It is said that the pastime of ‘Lifting Goverdhana Hill’ is the favorite of Sri Krishna because in this lila, all the different devotees from all the different rasas take part simultaneously. Nanda Maharaja and Yasoda Devi were there, as we’ll as the cowherd boys and the beautiful Vraja gopis. Krishna convinced His father and others that the worship of Goverdhana, the cows and the brahmanas was superior to worshiping Indra. He spoke saying it was not useful to worship the demigods because we would all simply get our karma anyway. Indra did not appreciate this and sent a huge thunderstorm to drown all the residents of Vraja, but Krishna tricked him with ease. He lifted the hill to save his devotees and simultaneously satisfied everyone’s desire to stare at his beautiful face. When Krishna displayed his gigantic shape to consume the bhoga offerings, everyone gazed at that form while the gopis were able to stare at Krishna’s original form to their hearts content. The highest worship of Govardhana (Govardhana-sila) is performed with gunja-mala (small red, white, and black beads). The gunja-mala is the representation of Srimati Radharani. When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave Govardhana-sila to Raghunatha Dasa Goswami to worship, He did so with gunja-mala. Dasa Gosvami, our prayojana-acarya, worshiped Govardhana with gunja-mala and thus achieved the highest perfection in love of God. Caitanya-caritamrta, Antya-lila 6.287-307. The devotees of Sri Krishna Balarama Mandir will be celebrating the Lifting of Goverdhana, as well as the worship of the cows and the brahmanas with a class held at the ISKCON Goshala beginning at 8:00 am and an Abishek of Giriraj Sila in the temple at 10:30am on November 12th. You are invited to attend the ceremonies, under the guidance of our dear Srila Prabhupada, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, and pray for the mercy of Sri Nataraji that we may join Him in His eternal pastimes. Various plays and entertainment will be provided for your devotional service to Sri Goverdhana. See you there!
Source: http://www.iskconvrindavan.com/the-thunderstorm-of-love/
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