Lord Balarāma Visiting Vṛndāvana

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Chapter Sixty-five. Subject matter: "Lord Balarama Visiting Vrndavana."

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Lord Balarama became very much anxious to see His father and mother at Vrndavana, and with great enthusiasm therefore He rode on a nice chariot and immediately started for Vrndavana to see Maharaja Nanda and Yasoda specifically. The inhabitants of Vrndavana since a very long time was anxious to see Krsna and Balarama. Therefore, when Lord Balarama arrived in Vrndavana, all the cowherds boy and the gopis who were by that time grown up, and still, on arrival of Balarama, all of them embraced Him. Lord Balarama also embraced them in reciprocation, and after that He came before King Nanda and Yasoda, the father and mother, and offered His respectful obeisances unto them. In response, mother Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja also offered their blessings unto Him.

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This time, both mother Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja addressed Lord Balarama as Jagadisvara, or the Lord of the universe who maintains everyone. The purport was that both Krsna and Balarama were maintaining all living entities, and why Nanda and Yasoda were put to such difficulties of life on account of Their absence? In this way, feelingly they embraced Balarama and got Him seated down on their lap and, as it had become their perpetual business, began to cry, and with the tears of their eyes Balarama became wet. After this, Lord Balarama offered His respectful obeisances to the elderly cowherds men, and similarly He accepted obeisances from the younger cowherds men. According to different ages and relationship, Lord Balarama exchanged feeling of friendship. Those who were equal contemporaries in age and friendship with them, Lord Balarama shook hands, and with loud laughing embraced each one of them.

In this way Lord Balarama, after responding the reception from the cowherds men, boys, gopis, King Nanda and Yasoda, when He satisfactorily sat down, at that time all of them surrounded Him. All of them began to inquire from Balarama different questions, because they met Him after so long time. First of all, Lord Balarama inquired from Them about their welfare. After that, all the inhabitants of Vrndavana, who had sacrificed everything for Krsna simply by being captivated by the lotus eyes of the Lord and with a great desire to become a lover of Krsna, they did not ever desire anything like elevation in the heavenly planets or merge into the effulgence of Brahma and become one with the Absolute Truth. They were not even interested to enjoy the life of opulence in this world also. They were satisfied in a simple life in the village as cowherds men, and were absorbed always in the thought of Krsna without any personal benefit. But still, in the absence of Krsna, they were so much in love with Him that in faltering voice they began to inquire from Balaramaji as follows.

Nanda Maharaja and Yasodamayi first of all inquired, "My dear Balarama, whether our friends like Vasudeva and others in the family are all doing well? And my dear Balarama, both You and Krsna are now grown-up married men with children and family. Now in the midst of Your happiness of family life, do You sometimes remember Your poor father and mother, Nanda Maharaja and Yasodadevi? It is very good news that Kamsa has been killed by You and our good friends like Vasudeva and others, who were being so much harassed by the sinful King Kamsa, is now relieved from such harassment. This is also good news that both You and Krsna, after having defeated Jarasandha or the Kalayavana, who is now killed, now You are living in a fortified fort in Dvaraka. This is also very good news." (close)

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When the gopis arrived there, Lord Balarama glanced over them with loving eyes, and being engladdened by that such glance, the gopis, who were so long mortified on account of Krsna and Balarama's absence, now being enlivened by the presence of Balarama began to ask about Their welfare. They specifically asked Balarama whether Krsna, now being surrounded by the enlightened women in Dvaraka Puri, is enjoying His life very nice. "Does He sometimes remember His father Nanda and mother Yasoda and other friends with whom He so intimately behaved so long He was in Vrndavana? Has Krsna any program to come here to see His mother, Yasoda, or does He remember us, the gopis, now pitiably bereft of His company? Krsna might have forgotten us in the midst of cultured women of Dvaraka, but so far we are concerned, we are still remembering Him by collecting flowers and sewing into garland. But when we see He does not come, we simply pass our time simply by crying. If He will come again here and accept these garlands made by us?

"My dear Lord Balarama, the descendant of Dasarha, You know that for Krsna's friendship we gave up everything. Even in great distress one cannot give up connection of family members like father, mother, brother, sister. So far we are concerned, even though it was impossible for others, we gave up our father, mother, sister, relatives, [for] Krsna, without considering a pinch for our renunciation. All of a sudden He renounced us and went away. He could break our relationship without any serious consideration, and all of a sudden He cut off our so intimate a relationship and left for a foreign country. We could, however, stop Him going away from Vrndavana, but He is so clever and cunning that He can manufacture very nice words. He said, (within quote) 'My dear gopis, please do not worry. The service that you have rendered unto Me is impossible to be repaid by Me.' After all, we are women, and how could we disbelieve Him? Now we can understand that His sweet words were simply for cheating us." [quotation close]

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Another gopi, protesting Krsna's absence from Vrndavana, began to say as follows: [within quotation] "My dear Balaramaji, we are of course village girls-Krsna could cheat us in that way-but what about the women in Dvaraka? Don't think they are as foolish as we are!"

[rest of chapter missing, also up to Chapter Seventy-one is missing]