Gau Seva Part 1
In the evening from around 5:30 to 6pm is the Godhuli period when the cows return to the goshala from the forest. Before coming to His residence at Nandagrama, standing under a kadamba tree, Kṛṣṇa calls all his cows to that place. He also informs all His cowherd boyfriends, “Now we are going home to our residence. Mother Yasoda and all our mothers are waiting for us in Nandagaon, and there at Yasoda-kunda, Yasoda and Nanda Baba are expecting us.”
Near Yasoda-kunda, there is one place called Nanda Bhaitaka where Nanda and Yasoda send off and receive Kṛṣṇa from the forest. Kṛṣṇa goes with His friends, playing His flute, to graze the cows. Mother Yasoda sends Him off from this Yasoda-kunda. Nanda Baba also comes to over see Kṛṣṇa’s departure from Nanda Bhaitaka. Before they go off into the forest, Nanda and Yasoda beg Kṛṣṇa and His friends to not go too far into the forest or play down by the river Yamuna as there are so many dangerous demons being sent by Kamsa; “Be careful don’t just play here and there.”
Still even today, Kamsa’s associates are wandering in Braja, giving the cows so much difficulty, capturing and then bringing them to the slaughterhouse. Kanaiya gives a promise to Yasoda Maiya, and declares, “I will not give up Balarama’s association while walking in the forest. I will always stay with Him.”
Mother Yasoda says; “You should especially not bathe in the Kaliya daha.” She requests this to Śrī Kṛṣṇa again and again. Yasoda and Nanda Baba then begin their return back to their palace at Nandagaon. As she is leaving, Yasoda Maiya turns to Kṛṣṇa and says; “Do you want to eat butter when you come home?” Kṛṣṇa loves butter. Therefore Yasoda Maiya always says; “You come home and I’ll give you butter, you come back and I’ll give you butter.”
Yasoda Maiya sends her servants along with Kṛṣṇa, while He is grazing the cows, to find out whether He is happy or not. Even if Kṛṣṇa is grazing in nearby Nandagram, she still sends her servants to keep an eye on Kṛṣṇa, her anxiety is that Kamsa’s demons are coming regularly to Braja. Mother Yasoda’s gopi servants go near where Kṛṣṇa is situated, observe, and come back to inform Mother Yasoda.
Maiya is asking the Gopis; “Where is my son?”
The gopis reply; “He is playing on the bank of the Yamuna.” ’
He wears a red turban on his head with a pagari (peacock feather). His hairs are very black and curly on which rests His mukhut(crown) with the peacock feather. He plays in the kuñjas on the bank of the Yamuna.’
In SB 10.35.14-15 these verses are there;
vividha-gopa-caraṇeṣu vidagdho
tava sutaḥ sati yadādhara-bimbe
datta-veṇur anayat svara-jātīḥ
savanaśas tad upadhārya sureśāḥ
śakra-śarva-parameṣṭhi-purogāḥ
kaśmalaḿ yayur aniścita-tattvāḥ
O pious mother Yaśodā, your son, who is expert in all the arts of herding cows, has invented many new styles of flute-playing. When He takes His flute to His bimba-red lips and sends forth the tones of the harmonic scale in variegated melodies, Brahmā, Śiva, Indra and other chief demigods become confused upon hearing the sound. Although they are the most learned authorities, hey cannot ascertain the essence of that music, and thus they bow down their heads and hearts.
Mother Yasoda is anxiety. She has gone to the forest to search for Her son Kṛṣṇa; “It is a little cloudy and windy, where is my son? Maybe He is in trouble?” That’s why she is in anxiety. By the time the gopis return to tell Yasoda Maiya, she is exhausted.
She asks; “Did you see my son Kṛṣṇa?”
“Yes we have seen.”
“Where have you seen?”
“On the bank of the Yamuna we have seen Him.”
This verse 14, vividha-gopa-caraṇeṣu vidagdha explains that He is playing different games there; In Braja, the cowheard boys play many different games in the forest; they close their eyes (anvicoli), they hide behind the bushes and trees (divicoli), they play ball (gaid), they run and ride horses (ururu). All these games are called, vividha-gopa-caranesu.
“They are playing different games, mother Yasoda.”
Not only are they playing different games, but Kṛṣṇa is also playing the flute in different melodies. As He plays the flute, many demigods from the heavenly planets come to hear the sweet vibration.
Mother Yasoda asks, “Who is teaching Him veṇu-vādya urudhā nija-śikṣāḥ?”
The gopis reply that He plays Himself and many others from other places come to hear the music.
Now the third line on this particular verse, tava sutaḥ sati yadādhara-bimbe; “Yasoda, you are a chaste lady. Your son will not have any troubles because of your chastity and austerity. You should not worry about this Kamsa.”
Mother Yasoda asks, “Who has taught my son datta-veṇur anayat svara-jātīḥ; When He played His flute, even the Gandharvas, Devatas, Yakṣas, Brahmā, Indra; all the devotees from the heavenly planets came to hear and thought, “How can one play the flute like this?”
The gopis say; veṇu-vādya urudhā nija-śikṣāḥ, “He is playing by His own skill, He has taught Himself. Who can teach Kanaiya? He is the master of all music. He knows all melodies, savanaśas tad upadhārya sureśāḥ. “Even the heavenly demigods are hankering to hear and are coming down to earth.” śakra-śarva-parameṣṭhi-purogāḥ; They are bringing all their different followers with them. Indra brought all the Gandharvas, Apsarās etc.”
This has been seen by the gopis and is being relayed to Mother Yasoda.
śakra means Indra and he came with his group; the Gandharvas, and Apsarās. śarva refers to Mahadeva and he brought with him Durgā, Ganesa, etc. parameṣṭhi is another name for Brahmā. In Brahmā’s group Sarasvatī also came.
The gopis tell Mother Yasoda, “All these demigods came and they were very eager to hear Kṛṣṇa play His flute.”
kavaya ānata-kandhara-cittāḥ; When they heard Kṛṣṇa’s flute, their shoulder/necks bend down in humility and their hearts soften.
kaśmalaḿ yayur aniścita-tattvāḥ; ‘Mother Yasoda, Ganapti and Sarasvati are discussing about the Lord’s flute playing and how even they are bewildered by it.’
“What kind of melody, what kind of tal/melody is He playing?”
Neither Ganapati, Sarasvatī, nor the apsarās can fully comprehend and understand Kṛṣṇa’s flute playing.”
Kṛṣṇa was the star performer and accompanying him were all the demigods like Ganapati, Sarasvatī, and the Apsarās to witness His flute playing.
The gopis describe this Mother Yasoda that even though they were all there, none of them could fully understand how Kṛṣṇa could play so wonderfully. They relayed to Mother Yasoda what they witnessed with their own eyes.
Śukadeva is saying kaśmalaḿ; the demigods were in confusion and bewilderment about how Kṛṣṇa was able to play the flute as He did. aniścita-tattvāḥ; They could not figure out which raga and tal this young Kanaiya played. They were simply intoxicated from the music coming from Kṛṣṇa’s flute.
After that Kṛṣṇa said, “Now we have to go, because Mother Yasoda is waiting and she may be in anxiety that we haven’t reached home.” He again stood under the kadamba tree and played His flute. His friends told Him; “Kana! The cows have not come yet? What can we do without our cows? Can we go and bring back the cows from the forest?” Kṛṣṇa said “No, don’t go. I will call them.” He then began to call them with His flute holding it in His hand standing up beneath the kadamba tree.
Baba starts to sing;
‘Kṛṣṇa stands on the bank of the Yamuna under a kadamba tree and is playing His flute. The cowherd boys saw that when Kṛṣṇa played the flute, all the cows started running towards Kṛṣṇa. The gwalas are saying to Kṛṣṇa;
“Look, there is Doli gau, Covery gau” and said the names the different cows. “They are coming from that side, they are coming from this side.” By hearing the sound vibration of Kṛṣṇa’s flute, all the cows came from the forest towards Kṛṣṇa. The cows were off in the forest somewhere, but as soon as they heard the sound of Krsna’s flute, they began running towards Kṛṣṇa.
Kṛṣṇa is calling; “Please come, please come.” Kṛṣṇa says to the cowherd boys; “See how all the cows are now coming.” Then Kṛṣṇa goes on to tell his friends, “Now all the cows have come, let us now proceed to Nandagram. Please my friends, both young and old, come now.”
The sakhās say to Kṛṣṇa, “Kṛṣṇa You are so great, that just by playing on your flute, all the cows have come together like this. All glories to You!”
Now Kṛṣṇa says, “Let us go now, our mothers are all waiting to receive us. Balarama let us go.”
“Yes Kanaiya” says Lord Balarāma.
So now Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and the cowherd boys proceed back to Nandagaon. Kṛṣṇa is in the middle. In front, behind, to the right and to the left of Kṛṣṇa are the cows. That is the beauty of Kṛṣṇa and also Braja’s majesty, the cow. The beauty of Braja is the cow. Vaikuṇṭha is inferior to Braja because in Vaikuṇṭha there are no cows. Because of cows only Kṛṣṇa has lifted Govardhana hill. Because of the cows, the dust is floating in the sky and falling on Kṛṣṇa. This is the most beautiful scene of Braja, without cows that would not be possible.
This song was sung by one of Vallabhācārya’s followers, Cit Swami.
‘Although Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, to please all the Brajabāsīs, He is performing this lila as a cowherd boy, tending the cows. This is the beauty of Vraja; the cows, and the cow’s beauty is Vraja.’
There are seven things on this earth planet in this Kali-yuga, which are keeping her stable and keeping the planet from going to hell.
1. Cows
2. Brāhmaṇas
3. Vedas
4. Chaste ladies
5. Truthful/honest people
6. Austere people (tyāgīs)
7. Charitable people
As we know from the Bhāgavatam, King Parīkṣit came across the personality of Kali acting as a butcher, beating the bull that was only left standing on one leg. He said to Kali, “I am a descendent of Arjuna. How dare you offend the cow while in this kingdom under my jurisdiction!” Parīkṣit took his sword to cut off his head, but Kali took surrendered to Parīkṣit’s lotus feet. He would have killed him, but because Kali took shelter of him, he did not.
The ṛṣis and munis asked Suta Gosvāmī, “Why did Pariksit forgive Kali and not kill him?”
The anwer is that Kali-yuga allows one great thing that was not in Satya, Treta or Dvāpara. That is Harinama sankirtana.
In Kali-yuga also, if one thinks something sinful in the mind, there is no offense for that, but if one performs some good deed in the mind, one receives the benefit of that. This is a great quality of the Kali-yuga.
SB 12.3.52
Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Viṣṇu, in Tretā-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvāpara-yuga by serving the Lord's lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra.
In Satya-yuga, even if you meditated for thousands of years you may not have achieved perfection, in Treta-yuga even if you did a lot of fire sacrifices you may not have become succesful, in Dvāpara yuga you may have done a lot of seva and worship, but still you may have missed perfection, which is easily attained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Holy Name. What couldn’t be achieved through yajñas, sacrifices and worship can be achieved simply by chanting the Holy Name of the Lord.
Because of that quality of Kali-yuga, easy perfection is reached through chanting, Parīkṣit Mahārāja showed forgiveness and allowed Kali to live.
Caitanya Mahāprabhu was Kṛṣṇa Himself. He came to deliver all the jivas of Kali-yuga with Nama sankirtana. By His mercy Harinama is spreading all over the universe. Because of that this land is secure.
In the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.3.31 Sukadeva Goswami explains to King Pariksit;
tasmāt sańkīrtanaḿ viṣṇor
My dear King, the chanting of the holy name of the Lord is able to uproot even the reactions of the greatest sins. Therefore the chanting of the sańkīrtana movement is the most auspicious activity in the entire universe. Please try to understand this so that others will take it seriously.
If one performs kirtana, one is benefiting every citizen and every living entity. If someone chants the Holy Name, not only is he gaining benefit, but also he is benefiting every living entity in the whole world. Tasmat implies for everyone.
Kali had decided that in his age, the Kali-yuga, he would kill the cows. That’s why we see so much cow slaughter in this age compared to other yugas. The number of cows is decreasing in Kali-yuga. Kali pushes us into the performance of misdeeds. However, only ten or twenty years back, there were many many cows in India.
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