Verse 94

nâdyapi pashyati kadâpi nidarshanâya

chitte tathopanishadân sudrishân sahasram,

sa twan chirân-nayanayor-nayoh padavyân

swâmin kayâ nu kripayâ mâm sannidhatse.94.

Translation

O Swâmin (Master)! Although the countless Upanishads are maidens with beautiful eyes, they have never ever seen even a semblance of Your sweet beauty in their dreams, so how come You have appeared before my eyes so mercifully? 94.

Âswâd-bindu purport

Srila Krishnadâs Kavirâj Goswâmi says, Sri Lilâshuk saw Sri Krishna near Him. He saw Him – Who is Shringâr-ras personified. When he saw Sri Krishna at such close quarters, He went crazy with love. He asked Sri Krishna, the cause of His darshan – “O Master! You are visible only to Brajavadhus.”

The poet enquired, “How come You have appeared before me?”

Sri Krishna answered, “Lilâshuk, this is only a revelation; you are not actually seeing me.”

The poet is saying, “Then how come this vision is ‘chirât‘ – long-lasting? I have had many revelations, but they did not last so long. I must actually be seeing You.”

Sri Krishna said, “True, I am not visible to just anyone.  You are able to see me because you are in the mood of a Gopi. Why are you so surprised?”

Then Sri Lilâshuk expressed his doubt, “I have a material male body. All the parts of my body are mundane. It is impossible to see You with earthly eyes.”

Sri Krishna replied, “So what if your body is material? Bhâv subjugates me. I grant darshan to all the devotees who perform Bhajan in the mood of a Gopi.”

Sri Lilâshuk shook his head and said, “How is it possible? Your flute drives immensely beautiful and seductive women crazy – why, even the Shrutis never get to see You. Forget even getting Your darshan, they cannot even see anything remotely resembling You.”

We may ask, “How will the Shrutis (or Upanishads) see Sri Krishna? They do not possess a body.” To make this point clear the poet said, ‘sudrishâmiti’ – although the Shrutis have beautiful eyes, they cannot see You. This indicates that they have bodies.

The Shrutis glorified Sri Krishna –

“nibhritamarunmano’kshadridhayogayujo hridi yan-

Munaya upâsate tadarayo’pi yayuh smaranât,

Striya uragendra-bhoga-bhuja-danda-vishaktadhiyo

Vayamapi te samâh samadrisho’nghri-saroja-sudhâh.”

Meaning – “Having controlled their prânas, mind and sense organs, the Munis adore You as the Impersonal Brahman in their hearts with fierce determination (and eventually merge with Brahman). Your enemies too attain the same state by remembering You with fear and envy. However, Your eternal consorts, the Brajasundaris are able to smear their bosom with the honey oozing out from Your lotus-feet, because their minds meditate deeply on Your strong arms. We have sought their shelter and under their guidance; therefore we too have attained Your lotus-feet like them.” – (S.B.10.87.23)

Sri Chaitanya-Charitâmrita explains the above verse from Srimad-Bhâgavatam nicely –

“‘Sadrisha‘ – ‘like them’ means the Shrutis have surrendered unto the Gopis and are following in their footsteps. ‘Samâ’ shows that the Shrutis became Gopis. “Anghri-padma-sudhâ’ indicates the joy of associating with Sri Krishna. The summum bonum of this verse is that we can never get Krishna Chandra in Braja by following the path of vidhi (vidhimârg).“

– (Sri Chaitanya-Charitâmrita Madhya.8.181-182)

This proves that the Shrutis became Gopis and associated with Sri Krishna in Braja. However this did not happen before they became Gopis. This is why Sri Lilâshuk has said that other women, who have not received the body of a Gopi, cannot behold Your Shringâr-ras-râj form. Then how is it that You have appeared before me – after all, I am in a material male body. How did You make this possible, please tell me. It is certainly the power of Your mercy. Srila Prabodhânanda Saraswatipâd has written that Sri Vrindâban is so glorious that it is possible to obtain even the rarest object.

“Aho! Where is Sri Râdhâ who is beyond all Vedic injunctions, and where is Sri Krishna Who resides only in the casket of Her bosom? (This indicates that Sri Krishna, Who is Shringâr-ras personified, is extremely rare). And where am I – most fallen, sinful and worthless being? Nevertheless, when His Holy Name is manifesting Himself on my tongue, we should know that it is only due to Vrindâban’s magnanimity.”- (R.R.S.N. 261)

He has mentioned that it is highly audacious even to harbour a mere wish to behold Sri Sri Râdhâ-Mâdhav –

“Brahmâ and other Devatâs, the Hari-bhaktas, and even His Own associates do not know Sri Sri Râdhâ-Mâdhav for sure. Hari! Hari! And I am daring to desire Their darshan ! And that too when They perform ras-full amorous pastimes in the secluded flower grove!”

– (R.R.S.N. 149)

Srila Bhatta Goswâmipâd explains, now Sri Lilâshuk is astonished, proud and ecstatic. He is saying that Sri Krishna is extremely munificent. ‘Swâmin’ means ‘the highest of all’ – ‘He is the personification of extremely pure, completely sweet ras‘. How is that mercy that enabled Him to appear before me? ‘Sudrishâm‘ means, ‘You have not appeared before thousands of Upanishads, hence they are unable to describe You. They say that no one can describe Sri Krishna. However You have appeared before me – Your kripâ is extremely great.’ Divine mercy can make everything possible. Sri Sri Dinasharan das Babaji Mahârâj lived in Vrindâban. He was a supreme scholar and self-realized saint. Once he had narrated a story about the glory of Divine mercy, I am repeating it here.

Once when Devarshi Nârad was walking on the seashore, he saw a small bird pick up one drop of water from the ocean and fling it a little distance away. The sage asked her the reason for this behaviour. The bird replied that she had laid some eggs on the shore. The waves of the sea had carried them away. She wanted her eggs back, so she was going to drain the sea of all its water with the help of her beak. Devarshi was astounded. He asked her how she arrived at such an impossible decision. She admitted that though it seemed impossible, it was a pleasure to labour for something you love. Nârad Muni really liked this statement. He felt – Sri Bhagavân is naturally dear to all. If man, who is the best of all his creation, could grasp this simple Truth and delight in just trying to obtain Him, how nice it would be! Then everyone would perform Sri Hari-Bhajan.

Devarshi went to Vaikuntha to take darshan of Lord Nârâyan. He remembered the bird. He narrated how that tiny creation of the Lord was attempting such a gigantic endeavour. Sri Bhagavân heard the sage and assured him, “O Devarshi, since you have taken a liking for the bird then she will surely attain success.” Lord Nârâyan then gestured to His Own vehicle Garud. Sri Garud understood the Lord’s wish and swooped down on the sea. He flapped his enormous wings so much so that the sea became afraid of drying up. Garud thus forced the sea to return the eggs. Thus, we see that everything is possible by Divine mercy.

The wise say-“Sri Bhagavân can make the mute talk and the lame cross mountains. He can make everything possible by His mercy – I bow to That Supremely Blissful Mâdhav (Sri Krishna).”

Srila Chaitanyadâs Goswâmi says, ‘swâmin’ means ‘there is none equal or superior to Him.” ‘Sudrishâm upanishadânn sahasram’ means ‘Although the goddesses governing thousands of Upanishads have very beautiful eyes, they cannot see anything resembling Him. Therefore it is only by Your mercy that You have appeared before me.” 94.