Hare Kṛṣṇa,
This is another sweet pastime of the Lord where He engaged Nanda Maharaja (just like the lifting of Govardhana Hill pastime) to reveal yet another feature of His abode.
“Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always anxious to give information to the conditioned soul that there is a spiritual sky far, far beyond this material sky, transcendental to the innumerable universes created within the total material energy.” (Krsna; 28)
Devotees sometimes go through phases of self-doubt. What will be their destination after death? Will their lifetime of performing bhakti bear fruit? Will they ever attain salvation (as in going back home, back to Godhead)? What does it mean when scriptures reveal that there is gradation of the spiritual realms in terms of its sweetness? For example, there is a beautiful verse in the Nectar of Instruction Text 9:
“The holy place known as Mathurä is spiritually superior to Vaikuëöha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there. Superior to Mathurä-puré is the transcendental forest of Våndävana because of Kåñëa’s räsa-lélä pastimes. And superior to the forest of Våndävana is Govardhana Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of Çré Kåñëa and was the site of His various loving pastimes. And, above all, the superexcellent Çré Rädhä-kuëòa stands supreme, for it is overflooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of Gokula, Çré Kåñëa. Where, then, is that intelligent person who is unwilling to serve this divine Rädhä-kuëòa, which is situated at the foot of Govardhana Hill?”
The Vrajavasis also had similar questions.
“The friends of Nanda Maharaja, all the cowherd men, became eager to know if Krsna were actually the Supreme Personality and if He were going to give them all salvation. When they were all thus consulting among themselves, Krsna understood their minds, and in order to assure them of their destiny in the spiritual kingdom, He showed them the spiritual sky.” (Krsna; 28)
There is general human tendency to think that the grass is always greener on the other side. Similarly, it could be possible to think that there could be better places than Vrndavana. However, it must be noted that the Vrajavasis are eternally liberated residents of Śrī Vṛndāvana. Therefore, their thinking is not like the thinking of conditioned souls. Krsna, being omnipotent and omniscient, understood the mind of the Vrajavasis perfectly and therefore enacted this pastime.
“When My father saw the opulence of Varuna, which is only material, he then considered this Vrndavana, which is the quintessence of Vaikuntha, to be inferior to the planet of Varuna. It is just like the fool, who upon seeing the form and luster of an inferior pearl, considers a valuable first-class pearl to be inferior. Thus the cowherd men see themselves inferior to Varuna, and think attaining liberation and residence in Vaikuntha is greater than the unique sweetness they relish in loving Me as their son.“ (Sārārtha-darśini; SB 10.28.13)
“Thus deeply considering the situation, the all-merciful Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari revealed to the cowherd men His abode, which is beyond material darkness.” (SB 10.28.14)
Only Kṛṣṇa, out of His infinite compassion (maha-karuniko) for the Vrajavasis, could separate the cowherd men from Vrndavana for a few moments and show them His own attractively charming spiritual planet, Kṛṣṇaloka. Kṛṣṇa did this to show them that the sweetness of Vrndavana was superior to Brahman and Vaikuntha.
Nanda Mahārāja and the other cowherd men felt the greatest happiness when they saw that transcendental abode. They were especially amazed to see Kṛṣṇa Himself there, surrounded by the personified Vedas, who were offering Him prayers. (SB 10.28.17)
In the description of this pastime, two important sentences by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura stood out for me.
“The cowherd men see themselves inferior to Varuna and think attaining liberation and residence in Vaikuntha is greater than the unique sweetness they relish in loving Me as their son.“ and
“The form of Bhagavan Sri Kṛṣṇa is much sweeter than the impersonal Brahman effulgence.”
This shows that Sri Kṛṣṇa is perfect, complete and sweetness personified. The sweetness experienced in serving Him is higher than the so-called sweetness of attaining liberation. Since He is non-different from His abode, His abode Vrndavana is also complete in sweetness.
The question is, how can we conditioned souls experience this sweetness of Kṛṣṇa? It is only through chanting His Holy Name.
“The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is transcendentally blissful. It bestows all spiritual benedictions, for it is Kṛṣṇa Himself, the reservoir of all pleasure. Kṛṣṇa’s name is complete, and it is the form of all transcendental mellows. It is not a material name under any condition, and it is no less powerful than Kṛṣṇa Himself. Since Kṛṣṇa’s name is not contaminated by the material qualities, there is no question of its being involved with māyā. Kṛṣṇa’s name is always liberated and spiritual; it is never conditioned by the laws of material nature. This is because the name of Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa Himself are identical.
The holy name of Kṛṣṇa, His body and His pastimes cannot be understood by the blunt material senses. They are manifested independently.
Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, transcendental qualities and transcendental pastimes are all equal to Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. They are all spiritual and full of bliss.
Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa’s holy name, form, qualities and pastimes. When a conditioned soul is awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and renders service by using his tongue to chant the Lord’s holy name and taste the remnants of the Lord’s food, the tongue is purified, and one gradually comes to understand who Kṛṣṇa really is.”
(CC Madhya 17.133-136)
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 