Krishna Nectar Lila 59 -“ANGUISH OF THE VRAJAVASIS”

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

The three types of fearful omens, namely those on the earth, in the sky, and in the bodies of living creatures, which announce imminent danger, descended upon Vrndavana at that moment.

Jackals shrieked harshly at the sun, smoke and dust as dark as the horns of a buffalo blanketed the sky, and the sun appeared dull and lackluster. High winds howled in every direction and violent earthquakes shook the earth.

Afflicted by the inauspiciousness, the left side of men’s bodies (hand, eye, thigh), and the right side of women’s bodies trembled. Anxiety seized the atmosphere and disturbed everyone’s minds with grief and discontent.

Perceiving all these inauspicious omens in his village, Nanda Maharaja and the gopas understood that a devastating time had assailed the earth. The hostile unfavorable atmosphere submerged their hearts in the mud of fearfulness. Although they had innumerable experiences of the unlimited majesty of Krishna, due to the covering potency ofYogamaya, they knew only His sweet intimacy. Forgetting about the Lord’s omnipotence, they simply worried about the safety of Krishna.

While lamenting over the disturbances some of the learned gopas said, “O! How dreadful! Due to negligence and naivete our innocent Krishna has wandered alone into the dense forest which is infested with various demons that always bring calamities.

“And He has gone there without the company of His intelligent, powerful elder brother Balarama. Without our beloved Krishna we cannot live. But since we cannot fathom the actual situation from here, let us invoke good fortune by chanting, ‘Siva! Siva!’ ”

Overwhelmed with fear and lamentation, the Vrajavasis quickly left their eating and drinking and rushed out intent on finding Krishna. The whole village joined in that procession from one year-old babies to elderly men. They followed the path marked by Krishna’s footprints, which bore the unique symbols of a flag, barleycorn, thunderbolt, lotus flower, and elephant goad.

Nanda and Vrajesvari Yasoda, Balarama, the elderly gopas, and all the children hurried along the path to the bank of the Yamuna River. From a distance they saw Krishna trapped in the lake, motionless within the coils of the venomous black serpent. Stepping closer, they immediately understood the situation just by seeing the facial expressions of Krishna’s friends lying unconscious on the bank. Witnessing this, the Vrajavasis succumbed to anguish and confusion.

Though standing on the bank, they felt they too were drowning in the poisonous lake. Their hearts burned just like a person afflicted by poison. The women fell on the ground like creepers thrown down by a high wind, and the men toppled like uprooted trees. They sprawled out in all directions beside the lake.

Filled with panic and shock, Nanda Maharaja cried out in a voice choked with tears, “O my darling son! Why have you suddenly done this? O dearest of all, please come back to us.” Gripped with lamentation, the cowherd men fell down unconscious on the ground around the King of Vrndavana.

Yasoda swooned with equal distress and sadness. Sympathizing with her and wailing piteously like kurari birds, the elderly gopis collapsed on the ground next to the Queen of Vrndavana.

At first the young gopis could neither cry nor lament as they stared at Krishna with unblinking eyes glittering with love. Then their piteous wailing strained the atmosphere, and the downpour of their tears muddied the bank of the Yamuna. Taking shelter in the embrace of the sakhi of personified unconsciousness, they fell flat on the ground like creepers and trees cut down by a hurricane.

Though fainting, the gopis retained their life airs by recounting the pastimes of the beloved of Vrndavana. Even in that miserable state the gopis somehow maintained their existence. Indeed, intense lamentation permeated the atmosphere.

Seeing the extent of Krishna’s influence, Haladhara (Balarama) looked on with amazement. Then Balarama said, “O father, because Krishna is so dear to you, your heart is burning and you are overwhelmed with lamentation. Nevertheless, you need not be in anxiety for this body that is existing due to Krishna’s mercy.

“O Mago! (Yasoda) Do not cry or lament anymore. Please hear My words and be patient. O Vrajavasis! You should not be so grief-stricken now that you have ascertained the extent of the danger.

“You are unaware of the magnitude of My younger brother’s valor which always increases the joy of others. I am the only one who knows the extent of His transcendental identity. Among the greatest demigods, who can understand even a fraction of His opulence? Please be steady in your intelligence.

“For the lion-like Krishna it is a paltry achievement to subdue the demon Kaliya. Just as the wind cannot conquer a mountain, or as darkness can never cover the sun, or as a clump of reeds can never extinguish a raging forest fire, similarly, Krishna, who wears makara earrings, is not the least bit afraid of this tiny water snake. Therefore give up your grief. Any moment now My brother will finish this lowly snake and come out of the water. You can have complete confidence in My words.”

By His illusory energy Krishna bewilders both the demons and the demigods. He possesses unlimited transcendental opulences and has a most elegant form. He relishes His own prowess within and without, and everyone knows His boundless power. To the surrendered soul He is an ocean of happiness. 

Excerpt: Sri Kavi Karnapura’s Ananda Vrindavana Campu ki jai!

Krishna Nectar Lilas ki jai! Jai Jai Sri Radhe!

All parts of Krishna Nectar Lilas can be found here.