http://bhaktabandhav.com/?p=29333" height="286" width="415"/>Sripad Premananda Prabhu's lecture (Kartik month, Vrindavan, 15th Oct 2014)
SRI DAMODARASTAKAM (V3) : GLORIES OF SRI GIRIRAJ GOVARDHANA
Satyavrata muni, Sanatana Gosvami, Guru-pada-padma, and the Guruvarga kindly arrange a step-by-step process for the conditioned souls and sadhakas to progress, and understand Krsna lila.
Krsna appears in this world, and performs human-like pastimes. This world is the abode of death. Whoever comes to this world must die. No one can stay here forever. No one has permanent citizenship in this world. Everyone comes as a foreigner, stays for some time, and then must leave. But, if you take the chance to study while you reside in this world, then you can choose where you will go.
Svami Prabhupada said, “God gave you a nice form, but if you are acting like a dog, eating raw meat and dead bodies, then in your next life God will give you a dog body. If you like to eat raw vegetables, you will become a cow or a buffalo.” One can enter any species of life from the human form of life. God gives you the human form of life with great mercy. In this regard, Gurudeva would quote the following sloka:
labdhva sudurlabham idam bahu-sambhavante
manusyam arthadam anityam apiha dhirah
turnam yateta na pated anumrtyu yavan
nihsreyasaya visayah khalu sarvatah syat
—Srimad Bhagavatham, 11.9.29
In this world, everything is available. What do you choose? Which way do you want to go? The living entities are independent. They do not follow good instructions.
tarko ‘pratisthah srutayo vibhinna
nasav rsir yasya matam na bhinnam
dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam
mahajano yena gatah sa panthah
—Mahabharata, Vana-parva 313.117
People who argue and quarrel about the truth should stop their squabbles and follow the mahajanas, the great personalities. Some of them are Svayambhu Brahma, Narada, and Sambhu. The followers of the twelve mahajanas are also mahajanas. The Gosvamis and the Guruvarga are mahajanas. If you follow the Guruvarga, you cannot be an independent doer. If you take training from them, you will progress. Therefore, Gurudeva opened the Seva Kunja service center in Vrndavana. Gurudeva established the Rupa Sanatana Gaudiya Matha and declared it to be a kunja where one can learn how to serve.
People come to perform sadhana with the goal of attaining siddhi. With this purpose in mind, they should completely follow Guru-pada-padma’s instructions and become trained. Then, you can realize where to go. By following your own speculation or collection what will happen? If you enter a university, and attend classes according to your own desire, will the university condone your behavior? No, they will not allow you to attend classes according to your own volition. You must attend the university classes if you want to remain a student there.
Gurudeva says that we are all rupanugas. But, we follow mayavadis, smartas, and other sastras. This is not correct. Mahajana yena gatah sa panthah, follow what Gurudeva did.
Cows are like mothers. Because a mother’s milk and a cow’s milk are similar, we can drink cow milk. We do not drink tiger milk, horse milk, or camel milk. This is not beneficial.
We should not independently take instructions; we should follow what our Gurudeva has said. Srila Gurudeva manifested Damodar lila for us, and he followed this Damodara vrata. If we follow Damodara vrata for at least a day during this month, or if we simply offer a ghee lamp once, and if we remember Guru-pada-padma and the vaisnavas, then we will be close to Gurudeva, and all inspiration will come in our heart. Gurudeva taught us this. Try to follow his instructions. They are all present. Then, Gurudeva’s blessings will come, and help you. This will protect you.
Yesterday we heard the second verse, and today we will hear Gurudeva’s purport on the third verse. He translated Sanatana Gosvami’s purport, and then gave his own purport. So, we will read from that.
itidrk-sva-lilabhir ananda-kunde
sva-ghosam nimajjantam akhyapayantam
tadiyesita-jnesu bhaktair jitatvam
punah prematas tam satavrtti vande
—Damodarastakam 3
Krsna relishes vatsalya prema in this pastime. Damabandham is one lila; Krsna performs unlimited pastimes, ananta lila. Lila sakti gives gifts to all the bhaktas during this Damodara month. On the first day, there is rasa-lila. Krsna teaches madhurya prema on that day. Then, with His janma lila, and the following pastimes He performs as Yasoda’s baby, Krsna teaches us on how we can make our heart a place where He can appear.
Gurudeva says, “Your heart should only be for Krsna. Your heart is the property of Krsna. No one but Krsna gave you this heart.”
The five elements are present in this world by the arrangement of Krsna. Who is present in these elements? Paramatma is present. If you have no love for Paramatma, and have no room for him, then you will call many wicked personalities into your heart, and you will become arrested by them. Then, you will be bound by sattva, raja, and tama, or the modes of goodness, passion, and ignorance. Whoever comes to you have their concomitant qualities, and those qualities bind you.
If a dog stays for one day in one place, and another dog comes to that place the next day, the first dog will fight over that place, saying, “This is my place.” If we invite someone in our heart, and they stay there, then if we try to throw them out the next day, they will fight to remain in our heart.
How is ceto darpana marjanam possible? So much garbage is in your heart since millions of lives. People deliver this sky-bridge to you freely. People come and criticize or complain. People will call you on the phone, and then if you pick it up, they will speak so much garbage to you. How can we follow Mahaprabhu’s desire to cleanse our hearts through ceto darpana marjanam? There is only one method. We must offer our heart to Gurudeva.
Srila Gurudeva told the story about a guru who had thousands of disciples. The guru said, “I will leave this world tomorrow, on the full moon day. I will not stay any longer in this world of death. I will give my post to one disciple, and then leave. I have one question. Whoever can answer it will get my position.” All the disciples were prepared. There were many big scholars, sannyasis, brahmacaris, vanaprasthis, and pandits. They all assembled before their guru.
The guru said, “Has everyone come?”
“Yes, what is the question?” the disciples asked in unison.
“It is a small question,” Gurudeva said. “But, one person has not come.”
“Who hasn’t come?”
“There is a servant in the cowshed. He cooks in the kitchen, and cleans the bathrooms, and goes to the fields. He has not come.”
The pandits said, “He is not intelligent. He is useless. Day and night he is only doing work. He does not know anything.”
Then the guru said, “Call him. He is my disciple.”
The disciple came, wearing a small and dirty cloth, and smelling of cow dung and urine. Gurudeva called him close. Everyone sitting at front was healthy and effulgent, and wearing nice cloth, perfume, gold chains, and straight tilaka. The sevaka came and offered prostrated obeisance to Gurudeva. At first, all the pandits did not want to give him room to step forward because of his bad smell; but on being chastised by their Gurudeva, they scooted back and let the sevaka sit close to Gurudeva.
Then, the guru asked, “How can one clean his mind?”
All the pandits said, “This is your question? This is very easy.”
Gurudeva said, “Tomorrow, I will let you answer. Everyone should come tomorrow. But, will everyone answer or will the leaders of different groups answer?”
“We will act according to your desire, Gurudeva”, they replied. The whole night, the disciples began to study. The pandits spent their entire night decorating themselves. They put on turbans with white feathers or chicken feathers, and they were prepared to be the successor acarya. They spent the whole night dressing up, and preparing to receive this post. In the morning, the guru came out to give darsana during the time of brahma muhurta. He sat on his asana. Some people fanned him, and some people gave him garlands. They were preparing for gurudeva to leave on the day of the full moon. Gurudeva sat there and all his disciples came and sat around him.
Gurudeva asked, “How you clean your mind? Yesterday, I asked you this question.”
Different people said, “This is nothing, Gurudeva. It is very easy. You gave us mantra and harinama.” They described many instructions of sastra. Then, the guru asked his insignificant servant to answer.
He replied, “Gurudeva, I don’t know anything. I came to you, and I offered myself to your lotus feet. You know how to clean my mind and heart. You can reject me, or accept me. I am your property, and you know how to manage your own property. I have already offered myself to you.”
Then, Gurudeva gave his flower garland to this servant who used to clean the bathrooms and cook in the kitchen. He said, “I give this position of acarya to you. All the others are followers of their intelligence, their scholarship, and their logic. They take shelter of other people, but they don’t take shelter of me. They don’t possess my real property. My property is my heart, my love. You are surrendered to me, and whatever I want, you will do it. Your mind and heart are mine. Now, I will give you this position.” Everyone else was surprised. Gurudeva said, “No one else is my disciple.”
My own Guru Maharaja told ten thousand times in front of everyone, “All these people are not my disciples. They are their own disciples.” Gurudeva would say in class,
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
—Bhagavad-gita 18.66
How many disciples have given up everything? Who has really taken shelter of guru? Who is a real disciple and follower of guru?
He told me many times, “Why don’t you teach them on how to properly follow Gurudeva? This is your fault.” But, even if I request and beg them, they still don’t follow. They are pandits. They go to college and school. Gurudeva sent them to universities, and Sanskrita colleges. And they would go. Day and night, they would study there. But, they spent no time with Gurudeva. What is the symptom of being learned and qualified? One who possesses these qualities engages everything in guru-seva. And if you are a very qualified scholar, but go far away from Gurudeva, and forget Gurudeva; and instead ,make relation with other things, and are attached to name and fame, then are you a true disciple of Gurudeva? The whole day, you don’t ask Gurudeva if he needs a glass of water. And you do not go to meet him because you are so busy. What is the meaning of this business?
Gurudeva said, “One dog would run one kilometer away, and say that he has no time to stop, and then he would pass and run back. Why does he run? He is very busy for nothing.” Our lives should not be like that. We should live our lives being one-pointedly engaged in the service of Gurudeva. For so many years we stayed with Gurudeva. Then how have we lost Gurudeva and gone far away from his teachings? Why do we distance ourselves?
In India, if the husband dies, the widowed lady would not go to another man. If she did, she would be called a prostitute. She would not think of anyone else than her husband. She would wear white cloth, and hide in her room.
What did Visnupriya-devi do after Mahaprabhu took sannyasa? She never looked at anyone else’s face. She stayed in her room and did bhajana. When Mahaprabhu left Navadvipa, Mahaprabhu never met with anyone. Mahaprabhu Himself instructed her to give mercy to Jiva Gosvami. Then, she put her lotus-feet on his head.
This is ananya sarana, one-pointed surrender. We must be like this to Sri Guru. Guru’s lotus-feet are our shelter. We do not know who acaryas and spiritual masters are. All we know is that Gurudeva is our life and soul, and we are his only. When we have surrendered like this, then Gurudeva will always take care of us. But, if we think that we are now qualified and bona fide, and that we have understood everything and don’t need Gurudeva, then what is to become of us? A blind, dumb, and lame person came to me, and no one took care of him. But, I took care of him. Parents would always take care of their son, even if he is foolish, blind, dumb, or lame. But, if they have a son who is very intelligent and becomes a prime minister, then the ungrateful son would never think about his father.
Gurudeva told the story of a village boy who became a magistrate. The mother daily told her husband, “Go and see your son.”
The father said, “Now, he does not like us. He is magistrate.” She requested him again and again to go. Then, one day he went to the home of his son, and saw him in a meeting with his officers. The father was wearing a gamcha, a turban, and a stick, and his chest was naked. He sat down in a chair, and then the officers who were talking with the magistrate said, “Who is this person? Why has he come, and why is he sitting in this chair?”
The magistrate said, “He is my house servant.” The father could not understand English, but later on he went to the gatekeeper and asked for the meaning of ‘house servant’. Then, the gatekeeper translated the term for him.
The father said, “Yes, this is true.” Then, he took off his leather shoes, and went and beat his son in front of all the officers. He said, “Did you call me your house servant? I am not your house servant; I am your mother’s servant.”
When the disciple becomes a very qualified acarya, he neglects Guru Maharaja. How do we become the prime ministers, or the founders? God would not be happy with us. We would go very far away from God and Guru. Guru and Govinda are there. Who teaches and brings us to Govinda? This is the function of Sri Guru. Gurudeva always tried again and again to help bring the jivas to Krsna. He would go everywhere to collect jivas and offer them to Krsna. He would teach and give power to people. He would give energy for them to progress. He is the one who cleans the heart. Ceto darpana marjanam is not an easy thing. After ceto darpana marjanam, he inspires them and gives instructions on how to progress in their devotion. He connects them to the power of svarupa sakti. Now, we understand God, give lectures, and collect people. But, where does this strength come from? Where does this flow come from? If we disconnect ourselves from Gurudeva, we will not receive water, and we will wither. Doing bhajana means that at every moment, we are remembering Guru-pada-padma. Then, we will have no tension in life. Otherwise, after some time, everything will be lost because we will be disconnected, and we will have no relation with sakti. Gurudeva cleanses our hearts. He knows this process. He makes an asana for Guru, Param Guru, Paratpara Guru, Paramesthi Guru, and all the Guru parampara. He covers this area, and protects everyone.
New born babies do not only get taken care of by their mothers; their sisters, aunts, and members of other families also take care of them. The baby then becomes very strong. But, when the baby is strong, it kicks out everyone. It will say, “I don’t need a mother. Get out!” Then what will happen? The strength will not last for a long time. A little later, when you are sick, who will take care of you? When you have energy, wealth and health, then many people want to share this. But, when you lose everything, no one will come.
Guru-pada-padma has an eternal relation with God and his disciples. He would never leave them. If we don’t accept Guru, then this is our fault. But, once Gurudeva accepts one, he will never leave them. If someone meets with Gurudeva once, Gurudeva will not forget that person.
I asked Gurudeva, “You have so many disciples. How do you know them all, and remember all their names and faces? You speak with all of them familiarly, and you remember what you told them before. How is this possible?” If someone once gave a fruit to Gurudeva, years later he would remember that. One person once made dal puri, chutney, and parata for Gurudeva. Then, Gurudeva would remember these preparations years later.
Later on, when he would meet him, he said, “You once made me that chutney. Won’t you make it again? He would have such a sweet connection with devotees. They would cook and bring something. Gurudeva would say, “Don’t give it to me in front of everyone. Give it to me in a hidden way.” He developed this eternal relation with his followers. If we forget this connection, and go here and there, then what misfortune will come upon us? Where will we go? Be with Gurudeva. Don’t be without Gurudeva. Wherever you go, be with Guru-pada-padma. If you think that he is not physically present, then problems come. Gurudeva has many followers who have room for Gurudeva in their hearts.
Where does the charge in a battery come from? It comes from a powerhouse. Whoever receives this power from Guru, has this power because he is connected. If the connection is cut, they will lose all their power. It will work for some time, and then the power will be depleted.
Wherever Guru-pada-padma is, be there with him.
Iti drk sva lilabhira ananda kunda – lilabhi means that Damodara has many lilas.
Nija nikata nivasam dehim govardhana tvam.
Gurudeva explains that in Vraja bhumi, Krsna always goes to the Vrajavasis and meets them. One day, Krsna said, “Everyone is cooking so nicely today. Why are you making malpua, rabari, halava, laddus, manbhoga, jalebis, rasa malaya, rasa valli, and khir sagara?” Everyone was cooking.
He went to Yasoda and said, “Dear mother, please tell Me why you are making so many preparations today. Is it My birthday?” Krsna knew that on His birthday, there would be a big feast, and much charity would be given. What is that charity? Yasoda Mata gives her love in the form of many preparations. And all the demigods and everyone come to taste that love.
Krsna thought, “Today must be My birthday.” But Yasoda said, “I won’t speak with You. I don’t have time today.”
Krsna said, “Oh, you don’t like Me? Then I will go to the forest. Why should I stay here if you don’t like Me?” She was very busy, and therefore didn’t answer Him. Then, Krsna went to Nanda Baba, and sat on his lap and held on to his beard.
Krsna said, “Baba, no one is speaking with Me today. No one likes Me. I won’t stay here any longer. I will go to the jungle, and live with the animals – with the birds, the cuckoos, the deer, and the monkeys. No one likes Me here.”
Concerned, Nanda asked, “What happened?”
Krsna said, “My aunts and mother neglect Me and do not talk to Me.”
“How is that possible”, Nanda Baba said, “Tell me what the problem is.”
Krsna said, “O Baba, why is everyone cooking so many preparations today? All of Vraja is filled with the aroma of frying ghee. Why are they cooking all these items? And why are they so serious and busy?”
Nanda Baba then said, “Today is a very special day. Today, we worship Indra, the king of heaven.”
Krsna said, “Why do you worship Indra? What does he do for us?”
“You always argue.”
“If you don’t teach Me, then how will I learn? I have never seen Indra. Have you seen him?”
“No.”
Krsna asked, “Then why do you worship him?”
Nanda Baba replied, “I knew You would ask so many questions.”
Many other people were there with Nanda, and they said, “This boy is very intelligent. He is always asking questions.”
Then, Nanda Baba said, “I worship Devendra because he gives us rain. If we don’t worship him, then he won’t give rain, and then grass won’t grow, and the cows will have nothing to eat, and there will be no water to drink.”
Krsna said, “In places where people do not worship Indra, does Indra not give water to them? He is just a servant. If a servant does not do his service, he will be suspended. It is his duty, given by God.”
Nanda Baba said, “Indra is God.”
“Indra is not God. He is just a demigod”, Krsna said.
He then laughed. In Vraja, there are some small roots which are called demi. No one eats them because they are very bitter and emit an unpleasant odor. Krsna said, “This god is a demi. This means that he is very bitter and foul smelling. His color is red, but his heart is not good.”
Then Nanda Baba said, “Don’t joke about Indra. He will be angry.”
Krsna said, “I am not afraid of him. The servants do their work. Why do you worship them?”
“Then, who should I worship?” Nanda Baba asked.
Krsna said, “Worship the Lord only. Why do you worship the Lord’s workers? This is disrespectful to the Lord.”
If you, in front of Gurudeva, worship an ordinary person, then this is disrespectful to Gurudeva. If some new boy has come, and you give him tilak, mala, and abhiseka in front of Gurudeva, and don’t give that to Gurudeva, then this is disrespectful to Gurudeva. We worship everyone, but we do not worship Gurudeva.
We say, “Gurudeva is not here. He has disappeared.” And we worship all the new acaryas.
We think, “All these other people are now Guru Maharaja, and Gurudeva’s seat is for them.”
Krsna said, “This is not good. God is God, and others are not God. We should not worship them like God. If you worship His servants, you are disrespecting God. You should give the demigods the prasadam of God. This is their respect. Give them God’s remnants. Don’t directly worship them. Otherwise, the result will come very bad.”
Nanda Baba asked, “Who is God?” Krsna said, “You don’t know? In Vraja mandala, Giriraja is present. He is Govardhana. He maintains the gopas, the gopis, and the cows, and he increases their bliss. He makes everyone happy. He is like the tilaka of Vraja mandala. If you neglect him, and worship others, then this is very bad.”
Nanda Baba said, “We didn’t know Giriraja was so glorious.”
Krsna said, “Come with Me, and I will show you.”
Nanda Baba said, “Indra will become angry.”
What if he becomes angry?” Krsna said, “If the servants of God become angry, and stop doing their service, then they will be suspended. Don’t worry about him. The Lord is our guardian.”
Krsna led the Vrajavasis to Govardhana, taking all their bhoga, their garlands, candana, and milk for abhiseka. Then, He arranged the worship of Giriraja. Then He prayed to Giriraja, “Please accept our bhoga. You have been present in Vraja, and you have protected everyone in Vraja for a long time. But, they don’t know your true nature and glories. Before, the Vrajavasis would throw garbage around you, and they would step on you. There are many animals in your caves, and you have so many fruits and flowers which you present to the people. Everyone takes from you, but they don’t know your true glories. Today, please give us your darsana, and accept these gifts and offerings from the Vrajavasis.”
Giriraja Govardhana then appeared, and accepted all the offerings of the Vrajavasis. He said, “Before, the Vrajavasis gave me all their remnants with all their garbage, and I was happy with this. But today, all of them are coming with many opulent offerings.” Then, Govardhana ate all these offerings, and then he chanted, “Ano re, ano re, bring more, bring more.”
He ate everything the Vrajavasis gave. Then, Krsna said, “We have nothing left. We only have a Tulasi leave. Will you take this?” Giriraja then took this, and said, “Trip to smi.” He yawned. Then, Krsna requested Him to bless everyone. Everyone took caranamrta and offered pranam, and then Giriraja blessed them. He said, “Go and take prasadam.”
Gurudeva tells this story. Giriraja is completely surrendered to Vraja. He never leaves Vraja. If somebody offers Him garbage or steps on him, he does not respond. He tolerates everything. He has great patience. He lives there in Vraja, only serving the Vrajavasis, praying for their mercy, and for Krsna’s blessings. He is always waiting for service.
On this day, Krsna said, “Giriraja is My sevaka. How can I neglect Him? He is there waiting for My mercy and the mercy of the Vrajavasis. He is divine. He never left Vraja. And he was only waiting for the mercy of the Vrajavasis. Laying down, he is crying and lamenting, and thinking, ‘When will Krsna come and accept me.’” How does Krsna respect him? He does so with respect and love. And Krsna brought all the Vrajavasis to respect Giriraja and accept him in their hearts. This Giriraja Govardhana gives charity to everyone. He has so much power and love, and he gives this. Dhana gati, a charity place has been opened, and you can take whatever you like from him. What does He give? Dasa Gosvami therefore explains,
pramada madana lilah kandare kandare te
racayati nava yunor dvandvam asminn amandam
iti kila kalnartham lagnakas tad dvayor me
nija nikata nivasam dehi govardhana tvam
rasa nidhi nava yunoh saksinim dana keler
dyuti parimala viddham syama vedim prakasya
rasika vara kulanam moram asphalayan me
nija nikata nivasam dehi govardhana tvam
—Sri Govardhana-vasa-prarthana dasakam
Govardhana gives rasa. He is rasa vara kala cit amani. He gives this Vraja rasa or bhakti rasa in charity. We may go everywhere, but no one will give you this charity. Giriraja Govardhana has this, and he will give it. You can receive this at dhana gati. He will give you this spiritual rasa— this spiritual power and energy.
Gurudeva stayed where the Giridhari Gaudiya Matha is presently situated. Daily, he would do parikrama of Giriraja, and he would speak one chapter of the Bhagavatam to Giriraja, and then he would take some madhukari, and reside there.
Krsna came to Giriraja, and said, “Govardhana will provide everything to whoever comes to him. There will be no shortage of anything.” The Vrajavasis had faith in Krsna’s words and they offered everything to Govardhana, and then did parkirama. Parikrama means to bind.
Krsna said, “My mother bound Me with a rope. Now, with all the Vrajavasis, I will do parikrama of Giriraja, and in this way we will bind ourselves to him, heart to heart.” This is the purpose of parikrama.
Then some test came. The demigods went to Indra, and said, “Now, a little naked cowherd boy has stopped your puja in Vraja.” Indra was very angry.
He said, “I am acarya. I am guru. I am the founder. If you don’t worship me, and instead you worship Krsna, the cowherd boy, I will destroy Vraja mandala.” He instructed the 330 million demigods to attack and destroy Vraja along with that boy.
Krsna said, “Yes, come. You are now the founder, and you want to destroy everything. You are a servant. Your duty is to serve.” Varuna, Agni, Vayu, Candra, and Surya were all instructed by Indra to attack Vraja. Indra came with thunderbolts to smash Vraja. Varuna-deva came and inundated Vraja.
Krsna said, “Good. No one has done abhiseka of Giriraja for a long time. The air and water cleanse Giriraja and wash him nicely.” Before, the Vrajavasis would throw garbage there, but now with the torrents of rain, everything was cleaned out. If you don’t taunt or torture the servants, they will not do their service very nicely. If you don’t chastise the servants or punish them, they will not properly work.
Now Varuna-deva washed Giriraja for seven days, and all the water of Ganga in heaven was finished. Then Pavana devata came, and with tornados, he cleaned Giriraja completely. Krsna was very happy. Then, all of Vraja mandala was clean, especially Giriraja Govardhana. Then, all the demigods came. Indra came and struck Giriraja with thunderbolts.
He said, “Giriraja, how did you accept my puja? I will beat you.” Because of the sound of the thunderbolts, all the animals that were residing in Govardhana’s keli kunjas ran away. The snakes, the scorpions, and all other animals left Giriraja, and he was completely clean. All the kunjas and all the cages were prepared for Krsna’s rati-keli. All the bacteria and parasites left Giriraja. Then Dhanvantari and all the other demigods came with Indra. And they properly served Giriraja, and then Giriraja’s body was effulgent like silver and gold. He was very fresh and clean.
Krsna smiled, and said, “Now, the servants have worked very nicely. Now, they have come in the proper line.” But, the Vrajavasis were suffering. There was water all around, and it was windy and cold. Krsna called them, and they followed Krsna with all the cows and calves.
Gurudeva said that during the rainy season, by the push of a button, one can protect himself from the rain. When Garuda is sitting before Narayana, he is small. But, when he spreads his wings on the order of Narayana, then he covers the whole world by his wings. If he can carry the Supreme Lord Narayana, then surely he can carry everyone.
Similarly, Giriraja Govardhana was lying down and praying in separation for the mercy of Radharani and Krsna, and begging for Their service. When Krsna came, Giriraja stood up as if waking. He did not sit; he stood up. And he opened his heart. Giriraja has many kunja kutiras. There were seven stories, seven miles high. There were so many different stories for the Vrajavasis to reside in. On the first level, the cows and calves stayed. On the second level, the servants stayed. On the third, there was all the food and the lodging and the places to cook. And the mothers stayed there. The sakhis resided on the fifth story. On the sixth, the sakhas stayed. And on the seventh, Krsna and His group stayed. He was there holding up Giriraja, who resembled the seven higher planetary system. All the planetary systems were present with Giriraja – Bhur, Bhuva, Svara, Tapa, Jana, and Brahma-loka. For seven days and nights, Krsna played beneath Giriraja as He lovingly held him on his little finger. All the Vrajavasis were very happy. The sakhas were dancing and playing and fighting. The sakhis were cooking and feeding and singing. The cows were grazing. And everyone had a place and bed.
This is the nature of sevakas. Sevakas have all power. Where does this power come from? It comes from Krsna Himself. He gives svarupa sakti. Indra disrespected and disobeyed Krsna, and therefore became punished by Him. Then, Nanda Baba and the brahmanas and priests were very satisfied and happy. They all entered Giriraja’s heart. Radharani then said,
hantayam adrir abala hari-dasa-varyo
yad rama-krishna-carana-sparasa-pramodah
manam tanoti saha-go-ganayos tayor yat
paniya-suyavasa-kandara-kandamulaih
—Srimad Bhagavatham 10.21.18
Radharani said, “O sakhis, just see Giriraja. Before, he was just like a hill. But really, He is Haridasa varya, the greatest servant of Hari. He is the nearest and dearest of Krsna. Just see how much love he has. His ability to serve is unequalled. Everything is hidden. We are gopis, very confidential. He is the giver of bliss to the gopas and gopis.” The sakhas and brahmanas also began to pray to Giriraja,
govardhano jayati saila-kuladhirajo
yo gopikabhir udito hari-dasa-varyah
krishnena sakra-makha-bhanga-kritarcito yah
saptaham asya kara-padma-tale ‘py avatsit
—Brhad Bhagavatmrta 1.1.7
The gopis described Giriraja as Haridasa varya, and then said “Govardhana jayati, he is glorious. He has conquered everyone. He has served all the Vrajavasis.”
Then Krsna said, “This Govardhana has entered Vraja mandala.” We go here and there, but without knowledge of Giriraja how can we be Vrajavasis?
Gurudeva said that the Guruvarga is the nearest and dearest of Giriraja. They take us and offer us to Giriraja. If we leave the Guruvarga, where will we go? Will we go to the Himalayas? We must remain in the shelter of Giriraja. Giriraja Govardhana is the tilaka of Vraja. Gurudeva instructs us to take shelter of Giriraja Govardhana. We should not neglect Gurudeva’s order. By doing so, we will not get mercy from Giriraja, and he will not open his heart to us. Giriraja has relation with Gurudeva. Therefore, Gurudeva was always serving Giriraja Govardhana. He gave shelter to others at Govardhana. Now, he is also present in Koladvipa, which is abhinna Govardhana. In Govardhana, Krsna performs nauka vihara at Manasi Ganga. And Krsna performs dhana gati lila, dhana nivarta lila, Govinda kunda lila, and Apsara kunda lila, Kadamba kandi lila, and holi lila near the banks of Surabhi kunda and Govardhana. Indra came with his elephant Airavat, brought Ganga water. This water is stocked in Airavata kunda.
At Surabhi kunda, Surabhi mata came with Indra. Because Krsna has so much love for cows, Surabhi said, “As long as my dynasty is present in this world, every day, we will do abhiseka of Giriraja Govardhana with milk. Whatever pain came when Indra was beating Giriraja will go to those who try to stop his abhiseka or whoever does not engage in this. With my butter, ghee, and milk, I will always perform abhiseka of Giriraja Govardhana. This will last as long as the world is present.” From that day, Surabhi began doing abhiseka of Giriraja. And now, thousands of years later, abhiseka is continuing every day.
Without offering bhoga or abhiseka to Giriraja, this world would not remain. This is continuing, but our eyes are not open. Guru-pada-padma brings us to the shelter of Giriraja Govardhana, but we don’t remember Giriraja or Guru-pada-padma, or learn anything from him. How then can our lives be successful? How can we progress? Therefore remember Gurudeva’s instructions, and offer obeisance to Giriraja Govardhana. If you cannot go there by body, go there by mind. Offer bhoga, do abhiseka, and remember how Gurudeva performed annukuta there. And how he would go with the bhaktas and glorify Govardhana. This is Vraja mandala parikrama.
When Pujyapada Trivikrama Maharaja was very aged and heavyset, he said, “I will do 108 parikramas of Giriraja.” With a stick, he daily went on parkirama with great difficulty. His feet were cut, and they would bleed, and he would bind them with cloth.
I said, “Maharaja, performing parikrama by mind is enough. Why are you doing this with your body?”
He said, “Why did God give me this body? If I don’t use this body for God’s service, then I will become a stone or tree. I must engage this body in God’s service.” There was no temple at that time, but during Kartika month, he did parikrama. It took him more than three and a half months to finish this parikrama.
Gurudeva also performed parikrama of Giriraja for many months during Parama Gurudeva’s manifest presence. And then, while staying in Mathura, he would also go every week.
Why? Unless we perform sadhana how can we progress? We perform parkirama of the whole world, but not parikrama of Giriraja Govardhana. Then, how will relation come to us? How will our hearts be cleansed? Give your heart to Gurudeva, and then Gurudeva will cleanse your heart, ceto darpana marjanam. He will arrange this. The condition is sarva dharman pariyaja mam ekam saranam vraja. Krsna teaches this. He is jagat-guru. If I do not take shelter of my guru, then everyone will come to steal flowers from the garden. But they do not water the garden, and they do not plant new flowers. Gurudeva makes the garden, waters it, and protects it with a fence. He can clean our hearts, and he can engage us in the service of God. Always remember Gurudeva and pray to him. Then, bhakti and bhajana will not be difficult or far. It will be very easy. Just stay with him. If you are separate from Gurudeva, a great problem will come to you. Then, you will understand how painful the result is. There is no other protector in this world. Gurudeva very kindly appeared as the representative of God to save us. We have taken birth millions of times, but who takes care of us? In this life, Gurudeva takes care of us, and offers us in the service of God. Do not forget Gurudeva. Or you will become ungrateful, akratagya. Krtagyata, or gratefulness, means to remember Gurudeva. This is his puja. Always remember him, and try to follow his ideal teachings. Gurudeva gave us his books as gifts. Follow Damodara vrata by staying with him, and follow his instructions. You cannot buy Damodara and bring him in your heart without Gurudeva’s help and mercy.
Guru Maharja ki jaya!
Damodara lila ki jaya!
Vraja mandala dhama ki jaya!
Ananta koti vaisnava vrnda ki jaya!Gaura premanande haribol!
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