the house away from their parents, and follow Him everywhere He goes. These small boys are completely naked and don’t understand anything about boys and girls.


So Krsna did not mind that they came with Him and slowly, slowly, He was approaching Cira Ghata. As He was approaching, He thought, “Oh, now the gopis are playing in the water and doing kirtana. I do not want to disturb them or attract their attention.” So Krsna very carefully tied up His turban tightly with His hair inside. He tied his belt and fastened His ankle bells so that no noise would come. Then He looked at the boys who were chattering and making noise and said, “Sssshhh, be quiet!”


Then very stealthily Krsna reached the bank of the Yamuna. He collected all the gopis’ clothes and climbed up a kadamba tree while the gopis were playing in the water. When the gopis wanted to come out from the water, they looked toward the bank and said, “Hey! Where is our cloth? Our clothes are gone.” Then they heard some giggling. Those little baby boys were at the bottom of the tree giggling. Looked over toward the tree, they saw an amzaing sight-the treewas bedecked with many many colors. All their saris were hanging on all of the branches all over the tree. They had never see a tree like this before.


And there in the tree was Syamasundara Vrajendra-Nandana, the object of all their desires. For many, many days, they had been doing hard austerities, but with a joyful and confident mood, and now they saw that He was there. They said, “Uh Oh,” and dunked under the water up to their necks, suddenly becoming shy. Now, in the water up to their necks, they were wondering, “Oh, what should we do?” They were very, very happy, but at the same time, very shy and expressing their internal mood.


Krsna called out to them, “Do you want your clothes? Come on. Come and take your clothes. You can come one at a time or you can come all together. Come on.” Krsna was sitting in the tree and smiling at them. They were all looking at each other-what to do? They said, “OK, we will try sweet words.” If a person’s behavior is bad, then first you should use sweet words.


They said, “O Krsna, you are the son of Nanda Maharaja, so you have a very good reputation. You father is fair, honest and honorable. He is very, very kind. So you should be like him. We could not tolerate that your reputation should be spoiled. So please, give our clothes to those little boys and go away. Let them bring the cloth to us and You should leave this place. This is not fair. You should not joke with us in this way.”


Krsna said, “You know, I never joke, especially with girls who are performing a vrata. A vrata is a very serious thing. I never joke with any ladies, what to speak of those who are very pious and doing a vrata. So I am not joking. You should come out of the water and I will give you your cloth.”


The gopis said, “We would rather drown in the Yamuna than come out and stand in front of You. So listen, You just give the cloth to the boys; otherwise, we will complain to Your father, and he will teach You a good lesson.”


Krsna told them, “You can complain to my father. He can’t do anything. He is an old man. I don’t care.”


The gopis responded, “O Krsna, why don’t you just be very kind and leave our cloth on the bank of the Yamuna?” Now they were still up to their necks. They would not come out more than that. “Please, just leave our cloth on the bank of the Yamuna and go away.”


Krsna said, “How can I do that? It is quite impossible because there are so many of you, and if I leave your cloth on the bank of the river, then when you come out to get your cloth, maybe it will be mixed up and some girl will take the cloth that belongs to someone else and someone may take the cloth which belongs to someone else. You might start arguing with each other, so I must make sure that this does not happen. Therefore, you should come and take your own cloth, one by one.”


The gopis answered, “Actually, Krsna, if You leave our cloth on the bank of the river, there will not be any problem, because, unlike some people that we know, we are very, very honest. We are thoroughly honest and we never take any property that belongs to anyone else-unlike someone we know.”


Then Krsna said, “OK, if you are so honest, then why don’t you come out, one by one, and take your cloth? What is the difficulty?” What did He mean? In their hearts, they loved Krsna and wanted to meet with Him in a very intimate way. Krsna knew what they are feeling and answered, “OK, if you are honest, then what is the difficulty?”


So then the gopis, looking at each other, were thinking, “What to do?” One gopi said to her friend, “Hey, you go first. Because He is so tricky, there is no telling what He might do. So you go first and we will see what trick He plays on you. And then, if it is OK, I will go afterwards.” Then they started to push each other, “You go first.” “No, you go first.”


Then Krsna was getting a little bit tired because none of the gopis were coming out; they were only giving so many excuses. So then Krsna told them, “My dear gopis, you should come and collect your cloth at once because I have been awake the whole night and I am really tired and feeling a little bit sleepy. If you don’t come and get your cloth, I will tie it together and make a hammock in the tree. I will just lie down and take some rest, because I am really tired.”


The gopis were thinking, “What to do?” And then they called out, “Hey Krsna! Don’t you know that Your cows have wandered very far away? They have wandered into a cave and they cannot come out and they are calling You. So go quickly, Krsna. Your cows are calling.” In this way, they tried different ways to persuade Him to go.


Krsna said, “I know that you have many household duties. You have many responsibilities in your homes. Don’t make a disturbance to your mothers-in-law and all your family members because you have important duties to perform. If you delay much longer, you will be late. So come out of the water and quickly take your cloth. Then you can return to your homes and do all those really important things that you have to do.”


Then the gopis told Krsna, “No, this is not true. We don’t have to return home. No one is waiting for us. We will go after one month, because we have our parents’ permission to do this vrata. They have given us permission to stay here for another month and continue our vrata, so we are in no hurry to go home.”


Then Krsna said, “Oh, you are tapasvini. You have performed some very hard, severe austerities. How astonishing! You know, sanga, association, is very powerful, so just by seeing how austere and how renounced you are, some renunciation has awakened in My heart too. Now I also do not feel like going home for another month. So if you will be kind to me, I will come down from the tree and spend one month with you right here.”


And gopis were thinking, “What to do?” Then they made their big threat. “Listen, if You don’t give our clothes, we will tell Kamsa, and he will punish You. But if You will return our cloth, we promise You that we will become Your maidservants-whatever order You give us, we will obey.”


Krsna answered, “I am not afraid of Kamsa. And if you really want to be My maidservants, then why don’t you follow Me right now? You are saying that if I give your cloth, then you will be My maidservants. But if that is really your desire and your intention, then why not be My maidservants right now, and obey Me now instead of later? I don’t believe your intention.”


So then the gopis, being defeated by their own words, were thinking, “Oh, we’ve been here for such a long time and if we don’t come out soon, then any other Brijbasis may come by here, and this will cause us great shame. That will be completely unbearable.” So then, they reassured each other, saying, “Look, we have no choice. We better come out from the water.”


The gopis have really long hair, down to their feet. They took their hair and arranged it in such a way that their bodies were covered. And they started to come out from the water. They came up to waist level only and then thought, “Oh, we can’t go any further.” They could not bear it, being so shy.


Try to follow Rupa Gosvami’s advice-sadaranikaran. The gopis’ bodies are made of their moods, their shyness, eagerness and everything-their bodies are made of bhava. So if we want to have our spiritual body, then this mood should come.


They were so shy. Now they were up to their waist, but they could not take another step. They were pushing each other, saying, “You go first.” “No, you.” “No, you.” So gradually, those who were a little bit bolder than the others began to come out, and those who were a little shy were hiding behind the ones who came out first so that Krsna could not see them. And with their hands and with their hair also, they were trying to cover themselves. All came out onto the bank of Yamuna. Some were at the front and others were hiding behind them, covering their bodies with their hair and with their hands.


Then Krsna said, “You should obey all My instructions and you will very easily get your clothes back. So first of all I would like you all to stand in one straight line. Thank you.” Why? Because they were all hiding behind each other. So gradually Krsna was taking their shyness, piece by piece by piece, that there should be nothing left one day. This shyness is very difficult to overcome, but Krsna knows the ways and means-He is very clever. He said, “First of all, I want you to all stand in a straight line, shoulder to shoulder, not behind each other.” And then gopis came in a straight line, standing and covering themselves.




Krsna said, “Even ordinary people in this world, what to speak of chaste ladies who perform a vrata, never let their hair loose. So, first of all, if you want your vrata to be successful, you should tie up your hair. Thank you. If you don’t obey Me, I will not give you your clothes.”


“Uh oh, OK.” So now they took their hair and braided it and tied it up. Every gopi tied up her hair in a different fashion for the pleasure of Krsna-some tied it on top, some in the back and some on the side. They looked very beautiful and attractive, decorated in so many artistic ways.


So now Krsna was very happy. All were standing in a line, with their hair on their heads. But Krsna had some more ideas. “OK. You know, you have taken bath naked in Yamuna. It is an aparada. You have made offense to Varunadeva, the god of the water.” The gopis were covering their bodies with their hands. “So I want you to offer pranama to Varunadeva with your hands folded on the top of your heads.” So then the gopis put their hands on top of their heads and offered pranama to Varunadeva. Krsna was very very happy.


Don’t think that Krsna is lusty. This material body is made of matter-earth, water, fire, air and ether, and the three modes of nature. The gopis of Vrindavan have no material body. Even the bodies of those who were sadhana-siddha in their previous lives became spiritualized in that life and when they gave up their sadhaka form, they took birth in Vraja Mandala. Their bodies are made of bhava, only made of love for Krsna, nothing else. Krsna is tasting their beauty, and their love and affection only. They are made of this prema-they have no lust.


So He told them, “With your hands folded on your heads, you should give pranama to Yamuna.” All of them did this and Krsna smiled happily. Then they came one by one and Krsna gave them their cloth, one by one. They took their cloth and they began to get dressed, but this cloth had been touched by Krsna’s hand, which is very fragrant, like a mixture of aguru, candana, kunkuma, camphor and a blue lotus flower. And this fragrance was now in their cloth, having been touched by Krsna. So now, taking their cloth, their desires were being fulfilled. Because Krsna had touched their cloth, which was now permeated with Krsna’s fragrance, when they dressed themselves, it was as if they Krsna Himself was completely embracing them. Now, they still did not move from that place. Why? Because feeling the touch of the cloth, which was touched by Krsna, sattvika-bhavas came in their bodies-they were trembling, theirs hairs were standing on end, and they were stunned, they could not move. Only they were glancing very shyly at Krsna. Now their attachment for Him was more than ever before. Why? Because they understood, “Krsna has accepted us.” This is what they wanted their whole lives since they were small babies. They only wanted that Krsna would accept them as His own. So Krsna had accepted them and they had accepted Krsna-not officially, not by the rules and regulations of society, only by the rules of prema. “Now it is confirmed,” and they were happy. “It is confirmed. Krsna is really attached to us. Now we know it for sure.”


Then Krsna told them:


na mayy avesita-dhiyam

kamah kamaya kalpate

bharjita kvathita dhanah

prayo bijaya nesate

(SB 10.22.26)


"If anyone’s mind is fixed on remembering Me, whatever kama, or lust, they have will never become material.” Impossible. Krsna is giving the example: bijaya nesate. “If you plant a grain in the gound, it will grow. But if you cook the grain, that grain will never sprout." So even though someone may have a material desire or some lust, if he will absorb his mind in Krsna completely, this desire will never fructify; it will never turn into material desire. It will become completely transcendental.


Krsna said, "I know that you have been doing this vrata." Sva-pada-sparsa-kamyaya (SB 10.22.24). "You have performed this vrata because you want to have the touch of My lotus feet. This was your desire.” Yat te sujata-caranamburuhah stanesu. Krsna knows. “Your desire to enjoy and have the touch of My lotus feet will be fulfilled in the sarad season, in the coming autumn nights.” Krsna here used the word ‘night’. By using this word, He has given them an indication. What is that? No lady can meet at night with anyone except her husband. So when the gopis heard this word ‘night’, oh, they became overjoyed! Now Krsna has made His promise. So then they knew that they would have to return to their villages. With great difficulty, it was very hard for them, but somehow or other, though their minds remained with Krsna, they dragged their bodies back to their villages. But their heart stayed with Krsna completely, fixed upon Him in meditation. All the time they were remembering His smiles, sweet words and joking, and their attachment was more than ever before.


So this is lila, the sweet pastimes of Krsna described in Srimad Bhagavatam.


ramya kacid upasana vraja-vadhu-vargena ya-kalpita

srimad-bhagavatam pramanam amalam prema pumartho mahan


Mahaprabhu was teaching that this is our aim and object, only to have a love like this. It will come when hearing with a very, very high expectation. Then ‘lubhda ceta’-this obsessive behavior will come. But when it comes, it should be hidden inside. On the outside, we should be like any ordinary person in this world, doing whatever we have to do according to our position in this world. Go on like this, hiding this obsession within the heart, always hearing, chanting and remembering the pastimes of Krsna from Srimad Bhagavatam. Try to take the association of Vraja rasika bhavuka rupanuga Vaisnavas.


This katha will be like a fruit. Coming in that association like a kapalika yogi, feeling anxiety, with a greed in the ears and taking the bowl of our aspirations in our hands. Always be like this. Then, gradually, gradually, one can attain the platform of bhava-bhakti in raga-marga. This is the object of our life. We take inspiration from Vraja-ramani-how they are doing their vrata. Though it is very hard for them, still they are happy, rising early in the morning, calling each other by name, embracing each other, holding hands and going to Yamuna. We should do our sadhana-bhajan together like this! And be one-pointed, completely one-pointed.


In this lila, there is another important lesson. Actually, if those young gopis of Vrindavan had been doing Katyayani vrata until the end of the month, then Krsna would not have come and stolen their clothes. But on the last day, they invited Radharani, Lalita, Visakha, Citra, Campakalata, Rupa Manjari, Rati Manjari-nitya-siddha kaya-vyuha, those who are eternally perfect, whose love is very very powerful. They invited them to take part in their festival, and all took bath together in the river. Therefore, because the love of Radharani and Her sakhis is so strong, Krsna came there to steal their clothes. But because the clothes of the sadhana-siddha gopis were doing sadhu sanga with the clothes of the nitya-siddha gopis, Krsna stole all of their clothes together.


This is the teaching. Otherwise He would not have taken the sadhana-siddha gopis’ cloth. So we should try to be in sadhu sanga. If we will do our sadhana-bhajana in the association of those whose love is powerful and has controlled Krsna, when Krsna calls them to come into His lila, then He will see that so many are with them, near and dear and close to those sadhus. And Krsna will say, "Oh, I am also taking you. Just wait a little while.” This is sadhu sanga. If we will be in high-class association, then Krsna will accept us, just as Krsna accepted the sadhana-siddha gopis. Why? Because they had sanga with nitya-siddha kaya-vyuha-Radhika and Her asta sakhis and others.


One other thing is very important. Who is Katyayani Devi? General people know Katyayani Devi as Mahamaya, the material energy-Durga, Bhadra Kali, the consort of Lord Siva. But in transcendental Vrindavan, no material demigod can come there and be worshiped by the Brajbasis. Who is this Katyayani Devi? She is Yogamaya. Yogamaya means that energy who does yoga-links, makes union. She can help you to meet with Krsna. So here, gopis are giving us a lesson. You must take shelter of Yogamaya-everyday worshiping Yogamaya, praying to Yogamaya, making offerings to Yogamaya. Otherwise, you'll not meet with Krsna.


Prabhupada knows these things and therefore he instructed us to do Tulasi puja everyday. Why? Purnamasi Devi is ‘samastigata yogamaya’-wholesale Yogamaya. And one department-madhurya-rasa department-is taken care of by Yogamaya’s prakasa. She is Vrinda Devi. She has come in this world in the form of Tulasi. Without taking shelter of Yogamaya, one can not meet with Krsna. So as gopis of Vrindavan have taken shelter of Katyayani Devi, and they had the chance to meet with Krsna, so similarly everyday we should pray to Yogamaya.


Guru gives us this instruction and give us the opportunity to take shelter of Yogamaya everyday. How? In Gopala Tapani Upanisad, it is stated, ‘Tan mayam iti svaha.’ What is the meaning of svaha? Svaha means Yogamaya. We are chanting our Gopala mantra or Gaura mantra and here, svaha. ‘Tan mayam iti svaha.’ In other words, remembering Radha and Krsna and svaha. It means, "I have no chance. I can not approach that transcendental world. Therefore, I am placing my heart in the hands of Yogamaya. Please arrange my meeting with my Istadeva."


In this way, Srimad Bhagavatam is full of nectar and good teachings. There are teachings for those who are only beginning in their practice, and a very deep level of teaching for the more advanced devotees also. Everything is there is Srimad-Bhagavatam. Srila Prabhupada has worked very hard, rising in the middle of the night, one o'clock in the morning, and translating Srimad-Bhagavatam for us. Prabhupada explained, “Srimad-Bhagavatam has two forms, grantha bhagavat and bhakta bhagavat-the book Bhagavatam and the person Bhagavatam. If one will take shelter of the book Bhagavatam under the guidance of the person Bhagavatam, then the fruit of Bhagavatam will come.” Prema pumartho mahan. Prema, by this prema, Krsna comes under the control of that devotee's love-He can not check Himself. He must quickly come in your heart and will take your cloth, ‘Yamuna-tata-cara, gopi-vasanahara, rasa-rasika krpamaya.’ Bhaktivinoda Thakura is giving very deep things in this kirtana. Those who do bhajana can realize something of these things.


Gaura premanande!