Sri Sri Geet-Panchak

 

Srimad-Bhâgavatam

 

Chapter 21

 

Sri Sri Venu-Geet

 

ittham sharat-swachchha-jalam padmâkara-sugandhinâ,

nya-vishad-vâyanâ vâtam sago-gopâlako-vanam.1.

 

kusumita-vana-râji-shushmi-bhringa-dwija-kulagh-ushta-sarah-san-mahidhravam,

madhupatir-avagâhya chârayan gâh saha-pashupâla-balashchukuja venum.2.

 

Translation

 

O King! Sri Krishna, surrounded by countless cattle and Gopa boys entered Sri Vrindâban which had beautiful lakes overflowing with clean sharad-water^[1]. Vrindâban was fragrant with fully bloomed flowers such as the lotus, and soft perfume-laden breeze was always blowing there.1.

 

Madhupati^[2] Sri Krishna was accompanied by sakhâs such as Shridâm and Subal, and elder brother Sri Baladev. When He entered Vrindâban He admired the trees laden with flowers and intoxicated bees hovering around them humming musically. The woods were melodious with birds such as parrots and cuckoos singing joyously. The rivers, lakes and mountains were all beautiful. In this manner Sri Krishna entered Vrindâban and blew into His mesmerizing flute.2.

 

Geetâmritalesh^[3] Explanation

 

Sage Srila Shukadev has already described the beauty of the monsoon in Vrindabân, Sri Krishna’s sweet sports with the sakhâs during this season, and the beauty of the Sharad season in the previous chapter (Srimad-Bhâgavatam 10.20). In this chapter he is describing Govinda’s special pastimes, that is, His bhâv-full flute-song and its impact on the Braja-maidens who are in purva-râg. This is the Venu-Geet!

 

These verses draw a very beautiful picture of Sri Vrindâban. In the second verse, the word ‘Madhupati’ also means ‘the Lord of the Spring season’. This indicates that the beauty of Sharad is mingled with the loveliness of the spring season. Earlier the lakes of Vrindâban such as Pâvan sarovar, Kusum Sarovar, Sri Radhakund-Shyâmkund were flooded with water in the monsoon season. Now with the advent of Sharad, the water had got rid of it muddiness and was sparkling like crystal. In addition, attractive flowers were blooming in the lakes – such as – kumud, kahlâr, lotus and the blood-red lily. Hosts of swans were wandering happily in the lotus-forests. The trees looked grand with fresh green leaves. The woods were fragrant with the intoxicating aroma of various flowers such as bakul, shefâli and gandha-râj.  The banks of the Yamunâ were resounding with the laughter of the land-lotus and the love-sporting Kadamba. On every sweet flower in every sweet kunja intoxicated sweet bees were humming sweetly. Vrindâban was musical with the song of the cuckoos, the spellbinding dance of he peacocks and the cooing of different attractive birds. Girirâj Govardhan looked gorgeous with cascading waterfalls and colorful fruits and flowers. Cool, soft perfume laden breeze charmed the surrounding.

 

“Madhupati’ also signifies that since Sri Krishna is Madhupati, His sports-ground Brajadhâm is also full of ‘madhu’ – honey. Honey is cascading from the breeze, the sky, the trees and creepers, and the sun and the moon that pours honey-like radiance. The laughter of the blossoms, the juice of the fruits, the warbling of the birds, and the dance of the peacocks – all are laden with hone. “madhurâdhi-pater akhilam madhuram” – they are offering all their sweetness unto the service of the Source of Sweetness Sri Govinda.

 

Today Sri Vrindâban that is eternally served by Vasanta^[4], is celebrating the advent of Sharad. It looked as if there was a great grand feast of honey! The more Shyâmsundar proceeded for cattle-grazing the more Vrindâban held Him spellbound. Everywhere He saw an incomparable marvelous beauty!  Mother Nature had arranged the most charming and alluring beauty in Vrindâban to entertain Him. Somewhere in the woods a bird called sweetly – ‘bou-kathâ-kao’^[5]. When Govinda heard it, His heart that was already palpitating, started dancing in full swing. When he gazed at a lake, He saw a Khanjan-couple kissing one another and exchanging sweet nothings. The bees were humming ceaseless. When He heard and saw all this, Shyâmal-Kishor^[6] did not feel a bit like cattle-grazing. His heart seemed drunk – it was in the grip of some doe-eyed Gopa-beauties. He had seen the sweet laughter in their desire-filled restless eyes. Their lovely faces were floating in His gaze like a picture. Especially one face, that belonging to His Precious One that had resounded His heart in vociferous soundless language — He simply could not forget Her – although He tried His best. Consequently, He moved away from the sakhâs, and sat alone on an altar around a tamaal tree. He placed His left foot on the right one and thought about Her. Shyâm got lost in Her meditation!

 

Here we must remember that although the pastimes between the Gpois and Gopinâth seem like the love affair of mundane lovers, it is strictly not so. Here the devotees are absolutely free of any material desire. It is a meeting between bhakta and bhagavân. Their unification is the supreme truth, pristine pure and extremely sweet. It is a subject that blessed saints, the topmost desire-free devotees meditate on. Sri Bhagavân is ras-full, hence He performs countless leelâs. Leelâ cannot exist without ras. Ras is the soul of leelâ. He is relishing – so He is ‘ras^[7]’. He is also the One Who relishes ras. He is Rasamay, therefore it is natural for Him to want to relish ras. The Brahman Whom the gyânis worship is without any characteristic, He is ras-less; He has no desire at all. However, the Bhagavân Whom the bhaktas worship is not like this, He has a colossal desire to relish the prem of the devotee. He is infinite – His desire to relish ras too in infinite. He is an ocean of bliss, and this ocean holds in its heart intense craving. These are all His leelâs. So we say He is ‘Leelâmay’.

 

What do we mean by ‘leelâ’?

 

Sri Bhagavân has two-fold activities – (1) karma and (2) leelâ. When He lessens the burden of Mother Earth by killing the asurs, we call it ‘karma’, and when He spontaneously and easily performs some activity simply for the sake of pleasure, we call it ‘leelâ’.

 

Leelâ can be classified into three –

 

1. srishti-leelâ – the divine pastime called ‘creation’. It takes place when He plays with His external potency, Mâyâ Shakti.
2. samsâr-leelâ – when Sri Bhagavân plays with Jiva Shakti, that is intermediary to internal potency and external potency, the result is material pastimes or samsâr-leelâ.
3. nitya-leelâ – these leelâs are ‘nitya’ or eternal. In this, Sri Bhagavân plays with His internal potency or Swarup Shakti.

 

Swayam Bhagavân Sri Krishna has no connection whatsoever with creation and the material world. Sri Chaitanya-Charitâmrita says –

 

“turiyo krishner nâhi mâyâr sambandha”

 

Meaning – “Sri Krishna is transcendental, and He is not related with the material energy.”

 

Swayam Bhagavân Sri Krishna performs His eternal pastimes only in Dwârakâ, Mathurâ and Brijdhâm, of which His Braja-leelâs are the most exquisite. This is due to the fact that the associates of Braj are completely oblivious to His gigantic majesty and consider Him only as ‘mor putra, mor sakhâ, mor pranopati’ – ‘my son, my friend and the beloved of my soul’ – (Sri Chaitanya-Charitâmrita ). Therefore Braja-leelâs are so extremely sweet. Amongst these, the loving pastimes of Sri Gopinâth with the Gopis are the sweetest, since they overflow with erotic ras. The Gopis are actually Love personified and this prem is nothing but the characteristic of His very Own Hlâdini Shakti. In Braja-leelâ, we see that the relation between Him and the Gopis is extra-marital (parakiyâ) in nature – hence the immense attraction. As a result we call them ‘samarthâ nâyikâ’ or ‘self-independent beloveds’.

(to be contd………..)