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10

LOTUS FEET

O friends, Vrindavan increases
The fame of the world.
It has been blessed with the touch of
Krishna’s lotus feet, attained by Laxshmi,
That supreme goddess of splendor.

When Govinda plays His flute
The intoxicated peacocks dance.
Seeing them, the other inhabitants 
Of the Govardhana Hill
Stand perfectly still, spellbound. (Bhagavat 10/18/10)

"It appears odd to us that the gods and other higher divinities will not set foot here, yet Shri Krishna, the God of gods, walks here all the time. We have been told that,

This world is His mundane form.
His spiritual form is beyond perception,
His divine form is comprised of Soild Bliss.

"We have also heard that His spiritual and divine forms never appear upon the earth. But look here,

Our darling Krishna wanders all over Vrindavan. 
He has come to this unworthy place of demons,
But Vrindavan is a sacred forest
And has an alliance with women.

"The women of Vrindavan are the blessed bhaktas of His loving devotion. This is why Krishna firmly places His lotus feet on this land. His presence here has made the groves and forests sacred. They are totally sanctified."

While praising Him, a Svamini’s heart wells with a mixture of devotional ecstasy and jealousy. She begins:

"Krishna, look here, our hearts are just like the sacred realm of Vrindavan, so place Your lotus feet upon them. Just consider them a part of the Vrindavan You so much love to wander. Even though women’s breasts can be hard and hilly, place Your lotus feet upon them. Know our inner reality is rich with Your nectar.

It flows like the Yamuna river.
All the pores of our bodies are
Wells brimming with your ras.

"Vrindavan’s connection is with women and You are the only man here. There is no distinction between us and Vrindavan, so place your lotus feet upon our Vrindavan hearts."

Another Svamini has become jealous of Vrindavan and relates, "All those other Gopis who have sung before us about the flute have done so while being under the influence of the material modes. The Svaminis here are of one mind, we are beyond any effects. We are "nirguna", beyond it all and therefore we could never be envious."

But in fact this Svamini is very jealous 
And it makes her devotion burn brightly.

Another Svamini innocently remarks, "When His feet appear in the expansive eternal realm of Vaikuntha, then what is so unusual about them appearing here?"

Krishna, who is unattainable by even the gods,
Has agreed to appear on the earth
And wanders the Vrindavan abode.

"The fact that He has blessed the earth is amazing. Vrindavan has been directly touched and blessed by Krishna. Vrindavan now increases the glory of the world and therefore it is worthy of praise. We cannot claim that Krishna always resides here, but we can say that in Vrindavan there is a constant presence of His lotus feet.

"Krishna is independent and only reveals Himself occasionally. Not even Vrindavan has the power to bring forth His darshan. His vision is attained everywhere only by means of devotion. But without devotion, even Vrindavan becomes devoid of fame.

"Vrindavan owes all of its glory to Krishna’s lotus feet. They carry the auspicious images of the flag, thunderbolt and barley grass. His lotus feet have been attained by Laxshmi and create great splendor wherever they go. For us, Krishna is the son of Devaki. We can’t relate to that child Krishna, the son of Yashoda. For us, Krishna has appeared from Devaki, but she had little to do with Him after giving birth. So Krishna’s attention is not there, but with us. Krishna, the son of Devaki, is our Lord of uninhibited love-play.

For Krishna, women are important
For they are the devotional ones.
Because they are in love with God, Krishna graces them. 
In the Path of Grace, women bhaktas predominate.
They are the ones who know Hari.

"The lotus appears from water and Krishna’s feet are lotus-like. In the Path of Bhakti, Krishna’s lotus feet are unsurpassed. They remove the distress of the Svamini’s spiritual heart and create great splendor wherever they go.

"Hari’s lotus feet find their highest manifestation in Vrindavan. There they are adorned with the auspicious markings of the flag, thunderbolt, and barley grass.RR For this reason, even Laxshmi continually resides here. The Vrindavan ground is soft and has attained great fame from the having the touch of Krishna’s lotus-like feet. Vrindavan contains not only Shri, the great beauty, but also knowledge and devotion. This is all due to the presence of Govinda.

"When He plays the flute, its song is like rumbling swarthy clouds. It intoxicates the peacocks and makes them dance.
Whoever can hear Hari’s flute forgets all bodily concerns.
It makes them dance with increasing bhakti.

"Vrindavan is praiseworthy. Upon seeing the peacocks dance to the song of Shri Krishna’s flute, all the resident animals on the Govardhan hill become stunned. They all received from that divine spectacle not only knowledge of God, but bhakti as well. Except for one, they were all oriented towards knowledge of God.

"The question could be raised that if knowledge exists above, then how can animals living in burrows below taste the higher fruit of knowledge?

"Although they are lowly animals, they are full of knowledge. They lived below but climbed to the top of the Govardhan Hill from where they were able to behold the lila. It has made them pure.

They are the worthy ones.
They left their worldly holes
And climbed above, 
To behold Krishna.

"Having explained the nature of the flute, now we will hear of its six divine virtues in the next six slokas.

11

Behold those simple-minded, yet most blessed deer.
While standing in the forest with their husbands, 
They have heard Krishna’s flute.
Now their eyes overflow with love and worship for
Shri Krishna, the son of Nanda.

 Hari’s attire astonishes even them. (Bhagavat 10/18/11)

"Our Krishna is the holder of the six divine virtues. They are…

Lordship, Potency, Fame,
Splendor, Knowledge and Renunciation.

"We call Him Bhagavan because He perfectly contains these virtues. This song of His flute shows how He balances these amazing aspects within the world of form. They arose when the deer, the celestial women, Vrindavan, the cows, the birds, the Yamuna river as well as the clouds imbibed His call.

Whenever you see the simple-minded worship
The Blessed Lord, unpromptedly, know that 
Unconditional lordship has appeared 
Within the world of beings.

"The greatness of our Hari is that He is free from all conditions. He has no need to display His excellence. Most people can only worship what they can see or places that others have already honored. Only the wise can behold concealed greatness, like those deer, their lovely knowledge-laden eyes knew to worship Hari. In the lila with the deer, Krishna reveals His greatness.

Hari’s potency was shown in the Apsara lila. 
Those heavenly women who heard Krishna’s call,
Despite being accompanied by their husbands,
Fell unconscious, overpowered by Krishna’s love.

"Celestial women are never satisfied by mortal men. They require a totally different type of ras and it does not even appear in this world. Krishna skillfully displayed His omnipotence by appearing upon the earth and without a single touch was able to totally enchant them with a note of His flute. In the great wave of Krishna passion, they forgot their husbands and fell spellbound.

Krishna revealed His fame
When those simple cows gazed upon Him.
They suspended their grass-chewing 
In order to fully engage themselves with Hari.

"You see, true fame is distinctive. It can sway someone away from their addictions and naturally establish itself in that place. For cows, grass is nectar and they always consume it. When they heard the call, their ears perked up and when His nectar filled their beings, the mouthful of chewed grass remained unswallowed. Everything came to a complete standstill as they imbibed Hari’s elixir. This lila with the cows expanded Krishna’s fame.

"The song of the flute contains the three-fold qualities of "rajas", "tamas" and "sattva". It also contains what is beyond all virtues, "nirguna". Vrindavan, the sagious birds and the Govardhan Hill, are all "nirguna".

Whoever loves them, 
Becomes like them, 
"Nirguna".

"We Svaminis of Braja love the Vrindavan forest. There in its unseen glades we have dallied with Krishna. From the Vrindavan grove, those who have risen above all worldly merit can peer out while others cannot see in. The birds of Vrindavan, those sages from another era, have incarnated in Vrindavan to observe the lila. They can do so from their high branches because they are "nirguna". The Govardhan Hill is also "nirguna" and with its roots, caves and springs It offers endless support for lila. Those blessed ones who have insight and love can enter the lila abode,

Liberated and
Ever-expanding with bliss.

The Srutis say, 
‘When a man completely delights in 
The Goddess of Fortune, 
The vina sounds.’

"From this passage now understand the position of the Vrindavan birds. They have attained "Shri", the supreme beauty. They are all delighted in Krishna. While sitting in their trees, they have heard the flute and enjoyed its splendor. They know its "Shri" element. It is hidden deep within Krishna and they have discovered it. Only then did they hear the flute. When a bhakta attains "Shri", there is victory over the lower nature.

When you transcend your lower nature
You attain true knowledge.
And then there is refuge and dedication
That creates love for Hari’s lotus feet.

"In grace-filled renunciation, the bhakta attains the power to remove even the woes and complications of God Himself.
This is the true seva, the blessed attitude to nourish and attain.

It is most worthy and arrives
With a flood of bliss.

"To be unattached to things of the world is elevated, yet common. When renunciation follows with love for Hari’s feet, it inspires the total offering of body and soul. Then renunciation becomes devotional. But when renunciation rises to the level of selfless love, then there is an understanding of how to please Shri Krishna and take His refuge. Then the blessed soul can remove Hari’s anguish like those clouds did when they sheltered Him from the hot sunrays.

"That blessed cloud showered her essence upon Krishna, She cooled Him with her flowers and rain. In the grace-filled renunciation, seva is focused on His pleasure. And that is why we say:

Blessed are those deer and the other residents of Braja.
Who have revealed Hari’s greatness.

"When action is embellished with wisdom, it shines. Only then does the undertaking become sublime. Puja is the blessed worship, the elevated action. It all becomes magnanimous when the objects used are infused with knowledge and are lovingly connected to Hari. This blessed worship is spoken of as two kinds:

"Bhagavat jnan"
Knowledge of Hari.
To know what Krishna needs at any time or place.

"Sva jnan" 
Knowledge of Self.
To know how to offer magnificent things to Him.

"When we do not know when, where, how or what types of things to offer Hari, the undertaking becomes fruitless. Know how to connect everything to Hari. Know what He likes:

Know these two wisdoms,
Knowledge of Hari and Self.
Then your worship becomes refined 
And full of meaning.

"Those deer may be very simple, but should not be looked down upon because they are animals. Of all females they are the blessed ones. They are the wives of the black Krishna deer who shares our Beloved’s name."

The Svaminis reflect on the nature of those Vrindavan deer and they become very humble. They feel inadequate when they compare themselves to those blessed deer. The grace of Shri Krishna has allowed the Svaminis to reveal all that has happened to those deer. They witnessed their lila in its entirety and know the extent of the deer’s fortune. They witnessed it with their own eyes.

A Svamini continued, "Those deer have seen Shri Krishna, the son of Nanda. They have heard the call of His flute. They have worshiped Him as they have honored Him before with their love-laden eyes.

"Krishna is Nandananda, the son of Nanda. Krishna is also a giver of bliss. Brahma the Creator once said, ‘Krishna appears to perfect the bhaktas’ lives.’

"To exhibit ras, Krishna appears adorned in a fantastic fashion. He came before those deer in a visible form.

To ensure the performance would be a success, He dressed for the occasion,

Krishna is the doer,
The activity,
The means, as well as the reward.

"Krishna’s amazing appearance is a statement to the lila participants:

I contain every ras.

"He appeared to those deer so as to allow them entrance into the bliss of Brahman. At first the deer could only hear the call of the flute. They could not grasp its tone or meaning. Scriptures suggest that some animals are not prone to profound perception. Perhaps this is the reason why at first they could not see Him and could only hear the call.

The note that Hari sounded was unique. 
It made the deer realize that 
In comparison to the ras of that song, 
All other tastes are spiritless.

"Through that avenue of sound He ensured that His ras would not spill from their hearts. Then the deer could approach Krishna. They forgot about their bodies and husbands and were were no longer bound to the material dharma.

"The deer’s husbands are called "Krishna Sara", a name which implies that they are Krishna’s essence. They understand the love their wives have for Krishna. They bear no resemblance to our husbands, our Gopas who herd cows with Krishna and don’t even invite us along. If our husbands had any sense, they would learn from the black deer. They always take their wives along with them when they visit with Shri Krishna. What do our husbands know? They are full of pride while those deer are blessed.

They stand in the forest, their lotus-like eyes 
Teeming with love are filled with Lila-Insight.
With those lotus eyes, they worship the Beloved.

"Wisdom is found in the fragrance of the lotus flower. From the lotus arises true understanding. Those lotus-eyed deer honor Krishna in an exalted manner. Established in His seva, they stand accomplished. Now Krishna, it is your turn and duty to look favorably upon us."

12

Those goddesses of heaven, the Apsaras also behold Krishna.
He is charmingly adorned and affords women pleasure.
The Apsaras have heard the call of His amazing flute
And while rising in celestial flight
They are overwhelmed by His love.
Flowers fall from their braids,
The knots of their inner garments become untied.

Even the word "Krishna" is able to entrap women, those gentle-hearted devotional ones. Krishna is the master of the Svamini’s "nirodha". He is the Lord of constraining them into His own Divine World.

The sight of Krishna is blissful,
Krishna "sadhana" is joyous.
Blessed is the "bhava" of His attachment.
It provides constant elation.

A Svamini explains, "Those celestial women have seen Him and their vision has turned divine. They know that Krishna is immortal. He is the Primal One and they pridefully recall,

He has appeared for us, the Apsaras. 
Behold His attire, splendid Krishna 
Creates a festival within us.
He has appeared to afford us pleasure.

"The Apsaras consider that Krishna’s celebrations are unlimited. They afford the eyes boundless rejoicing. This lila has manifested for the sole purpose of encountering His varied ras. The Apsaras are adorned for the occasion and are ready for the festival of the "vanitas".

"Vanitas" are the Svaminis of Braja who continually make lila with Krishna in the forests of Vrindavan. "Vanita" can also refer to those blessed practitioners who have lost all taste for shallow and worldly pleasures. They retire to the forest to contemplate upon Shri Krishna. They never return to anything except the nectar of Hari."

"For us Svaminis who are filled with love and renunciation, Krishna appears adorned. He is manifest and alive with the single intent of making a joyous congregation wherein the highest pursuits of life and divine engagement are enjoyed.

For the festive gathering
We are properly adorned.

"Those women who are not properly attired have squandered their youth and are like poor widows devoid of any true joy. The unique lila ornamentation is attained when lotus- like love and knowledge arises. Then ras is experienced everywhere."

Within and Throughout.

"Those Apsaras would seek out any means to meet with Krishna. To avoid delay, they headed in His direction as soon as they heard the sound of His flute. They longed for His proximity. Their yearning for Him was inherent and now arose again from simply hearing His call.

"The note of the flute filled their world with amazing melodies. From a single tone those celestial devis fell unconsious, unable to contain the force of Hari’s loving flow. The unequalled and all-encompassing ras, the passionate mood.

"The conjugal mood is described in holy lore as the ultimate ras. It is the exalted state, the only true mood. It is the substratum of the true drama and without it, there is simply no taste. For this reason it is held in the highest esteem.

"As gold is the best metal to adorn the Great One, similarly the amorous mood is the supreme mood. Within its dimensions all other nectars are contained and without it, knowers of ras could never take delight.

"By seeing the Apsara lila we can now understand the significance of Krishna’s amazing flute song. Those heavenly damsels who were deserving of worship in the end were not worthy enough to leave their heavenly vehicles to come to earth and have enjoyment with Hari. They could not contain His loving mood for it was too divine for them. They lacked the necessary spiritual preparations.

The strongest sense of their bodies,
The mind-heart, was carried away,
Their wisdom destroyed by passion.

"Gods and goddesses never set foot on earth and Krishna would not go to their sphere to satisfy what appears to us to be simple hankering. The Apsaras lost all composure. Their spellbound infatuation spilled from their hearts into their god-realm, but not to Krishna. From above, flowers fell from their hair, from below, the knot of their inner garments became untied. All this revealed their disregard for worldly and heavenly rewards.

Although goddesses never die nor tumble from heaven,
Krishna’s mesmerizing effect kept them from joining His play.

"Understand that whatever is not beneficial to Hari cannot produce a ras that is useful in His play. Any temperament that is not connected to Hari turns sour. Look at the real intention of the Apsaras. They were not even looking for Krishna when they came upon His call. They were out trying to find their husbands when they just happened to stumble upon Krishna. They first heard His flute and then were able to see Him. His unsurpassed beauty made them totally forget their husbands and their desires turned towards Him. Only then did they consider, "Let Krishna be our husbands"

"Imagine, with such shallow designs they hankered after Him. That is why they will never find Him.

Our commitment to Hari
Is much worthier!"

 The Svaminis continue their praise, this time focusing their attention on the blessed cows of Vrindavan.

13

The cows raise their ears
When they hear the sound of Shri Krishna’s flute.
They imbibe the nectar and milk flows from their udders.
Their calves, with mouthfuls of mother’s milk
Stand stunned and even forget to swallow,
Their eyes well with tears,
Their souls touched by Govinda. (Bhagavat 10/18/13)

"The cows and the Apsaras all fell into swoons when they heard the call. Although the Apsaras were slightly more elevated than the cows, both had a common desire for liberation into Krishna.

"If you ask us, ‘How could they have elevated ambitions? They were infatuated and attached to a reed flute!’ We beg you to look further. They imbibed into their hearts:

A nectar song that emerged from Hari.
They were touched and transformed by His divinity.
It caused everything to cease.
They stood absolutely still, God-intoxicated.

"Although they were cows, they could still comprehend that the song came from the Beloved. They knew it was nectar and that it conferred immortality. When it entered their ears, a constant and flawless joy arose. It came from Hari’s face, through the flute and made them forget everything but Him.

"We have explained to you before that the song of our beloved Hari is replete with lordship, potency, beauty, fame, knowledge and renunciation. The flute’s call is like Hari, it is perfect. It is superb. We recognize the elixir and there is no other song that can compare and so:

The cows lifted up their ears to capture the nectar. 
Their ears were renewed by its presence every second.
To capture the call, their ears became vessels for the nectar. 
Now they cannot adjust to any other sound.

"The cow’s ears have become sensitive only to the sound of Brahman. Their ears are like leaf cups that are used only once and then discarded. The reason for this is because their ears need to be continually born and replenished to enable them to contain Hari’s ras that is always exhilarating and expanding in ecstasy.

See the children of Braja, the young deer and calves.
They are overwhelmed by Krishna and now are unable 
To even swallow their mouthfuls of mother’s milk.

"They have been deeply touched by Govinda. The effect of His contact makes their eyes overflow with blissful tears. They see Hari within their hearts:

Govinda, the Lord of the cows
Master of the senses.
Now they are unaware
Of anything else.

"Their devotion does not stem from some vague feeling. They actually see Him. Hari has appeared to them in a way they can understand. We know it is true, we have witnessed their condition. The profound effect of Hari is upon them. Gopal the hero of the cows has removed their impurities by appearing to them within their hearts. The only reason why they could not clearly behold Him is because:

Their eyes are filled with tears
A banner of their devotion.

"If you think birds cannot hear Hari’s flute because they do not have any knowledge or "sat sang", the holy association with bhaktas, we have observed something else. Listen."