Çré Śayané Ekädaçé Issue no: 213 29th June 2023

Wonderful Krishna
Wonderful Krishna Love Of God Is Dormant In Everyone
Srila Sukadeva Goswami His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

The All-Attractive One The Two Kinds Of Prema, Love Of Godhead

Disciples of His Divine Grace Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakur
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

The Prema Of Vraja

Srila Sanatana Goswami
 Issue no 213, Page — 2
Wonderful Krishna
Srila Sukadeva Goswami
Sukadeva Gosvami said: The cowherd men
were astonished when they saw Krishnaa’s ac-
tivities, such as lifting Govardhan Hill. Un-able
to understand His transcendental potency, they
approached Nanda Maharaja and spoke as fol-
lows. (1)
[The cowherd men said:] Since this boy per-
forms such extraordinary activities, how could
He warrant a birth among worldly men like usa
birth that for Him would seem contemptible? (2)
How could this seven-year-old boy playfully hold
up the great hill Govardhan with one hand, just
as a mighty elephant holds up a lotus flower? (3)
As a mere infant who had hardly yet opened His
eyes, He drank the breast milk of the powerful
demoness Putana and then sucked out her very
life air as well, just as the force of time sucks out
the youth of one’s body. (4)
Once, when only three months old, little Krish-
na was crying and kicking up His feet as He lay
beneath a huge cart. Then the cart fell and turned
upside-down simply because it was struck by the
tip of His toe. (5) At the age of one, while sitting
peacefully He was taken up into the sky by the
demon Trinavarta. But baby Krishna grabbed the
demon’s neck, causing him great pain, and thus
Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.ibmedu.org
nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
killed him. (6) Once, His mother tied Him with
ropes to a mortar because she had caught Him
stealing butter. Then, crawling on His hands,
He dragged the mortar between a pair of arjuna
trees and pulled them down. (7) Another time,
when Krishna was tending the calves in the forest
together with Balarama and the cowherd boys,
the demon Bakasura came with the intention of
killing Krishna. But Krishna seized this inimical
demon by the mouth and tore him apart. (8)
Desiring to kill Krishna, the demon Vatsa dis-
guised himself as a calf and entered among Krish-
na’s calves. But Krishna killed the demon and,
using his body, enjoyed the sport of knocking
kapittha fruits down from the trees. (9) Together
with Lord Balarama, Krishna killed the jackass
demon and all his friends, thereby securing the
safety of the Talavana forest, which abounded
with fully ripened palm fruits. (10)
After arranging for the mighty Lord Balarama
to kill the terrible demon Pralamba, Krishna
saved Vraja’s cowherd boys and their animals
from a forest fire. (11) Krishna chastised the most
poisonous serpent, Kaliya, and after humbling
him He drove him forcibly from the lake of the
Yamuna. In this way the Lord made the water of
that river free of the snake’s powerful poison. (12)
Dear Nanda, how is it that we and all the other
residents of Vraja cannot give up our constant
affection for your son? And how is it that He is
so spontaneously attracted to us? (13) On the
one hand this boy is only seven years old, and on
the other we see that He has lifted the great hill
Govardhan. Therefore, O King of Vraja, a doubt
about your son arises within us. (14)
Nanda Maharaja replied: O cowherd men, just
hear my words and let all your doubts concern-
ing my son be gone. Some time ago Garga Muni
spoke to me as follows about this boy. (15)
[Garga Muni had said:] Your son Krishna ap-
pears as an incarnation in every millennium. In
the past He assumed three different colors: white,
red and yellow and now He has appeared in a
blackish color. (16) For many reasons, this beau-
tiful son of yours sometimes appeared previously
as the son of Vasudeva. Therefore, those who are
learned sometimes call this child Vasudeva. (17)
For this son of yours there are many forms and
 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
names according to His transcendental qualities
and activi-ties. These are known to me, but people
in general do not understand them. (18)
To increase the transcendental bliss of the cow-
herd men of Gokula, this child will always act
auspiciously for you. And by His grace only, you
will surpass all difficulties. (19) O Nanda Maha-
raja, as recorded in history, when there was an
irregular, incapable government, Indra having
been dethroned, and when honest people were
being harassed and disturbed by thieves, this child
appeared in order to curb the rogues and to protect
the people and enable them to flourish. (20)
Demons cannot harm the demigods, who always
have Lord Vishnu on their side. Similarly, any
person or group attached to all-auspicious Krishna
cannot be defeated by enemies. (21) Therefore, O
Nanda Maharaja, this child of yours is as good as
Narayana. In His transcendental qualities, opu-
lence, name, fame and influence, He is exactly like
Narayana. Thus you should not be astonished hy
His activities. (22)
[Nanda Maharaja continued:] After Garga Rsi
spoke these words to me and returned home, I
began to consider that Krishna, who keeps us
free from trouble, is actually an expansion of Lord
Narayana. (23)
Sukadeva Gosvami continued: Having heard
Nanda Maharaja relate the statements of Garga
Muni, the residents of Vrindavan became en-
livened. Their perplexity was gone, and they
worshiped Nanda and Lord Krishna with great
respect. (24)
Indra became angry when his sacrifice was dis-
rupted, and thus he caused rain and hail to fall on
Gokula, accompanied by lightning and powerful
winds, all of which brought great suffering to the
cowherds, animals and women there. When Lord
Krishna, who is by nature always compassionate,
saw the condition of those who had only Him as
their shelter, He smiled broadly and lifted Govard-
han Hill with one hand, just as a small child picks
up a mushroom to play with it. Holding up the hill,
He protected the cowherd community. May He,
Govinda, the Lord of the cows and the destroyer
of Indra’s false pride, be pleased with us. (25).
— Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 10: The Sum-
mum Bonum » Chapter Twenty Six » Verses 1–25 » Translations by
Disciples of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
www.ibmedu.org
Issue no 213, Page—3
The All-Attractive One
Disciples of His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
The very word Krishna means "the all-attractive
one." The residents of Vrindavan could not give
up their constant love (anuräga) for Lord Krishna.
Their attitude toward Him was not particularly
theistic, because they were unsure whether He was
God or not. But He attracted all their love precisely
because as God He is the all-attractive person, the
supreme object of our love.
The cowherd men also asked, "How is it that
young Krishna feels such constant love for us?"
In fact the Supreme Lord loves all living beings,
who are eternally His children. At the end of the
Bhagavad-gétä, Lord Krishna dramatically declares
His affection for Arjuna and urges Arjuna to recip-
rocate that love by surrendering to Him.
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, in His prayers to
Lord Krishna, states, etädåçé tava kåpä bhagavan
mamäpi durdaivam édåçam ihäjani nänurägaù: "My
Lord, You are so merciful toward Me, but I am so
unfortunate that love for You has not awakened
within Me." (Çikñäñöaka 2) In this statement Sri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also uses the word anurä-
ga. Our misfortune is that we cannot reciprocate
the anuräga, or loving affection, that the Lord
feels for us. Although we are infinitesimal and
insignificant and the Lord is infinitely attractive,
somehow we do not give Him our love. We must
accept responsibility for this foolish decision, since
to surrender to God or not is the essential expres-
sion of our free will.
The Krishna consciousness movement pro-
vides an efficient, systematic program to help
conditioned souls revive their original, blissful
consciousness, which is love of God, Krishna
consciousness. The intricacies of Krishna con-
sciousness are so wonderful that even Krishna's
eternal associates, the residents of Vrindavan, are
astonished by them, as shown by these verses.
— Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 10: The
Summum Bonum » Chapter Twenty six » Verse 13 » Purport by Dis-
ciples of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya
 Issue no 213, Page — 4
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Love Of God Is Dormant In Everyone
His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Mäyävädé philosophers are satisfied simply
to understand Brahman to be the sum total of
knowledge, but Vaiñëava philosophers not only
know in detail about the Supreme Personality of
Godhead but also know how to approach Him
directly. The method for this is described by Sri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu as nine kinds of devo-
tional service, beginning with hearing:
çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù
smaraëaà päda-sevanam
arcanaà vandanaà däsyaà
sakhyam ätma-nivedanam
(SB 7.5.23)
The nine kinds of devotional service are hearing
about Krishna, chanting about Him, remember-
ing Him, offering service to His lotus feet, offering
Him worship in the temple, offering prayers to
Him, working as His servant, making friendship
with Him and unreservedly surrendering to Him.
One can directly approach the Supreme Person-
Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.ibmedu.org
nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
ality of Godhead simply by executing these nine
kinds of devotional service, of which hearing
about the Lord is the most important (çravaëädi).
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has very favorably
stressed the importance of this process of hearing.
According to His method, if people are simply giv-
en a chance to hear about Krishna, certainly they
will gradually develop their dormant awareness,
or love of Godhead. Çravaëädi-çuddha-citte karaye
udaya (Cc. Madhya 22.107). Love of God is dor-
mant in everyone, and if one is given a chance to
hear about the Lord, certainly that love develops.
Our Krishna consciousness movement acts
on this principle. We simply give people the
chance to hear about the Supreme Personality
of Godhead and give them prasädam to eat, and
the actual result is that all over the world people
are responding to this process and becoming
pure devotees of Lord Krishna. We have opened
hundreds of centers all over the world just to
give people in general a chance to hear about
Krishna and accept Krishna’s prasädam. These
two processes can be accepted by anyone, even
a child. It doesn’t matter whether one is poor or
rich, learned or foolish, black or white, old or still
a child—anyone who simply hears about the Su-
 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
preme Personality of Godhead and takes prasädam
is certainly elevated to the transcendental position
of devotional service.
— Śrī Caitanya-caritāmrta » Ādi-līlā » Chapter Seven » Verse
142 » By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
The Two Kinds of Prema, Love of Godhead
Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakur
Prema, love of Godhead, is of two kinds: keva-
la-prema (unalloyed love) and mahém-jnäna-yuk-
ta-prema (love mixed with knowledge, awe and
reverential worship). The goal of rägänuga-bhak-
ti-sädhana is primarily kevala-prema. Devotees on
the path of vaidhi-bhakti-sädhana attain such lib-
erations as särüpya (equal bodily feature), sälokya
(equal facility to live on the same planet with the
Lord), särñöi (equal possession of opulence like
the Lord), and sämépya (equal association with the
Lord). According to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s
teachings, kevala-prema, unalloyed devotional sur-
render is the pinnacle of all attainments and goals.
Kevala-prema is further sub-divided as: bhävottha
(sprung from bhäva) and präsadotha (sprung
directly from mercy). Further sub-divisions of
bhävottha are: vaidhi and rägänuga. Präsadottha is
extremely rare. Bhavottha-prema is more common
and is described in the Caitanya-caritämåta (Cc.
Madhya 23.9-13, 39):
kona bhägye kona jévera çraddhä yadi haya
tave sei jéva sädhu saìga karaya
sädhu saìga haite haya çravaëa kértana
sädhana bhaktye haya sarvänartha nivartana
anartha nivåtti haile bhakti niñöha haya
niñöha haite çravaëädye ruci upajaya
ruci bhakti haite haya açakti pracura
açakti haite citte janme kåñëe préty aìkura
sei rati gäòha haila dhare prema näma
sei prema prayojana sarvänanda dhäma
yäìra citte kåñëa prema karaye udaya
täìra väkya, kriyä, mudrä vijneha na bujhaya
"If, by good fortune, a living entity develops
faith in Kåñëa he begins to associate with devo-
tees. Inspired by devotee association he begins
the process of devotional service by hearing and
chanting which cleanses his heart of all unwanted
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Issue no 213, Page—5
contamination. Freed from all contamination, his
devotion advances to the stage of firm, undeviating
faith. When firm faith awakens, taste for hearing
and chanting blossoms. From taste for devotional
service arises deep attachment, leading to the ap-
pearance in the heart of the seed of love Godhead,
which begins to grow. When that stage of ecstasy
intensifies, it is called love of Godhead, prema. It is
the prime human necessity, life’s ultimate goal and
the reservoir of all pleasure. Even the most learned
man could not understand the words, activities and
symptoms of a person situated in love of Godhead."
The Kärikä, explanatory verse:
äkarña sannidhau lauhaù pravåtto dåçyate yathä
aëor mahati caitanye pravåttiù prétir eva sä
pratiphalana-dharmatvät baddha-jive nisargataù
itareñu ca sarveñu rägo’sti viñayädiñu
liìga-bhaìgottarä bhaktiù çuddha-prétir anut-
tamä
tat pürvam ätmänikñepät bhaktiù prétimayé saté
"When a magnet is placed at a proper distance
from iron, the iron, acting according to its prop-
erties, is drawn to the magnet. Similarly, the in-
finitesimal living entity when it comes in front of
Krishna, the infinite Supreme Being, exhibits its
innate characteristics—the inherent symptoms of
unalloyed spiritual love. This spontaneous spiritual
emotion is self-perfected and self-manifesting in
the transcendental realm. This material world
is merely a perverted reflection of the spiritual
abode. The living entity, jéva, has had to accept
an alien nature in this material world, contrary to
its original spiritual nature, and has developed an
aberrant attachment for the base and gross material
things—this becoming his second nature.
"As long as the jéva’s subtle material body (con-
sisting of mind, intelligence and false-ego) is not
purified, pure spiritual emotions, which are tran-
scendental and self-perfected, cannot awaken. The
symptoms of bhakti exhibited after the dismantling
of the jéva’s subtle material form are indeed pure
love of Godhead. Preceding this stage, the jéva
attempts to discard his material identity. He ac-
knowledges his transcendental nature as a rarely
attained gift and offers himself in full surrender. At
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 Issue no 213, Page — 6
this point, devotion can at best be affectionate, but
not profound spontaneous love."
These matters described by Srila Krishnadas
Kaviraj in his immortal Caitanya-caritämåta (Cc
Madhya 22.149, 153, 156-157, 159):
rägatmikä bhakti mukhya vrajaväsé jane
tä’ra anugata bhaktira rägänuga näme
lobhe vrajaväséra bhäve kare anugati
çästrayukti nahi mäne rägänugära prakåti
bähya, abhyantara, ihära dui ta’sädhana
bahye sädhaka dehe kare çravaëa kértana
mäne nija siddha deha kariya bhävan
ratri dine kare vraje kåñëera sevana
nijäbiñöha kåñëa preñtha päche ta’ lägiyaï
nirantara sevä kare antarmanä haïä
"The original inhabitants of Vrindavan are at-
tached to Krishna spontaneously in devotional
service. Nothing can compare to their devotional
service, which is called rägätmikä-bhakti. When a
devotee follows in the footsteps of the devotees of
Vrindavan his devotion is called rägänuga-bhakti.
Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.ibmedu.org
nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
If one is a follower of an eternal inhabitant of
Vrindavan and develops covetousness (lobha) for
his mood of surrender then he does not care for
the injunctions and reasoning of the çästras. That
is the way of spontaneous love. One may execute
this rägänuga-bhakti by two processes—external
and internal. The self-realised, advanced devotee
externally remains like a neophyte and executes
all the çästric injunctions, especially hearing and
chanting. However, within his mind, in his original
purified self-realised position, he serves Krishna in
Vrindavan in his particular way. He serves Krishna
ceaselessly, throughout the day and night. Actu-
ally, the inhabitants of Vrindavan are very dear to
Krishna. If one wants to engage in spontaneous
loving service, he must follow the inhabitants of
Vrindavan and constantly engage in devotional
service within his mind.
The Kärikä, explanatory verse:
kåñëa-bahirmukhe sä ca viñaya-prétir eva hi
sä caiva kåñëa-sammukhyät kåñëa-prétiù sunirmalä
raty ädi-bhäva-paryantaà svarüpa-lakñaëaà småtam
däsya-sakhyädi-sambandhät sa caiva rasatäà vrajet
"The difference between love of Godhead,
Krishna, and love of matter is profound. As soon
as the loving propensity is withdrawn from mat-
ter and dovetailed towards Krishna, it becomes
love of Godhead (prema). On the other hand,
when the jéva turns his back to Krishna and ob-
serves matter with the intent of enjoyment, he
develops material attachment and love for mat-
ter. When the symptoms of the soul’s original
identity begin to manifest, they start on the level
of rati and can reach the heights of mahäbhäva.
The sthäyi-bhäva is the steady constitutional
emotion and evokes the individual spiritual
moods of däsya, sakhya, vätsalya and mädhurya.
It becomes a catalyst, helping the ecstatic symp-
toms to manifest, creating rasa, spiritual relish."
— Daça-müla-tattva » Translated by Sarvabhavana Das
The Prema Of Vraja
Srila Sanatana Goswami
Goloka’s Lord and its residents care for one an-
other as do people of the material world, yet their
prema transcends the limits of mundane love.
 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
The loving dealings of Vraja are like nothing ever
seen in this world. When Mother Yashoda simply
remembers Krishna, milk flows from her breasts.
And Nanda Maharaja is constantly drenched in a
flood of his own tears of love for Krishna.
The cowherd men use everything they have,
even their wives and children, only for Krishna’s
pleasure, never their own. And some of the old
ladies of Vraja adopt the mood of Yashoda, while
others disguise themselves as their own young
daughters to please Krishna. Krishna’s friends are
constantly desirous of seeing Him, so much so that
they cannot tolerate even the momentary obstruc-
tion caused by Krishna’s passing behind a tree. And
the blessed cowherd girls have no interest in life
other than Him; whether separated from Him, or
going out to meet Him, or enjoying His company,
they relish all sorts of extraordinary ecstasy.
In these ways the prema of Vraja is both amazing
and sweet, combining within itself the majestic
opulence of the spiritual world and the simple
sweetness of the material world. The devotees of
Vraja possess superworldly opulence, and at the
same time they are the most simple people. By their
opulent power they are expertly able to understand
and take part in all the various aspects of the Lord’s
countless pastimes. And like ordinary people, the
Vraja-väsés, it is well known from the accounts of
their lives, enjoy food and drink, the company of
friends and relatives, and so on.
And even the Personality of Godhead, though
showing His opulence, shows it in the pastimes of
an ordinary child. During His infant pastimes, for
example, Krishna drank milk from the breast of
Putana and sucked out the life air from that power-
ful witch, who had never suspected He could do so.
And in countless other ways also, the Lord, though
showing His opulence, acted like an ordinary hu-
man being. As the narration of Båhad-bhägavatämå-
ta continues, this will all be thoroughly explained.
With such ideas in mind, Sri Sukadeva
Gosvami said:
evaà nigüòhätma-gatiù sva-mäyayä
gopätmajatvaà caritair viòambayan
reme ramä-lälita-päda-pallavo
grämyaiù samaà grämya-vad éça-ceñöitaù
(SB 10.15.19)
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“In this way the Supreme Lord, whose soft lotus
feet are personally attended by the goddess of
fortune, concealed His transcendental opulences
by His internal potency and acted like the son of
a cowherd. Yet even while enjoying like a village
boy in the company of other village residents, He
often exhibited feats only God could perform.”
The word viòambayan in this Tenth Canto verse
is a form of the verb viòamb (“to imitate”) as a
present participle (“imitating”). This participial
form, however, can also sometimes mean “for the
purpose of,” as it does here—“for the purpose of
imitating.”
Thus the verse can be construed to say that
Kåñëa hides His supremacy (nigüòhätma-gatiù)
by His own special potencies (sva-mäyayä) for
the purpose of imitating or assuming the nature
of a cowherd boy (gopätmajatvam). He hides His
godly powers (ätma-gati) so that He can act like
an ordinary human, but His absolute power is
still discernible in the extreme limit of the perfect
sweetness He displays in each of His pastimes. He
enjoys having His feet massaged by the supreme
goddess of fortune, and He does things only God
can do (éça-ceñöitaù), and yet He plays like an or-
dinary village boy (grämya-vat) in the company
of other villagers.
— 3.5.84 Çré Båhad Bhägavatämåta » Srila Sanatana Gosvami » Translated
by Gopiparanadhana Das.
!! Sri Sri Nitai Gaurchandra Jayati !!
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