[Advaita-l] Sri Krishna Karnamrutam-7

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

It looks like I missed post No. 7. Here it is.

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                                                             Sri Krishna Karnamrutam -7




As Sri Krishna was growing up, the gopi maids became so much involved with him and with his activities, they think of him all the time. Krishna says:

ananyaashcintayanto maam

ye janaaH paryupaasate|

teShaam nityaabhiyuktaanaam

yogakshemam vahaamyaham||B.G.9-22

Whoever thinks of Me without any other thoughts in mind and worship Me with single pointed devotion, and constantly meditating on Me, I take care of their yoga and kshema. Yoga is trying to gain what one does not have but needs it, and kshema is protecting things what one has gained by yoga. These are two pursuits in life. Krishna says whoever has mind, speech, and action – manasaa vaachaa- karmanaa- has completely surrendered to Me, I take care of their welfare here and hereafter. Gopies are so much involved in Him, they cannot think of anything else other than Krishna. Here are two examples of the state of mind of Gopies that Leelasuka depicts for us.

Some Gopies go out carrying in a basket things and selling what the people need, such as dhahi, etc. When they carry things in their basket they keep shouting what they are selling as they go street by street. Those who want will then come out and buy from them. This is common practice in India even now. You can get fresh vegetables this way almost delivered to the house. Here is one Gopi who was so dedicated to Krishna as she was carrying her basket on her head to sell things. Since her mind is so involved in Krishna she tries to sell something else. She tries to sell not what she is carrying on her head but what she is carrying in her mind.

vikretu kaamaa kila gopakanyaa

muraari paadaarpita citta vRittiH|

dadhyadikam mohavashaadavocat

govinda! daamodara! maadhaveti|| II-56

muraari paadaarpita citta vRittiH – the one whose thoughts are continuously reveling in surrendering to Lord Krishna, dadyadikim vikretu kaamaa – the one who was intending to sell dhahi etc, gopa kanyaa – the gopika maid, mohavashaat – forgetting everything else in the thought of Krishna, started selling – govinada! maadhava! maamodara! In the bhakti, bhakta does not think anything else. There is an episode in Mahabharat also. Vidura while feeding Krishna, started giving the skin of banana while throwing the fruit part of it, since mind was not paying attention to the action but revelling in the beauty of the Lord.

For a jnaani also a constant flow of thoughts on the self is as nidhidhyaasanam – a step required after shravanam and mananam - an unbroken stream of thoughts in the direction of the truth – or we can say unbroken awareness of the self that I am, in all transactions of the world. When the mind is deeply involved, one forgets everything else.

Here is another Gopi. She was playing with Krishna and held him tightly in her embrace. Krishna to tease her by getting out of her embrace using all force that he can muster, and stands away from her, looking at her and laughing at her. Gopi, obviously, got offended when he got out her embrace. She throws a big challenge at Krishna

hasta maakshipya yaatopi

balata Krishna kimadbhutam?

hRidayaa dyadi niryaasi 

pouruSham gaNayaami te||

Hey, Krishna! you are so strong and defeated so many Rakshasaas using your strength – what is a big deal in trying to use that force to get out my embrace. Now I want to see how strong you really are. I have locked you up in my heart permanently. Try and see if you can get out my heart; Let me see you strong you are. Krishna accepts his defeat since he knows he cannot get out even if he tries using all his strength.

We can see how innocently looking Gopies have locked Him in their minds forever. Once Narada went to see Krishna and found that he was meditating. When Krishna got up from meditation, Narada asked –everybody meditates on you but what are you meditating on? Krishna says he is meditating on the hearts of all his devotees. Rama means one in whom everyone revels, and also who revels in everyone. Krishna says I am there residing in everyone’s heart – all we need to do is just open our eyes and look into our hearts - He is there. Krishna says - upadrashTaanumantacha ... I am just waiting for you to open your eyes of wisdom to see Me as I am there in everyone's heart - IswaraH sarvabuutaanam hRidyeshaarjuna tiShTati; and that is exactly what Gopis have done. He is the very Life Principle in all of us, and without His presence, we cannot even blink our eyes.

Ultimately jnaana and bhakti cannot different - they are two sides of the same coin as Krishna says Jnaani is my greatest bhakta. Shankara defines Bhakti as - sva svaruupa anusandhaanaam bhaktiH iti abhidheeyate, constant contemplation on one's own self is Bhakti - The self in me is the self in all - is the knowledge - sarva bhutastam aatmaanam sarva bhuutanicha aatmani.

Hari Om!

Sadananda