Hare Krsna,
It took me a significant amount of research to determine the type of expansion of Krsna when he expanded as the cowherd boys and calves. I still do not have a conclusive answer.
It is generally understood that Krsna has three main forms – svayam-rupa, tad-ekatma -rupa and avesa-rupa. It is in these three features that He manifests Himself in His transcendental form. The feature of svayam-rūpa is the form by which Kṛṣṇa can be understood by one who may not understand His other features. In other words, the form by which Kṛṣṇa is directly understood is called svayam-rūpa, or His personal form. The tadekātma-rūpa is that form which most resembles the svayam-rūpa, but there are some differences in the bodily features. The tadekātma-rūpa is divided into two manifestations-the personal expansion (svāṁśa) and the pastime expansion (vilāsa). As far as the āveśa-rūpa is concerned, when Kṛṣṇa empowers some suitable living entity to represent Him, that living entity is called āveśa-rūpa, or śaktyāveśa-avatāra.
The personal form of Kṛṣṇa can be divided into two: svayam-rūpa and svayam-prakāśa. As far as His svayam-rūpa (or pastime form) is concerned, it is in that form that He remains always in Vṛndāvana with the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. This personal form (svayam-rūpa) can be further divided into the prābhava and vaibhava forms.
My analysis indicates that Krsna’s expansion as cowherd boys and calves is tad-ekatma-rupa form – same expansion of His svayam-rupa form but there are some differences in the bodily features as can be seen by the form of calves and cowherd boys. I could be wrong! I hope our teachers can correct if I am wrong!
Anyway, the point to understand clearly is that there are unlimited expansions of the forms of Kṛṣṇa, but even when they are divided or expanded without limit, they are still one and the same. There is no difference between one form and another. That is the absolute nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa’s expansion is situated in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul. But in this case, instead of expanding Himself as the Supersoul, He expanded Himself as a portion of calves and cowherd boys for one continuous year.
BG 10.20: I am the Supersoul, O Arjuna, seated in the hearts of all living entities. I am the beginning, the middle and the end of all beings.
As far as we living entities are concerned, we are Krsna’s eternal fragmental parts.
BG 15.7: The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.
The living entities belong to the superior nature (or energy) of the Supreme Lord. The inferior energy is matter manifested in different elements, namely earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego. Both forms of material nature, namely gross (earth, etc.) and subtle (mind, etc.), are products of the inferior energy. The living entities, who are exploiting these inferior energies for different purposes, are the superior energy of the Supreme Lord, and it is due to this energy that the entire material world functions.
BG 17.4-5: “Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego — all together these eight comprise My separated material energies. But besides this inferior nature, O mighty-armed Arjuna, there is a superior energy of Mine, which consists of all living entities who are struggling with material nature and are sustaining the universe.”
We are qualitatively the same but quantitatively different from the Supreme Lord. Our constitutional position is servitorship whereas the Lord is always served. Devotional service unto Him is our constitutional position. Only by devotional service can Krsna be understood (bhaktya-mam abhijanati).
The other reflection I had on this lesson is why were the parents and their cows spontaneously attracted to their children (manifested as Krsna’s expansion as cowherd boys and calves). This was bewildering even to Lord Balarama.
SB 10.13.35: Because of an increase of affection, the cows had constant attachment even to those calves that were grown up and had stopped sucking milk from their mothers. When Baladeva saw this attachment, He was unable to understand the reason for it, and thus He began to consider as follows.
Srila Prabhupada explains this phenomenon beautifully in one of his lectures:
“This can be understood in another way: Just like every one of us we love our body. Or I love your body. But what is the reason? The reason is because the spirit soul is there. Nobody loves a body, either his own body or other’s body, when it is dead. Therefore the conclusion is that each, every one of us, we love our body because I, the spirit soul, is there. Therefore the conclusion is that I love myself, or yourself, the spirit soul. Then the next question will be “Then why one should love the spirit soul?” The spirit soul is loved because it is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore ultimate goal is Kṛṣṇa. We do not know that. Therefore we sometimes love the body or sometimes love the mind or sometimes love the soul or in this way, but the ultimate aim is to love Kṛṣṇa. That is our natural instinct.” (Lecture on BG 4.11 — Geneva, June 1, 1974)
SB 10.13.25: Previously, from the very beginning, the gopīs had motherly affection for Kṛṣṇa. Indeed, their affection for Kṛṣṇa exceeded even their affection for their own sons. In displaying their affection, they had thus distinguished between Kṛṣṇa and their sons, but now that distinction disappeared.
It is interesting to know that Prema is not dependent on Him. Rather He is dependent on prema and controlled by prema.
“Such uncontrollable prema was in the hearts of the mothers towards Kṛṣṇa in the form of their sons. Thus Kṛṣṇa in the form of their sons forgot His powers as God. Since He assumed the role of their sons, He remained dependent on them, like a commander next to the king. One should not say that such dependence on love is a fault; rather it is Kṛṣṇa’s ornament. As the living entity’s dependence on maya is the cause of his sorrow, so Kṛṣṇa’s dependence on prema is the cause of ever-increasing bliss. This is the realization of the great devotees.” (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura commentary on SB 10.13.25)
I am yet to fully understand this aspect of Prema. It seems complicated for my tiny material brain to grasp.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 