Lord Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma Meets the Inhabitants of Vṛndāvana

Eighty-second Chapter. Subject: "Lord Krsna and Balarama Meets the Inhabitants of Vrndavana."

Once upon a time, when Lord Krsna and Balarama were living peacefully in Their great city of Dvaraka, there was a great occasion of full covering solar eclipse, as it takes place at the end of every kalpa, or one day of Lord Brahma. At the end of every kalpa the sun becomes covered by great cloud, and the incessant rain covered the lower planetary system up to Svargaloka. As usual, by astronomical calculation people was informed about this great eclipse prior to its taking place. Therefore, all men and women decided to assemble at the holy place of Kuruksetra known as Samanta-pancaka.

The Samanta-pancaka pilgrimage is celebrated because at this place Lord Parasurama performed great sacrifices after His killing the ksatriyas for twenty-one times. Lord Parasurama killed all the ksatriyas and the accumulated blood of the ksatriyas was flowing like a stream. Lord Parasurama digged five big lakes at this place, and all the blood was reserved there. Lord Parasurama is visnu-tattva. As stated in the Īsopanisad, visnu-tattva cannot be contaminated by any sinful activity. But still, Lord Parasurama, although is fully powerful and uncontaminated, still, in order to exhibit His ideal character He performed great sacrifices at this place for atoning His so-called sinful activities in killing the ksatriyas. By this example of Lord Parasurama, it established that performance of killing art, although it is sometimes necessary, is not good. Similarly, Lord Parasurama considered Himself responsible for the sinful act of killing the ksatriyas. If Lord Parasurama becomes responsible for killing, how much we are responsible for such abominable acts without any sanction! Therefore, killing of living entity is prohibited from time immemorial all over the world.

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Taking the advantage of this solar eclipse, all important persons from every direction of Bharata-varsa visited this holy place of pilgrimage on the occasion. Some of the important personalities are mentioned as follows, such as Akrūra, Vasudeva, Ugrasena amongst the elderly persons, and amongst the youngster there were Gada, Pradyumna, Samba, and many other members of the Yadu dynasty came there with a view to make atonement of their sinful activities in course of discharging respective duties. Because all the members of the Yadu dynasty came there, some important personalities, like the son of Pradyumna, Aniruddha, and the commander in chief of the Yadu dynasty, Krtavarma, they remained back in the city of Dvaraka, along with Sucandra, Suka, Sarana, for protection of the city.

All the members of the Yadu dynasty are naturally very beautiful; but still, on this occasion, when they appeared duly decorated with gold necklace, flower garlands, dressed in valuable clothings and properly armed with their respective weapons, their natural beauty and personality became hundred times enhanced. When the beautiful members of the Yadu dynasty came there, along with their gorgeously decorated chariots resembling the aeroplanes of the demigods, big, big horses moving like the waves of the ocean, sturdy and stalwart elephants moving like the clouds in the sky, beautiful palanquins for carrying their wives by beautiful men resembling the features of the Vidyadharas-all these assembly looked so beautiful, as if the demigods from heaven were present on that occasion.

All the members of the Yadu dynasty after arriving in Kuruksetra took their baths ceremoniously, with self-control as they are enjoined in the sastras, and observed fasting the whole period as long as the eclipse existed in order to nullify the sinful reaction on account of the eclipse. It is a Vedic custom also to give in charity as much as possible during the eclipse hours, and the members of the Yadu dynasty distributed in charity many hundreds of cows to the brahmanas. All those cows were fully decorated with nice dress and ornaments. The special feature of these cows were that they had golden ankle bells and had flower garlands on their necks.

Then, after the liberation of the eclipse, all the members of the Yadu dynasty again took their bath in the lakes created by Lord Parasurama. After this, they fed sumptuously the brahmanas with first-class cooked foodstuff, all prepared in butter. According to Vedic system, there are two classes of foodstuff: one is called raw foodstuff, and the other is called cooked foodstuff. "Raw foodstuff" does not mean raw vegetables or raw grains, but raw foodstuff means boiled in water, and cooked foodstuff means made in ghee. Capatis, dal, rice, ordinary vegetables, they are called raw vegetables, as well as fruits and salads, they are taken into raw foodstuff. But when there are puris, kachoris, samosa, sweetballs and like that, they are called cooked foodstuff. All the brahmanas invited on that occasion by the members of the Yadu dynasty were fed sumptuously with cooked foodstuff.

These ceremonial functions performed by the members of the Yadu dynasty resemble exactly like the ritualistic performances performed by the karmis. When a karmi performs some ritualistic ceremonies, his ambition is sense gratification, which means good position, good wife, good house, good children, good wealth. But the ambition of the members of the Yadu dynasty was different. Their ambition was to have perpetual faith and devotion to Krsna. All the members of the Yadu dynasty, they were great devotees. As such, they were given the chance of associating with Lord Krsna after many, many births' accumulation of pious activities. As such, their going to take bath in the pilgrimage of Kuruksetra or observing the regulative principle on account of solar eclipse or feeding the brahmanas-with all these activities they simply thought of devotion to Krsna. Their ideal worshipable Lord is Krsna, and nobody else.

In this way, after feeding the brahmanas, it is the custom to take their permission; then the host can accept prasadam. In that way, all the members of the Yadu dynasty took their lunch, then all of them selected some resting place underneath big trees because of their shadows. And when they had taken rest sufficiently, they became prepared to receive visitors, amongst whom there were relatives, friends and many subordinate kings and rulers.

Amongst them there were the rulers of the Matsya Province, Usinara Province, Kosala Province, Vidarbha Province, Kuru Province and Srnjaya Province, Kamboja Province, Kekaya Province, Madras Province, Kunti Province, Anarta Province, Kerala Province, and similarly of many other countries and provinces. Some of them belonged to the opposite party, and some of them were friends also. But above all of them, the visitors from Vrndavana were most prominent. Taking this advantage of solar eclipse, all the residents of Vrndavana, headed by Nanda Maharaja, who were simply living in great anxiety on account of separation from Krsna and Balarama, all of them came to see their life and soul, Krsna and Balarama.

The inhabitants of Vrndavana, headed by Nanda Maharaja, were very much well-wisher and intimate friends of the Yadu dynasty. This meeting of the two parties after long separation was very much touching incidence. Both of them felt so much pleasure by meeting and talking together that it was simply an unique scene. And because they met after long separation, all of them were so jubilant as if their heart was throbbing, and their face appeared to be just freshly fructified lotus flowers. There were drops of tears from their eyes, their hairs on the body stood up, and because of their extreme ecstasy, practically they could not speak for the time being. In other words, they began to dive in the ocean of happiness.

While the male members were meeting in that way, the female members also meeting one another exactly in the same mental situation. The women were embracing each other in great friendship, smiling very mildly, looking one another with great affection. When they were embracing each other by their arms, the saffron and kuhkuma spread on their breast were being exchanged on the breast of the other, and thus all of them felt heavenly ecstasy by such embracing of heart-to-heart, and torrents of tears were gliding down their cheeks. According to the different position of ages, the juniors were offering obeisances to the elders, and the elders were offering their blessings to the juniors. Thus welcoming one another, they were asking about their respective auspicity. But at the end, in all their talkings, all of them were talking of Krsna only. Factually, they were members of Lord Krsna's pastimes in this world; as such, all their activities, although appearing material and social, but the center of activity was Krsna. And because Krsna was the center of all their activities, whatever they performed-either social, political, religious or conventional-all of them were transcendental.

The real upliftment of human life is resting on knowledge and renunciation. So as it is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam in the First Canto, that devotional service rendered to Krsna automatically produces a situation of perfect knowledge and renunciation. The members of the Yadu dynasty family and the members of the cowherds men in Vrndavana had fixed up their mind on Krsna. That is the symptom of all knowledge. And because their minds were always engaged in Krsna, automatically they were freed from all material activities. This stage of life is called yukta-vairagya, as enunciated by Srila Rūpa Gosvami [Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.255].

Knowledge and renunciation, therefore, do not mean dry speculation and give up all activities, but it means dovetailing everything in relationship with Krsna.

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In this meeting Kuntidevi, after a very, very long time, met her brother Vasudeva, and Vasudeva also met his sister Kunti, along with their respective sons, daughter-in-laws, wives, children and other family members, and when they talked between themselves, they forgot all their past miserable happenings of life. Kuntidevi specifically addressed her brother Vasudeva as follows: "My dear brother, actually I am very much unfortunate, because none of my desires have ever been fulfilled. Otherwise, how it can happen that I have got such a saintly brother like you, perfect in all respects, and still you did not inquire about me how I was passing my days in distressed condition of life?" [quotation close]

It appears that Kuntidevi was remembering about her miserable days when she was banished, along with her sons, under the mischievous plan of Dhrtarastra and Duryodhana. Kuntidevi continued to say, "My dear brother, I can understand that when Providence becomes against somebody, at that time even one's nearest relative also forgets him. In such condition of life, even father, mother or one's own children also forget him. Therefore, my dear brother, I do not accuse you."

Vasudeva replied to his sister, "My dear sister, do not be sorry in that way, and do not blame me in that way. We should always remember that all of us are only toys in the hands of the Providence. Every one of us is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Under such control only, everyone acts all kinds of fruitive actions and thereby achieves the necessary result. My dear sister, you know that we were very much harassed by the king Kamsa, and in that situation we were scattered here and there, always in full of anxieties. Now by the grace of God, since a few days only we are now situated in our own places, by the grace of God." [quotation close]

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After this, Vasudeva and Ugrasena received all the kings who came to see them amongst other visitors. The kings and rulers were sufficiently welcomed by them. All the visitors, after seeing Lord Krsna present on the spot, felt a transcendental pleasure within themselves. All of them felt a great peace in their minds. Some of the prominent visitors, like Bhismadeva, Dronacarya, Dhrtarastra, Duryodhana, and Gandhari along with her sons, King Yudhisthira along with his wife, and the Panḍavas along with Kunti, Sanjaya, Vidura, Krpacarya, Kuntibhoja, Virata, Bhismaka, King Nagnajit, Purujit, Drupada, Salya, Dhrstaketu, the king of Kasi, Damaghosa, Visalaksa, the king of Mithila, the king of Madras (within brackets) [formerly known as Madra], the king of Kekaya, Yudhamanyu, Susarma, Bahlika along with his sons, and many other rulers who were subordinate to King Yudhisthira-all of them, when they saw Lord Krsna along with His thousands of queens, they became fully satisfied by seeing their beauty and transcendental opulences.

All of them thereafter personally visited Lord Balarama and Krsna, and thus being properly welcomed by the Lords, all of them began to glorify the members of the Yadu dynasty, specifically Krsna and Balarama. Ugrasena was the chief of them; therefore, the visitors specifically addressed him as follows: "Your Majesty Ugrasena, the king of the Bhojas, factually you are the only persons within this world who are perfect in all respects. All glories unto you! All glories unto you! The specific condition of your perfection is that you are always seeing Lord Krsna, who is desired to be seen by many, many mystic yogis undergoing severe austerities and penances for many, many years. All of you are in direct touch with Lord Krsna every moment.

"All the Vedic hymns are glorifying the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. The Ganges water is considered sanctified because of its being the washed water of the lotus feet of Lord Krsna. The Vedas, or the Vedic literatures, are nothing but injunctions of Lord Krsna. By the study of all Vedas Krsna has to be known. Therefore, the words of Krsna and the message of His pastimes are always purifying the material condition of this world. By the influence of time and circumstances, all the opulences of this world became almost wiped out, but since Krsna has appeared on this planet, all auspicious features of this world have again appeared because of the touch of His lotus feet. Because of His presence, all our ambitions and desires are being gradually fulfilled.

"Your Majesty, the king of the Bhojas, you are related with the Yadu dynasty by matrimonial relationship. You are united with one another by family bondage also, as a result of which you are constantly in touch with Lord Krsna, and there is no difficulty for you for touching Him or seeing Him at any time. Lord Krsna moves with you, talks with you, sits with you, rests with you and dines with you. Apparently you are always engaged in worldly affairs, which are considered to be the royal road to the hell, but factually, on account of Lord Krsna's presence, who is the original Personality of Godhead in the Visnu category, who is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent, and all of you simply by seeing Him, immediately you are relieved from all material contamination and are situated in the transcendental position of liberation and Brahma existence." [quotation close]

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The residents of Vrndavana, headed by Maharaja Nanda, when they heard about Krsna's presence in Kuruksetra because of the solar eclipse, therefore all the members of the Yadu dynasty were coming there. Immediately King Nanda, accompanied by his cowherds men companions, prepared to start for Kuruksetra, loading all their necessary paraphernalia on the bullock cart, and all of them came to Kuruksetra to see their beloved sons, Lord Balarama and Krsna.

When the cowherds men of Vrndavana arrived there, all the members of the Yadu dynasty became very much pleased. As soon as the members of Yadu dynasty saw the residents of Vrndavana, all to all they stood up to welcome them, and it so appeared that they have got their life again. Both of them were very much eager to meet one another since a very long time. As such, when they actually met, each one embraced other to their hearts' satisfaction and remained in that position for a considerable time.

Vasudeva, as soon as he saw Nanda Maharaja, practically he jumped over him and embraced him very much feelingly. Vasudeva specifically began to narrate his past history-how he was imprisoned by King Kamsa, how his babies were killed by him, and how he carried Krsna immediately after His birth to the place of Nanda Maharaja, and how Krsna and Balarama were raised by Nanda Maharaja and his queen, Yasoda, as their own children. Similarly, Lord Balarama and Krsna also immediately embraced King Nanda and mother Yasoda, then offered Their respect unto their lotus feet by bowing down. Because of Their feeling affection for Nanda and Yasoda, both Lord Krsna and Balarama became choked up in Their voice, and for a few seconds They could not speak how to address Nanda Maharaja and mother Yasoda. The most fortunate King Nanda and mother Yasoda immediately got their sons sitting on their lap and began to embrace Them to full satisfaction with their arms. On account of separation from Krsna and Balarama, both King Nanda and Yasoda were merged in great distress since a very long time. Now, after meeting Them and embracing Them, all their sufferings became mitigated.

After this, Krsna's mother, Devaki, and Balarama's mother, Rohini, both of them embraced mother Yasoda with their arms. Now they began to remember the most magnificent dealings of…

[break] …both mother Rohini and Devaki feelingly embraced mother Yasoda and began to address her: "My dear Queen Yasodadevi, both you and Nanda Maharaja have behaved with us in great friendship, and when we remember your activities, immediately we become overwhelmed with your friendly activities. We are so much indebted to you that even we desire to return your benediction by giving you the opulence of the king of heaven, still it is incomparable with your friendly behavior. We cannot think of any ungrateful persons who can forget your dealings with us. We shall never forget your kindly and friendly behavior with us.

"When both Krsna and Balarama did not see even Their real father and mother, They were entrusted under your care, and you raised Them as your own children and fostered Them, as the birds take care of their offspring in the nest. You have fed Them nicely, nourished Them nicely, loved Them nicely, and for Their benefit and auspicity you have performed so many religious ceremonies.

"Actually They are not our sons; They belong to you. Nanda Maharaja and yourself are real father and mother of Krsna-Balarama. So long They were under your care They had no even a pinch of difficulty in Their living condition. They were completely out of all kinds of fear under your protection, and the most affectionate care that you have taken for Them is completely befitting your position. Noble personalities like you cannot make any differentiation between their own sons and others. There cannot be any noble personality than you two, Nanda Maharaja and yourself." [quotation close]

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So far the gopis of Vrndavana were concerned, from the very beginning of their life they did not know beyond Krsna. Krsna and Balarama were their life and soul. They were so much attached to Krsna that they could not tolerate even the moment stoppage of seeing Krsna when the eyelid was checking the process. They condemned the creator of the body because the creator foolishly made the eyelids which checked seeing of Krsna.

All these gopis, when they came along with Nanda Maharaja and Mother Yasoda to see Krsna, at that time they felt so much ecstasy of seeing Krsna, because they were separated from Him for so many years. Nobody can even imagine how much the gopis were anxious to see Krsna again. Therefore, as soon as Krsna became visible to the perspective of their eyes, immediately through the eyes they took up Krsna inside their heart and embraced Him to their full satisfaction. Even though they were embracing Krsna within the mind, still they become ecstatic and overwhelmed with joy, so much so that for the time being they forgot themself.

The ecstatic trance which they achieved immediately simply by [indistinct] Krsna is impossible to achieve even by great yogis who are constantly engaged in meditation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When the gopis were thus rapt in ecstasy by embracing Krsna, Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead could understand that they were embracing Him, and He also reciprocated the embracing, as He is present in everyone's heart.

When externally, as He was sitting with mother Yasoda along with His other mothers, Devaki and Rohini, and when the mothers were engaged in talking, He took the opportunity immediately and went to a secluded place to meet the gopis. The Lord, as soon as approached the gopis, He began to smile, and in order to encourage them He began to say as follows.

After embracing them and inquiring about their auspicity, the Lord said, [within quotation] "My dear friends, you know that both Lord Balarama and Myself came out of Vrndavana just to please Our relatives and family members, and because of this We were so long engaged in fighting with the enemies and were obliged to forget you, who are so much attached to Me in love and affection. By this action I can understand that I have been ungrateful to you, but still, as I know you are so faithful unto Me, may I inquire, did you think of Us, although We left you behind so reluctantly? My dear gopis, do you take to your consideration that I have become ungrateful to you, and therefore you do not like to remember Me? Or do you take it very seriously about My misbehavior with you?

"After all, you should know that our separation was not actuated by any purpose. It was ordained by Providence, who is after all the supreme controller, and as He desires He causes the intermingling of different persons; again He disperses them as He desires. As sometimes we see that the cloud in the sky and the strong wind due to its presence sometimes agitates the wind, and because of this the atomic particles of dust, as well as broken pieces of cotton, are intermingled together by the force of the wind. And after this, when the high blowing of wind is subsided, all the particles of dust and wool immediately become separated, and they are placed at different places. Similarly, the Supreme Lord is the creator of everything. Whatever we see, they are different manifestation of His energy. By His supreme will we are sometimes intermingled together and sometimes we are separated. Therefore, the conclusion is that we are ultimately absolutely dependent on His will.

"But after all, fortunately, you have developed such loving affection for Me, which is the only cause to achieve the transcendental position for associating with Me. Any living entity who develops such unalloyed devotional affection for Me certainly at the end goes back to home, back to Godhead. In other words, unalloyed devotional service and affection for Me is the cause of one's supreme liberation.

"My dear friends the gopis, you may know it from Me that only My energies are acting everywhere. If you take, therefore, for an example the earthen pot, it is nothing but combination of earth, water, air, fire and sky. It is always the same physical presentation, either in the beginning or during the period of existence or after annihilation. The earthen pot, when it is created, it is made of earth, water, fire, air and the sky; when it remains it is the same thing; and when it is broken and annihilated, the different parts of its ingredients again becomes conserved in different parts of material energies. Similarly, either in the creation of this cosmic manifestation or its maintenance or after its dissolution, it is nothing but a different manifestation of My energy. And because of the energy being not separated from Me, it is to be concluded that I am existing in everything.

"Exactly in the same way, the body of a living being is nothing but composition of these five elements. The living entity embodied in that material condition is also part and parcel of Me. The living entity is thus imprisoned in that material condition on accounts of his false ego that he is the enjoyer. This false ego of the living entity is the cause of his imprisonment in material existence. Transcendental to the living entity, as well as his material embodiment, I am there as the Supreme Absolute Truth. These two energies, namely material and spiritual, are acting under My supreme control. I request you, My dear gopis, that instead of being too much afflicted, if you try to accept everything with philosophical consideration, then you will understand that you are always with Me and there is no cause of lamentation for being separated with one another." [quotation close]

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This important instruction of Lord Krsna to the gopis can be utilized by all devotees engaged in Krsna consciousness. The whole philosophy is considered on the basis of inconceivable one and difference simultaneously. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said by the Lord that He is present everywhere in His impersonal feature. Everything is existing in Him, but still He is not in everywhere. The cosmic manifestation is nothing but display of Krsna's energy, and because the energy is not different from Krsna, nothing is different from Krsna. When this absolute consciousness is absent, or in other words, when this Krsna consciousness is absent, at that time we are separated from Krsna. But fortunately, if this Krsna consciousness is present, then we are not separated from Krsna.

The process of devotional service is therefore revival of Krsna consciousness, and if the devotee is fortunate to understand that the material energy is not separated from Krsna, then he can utilize the material energy and its products in the service of the Lord. But in the absence of Krsna consciousness, the forgotten living entity, although part and parcel of Krsna, falsely puts him in the position of enjoyer of the material world, and thus he becomes complicated and forced by the material energy, and he continues his material existence. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, that actually a living entity is being enforced by the material energy, but falsely he is thinking that he is all in all the supreme enjoyer.

When we worship the Deity, or the form of Lord Krsna in the temple, if we thus perfectly know that the arca-vigraha is exactly the sac-cid-ananda-vigraha [Bs 5.1] of Krsna, then our service to the temple Deity is directly service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, the temple itself and the temple paraphernalia or the foodstuff that we offer to the Deity, they are also not separated from Krsna. We have to follow, therefore, rules and regulation prescribed by the acaryas, and thus Krsna-realization, even in this material existence, is fully possible under superior guidance.

The gopis also, thus being instructed by Krsna in the philosophy of simultaneously-one-and-different, remained always in Krsna consciousness and thus liberated from any material contamination. The consciousness of the living entity falsely presenting himself as the enjoyer of the material world is called jiva-kosa, which means environment of false ego. Anyone, not only the gopis, who follows the instruction of Krsna given in this connection becomes immediately freed from this jiva-kosa imprisonment. Or in other words, a person fully in Krsna consciousness is always liberated from the false egotism, and in full Krsna consciousness he utilizes everything for Krsna's service and is not at any time separated from Krsna.

The gopis therefore prayed to Krsna as follows: [within quotation] "My dear Krsna, Your navel is exactly like the lotus flower, or the original lotus flower, the birth site of Brahma, the creator, emanated from Your navel. Nobody can estimate Your glories or Your opulence; therefore, everything of them remains always a mystery of knowledge even to the highest thoughtful men, known as the master of all yogic power. The conditioned soul who is fallen in the dark well of this material existence can take very easily the shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Krsna for being delivered."

The gopis continued to say: "My dear Krsna, we are always busy in our family affairs. We therefore request You that You remain within our heart as the rising sun, and that will be our greatest benediction." [quotation close]

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The gopis are, however, always liberated souls because they are fully in Krsna consciousness. They pretended to be entangled in household affairs in Vrndavana. On account of their separation, Krsna might have asked them to come with Him to His capital city, Dvaraka. But the inhabitants of Vrndavana did not like the idea. They wanted to remain busy in Vrndavana, and thusly they could feel the presence of Krsna in every step of their living condition. Immediately they invited Krsna to come back to Vrndavana again, and this transcendental emotional existence is the basic principle of Lord Caitanya's teaching.

The Ratha-yatra festival observed by Lord Caitanya is the emotional process of taking back Krsna to Vrndavana, where Srimati Radharani wanted to enjoy the company of Krsna in the same atmosphere. But She would refuse to go with Krsna to Dvaraka to enjoy His company in the atmosphere of royal opulence. Lord Krsna also, being too much attached to the gopis, He never goes away from Vrndavana. The gopis or the residents of Vrndavana remain fully satisfied in Krsna consciousness.

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of Eighty-second Chapter Krsna in the matter of "Lord Krsna and Balarama Meets the Inhabitants of Vrndavana."