Canto 10 (Part 1)
B – Boyhood (15-28)
In His boyhood, Krishna took up the task of tending the cows. This transition was marked by the Gopastami festival. In the company of the cowherd boys, Krishna and Balarama wandered the lands of Vrindavana and marked the earth with the impressions of Their beautiful lotus feet. The boyhood Krishna exhibited His divinity by killing more demons, chastising the Kaliya serpent, demolishing Indra’s pride by lifting Govardhana Hill, and saving the Vrindavana residents (including His father) from various calamities.
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B – Boyhood (15-28)
Canto 10 (Part 1)
B – Boyhood (15-28)
In His boyhood, Krishna took up the task of tending the cows. This transition was marked by the Gopastami festival. In the company of the cowherd boys, Krishna and Balarama wandered the lands of Vrindavana and marked the earth with the impressions of Their beautiful lotus feet. The boyhood Krishna exhibited His divinity by killing more demons, chastising the Kaliya serpent, demolishing Indra’s pride by lifting Govardhana Hill, and saving the Vrindavana residents (including His father) from various calamities.
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Defeating More Demons
Canto 10 (Part 1)
B – Boyhood (15-28)
Defeating More Demons
Chapter 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
Dhenukasura: To fulfil the desire of His friends, Krishna walked with them to the Talavana forest, where Balarama playfully shook many juicy fruits off the palm trees. Outraged, the jackass demon, Dhenukasura, angrily attacked Him. Balarama seized the demon’s hind legs with one hand, whirled him around, threw him into the tree and terminated his life. As each tree fell onto the next, the ground was soon covered with thousands of ripe fruits!
Kaliya: One day, when the cowherd boys drank from the Yamuna river, they suddenly fell unconscious. Unbeknown to them, the Kaliya serpent had poisoned the whole area, so much so that even the vapours emanating from the water were deadly. Krishna quickly revived the cowherd boys and jumped into the river, where He was attacked and enwrapped by Kaliya. The fearful Vrindavana residents were plunged into acute anxiety, and, observing the inauspicious omens, they rushed to the banks of the river. Sensing their angst, Krishna broke free of the serpent’s grip and began a deadly dance on Kaliya’s heads, causing the demon to vomit blood. When the wives of the serpent humbly prayed for his release, Krishna acquiesced and ordered Kaliya to return to Ramanaka island. When Maharaja Pariksit enquired why Kaliya had left the island, Sukadeva Goswami narrated the history of Garuda, Saubhari Rishi and Kaliya.
Forest Fire (1): After Kaliya had been driven out, the Vrindavana residents slept peacefully on the Yamuna’s banks. That night, a forest fire broke out, and Krishna effortlessly swallowed it up to protect them.
Pralambasura: One demon disguised himself as a gopa . When the boys split into two wrestling teams, Balarama defeated Pralambasura in a duel, and the penalty was to carry Him on his back. After lifting Balarama, Pralambasura planned to carry the Lord faraway. Lord Balarama, however, became unbearably heavy, and the exhausted demon was forced to assume his original form. Balarama then struck him on the head, cracked his skull and abruptly ended his life.
Forest Fire (2): When Krishna entered the forest known as Munjaranya, a huge forest fire started, causing the cows to flee. Krishna told the gopas to close their eyes, and then swallowed the fire and brought them to safety in Bhandiravana.
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Krishna and the Ladies of Vrindavana
Canto 10 (Part 1)
B – Boyhood (15-28)
Krishna and the Ladies of Vrindavana
Chapters 20, 21, 22, 23
Sukadeva Goswami described the beauty of the rainfall and autumn season in Vrindavana, ingeniously identifying a series of powerful lessons one can learn from nature. Moreover, the beauty of Vrindavana provides the idyllic backdrop for sweetest pastimes of Krishna.
Venu Gita: When Krishna entered the forest and began playing His flute, the gopis were completely captivated. They meditated on the fortune of the flute, who constantly experiences the nectar of Krishna’s lips. The gopis also glorified the peacocks, deer, cows, birds, and inhabitants of Vrindavana, who all became completely stunned when hearing that transcendental flute song. Lost in loving thoughts, the young maidens wandered here and there in the forest.
Stealing Garments: The gopis performed special worship of Goddess Katyayani with the ardent hope that Krishna would become their husband. In reciprocatoin, Krishna stole their garments while they were bathing in the Yamuna. Sitting on a Kadamba tree, Krishna cajoled them to come out naked. Externally they rebuked Krishna, but in their hearts the gopis were overjoyed. Later, to gain respite from the heat, the cowherd boys took shelter underneath some trees, who Krishna praised for their outstanding qualities.
Brahmanas’ Wives: Krishna sent the hungry cowherd boys to beg for some food from the local brahmanas . Preoccupied with their ritualistic performances, the brahmanas ignored them and neglected to even reply. Krishna advised the gopas to instead visit the wives of those same brahmanas . When approached, the ladies eagerly gathered a variety of foods and lovingly handed them to Krishna and the cowherd boys. Enchanted by Krishna, they offered themselves at the same time! Krishna, however, instructed them to return home and fulfil their duties. Later, the ritualistic brahmanas realised their folly and condemned themselves for their neglect. They concluded that their wives were far more advanced in spiritual realisation since they had actually grasped the essence of what the scriptures teach; pure devotion to the Supreme Lord.
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Lifting Govardhana Hill
Canto 10 (Part 1)
B – Boyhood (15-28)
Lifting Govardhana Hill
Chapter 24, 25, 26, 27
Seeing the Vrindavana residents busy in organising a ritualistic offering to Indra, Krishna assured His father, Nanda Maharaja, that such worship was unnecessary. As vaisyas , He said, their priority was to worship the cows, brahmanas and Govardhana Hill. Out of affection for Krishna, they decided to abandon their age-old tradition. Instead, the Vrindavana residents prepared a grand variety of food items, while Govardhana hill, who manifested a gigantic form and accepted all the offerings.
Outraged by this breach, Indra sent the deadly Samvartaka cloud to inundate Vrindavana with torrential rain. Amidst the panic and mayhem, Krishna miraculously lifted the gigantic Govardhana Hill and invited the villagers to take shelter underneath until the skies cleared. After seven days of deluge, Indra withdrew the cloud, and the Vrindavana residents emerged unharmed, with heightened appreciation for their beloved Krishna.
The cowherd men recounted the ever-growing list of Krishna’s inconceivable activities. They were completely astonished and uncontrollably attracted! Nanda Maharaja remembered the statements of Gargamuni, who had predicted that Krishna would protect the saintly and annihilate the miscreants. Having had first hand experience of this, the ashamed Indra stepped forward offering prayers of submission. Accompanied by the surabhi cow, Indra then performed a bathing ceremony of Krishna and glorified Him with the name ‘Govinda’ - ‘one who gives pleasure to the cows.’
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Nanda Rescued
Canto 10 (Part 1)
B – Boyhood (15-28)
Nanda Rescued
Chapter 28
Once, when Nanda Maharaja bathed in the Yamuna at an inauspicious time, the agents of Varuna captured him. Krishna immediately dived into the waters to free His father. Varuna marvelled at his good fortune to see the Lord face-to-face, and thus offered heartfelt prayers. Later, when Nanda Maharaja returned and described his mystical experience with Krishna, the Lord gave all His associates a vision of Vaikuntha.
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The Real World
Canto 10 (Part 1)
B – Boyhood (15-28)
The Real World
“Lord Krishna would loudly sound His flute as He entered the forest of Sri Vrindavana, thus giving inconceivable bliss to all the residents of His hometown, Vrindavana-Dhama. These simple pastimes of playfully entering the forest, playing on the flute and so forth were performed daily in the spiritual land of Vrindavana.” ( SB 10.15.2 )
Vrindavana is God’s playground. Eternally beautiful and unchanging, the scriptures and saints describe its glory through delightful poetry and profound philosophy. For thousands of years, it has been a focal point for pilgrims, who make long (and often arduous) journeys to reinvigorate their faith. Pilgrimage is not just a physical journey to a special place but also an inner spiritual journey towards transcendence. Krishna’s place of pleasure pastimes stays on earth and preserves its spiritual potency. Only with a pure heart, however, can one see the actual Vrindavana. That vision is a rare gift. It comes only to a very sincere practitioner of devotional life who has attracted the mercy of the Lord.
Just as Krishna is the source of all incarnations ( svayam-rupa ), embodying and displaying the qualities of Godhead in full, Vrindavana is the original holy place ( svayam-dhama ). The benefits of visiting all holy places can be accrued by one who visits Vrindavana.
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History of Vrindavana
Canto 10 (Part 1)
B – Boyhood (15-28)
The Real World
History of Vrindavana
Krishna Period
Prior to Krishna’s appearance in the world, Vraja (the greater area of Vrindavana) was revered as a place of pilgrimage. In Canto Four , for example, we hear the story of Dhruva Maharaja entering the Madhuvana forest to perform austerities, as did the saintly Maharaja Ambarish. Assisted by the power of the dhama , even Ravana, who performed austerities in Mahavana, conquered the three worlds. As Krishna prepared to appear in the mortal world, many of His associates descended to the land of Vrindavana to assist Him in His pastimes, along with the demigods who took birth in the Yadu dynasty. With Krishna’s appearance the dhama glistened with divine splendour and the trees, animals and scenery of Vrindavana all blossomed in spiritual ecstasy.
From Vrindavana, Krishna went to Mathura and killed the evil King Kamsa. He remained in Mathura for a further eighteen years, after which He transported all His associates to the fort of Dwaraka. The city of Mathura was repopulated, and remained under the able rule of Maharaja Ugrasena.
Vajranabha Period
One day, observing a series of inauspicious omens in Hastinapura, Maharaja Yuddhistira sensed that something terrible had happened. Just then, Arjuna returned to the palace from his pilgrimage looking utterly dejected. Arjuna then delivered the devastating news that Krishna had departed from the world and the Yadu dynasty had been practically obliterated. Feeling a deep sense of spiritual lamentation, the Pandavas installed Maharaja Pariksit on the throne of Hastinapura, Vajranabha (the great-grandson of Krishna) on the throne of Mathura, and proceeded to renounce the world.
Kali-yuga had now begun, and Maharaja Pariksit was touring the kingdom. When he came to Mathura, Vajranabha lamented that the dhama was now empty. When Krishna left, all His associates also left, and the tracts of Vrindavana became practically deserted. Urged by Sandilya Rishi, Vajranabha, with the help of Maharaja Pariksit, began to rebuild Vrindavana by colonising the villages, restoring the holy places, establishing temples and deities, and making it a vibrant epicentre of Krishna-bhakti which would inspire generations to come. Under the rule of Vajranabha, Mathura again flourished as an idyllic place of pilgrimage. Since Krishna’s pastimes are known as nitya-lila , they are not only going on eternally in the spiritual abode, but also perpetually enacted within the borders of Bhauma Vrindavana. Although the external appearance of the dhama may change, its transcendental and divine nature remains untouched.
Gaudiya Period
With the passage of time, the external situation in Vrindavana again began to decline. The effects of Kali-yuga took their toll and local deities were desecrated or driven out, holy sites were neglected, and landmarks disappeared into obscurity. A major contributing factor was the attacks of foreign invaders on the holy land. In Chaitanya-Charitamrita, for example, the author narrates how the Gopala deity appeared to Madhavendra Puri and requested his help: “My name is Gopala. I am the lifter of Govardhana Hill. I was installed by Vajranabha, and here I am the authority. When the Muslims attacked, the priest who was serving Me hid Me in this bush in the jungle. Then he ran away out of fear of the attack.” ( CC Madhya 4.41 - 42 ). Kavi Karnapura explains, “In the course of time, the transcendental news of Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavana was almost lost.”
After accepting sannyasa , Chaitanya Mahaprabhu toured Vrindavana and spent several months there. Travelling via Prayag, Sri Chaitanya approached the sacred land of Mathura with increasing anticipation, having failed multiple times in His previous attempts to visit. Upon arrival, He fell to the ground and offered obeisances in ecstatic love. In this incarnation it would be His first and last visit to the holy dhama ; the appreciation He felt was indescribable. He continued walking, feeling increasing anticipation and excitement as he appraoched the sacred forest of Vrindavana. When He eventually arrived, Sri Chaitanya became immersed in an ocean of transcendental feeling as He recounted the divine pastimes that Sri Krishna had enacted 5,000 years ago. He had finally arrived home!
Though Sri Chaitanya rediscovered holy sites and landmarks, He knew there was much more work to do. He enlisted the help of Lokanatha Goswami, Bhugarbha Goswami and the Six Goswamis of Vrindavana, requesting them to excavate the pilgrimage landmarks and build vibrant temples in a bid to re-establish the pre-eminence of Vrindavana. They lived as ideal renunciates, sleeping under a different tree every night and adhering strictly to their vows of renunciation. Absorbed in hearing, singing and writing about Krishna, they renounced all forms of material enjoyment and reduced bodily demands to the bare minimum. All the residents of Vrindavana were conquered by their profound devotion, humility and concern for all. Through their diligent endeavours, supported by wealthy kings and merchants, Vrindavana again flourished.
Narayana Bhatta Goswami was a disciple of Sri Krishna Dasa Brahmacari, coming in the line of Gadadhara Pandit Goswami. He further continued the work of uncovering holy places and establishing lost Deities. Through his well-known book Vrindavana-bhakti-vilasa, he offered the Vaisnava community a complete guide to Vrindavana dhama .
ISKCON Period
The Gaudiya practitioners are known as Rupanugas, faithful followers of Rupa Goswami, and they assiduously offer their prayers to the great saint: “When will Srila Rupa Goswami Prabhupada, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Chaitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?” As an ideal Rupanuga, Srila Prabhupada, Founder-Acarya of ISKCON, spent six years reading, writing, praying and living at the Radha Damodara temple, where the meditation hut ( bhajan kutir ) and tomb ( samadhi ) of Rupa Goswami were established by his nephew, Jiva Goswami.
On the order of his spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada was preparing himself to transport the teachings of Sri Chaitanya to the western world. In 1965, he left the spiritual hub of Sri Vrindavana dhama , and travelled on a cargo ship bound for New York. After a life-threatening journey, his initial months in America were ones of great struggle, austerity and cultural re-adjustment. He was studying the local people and praying for a way and means to implant the message of Krishna consciousness within them. He soon met with success, founded the first temple, initiated some disciples, established a legal movement, published literature, and began scaling those activities all over the world. Soon enough, ‘Hare Krishna’ became a household name in the West, and Prabhupada began planning how to invite the whole world back to Vrindavana.
In December 1971, Srila Prabhupada came back to Vrindavana with a world sankirtana party of exuberant western disciples. The residents of Vrindavana were astonished, appreciating that Srila Prabhupada was indeed the ambassador of Vrindavana to the whole world. The Vrindavana municipality honoured Prabhupada and his disciples with a formal reception at the town hall, and eminent personalities from the locality eulogised ISKCON’s founder for his mammoth efforts. Later, Srila Prabhupada established the ISKCON Krishna- Balarama temple and Vrindavana now remains a source of inspiration and shelter for the worldwide community of devotees.
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Krishna as the Centre
Canto 10 (Part 1)
B – Boyhood (15-28)
The Real World
Krishna as the Centre
The conclusion is that Vrindavana has one essential quality that makes it Vrindavana: Krishna is at the centre. We once encountered a young girl in Vrindavana who would wake up in the morning and immediately close her eyes. She would get up from bed, find the wall, and slowly feel herself to the door, still with her eyes closed. She would then proceed downstairs in the pre-dawn hours, search for the door handle to the temple room, then come in front of the household altar. She would open the curtains, and then open her eyes for the first time in the day – and see Krishna! She maintained that practice for her entire life. What we talk about in pages of books and discuss in hours of lectures, is often revealed in the simple and sublime lifestyle of the Vrindavana residents, who place Krishna so naturally in the centre of their lives.
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Manifestations of Vrindavana
Canto 10 (Part 1)
B – Boyhood (15-28)
The Real World
Manifestations of Vrindavana
The holy dhama of Vrindavana manifests itself in many ways. There is Vrindavana in the spiritual world, known as Goloka Vrindavana. Then there is Vrindavana which accompanies the Lord when He appears on earth, which is known as Bhauma Vrindavana. Further, there is Vrindavana which is manifested by the vision of a pure devotee. We find teachers like Srila Prabhupada, who re-created the holy places in geographical places all over the world, and built spiritual communities centred on glorification of Krishna. Finally, there is Vrindavana in the heart of a devotee. Due to the irresistable current of pure devotion, the Lord manifests and performs His pastimes there. [ 32 ]
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Stages of Krishna’s Life
Canto 10 (Part 1)
B – Boyhood (15-28)
The Real World
Stages of Krishna’s Life
The first eleven years of Krishna’s pastimes were enacted in the Vrindavana area. Because of Their greatness, Krishna and Balarama passed through Their stages of kaumara (0-5 years), pauganda (6-10 years) and kaisora (11-15 years) much faster than ordinary children. The great teacher Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura clarifies this point:
“The three years and four months that Lord Krishna stayed in Mahavana were the equivalent of five years for an ordinary child, and thus in that period He completed His kaumara stage of childhood. The period from then to the age of six years and eight months, during which He lived in Vrindavana, constitutes His pauganda stage. And the period from the age of six years and eight months through His tenth year, during which time He lived in Nandisvara [Nandagram], constitutes His kaisora stage. Then, at the age of ten years and seven months, on the thirteenth lunar day of the dark fortnight of the month of Caitra, He went to Mathura, and the next day He killed Kamsa. Thus He completed His kaisora period at age ten, and He eternally remains at that age. In other words, we should understand that from this point on the Lord remains forever a kisora .” ( SB 10.45.3 )
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— S.B. Keshava Swami, Book Bhagavata