Krishna Nectar Lilas part 31 “Gopal Gopa Picnic”

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

One day before sunrise Krsna asked Yasoda, “You are the Queen of all the people. O auspicious one, today I want to take My meal in the forest. So please do not turn down My request?”

Nandarani shook her head from side to side while saying, “No, No, No!” Though not wanting to oppose His mother, Krsna, who removes all misfortune, took a vow to fulfill His cherished desire and said, “Mother, if you do not allow Me to go, then in the name of Bhagavan I will go anyway.”

Balarama, who is always happy to serve His brother, blew loudly on His buffalo horn and readied the cows for the journey. Hearing Balarama’s buffalo horn, the cowherd boys left their homes and rushed to meet Krsna. Then Krsna, the supreme controller of the three worlds, asked Yasoda, “Please make us happy by giving us a variety of foodstuffs?”

By yielding to her son’s request, Yasoda prepared many kinds of fresh ‘ ‘items for the boys’ forest picnic. She made superbly thick yogurt that appeared like a vast ocean of cream, and heaps of soft, delicate butter that looked like slices of the moon. The rubri appeared like foam on an ocean of kheer.

The chunks of cheese challenged piles of snow. Even the eyes of the demigods bulged joyfully upon seeing the khoya. The attractive cakes looked like the orb of the full moon. The pieces of sugar candy looked as beautiful as a heap of hailstones.

Very pure, fragrant, and pleasing yogurt appeared there. The many types of flat rice mixed with milk and aromatic camphor bathed the tongue in nectar and satisfied the mind. The rich creamy sweet rice defeated the nectar of condensed moonshine. The meal also included fragrant lemon and mango pickles, pdpadam, namkeen, gujha, and other types of savories.

 
The unlimited quantity of foodstuffs competed with Yasoda’s boundless motherly affection. The four types of eatables, which included items to chew, lick, suck, and drink, were expressions of Yasoda’s love and devotion. No one had ever seen such a wide variety of appetizing foods. Being unfamiliar with the unique preparations, which were very rare and not available in the marketplace, no one could properly count them.

Krsna joyfully looked upon all those delectable foods and told His associates, “Just give up your pride and carry all these preparations for our forest picnic.” The cowherd boys submissively agreed to bring everything.

Then Krsna, whose superexcellent, enchanting beauty puts millions of Cupids into distress, continued, “O friends, the hearts of mental speculators will never melt because they are hard and dry. And if you walk behind the calves the dry and hard foodstuffs that you are carrying will not melt.”

Krsna divided the load of edibles equally among his friends. Seeing this, mother Yasoda brought even more food items to distribute. Each boy carried a stick balanced on his shoulder with pots of foodstuffs tied on the ends. After decorating Krsna with a garland of fresh forest flowers, Yasoda handed Him His celebrated flute.

Due to Yasoda’s deep affection for her beloved son, milk automatically dripped from her breasts and wet her blouse. Yasoda and the other mothers walked a short distance with the thousands of boys moving behind the thousands of calves.

Just at that time an astrologer arrived announcing that a yajna must be performed to appease the stars and planets. Taking His mother’s permission, Balarama stayed home to attend to the astrologer.

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.