Sri Gopal Tapani Upanishad

[krsna 3]

 

 

Chapter 1

 

Verses

1-10

 

Om namah.

 

I offer my respectful obeisance's to Sri Krishna, whose form is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss, who is the rescuer from distress, who is understood by Vedanta, who is the supreme spiritual master, and who is the witness in everyone's heart.

 

Om

Some sages ( the four kumaras ) inquired submissively from Lord Brahma: "Who is the supreme and original Personality of Godhead? Whom does death fear? And by knowing him everything else simultaneously becomes known. Who created the material world?

 

Brahma replied to them: "Krishna is the original cause of all causes. Death fears Govinda. By understanding Gopijanavallabha everything becomes known. By pronouncing the word "svaha" the Original Personality of Godhead created the world.

 

They then said: "Who is Krishna? Who is Govinda? Who is Gopijanavallabha? What is Svaha?"

 

* Here the Kumaras desired to hear specifically about the personal qualities of Sri Krishna.

 

To them Brahma joyfully replied: "Krishna means He who can uproot the embedded seeds of mundane desire, Govinda means He who is famous on the earth, in the Vedas, and among the surabhi cows, Gopijanavallabha means He who enchants the gopis, and Svaha means the potency of the Supreme. All these names refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

One who meditates on this Supreme Personality of Godhead, glorifies Him, and worships Him, becomes liberated. He becomes free from samsara ( cycle of birth and death ).

 

They said: What is His form? How is he glorified? How does one worship Him? Please describe this to us.

 

Brahma said: He appears like a cowherd boy. His complexion is dark like a monsoon cloud. He is often seen standing under a desire tree. The following verses describe Him.

 

Concentrating with all ones ability on the form of lord Krishna , whose eyes are handsome like lotus flowers, whose complexion resembles the color of a monsoon cloud, whose garments sparkle and are effulgent, who has two arms, who is the origin of all transcendental knowledge, around whose neck is a garland made of aromatic forest flowers, who is the supreme controller, who is surrounded by unlimited gopas, gopis, and surabhi cows, who is sometimes seen resting under a sura-druma tree, who is decorated with splendid ornaments, who stands in the middle of a red lotus flower, and who is served by breezes that have touched the lovely Yamuna, a person who can focus his attention in this way becomes free from repeated birth and death.

 

Om - Tat - Sat

 

[krsna 3]

Sri Gopal Tapani Upanishad

 

Chapter 1

Verses

11-25

 

 

 

Om namah.

 

With a sweet devotional mood this mantra should be repeatedly chanted:

"klim krishnaya govindaya gopijanavallabhaya svaha".

 

By softly vibrating with devotion these five sounds one attains the Supreme, whose partial and seperated potencies are manifested as the heavenly planets, the earth, sun, moon, and fire.

 

This Sloka "Klim krsnaya govindaya gopijanavallabha svaha" when chanted with love and devotion will quickly attract the association of Sri Govinda. There will be no other result.

 

Pure devotional service to Lord Krishna is performed when the heart no longer desires any material benefit in this life or the next. One will be situated in the ambrosia of liberation and is free from the bonds of Karma.

 

Many brahmanas repeatidly worship Krishna. Many worship eternal Govinda. Gopijanavallabha maintains the worlds. Powerful Svaha moves the universe.

 

Commentary by Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti:

Many brahmanas, following the path of the sastras, worship Sri Krishna. Many others,

following of the path of spontaneous love ( Raganuga Bhakti ) as the residents of Gokula followed it,

worship Lord Govinda, the hero of Gokula.

 

Although originally one, air divides itself and becomes the five life-airs in the bodies of all living entities through out the universe. In the same way, for their benefit Lord Krishna appears as these five words.

 

They then requested ; Please describe the worship of Govinda, the Supersoul, who maintains everything.

 

Brahma said: The Lord's altar should be a golden lotus with eight petals. Within that lotus should be placed two triangles and the mantra klim krsnaya namah, the Kama-gayatri (klim krsnaya govindaya gopijanavallabhaya svaha), and the ananga-gayatri (kamadevaya sarva-jana-priyaya sarva-jana-sammohanaya jvala jvala prajvala prajvala sarva-janasya hrdayam me vasam kuru kuru svaha) should be written there. then anga should be offered with the sula-matra (astraya phat). Then one should worship the Lord's expansions, beginning with Rukmini, the devotees headed by Indra, the devotees headed by King Vasudeva, the devotees headed by Arjuna, and the devotees headed by Indranidhi.

 

Commentary by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana:

This is described in the Padma Purana: "O Narada, placing the Lord on His altar,

I worship Him with prayers, incense ,lamps, arghya and other gifts."

 

He who at sunrise, noon and sunset, performs various devotional services to the Deity, obtains everything. He obtains everything.

 

In this matter there are the following verses: Lord Krishna is the worshipable, all-pervading supreme controller, and although He is one, He manifests in many forms. They who are intelligent worship Him as He is in his own abode. They, and not others, attain eternal happiness.

 

The brahmanas, who worship him, as He is in his own abode, the one greatest eternal among all other eternals and greatest of all, the one who fulfils the desires of everyone, they, and not others, attain eternal perfection.

 

To they who always diligently worship Lord Visnu's transcendental form, in His original form as a cowherd boy attain the vision of His lotus feet.

 

Commentary by Srila Baladeva Vidyabhushana:

This is confirmed in Vedanta-sutra:

"The Personality of Godhead reveals Himself to His pure devotees."

 

It was Sri Krishna who in the beginning enlightened Brahma then instucted him in the affairs of creation. They who desire liberation surrender to Him, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who reveals himself to his pure devotees.

 

To they who chant the five-word mantra with om and govinda (om krsnaya govindaya gopijanavallabha svaha) the Lord reveals His own form. Therefore to attain liberation and experiance spiritual pleasure ( Ananda- Bliss ) on should regualry chant this mantra.

 

From this five-word mantra have come all other govinda-mantras in human society, including the ten-syllable govinda-mantra chanted by Indra's followers and by they who desire spiritual opulences.

 

Commentary by Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti:

The persons desiring opulence mentioned in this verse are the four Kumara's followers,

who desire liberation, and Narada's followers, who desire pure devotional service.

 

Om - Tat - Sat