Sri Hari 'S Message to Jnani Uddhava -

[Guest guest]

Jaya Sri Radhey!

 

A few sublime verses from 'Uddhava Gita' of Srimad Bhagavatam, the

Lord's teachings to His Jnani devotee Uddhava-

 

Srimad Bhagavatam (11.12.9) Lord Krishna declares:

 

yam na yogena sankhyena / dana-vrata-tapo-`dhvaraih

vyakhya-svadhyaya-sannyasaih / prapnuyad yatnavan api

 

"Even though one engages with great endeavor

in the mystic yoga practice, philosophical pursuits,

charity, vows, penances, ritualistic sacrifices,

learning and teaching Vedic texts, or the renounced

order of life, still one cannot achieve Me."

 

Lord Krishna glorifies Divine Love Devotion- Prema Bhaki of

Vrajavasis:

 

"...vigADha bhAvena na me viyoga tIvrAdhayo 'nyaM dadRzuH

sukhAya"

 

(Bhagavatam 11.12.10)

 

"When I was taken with Balarama to Mathura by Akrura,

the GOPIS with their MINDS DEEPLY ABSORBED in Me

through INTENSE LOVE, were sorely afflicted at

My BEREAVEMENT and considered NOTHING ELSE

but ME as of INTEREST to THEM."

 

"Those very nights, my friend, which with

their Beloved in Their MIDST at Vrindavana,

they had PASSED like MOMENTS, became

in My ABSENCE like AGES to THEM."

 

"With Their MINDS FIXED on Me through ATTACHMENT,

they knew NEITHER their kinsmen, NOR their bodies,

NOR things far or near - (as Their ONE THOUGHT was Krishna)

as SAGES in the SUPERCONSCIOUS STATE know NOT name and form -

like unto RIVERS MERGING in the waters of the OCEAN.

 

(Bhagavatam 11.12. 11, 12)

 

"na sAdhayati mAM yogo... "

"bhaktyAhamekayA grAhyaH..."

 

(Bhagavatam 11.14. 20, 21)

 

"O My dear Uddhava, neither Yoga, nor Subtle Knowledge,

nor Piety, nor Austerity, nor Renunciation CAPTIVATES ME

SO MUCH AS the SPONTANEOUS LOVING DEVOTION TO ME."

 

"I, the SUPREME SOUL OF ALL DEAR SOULS,

am ATTAINABLE BY PREMA BHAKTI ALONE,

which is the outcome of unalloyed

faith and attachment.

The SPONTANEOUS LOVE FOR ME purges even the most

fallen outcasts of their inherent impurities."

 

"te nAdhItazrutigaNA..."

"kevalena hi bhAvena gopyo gAvo nagA mRgAH.."

 

(Bhagavatam 11.12.7, 8)

 

"They had not studied the Vedas,

NOT SERVED even GREAT SAINTS,

nor observed ANY VOWS, nor

PERFORMED any AUSTERITIES,

YET THROUGH THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH ME,

THEY ATTAINED ME."

 

"The Gopis, and EVEN the cows, trees,

beasts, serpents and others that

WERE DULL OF UNDERSTANDING WERE PERFECTED, and

EASILY ATTAINED ME THROUGH SPONTANEOUS LOVE,

Prema Bhakti ALONE."

 

Sri Sukadeva Paramahamsa had also proclaimed this earlier in

BHGAVATHAM verse 10.9.21.

 

LORD KRISHNA IS ACCESSIBLE TO THOSE DEVOTEES

WHO ARE IN SPONTANEOUS LOVE, SAHAJA PREMA,

BUT HE IS NOT ACCESSIBLE TO JNANIS, YOGIS,

OR IMPERSONALISTS. (BHGAVATHAM 10.9.21)

 

THIS VERSE WAS SPOKEN BY SRI SUKA, CONCERNING ABOUT KRISHNA'S BEING

SUBJUGATED BY THE GOPIS AND THUS GLORIFYING THEM.

 

"na tapobhir navedais ca na jnAne nApi karmaNA

harirhi sAdhyate bhaktyA pramaNaM tatra gopikAH"

 

(Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda, Chapter. 2, verse.18)

 

The Divine Beloved, Sri Hari can be won

neither by means of austerities nor through

the study of the Vedas, nor even through

the righteous actions of Varna Ashrama Dharma.

 

He can be won ONLY through DIVINE LOVE.

The cowherdesses of Vraja bear testimony to this.

 

Jaya Sri Radhey!

[Guest guest]

Jaya Sri Radhey!

 

It's well known to many devotees that Krishna has displayed quite

fondness of butter, milk, yogurt, etc. during His childhood pastimes.

He has showed even willingness to dance for receiving those offerings

of milk products, at the beck and call of simple village women, just

like an ordinary innocent child. This has been beautifully described

and recited by the Rasik Saints in the following traditional Braj

poem:

 

zeSa gaNeza dineza maheza sureza hu jAhi nirantara gAvai

jAhi anAdi ananta akhaNDa acheda abheda subheda batAvai |

 

nArada se zuka vyAsa raTai paci hAre ta-U puni pAra na pAvai

tAhi ahIra kI chauhariyA chachiyA-bhari chAcha pai nAca nacAvai ||

 

He whom Shesha-naga, Ganapati, Shiva,

Surya, and Indra constantly glorify,

He whom the best of the Vedas describe

as 'beginningless,''unlimited,' 'unbroken,'

'impenetrable,' 'nondual,' and 'dual'

He whose glories are sung by Narada, Shukadeva, and Vyasa,

but whose furthest extent remains beyond even them --

that very Personality of Godhead, these cowherdesses

can force to dance tempting Him for

a spoonful of their buttermilk!"

 

 

It is also declared in Shrimad Bhagavatam (10.11.7):

 

gopIbhiH stobhito 'nRtyad

bhagavAn bAlavat kvacit |

udgAyati kvacin mugdhas

tad-vazo dAru-yantravat || 7 ||

 

"The gopis would say, 'If You dance, my dear Krsna,

then I shall give Youhalf a sweetmeat.'

By saying these words or by clapping their hands,

all the gopis encouraged Krsna in different ways.

At such times, although He was the supremely powerful

Personality of Godhead, He would smile and

dance according to their desire,

as if He were a wooden doll in their hands.

Sometimes He would sing very loudly, at their bidding.

 

In this way, Krsna came completely

under the control of the gopis."

 

It is spontaneous Divine Love

that Krishna is so attached to,

though of course buttermilk may be

the tangible offering of such pure,

passionate love.

He becomes completely controlled

by selfless Divine Love (tad-vazaH),

and even forgets His own supreme identity.

 

Shri Rupa's anthology Padyavali-133 states:

 

kvAnanaM kva nayanaM kva nAsikA

kva zrutiH kva ca zikheti dezitaH |

tatra tatra nihitAGguli-dalo

ballavI-kulam anandayat prabhuH || 133 ||

 

"'Where's your face? Where are your eyes?

Where's your nose? Where are your ears?

Where is your shikha?' Instructed in this way

by the cowherd girls, the Lord put His lotus finger

wherever they told Him to, and He thus delighted them."

 

Sri Krishna is longing for this selfless Divinelove;

It is also known from the Shvetashvataropanishad (6.8)

and other sources that He factually has nothing to do

except revel in Divine Love Bliss perpetually.

 

The Mundaka (3.2.3) and Kathopanishad (1.2.23)

have repeatedly reminded us that we cannot

enter into these sublime truths

except through His Divine grace.

 

But even if we just try to admire and consider

just what such pure passionate Love means to Krishna,

and how much He is both attracted and attached to the

diverse unfathomable manifestations of His own

unlimited inconceivable pleasure potency, 'hladini Shakti',

the seekers of Divine Love can benefit so much!

 

Jai Gopi-jana-vallabha! Shyam!

Jai Radhe-ramana! Shyam!

Jaya Sri Radhey!

 

> "na sAdhayati mAM yogo... "

> "bhaktyAhamekayA grAhyaH..."

>

> (Bhagavatam 11.14. 20, 21)

>

> "te nAdhItazrutigaNA..."

> "kevalena hi bhAvena gopyo gAvo nagA mRgAH.."

>

> (Bhagavatam 11.12.7, 8)

>

> "na tapobhir navedais ca na jnAne nApi karmaNA

> harirhi sAdhyate bhaktyA pramaNaM tatra gopikAH"

>

> (Padma Purana, Uttara Khanda, Chapter. 2, verse.18)