Garga Bhagavatham : Maadhurya khanda - Chapter 1

 

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The accounts of Shruti-roopa Gopis; their doubts in the words of Sri Krishna and Durvasa muni and clarification by Sri Krishna

अतसीकुसुमोपमेयकान्ति: यमुनाकूलकदम्बमूलवर्ती |

नवगोपवधूविलासशाली वनमाली वितनोतु मङ्गलानि||

 

atasiikusumopameyakaanti: yamunaakuulakadambamuulavartii

navagopavadhuuvilaasashaalii vanamaalii vitanotu mangalaani

 

Whose complexion is compared to linseed flowers, who is sitting under the Kadamba tree beside Yamuna river and is being very graceful by luxuriously engaging in loving pastimes with young gopikas, may that wearer of flower garland which never dries, Sri Krishna spread prosperity.

 

परिकरीकृतपीतपटम्हरिम शिखिकिरीटिनतीकृतकन्धरम ।

लकुटवेणुकरं चलकुन्डलं पटुतरं नटवेषधरम भजे ॥

 

parikariikrutapiitapaTamharim shikhikiriiTinatiikrtakandharam |

lakuTaveNukaram calakunDalam paTutaram naTaveShadharambhaje ||

 

     Who is wearing a yellow dress, upon whose head a crown of peacock feathers is shining and the neck is tilted to one side, who is carrying a cane and a flute in His hand and on whose ears swinging ear drops are shining, that supreme dexterous one, I offer my prayers to that Sri Krishna, who is adorning the form of a dancer! 

Bahulashwa asks:- Sage! Shrutiroopa and other gopikas, who by the virtue of their earlier boons had appeared in Vraj, how did they get the company of Sri Krishnachandra and fulfill their wishes? Most Learned one! Gopal Sri Krishnachandra's chronicle is most amazing, please tell this because you are the best of all the learned ones.

Sri Narada says:- Videharaj! Shrutiroopa and other gopikas were born in the high caste of gopas in Vraj because of the boon given to them earlier by Bhagawan Vishnu who sleeps on Seshanag. All of them wished to marry the most attractive son of Nand and with this intention they worshipped the queen of Vrindavan, Vrinda Devi. By the boon granted by Vrinda, the beloved of His devotees, Bhagawan Sri Hari was quickly pleased and started going to their houses every day to play Raas. One day after midnight Bhagawan Sri Krishna went to their house for performing Raas. At that time, the excited gopikas worshipped that Supreme Lord with great devotion and asked in a sweet voice thus.

 Gopis said:- Destroyer of fire, Sri Krishna! Like the Chakori bird is ever impatient to see the Moon, in the same manner, we are excitedly waiting to meet You, then why did You not come to our house earlier? 

Sri Bhagawan said:- Beloveds! Whoever lives in one's heart is never far away from them. You see, the Sun is in the sky and the lotus is on the earth, even then when it sees the Sun it blooms and feels as if the Sun is very near. Beloveds! Today my guru (teacher) Bhagawan sage Durwasa has come to Bhandeer forest. I had gone away to serve him. Guru is Brahma, Guru is is Vishnu, Guru is Bhagawan Maheswara and Guru is the ultimate Brahma. My salutations to that Sri Guru. My salutations to that Sri Gurudev, who opens the eyes of humans who are blinded by ignorance with the lancet of knowledge. You should always consider your Guru as My own form and he must never be insulted. Guru is the form of Complete God. Hence he should not be considered as an ordinary person and served. My Beloveds! I have worshipped him and prostrated at his feet and came to your house late. 

Sri Narada says:- King! Listening to these words of Sri Krishna, all the gopis were amazed. With folded hands and bowed heads, they told Sri Krishna thus. 

Gopis said:- Lord! This is very surprising. Sage Durvasa is the guru of even the Ultimate God of Gods, knowing this fact we are very eager to have his darshan. Lord! God! How can we have his darshan tonight as it is already past midnight? Yamuna river is a great hurdle to cross, how is it possible to cross the Yamuna without a boat? 

Sri Bhagawan said:- Beloveds! If you all definitely wish to go there, then go near the Yamuna and to get a passage to cross her, tell her this, "If Sri Krishna is a Balabrahmachari and is free of all kinds of vices, then the best of rivers Sri Yamuna! please give us a way to cross you". Listening to this Yamuna will herself make way for you to cross her. 

Sri Narada says:- King! Listening to His words, the gopis took fifty-six large vessels with different kinds of offerings and went to the banks of Yamuna and with bowed heads, repeated the words of Sri Krishna. King of Mithila! Then immediately, Sri Yamuna made way for them. In that pathway, the gopis went with great amazement and approached near the Bhandeer forest. There they circled around (parikrama) Sage Durvasa and kept all the eatables, they had brought, in front of him and had his darshan. Then all the gopis said ' Sage! Please accept my food first, please eat my food first' Seeing the gopis arguing within themselves and knowing their feeling of devotion, the greatest of sages Durvasa told these clear words

 Sage said:- I am a gratified Paramahamsa and am inactive. Hence you put all your offerings into my mouth yourselves.

 Sri Narada says:- King! Saying this when he opened his mouth, all the gopis with great happiness started putting all the fifty-six types of food into his mouth at the same time. Just as the gopis were looking, the great sage Durvasa, as though he was suffering from starvation, consumed all the food that was not lesser than many tons in weight. The gopis looked at each other with surprise. This way all their vessels were emptied. All the gopis, being fully satisfied prostrated before the sage who was the benefactor of devotees and said thus. 

Gopis said:- Sage! Before coming here, by repeating the words of Sri Krishna and getting the way to cross the Yamuna, we came here with the good intention of getting your darshan. Now, how can we go back from here? We have that big uncertainty in our minds. Hence, please do something that will make our way back easier.

 Sage said:- Gopis! All of you, go from here comfortably. When you reach near the Yamuna, to get the way you tell this, "If sage Durvasa lives on this earth by consuming only the juice of grass and observes fasting without food and water, then Crown of all rivers, Sri Yamuna please give us a way to cross you". On hearing this, Sri Yamuna herself will give you a path. 

Sri Narada says:- Lord of Kings! Listening to this, the gopis prostrated in front of the great sage and came to the banks of Yamuna, and by repeating the words of the sage crossed the Yamuna and came near Sri Krishna. The gopis of that auspicious village were surprised by the experience of such a unique trip. After this, the gopikas asked Sri Krishna about the disbelief in their minds. Privately, Sri Krishna had fulfilled their wish. 

Gopis said:- Lord! We all went in front of Durvasa and had his darshan, but doubt has arisen in our minds about the truth of the words of both of you. Just like the guru is a liar, the disciple is also untruthful, there is no doubt about this. Destroyer of Agha! You are the husband of all gopikas and you have been a Rasika since your childhood, then how can you be a Bala Brahmachari? Tell us clearly about this and how can Sage Durvasa be said to live by drinking only the juice of grass when he ate all the fifty-six types of food we gave him? Lord of Vraj! This great doubt has arisen in our minds.

 Sri Bhagawan said:- Gopikas! I am bereft of love and pride, I treat everyone with equanimity, I am omnipresent, most sublime, always without any Gunas or dualities, and I am beyond nature, there is no doubt about this. Even then, I worship my devotees in the same way they worship me. In the same manner, the great learned and pious men are also without any dualities. Learned men with yogic powers should always not create any doubt in the minds of those men who are interested in doing good deeds. They always make them perform pious deeds. Those men whose planning, desire, and determination are nil, all their good deeds get burnt in the fire of knowledge. Such men are called scholars by learned people. Those who have no desire, have self-control of their mind and intellect, and have given up all likes and dislikes, he merely performs deeds to maintain his body, such a person does not suffer the effects of his past karmas. There is nothing holier in this world than knowledge. The one who is proficient in yoga obtains knowledge by himself according to the times. He who dedicates all his good deeds to Brahman and gives up all desires, will not be affected by the karmas just as water does not stick on to a lotus petal. This is why sage Durvasa, for the sake of your wellbeing earnestly ate all the food offered to him. Personally, he is never tempted to eat anything. He only drinks the juice of grass.

 Sri Narada says:- King of Mithila! Listening to the words of Sri Krishna the doubts of all the gopikas were cleared. The charismatic gopikas became knowledgeable.

  

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