Sri Brhad Bhagatamrtam
by
Srila Sanatan Goswami
Part One,
Sri Bhagavata-kripa-nirdhara
(The Search For the Lord's Mercy)
Chapter Seven: Purna Nama (The Perfect Devotees)
1 Sri Pariksit said: Mother, the great weeping of the Lord and His associates filled the universe and at once created a great host of terrible calamities.
2 Because no one (but Krishna) could have brought these calamities, Brahma, accompanied by His associates, the demigods and the scriptures headed by the Vedas and Puranas, personally came (to Dvaraka).
3 Gazing with wonder on his father and guru, Lord Maha-Narayana who, tortured with love for His dearest devotees and His most secret glories openly displayed, was in a wonderful, unprecedented condition of heart, Brahma lost all composure and for a moment wept.
4 Carefully composing himself, he thought how to bring the Lord to an auspicious condition. Then, in his heart he found the way.
5 Addressing Garuda, who loudly wept by the Lord's side, and with great effort gaining his attention, Brahma spoke.
6 Sri Brahma said: Built by Visvakarma and decorated with deities of Nanda, Yasoda, the other cowherd people, and many cows, a district of Mathura is splendidly manifest between Mount Raivata and the ocean. It is as if Vrndavana itself had come there.
7 Carefully and slowly, as His delicate state allows, bring Krishna there with His elder brother. Rohini may also come, but no one else.
8 Sri Pariksit said: Carefully brought by Brahma to his normal state, Garuda, who is the king of birds and the best of the wise and skilful, very gently placed the two of Them (Krishna and Balarama) on his back.
9 Brahma brought everyone to their natural states and they all returned to their own places. As He was being carried by Garuda, Balarama seemed to regain His original consciousness.
10 Then Lord Krishna was gently put in that place. It was as if the gopas and gopis stood around Him.
11 Uddhava, Devaki, who dearly loved her son, Padmavati, and the queens headed by Rukmini and Satyabhama, unable to leave Krishna in that state, went there. By Brahma's order they hid, staying far from the path of Krishna's eyes.
12 Thinking himself an offender, Narada, did not follow the demigods and Yadavas.
13 Tightening his yoga-garment, he stayed in the sky to see the sweetness of the Lord's pastimes.
14 Garuda also went into the sky where he followed the Lord, giving shade with his wings.
15 Krishna's elder brother, Balarama, the crest-jewel of philosophers, quickly attained His original consciousness and understood everything. At once He covered Krishna's lotus face and gently placed a flute in His belt, a horn-bugle and stick under His arms, a kadamba garland on His neck, a peacock feather on His head, and new gunja earrings on His ears.
16 Having thus dressed Krishna with forest-garments fashioned by Visvakarma, Balarama picked up Krishna and loudly spoke.
17 Sri Balarama said: Sri Krishna! Krishna! Brother! Rise! Rise! Wake Up! Look! It is late! The cows are already entering the forest!
18 Your friends headed by Sridama are waiting for You! Overcome with love, Your parents have no power even to speak to You!
19 Gazing at Your lotus face and whispering in each other's ear, the gopis smile at You.
20 Sri Pariksit said: In this way Balarama spoke again and again, affectionately addressed Krishna by different names, lifted Krishna with His hands and made Him stand up. After a long time Krishna regained consciousness. Filled with wonder, and saying, "Good! Good!", Krishna stood up.
21 Opening His lotus eyes, and looking in all directions, He smiled broadly. Seeing (the Deity of) Nanda before Him, He became shy and bowed down to Him.
22 Seeing (the Deity of) Yasoda by His side, and gazing at Her face with unblinking eyes, He happily smiled and spoke.
23 The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O mother, this morning how many wonderful dreams unlike My waking life have I seen!
24 I went to Mathura City and I saw Kamsa and many others killed, Jarasandha and other kings defeated, and the demigods made happy.
25 I built a great city named Dvaraka on the seashore. I cannot tell all the other stories.
26 On no other day did I wake from sleep with a dream like this, very long, so charming to the heart dream.
27 O noble one, if You do not think this great wonder is completely incomprehensible, when We have gone to the forest I will tell it to You.
28 Sri Pariksit said: After saying these words, He offered obeisances to His mother. Wise Rohini, seeing that He wished for a lunch to bring in the forest, then spoke.
29 O child, today Your mother, who has only You as a son, is worried because You slept so long. What is the need for speaking many words to her?
30 The cows have already left. Quickly follow the gopas. I will make Your lunch and have it sent to the forest.
31 Sri Pariksit said: As affectionate Rohini spoke these words, Krishna offered obeisances to her, gently smiled as He stole the fresh butter placed in His mother's hand, and called out to His elder brother. Because He had not yet come to the cows, kind Krishna did not eat (the butter).
32 With sweet words he asked His mother (to arrange lunch). Then He went to the gopis and joked with them. He stopped the cows with His flute, and then He came to Radhika, who was surrounded by Her friends, and with a joking smile, spoke.
33 Sri Krishna said: O queen of My life, now You have met Your sincere devotee in this secluded place. Why do You not speak? Are You angry with Me?
34 Have I offended You. O all-knowing one, You must know all about the dream I had last night.
35 I left You and married many princesses who were on the verge of death. I begot many children and grandchildren.
36 So be it. Now I must quickly go to the forest. O delightful one, this evening You will enjoy with Me.
37 Sri Pariksit said: After saying these words He threw flowers on Her and, after first looking in all directions, kissed and embraced Her. Then He rejoined the cows and the gopas.
38 When she saw Krishna playing the flute and charmingly dressed as a gopa, things she had never seen before, Devaki became filled with love and, even though she was very old, out of love milk flowed from her breasts.
39 The queens headed by Rukmini and Jambavati lost all composure, fainted out of love, and fell to the ground.
40 Satyabhama and mad old Padmavati became overwhelmed with amorous desires. With their arms forward they ran to Krishna to kiss and embrace Him.
41 Peaceful because she had seen this feature of the Lord before, Kalindi and very intelligent Uddhava forcibly stopped them and pulled them away.
42 As He walked, herding the cows, Krishna saw the ocean. Thinking it the Yamuna, He happily called His friends (to come and) play:
43 "Where are My friends? Sridama! Subala! Arjuna! Everyone happily run here! We will make the cows drink from the Yamuna, and then We will play as We like! We will dive into the river flowing with sweet, pure, cool water!"
44 Going ahead with the cows, the infallible Lord came near the ocean, which made a tumultuous sound with its garland of great waves.
45 From the shore looking in all directions and seeing His own great city, He became astonished and said: "What is that? Where am I? Who am I?"
46 Saying this again and again, He gazed with wonder at the great ocean and the city. Then Sriman Balarama spoke to Him.
47 Sri Balarama said: O king of Vaikuntha, O My Lord, please understand who You are. Requested by the demigods, You have descended to remove the burden of the earth.
48 Kill the demons. Protect the others. Perform the sacrifice of Your cousin, the saintly king.
Note: The others are the devotees. The sacrifice is the Rajasuya-yajna and the saintly king is Yudhisthira.
49 Make Yudhisthira the emperor and with your great power frighten the demons headed by Anusalva.
Note: Anusalva is Salva's younger brother.
50 Now that You have come here, with the Yadavas' help please kill these demons that out of hatred torment Your devotees.
51 Sri Pariksit said: When He heard these words Balarama spoke to bring Him to His original consciousness, the Lord entered a different mood.
52 Now angry, the Lord said: "O brother, who are these tiny creatures headed by Salva's younger brother? I will go there now and kill them by Myself.
53 "You should know that this vow of Mine will be true." In this way, because of (Balarama's) presence, the Lord abandoned His bewilderment.
54 Again and again looking in every direction, He understood that He was the master of Dvaraka and the king of the Yadavas.
55 Then, seeing the flute in His hand and His brother's forest-garments, He remembered how He had fallen unconscious in the palace.
56 Seeing how He had left the palace and gone to protect the cows, he became filled with doubt and wonder. Thinking in his heart, He smiled and laughed.
57 Then Balarama, who was very dear to His heart, smiled and told Him how Brahma had arranged for everything.
58 Embarrassed, He looked at His brother's face and smiled. His body covered with dust, He and Balarama went and bathed in the ocean.
59 Then, climbing on Garuda, who was expert at understanding the Lord's moods, the Lord, unseen by anyone, returned to His own palace.
60 Informed of everything by all-knowing Uddhava, the women headed by Devaki and Rukmini went to the Lord's side in the inner rooms of the palace.
61 Mother Devaki greeted her son with words of blessing and then, aware of the time, quickly went to prepare His meal.
62 The Lord's dear and pious queens were also there, hiding behind pillars and other things. Satyabhama, however, did not come there, and Lord Krishna asked Uddhava about her.
63 Lord Krishna's servant Uddhava said: When the Lord enjoyed His glorious pastimes at the Vrndavana by Mount Raivata, then foolish, wicked Padmavati, who with Your queens was hiding far away, saw Your ecstatic state, which bewilders the foolish, she said:
64 O impious Devaki, O, O unfortunate Rukmini, O lowly Satyabhama, O lowly queens headed by Jambavati, look! Give up your pride and perform great austerities to become maidservants of some cowherd girls!
65 Hearing these wicked words, wise Devaki, who became the resting place of You, the resting place of all the universes said:
66 Why do you speak these astonishing words? Fool, in our previous birth Vasudeva and I performed great austerities to get Krishna as our son. That is why the king of all who give blessings became our son. Nanda and Yasoda begged Lord Brahma to grant them devotion to Krishna.
67 By the blessings of Brahma, who is the best of devotees, they (Nanda and Yasoda) and their associates attained a glory great even than ours.
68 They lovingly protected Krishna in many ways. I greatly admire the love they felt for Him.
69 Then Rukmini-devi happily spoke. By hearing her words the love of all the devotees increased.
70 To the gopis, who renounced everything, beginning with husbands and children, who did not care for the best things in both spiritual and material worlds, who, tormented with love, worshipped Krishna in rasa dances and many other pastimes...
71 who meditated on the Lord with a love so great it cannot be attained or even imagined by performing many great spiritual activities...
72 who are better servants and better lovers of Krishna than we because we are attached to pious rituals, children, grandchildren, homes, and a host of other things, toward whom we feel no jealousy, and whom the Lord praises more than us, even though we are His wives, the Lord shows His glory of being submissive to His dear devotees.
73 The other queens agreed. But Satyabhama, who could not tolerate these words, entered the realm of jealous anger.
74 Sri Pariksit said: Then Sri Krishna, who is the Lord of the gopis' lives, angrily said: "Bring that foolish princess here at once!"
75 Satyabhama, who was the most intelligent of girls, was trying, with the expert skill of her jealous devotional service, to please her very intelligent husband by arousing His love for the gopis. When from the maidservants she heard His order, the intelligent girl washed her body and quickly went to Him.
76 Embarrassed and frightened, she hid her body behind a pillar. The Lord saw her and angrily spoke.
77 The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O daughter of King Satrajit, O girl whose intelligence is very slight, as you were jealous many times before beginning with the time when Rukmini got a parijata flower, so you are now jealous of the people of Vraja. O insignificant girl, do you not know that out of great love for them I am their servant and I fulfil their every wish?
78 If the people of Vraja thought it good, I would leave all of you. I swear that at this moment I speak the truth.
79 What Balarama said as he offered prayers is not false. I have no power to repay My debt to the people of Vraja. I am deeply in their debt.
80 If to please them I go and live with them I do not see that will be for their welfare.
81 By seeing Me they will faint, overcome with deep love. They will no longer be aware of themselves, their bodies, or their surroundings. What more can I say?
82 When they see Me they may become free of suffering, but then they will be overcome with fear of being separated again. In this way what fate created for their happiness will only double their pain.
83 Because of not seeing Me sometimes they are tortured by the blazing fire of separation and sometimes they are almost dead with madness. In this way they are filled with wonderful sweet love.
84 Sometimes they worship the darkness, which is like the colour of Me. Thinking it really is Me, they kiss and embrace it. What more can I say to describe them?
85 Seeing that My presence and absence are the same, I do not go there. Now hear the reason why I married you.
86 O proud and jealous girl, when I was living in Mathura City and I was separated from them, I had no desire to marry.
87 When from a brahmana's mouth I heard the pathetic letter of passionate Rukmini, who was on the verge of suicide, I removed the pride of a host of demon kings, took her away in the midst of a battle as the kings looked on, and accepted her hand.
88 When I see her I remember the gopis and I become filled with grief.
89 To heal my heart by reminding it of the 16 100 gopis who with a vow worshipped goddess Katyayani to attain Me, I married you all. O Noble lady, even so, happiness and glory have left Me and gone to a better place.
Note: the better place is Vraja.
90 When I was in Vraja I enjoyed supremely wonderful and beautiful pastimes with the charming people there. Plunged in an ocean of bliss, I did not understand how the days and nights were passing.
91 In the happiness of My childhood pastimes I killed many demons, conquered and sent away wicked Kaliya, and held Govardhana Hill in My left hand.
92 In this way I was plunged in an ocean of happiness. I thought the words and sight of Brahma and the other demigods as they offered obeisances and prayers were painful. I forgot My mission on behalf of the demigods.
93 With My handsomeness and the unprecedented nectar music of My flute, I charmed the universe and filled it with great love. (For the moment let us not even consider) the residents of Vraja. Let them stay far away.
94 Brahma, Shiva, Indra, Candra, the siddhas and demigods flying in airplanes, the cows, bulls, calves, deer, trees, birds, bushes, vines, grass, rivers and clouds, the moving and unmoving creatures, and the conscious and unconscious, all became plunged in an ocean of love. Overcome with ecstasy, they left their own natures and attained the opposite nature.
Note: For example the moving creatures became stunned and motionless and the unmoving creatures trembled with ecstasy.
95 (You may doubt, thinking My words may be) true or not true. Ask Kalindi. She personally saw the bliss of My pastimes with the people of Vraja.
96 At the present, even with the bliss of playful joking pastimes, I cannot bring My relatives, the Yadavas, to that same kind of ecstatic love.
97 Because it is very difficult to break the pride here of people like you, with shame I have put down My dear flute.
98 The situation there cannot even be described here.
99 Vyasa's son Sukadev, who is dear to Me as the people of Vraja, with great love will describe something of it to his disciple (Pariksit), whose life I once saved.
100 Sri Pariksit said: Fearing that by glorifying the good fortune of Vraja, the Lord would again become overcome with ecstatic love, minister Uddhava called for the queens to come.
101 Quickly coming, grasping His feet, and offering prayers with sweet and plaintive words wet with tears, the queens headed by Rukmini and including Satyabhama, gradually pacified their husband.
102 Uddhava quickly brought in Devaki and Rohini with the Lord's meal. Then he brought in Balarama, who had just bathed. Then he told the Lord that Narada was standing at the door.
103 Then Nanda's son, Lord Krishna, who sees within everyone's heart, said, "Why was he stopped today? This is not the way he came before."
104 Uddhava smiled and said, "Lord, out of timidness and shyness (he does not come)." Then Krishna, the master of the brahmanas, personally went (to Narada), spoke to him, and brought him in.
105 The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Dear friend Sri Narada, O saint overcome with love for Me, O best of they who taste nectar, You have done Me a great favour.
106-7 Although in the forest fire of separation My gopi-beloveds are filled with pain, that pain is more glorious than happiness of directly seeing Me. It is indescribable and enchanting. It is an ocean of ecstatic love. Only they who are learned in tasting the mellows of spiritual love can understand it.
108 When the pain of their grief ends they become filled with happiness, a happiness greater than what they feel by directly meeting Me.
109 If one desires this kind of anxious ecstatic love, I do not remain present before him. The thought "He is not here" makes My dear lovers always think of Me.
110 Know that remembering me keeps them alive. For they who think Me more dear than life, forgetting me for a moment is worse than death.
111 The dear devotees who think of Me as their very life cannot forget Me at any time. Remembering Me in any way brings them a great festival of happiness.
112 You have done Me a great favour. I am very pleased with you. Please choose some benedictions that you wish.
113 Sri Pariksit said: Calling out "Glory! Glory!", chanting the holy names, elaborately describing the Lord's pastimes in Vraja, and playing the vina, Narada Muni chose a benediction.
114 Having wandered from Dasasvamedha-tirtha to Dvaraka, having heard the explanations of many brahmanas, and now desiring to hear the final goal of spiritual life from Sri Krishna's own mouth, Narada, the king of sages, requested from the Lord, who is the lion of all who are generous, the following benediction, which is very pleasing to the heart:
115 "O Sri Krishnacandra, may I never become jaded to your mercy, devotional service to You, love for You, and the bliss that comes from serving You."
116 The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O teacher of the wise, what kind of benediction is that? My mercy, devotional service to Me, and love for Me are by nature like that.
Note: These things never make one jaded.
117 O sage, starting at Prayaga-tirtha, you have wandered here and there and you have seen and heard from many devotees. For all of them every desire is fulfilled. All have crossed beyond the material world. All are the objects of My mercy. Some are greater and some lesser.
118 Still, not one of them is ever jaded. Please take from Me some other benedictions. Benedictions that you wish. Many benedictions.
119 Sri Pariksit said: Happily dancing, Narada, as if begging alms, asked two benedictions of He who is the crest jewel of the generous.
120 Sri Narada said: O Lord who after giving Himself away in charity still thinks He has not given enough, now I am perfectly successful. Now I understand who is the great object of Your mercy.
121 I think Your mercy is the best of benedictions. O king of the generous, I request Your mercy eternally.
122 O swan staying in the lake of the love of Vraja's people, may I, drinking again and again the nectar of Your holy name and the sweetness of Your form and pastimes in the nectar ocean of Gokula, and giving bliss to everyone in the world, wander as a madman.
123 May they who, in this world, even only once, with their words, glance, hearing, or limbs touch Your pastimes, attain eternal spiritual love for Your lotus feet, which are splendid with kunkuma from the beautiful gopis' waterpot breasts.
124 Sri Pariksit said: Raising His lotus hand, Lord Krishna the master of the gopis, affectionately and blissfully said, "So be it."
125 Then Narada Muni became plunged in a great ocean of spiritual bliss. Singing and dancing, he greatly pleased Lord Krishna.
126 As Devaki and Rohini looked on, Narada and the two Lords (Krishna and Balarama) enjoyed delicious foods and drinks served by Rukmini.
127 Uddhava gave the Lord advice, Satyabhama fanned Him, and the other queens pleased Him in different ways.
128 After He rinsed His mouth, the Lord personally annointed Narada Muni with fragrant scents and decorated him with garlands and many ornaments.
129 Saying "I should go to Prayaga and make successful the lives of the sages waiting there for me," Narada took Lord Krishna's permission to leave. Having personally seen the glories of devotional service, and now very eager to engage in devotional service, Narada wandered here and there, playing his vina and singing.
130 Hearing all the wonderful descriptions from Narada's mouth, the wise sages, who could understand the highest truth, firmly gave up everything but devotional service.
131 By Narada's teachings they very humbly worshipped the lotus feet of Lord Madana-Gopala.
132 O mother, please become devoted to chanting the Lord's holy names and eager to serve the gopis. Worship the Lord who in the nectar ocean of the rasa dance is a cowherd boy surrounded by gopis enchanted with love for Him.
133 As a small bee has no power to swallow Mount Meru, so I have no power to describe even one of the gopis' glories.
134 Plunged in the nectar of Lord Krishna, my guru (Srila Sukadev Gosvami) always chants the names of Lord Krishna and His dear queens headed by Rukmini-devi. Tormented by burning sparks of love whenever he does it, he has no power to place on his mouth the names of the gopis, who burn with great flames of a very wonderful love.
135 O mother, with love taking shelter of the gopis' Lord, who is surrounded by them, by His mercy you will be able to understand a little of their greatness.
136 A person who with faith takes shelter of this great narration describing the search to find the object of the Lord's greatest mercy will attain pure love for Lord Krishna.
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