Goloka Nitya Lila: Avatari & Avatara

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Avatara & Avatari

 

For all ACBSP devotees, the proper path to enter Vrndavana is via

Bhaktivedanta Swami Marg. But when I first arrived in Vraja this sacred

path was not yet established. The old route was the road from Mathura

to Vrndavana by pony-drawn tongas. Half way down this road, nearly

opposite the very grand Birla Bandar of Lakshmi-Narayana, is a dirt

road leading to Akrura Ghata. It is here at Akrura Ghata that Lord

Krsna, Lord Balarama, and Akrura paused as they rode to

Mathura-mandala. The Transcendental sentiment of this sacred place is

that of the Vraja-gopis, who were angry at Akrura for stealing Sri

Krsna and Balarama away from them.

 

There is also a very subtle philosophical point to be understood from

Krsna's pastime here at Akrura Ghata. This is revealed best by Srila

Jiva Goswami in his Sat-sandarbhas, where he makes a careful

distinction between 'avatar' Krsna and 'Avatari' Krsna---between, that

is to say the Supreme Lord's Vishnu expansion and the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, the cause of all causes. Avatara

Krsna appears for the purpose of delivering the pious and annihilating

the impious, but Avatari Krsna eternally enjoys his blissful loving

relationship in Vraja-mandala without taking so much as a single step

out of Vraja-dham: Vrndavanam parityajya kvacin naiva gacchati (Sri

Caitanya-caritamrita, Antya-lila, Ch.1, Text 67). Thus, the aspect of

Krsna's pastime here at Akrura-ghata which is most interesting

philosophically is the fact that avatara Krsna appeared simultaneous

with the disappearance of Avatari Krsna. Srila Jiva Goswami explains

this as follows: There exists a transcendental border around the Vraja

area, between Vraja-dham and Mathura-mandal. Lord Sri Krsna,

Svayam-Bhagavan, never passes beyond this line separating Vrndavana

(Vraja) from Mathura. Therefore when Vasudeva carried baby Krsna to the

safety of Nanda Maharaja and mother Yasoda he was actually carrying the

Lord's Vishnu expansion. When Vasudeva reached this invisible

transcendental boundary between the two villages of Vraja (Vrndavana)

and Mathura, the Lord slipped out of his hands and into the raging

water of the Yamuna River. When Vasudev picked up his little son from

the water he now held Svayam-Bhagavan (Avatari) Sri Krsna Himself, in

his hands, for all the Narayana expansions of the Lord had merged into

the original Personality of Godhead. The Krsna Who fell into the Yamuna

River was Lord Narayana, but the Krsna Who emerged was Sri

Nandanandana. One may finds several discussions of this facet of the

Lord's Personality in Srila Prabhupada's merciful translation of Sri

Caitanya-caritamrta.

 

All the while the Lord enjoyed His pastimes in Vrajabhumi, His Vishnu

expansions remained merged within Him. Even when demons invaded

Vrndavana, Krsna displayed His Narayana feature in dealing with them,

and in this way He fully enjoys His loving relationships with the pure

devotees of Vrndavana.

 

When Akrura took Krsna and Balarama to Mathura and paused midway to

take bath and chant Gayatri, the transcendental transformation of the

Supreme Lord from avatari Krsna to avatara Krsna took place again. As

Akrura bathed, svayam bhagavan Krsna became unmanifest (residing

eternally in the hearts of the Vrajavasis, lead by Radharani) and His

Vishnu expansion emerged from His Supreme Personality and conducted the

Lord's pastimes in Mathura, Dvaraka, etc. Therefore, Akrura-ghata is

important, and at the small temple and lake here the pilgrim should

pause and pay respect, followed by a bath (at lease a shira-snan) and

chanting of Gayatri-mantra...

 

--->Lord Krishna has His bhauma lila, where He appears in different

incarnations, including His Krishna Avatara Bhauma Lila, besides which

He eternally sports in Vaikuntha in Golok Dham enjoying His Nitya Lila,

which has no beginning nor end, and which doesn't take place within the

material creation. This is a very misunderstood subject. One Iskcon

Guru told me that Krishna's "nitya lila" was roaming from one universe

after another and performing His incarnation. This Guru said joining

Krishna in these incarnations was liberation. I told him that what he

described is called Krishna's "Bhauma Lila", BUT, Krishna's "Nitya

Lila" takes place eternally outside the jada Samsara. In Nitya Lila

there are no demons nor non devotees, and Krishna enjoys with devotees

in 5 rasas. To enter the Nitya Lila, THAT is Vaushnav liberation.

 

By Richard Shaw Brown

 

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