Vamshi Vat

       Krishna has a variety of flutes which He plays in order to attract the hearts of His devotees. Based on the length and the number of holes in the flute it is called Vamshi, Venu or Murali. Vata is the Sanskrit word for a Banyan Tree. So Vamshi Vata is the celebrated Banyan Tree in Vrindavan where Krishna plays His Vamshi to attract the heart of His devotees especially the Vraja Gopis. This is the place where Krishna as Gopinath, the Lord of the Gopis, performs the Rasa dance with the Gopis of Vrindavan.

       

       Renunciation of Gopis: When Lord Shyamsundar played on His Vamshi in the fifth note, at this place on the full moon night of the Sharad season the ambrosial nectar of the sound vibration of Krishna’s flute filled the entire atmosphere. When this nectar entered into the ears of the Vraja Gopis, it penetrated their loving hearts. Charmed by the sweetness of Krishna’s love, they exhibited the perfection and essence of renunciation held supreme in the Gaudiya Vasihnava Siddhanta. For the pleasure of Krishna they at once left their home and all of their security. Some of them were milking cows but on hearing the music of Krishna’s flute they left the pots under the cow’s udders and immediately ran to Vamshi Vata tree to meet Krishna. Some were feeding their baby children. Renouncing even the attachment towards their children the Gopis left their children behind for the pleasure of Krishna. In the dead of the night they were fearlessly following the music of Krishna’s flute in a dangerous forest because they had complete faith that if they please Krishna their lives would become perfect. They were willing to risk their good names and their chastity even at the risk of never being allowed to return home again. The Gopis only ambition was to lay themselves at the feet of Krishna, completely at His disposal, willing to mould according to His desire for His pleasure.

       Qualification to approach Rasa Lila: All the fortunate Gopis came to this holy place of Vamshi Vata and here the Rasa Lila began. The most perfect and pure of all manifestations of God’s pastimes is the Rasa Lila. It is so elevated in nature that only great souls like Shukadev Goswami, Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Shri Ramananda Raya who have given up everything of this world and placed their hearts in the service of Krishna exclusively can truly understand the divine significance of Rasa Lila.

       Prayer: Under this Vamshi Vata tree many great Acharyas have offered their prayers and Bhajans to the lotus feet of Shri Shri Radha and Krishna. Speaking on the transcendental nature of this place.This place is certainly beyond the farthest reaches of a conditioned soul’s power of understanding and realizations. But if one offers ones sincere and humble prayers to Guru and Vaishnavas petitioning them to carry those prayers through disciplic succession to Shri Shri Radha and Krishna then the Lord will be pleased and with His pleasure His grace will descend. And one day by the mercy of the Lord, we can also gain entrance into this mood of pure renunciation of the Gopis. So we should earnestly pray here at the lotus feet of the great Vaishnavas who are the servants of the Gopis of Vrindavan that we could also exclusively dedicate our body, our mind, our words and our very life at all risk at all cost for the pleasure of Shri Shri Radha and Krishna.