Hare Krsna,

Both Kāliya-līlā and Govardhana-līlā both reveal Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s loving relationship with the residents of Vṛndāvana, yet in very different moods and layers. The comparison can be made at multiple levels.

1. Type of Danger: The Kāliya-līlā demonstrated the poison of false ego and envy as personified by the serpent Kaliya.

“The serpent Kāliya said: Our very birth as a snake has made us envious, ignorant and constantly angry. O my Lord, it is so difficult for people to give up their conditioned nature, by which they identify with that which is unreal.” (SB 10.16.56)

Govardhana-līlā demonstrated the false pride of Indra.

“By My mystic power I will completely counteract this disturbance caused by Indra. Demigods like Indra are proud of their opulence, and out of foolishness they falsely consider themselves the Lord of the universe. I will now destroy such ignorance.” (SB 10.25.16)

• Mood of Vrajavasis: In Kāliya-līlā,  the Vrajavasis were in deep anxiety and worried for Krsna. The cowherd boys, gopīs, and especially Mother Yaśodā are overwhelmed with anxiety and love, fearing for Kṛṣṇa’s life. Their vatsalya became intense and pure.

“When the members of the cowherd community, who had accepted Kṛṣṇa as their dearmost friend, saw Him enveloped in the snake’s coils, motionless, they were greatly disturbed. They had offered Kṛṣṇa everything — their very selves, their families, their wealth, wives and all pleasures. At the sight of the Lord in the clutches of the Kāliya snake, their intelligence became deranged by grief, lamentation and fear, and thus they fell to the ground.” (SB 10.16.10)

In Govardhana-līlā, the Vrajavasis were overwhelmed with ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa while at the same time they sought His protection. They were tormented by torrents of rain poured  upon them by Indra. The cows and other animals, shivering from the excessive rain and wind, and the cowherd men and ladies, pained by the cold, all approached Lord Govinda for shelter.

“[The cowherd men and women addressed the Lord:] Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, O most fortunate one, please deliver the cows from the wrath of Indra! O Lord, You are so affectionate to Your devotees. Please save us also. (SB 10.25.13)

• Krsna’s Role: In Kāliya-līlā, Kṛṣṇa played the role of deliverer from danger. He desired to purify both the river Yamuna (from Kāliya’s poison) and Kaliya himself (from the poison of pride, deceit, tendency to harm others, and cruelty).

“Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, seeing that the Yamunā River had been contaminated by the black snake Kāliya, desired to purify the river, and thus the Lord banished him from it.” (SB 10.16.1)

 In Govardhana-līlā, Kṛṣṇa is the joyful protector and center of Vrajavasis’ devotion.

“I must therefore protect the cowherd community by My transcendental potency, for I am their shelter, I am their master, and indeed they are My own family. After all, I have taken a vow to protect My devotees.” (SB 10.25.18)

• Emphasis: In Kāliya-līlā, the emphasis was to purify the negativity of Kāliya and purify the Yamuna. Hearing this pastime also purifies the hearts of the listeners of all impurities and sinful reactions.

“If one bathes in this place of My pastimes and offers the water of this lake to the demigods and other worshipable personalities, or if one observes a fast and duly worships and remembers Me, he is sure to become free from all sinful reactions.” (SB 10.16.62)

In Govardhana-līlā, the emphasis is on minimizing demigod worship and performing all sacrifices to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Kṛṣṇa (and Visnu-tattva) and everything directly related to Him (like Govardhan Hill).  

“Therefore may a sacrifice for the pleasure of the cows, the brāhmaṇas and Govardhana Hill begin! With all the paraphernalia collected for worshiping Indra, let this sacrifice be performed instead.” (SB 10.24.25)

• Key Teachings:  Kāliya-līlā teaches surrender through fear (like Kaliya) and helpless love (as in the case of the wives of Kāliya). Kāliya-līlā also highlighted the pain of separation of the Vrajavasis which further deepened their affection for Krsna. The mood of the Vrajavasis was, “How can we protect and save Kṛṣṇa from the poisonous coils of Kāliya?”

“All the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, including the children, women and elderly persons, thought of Kṛṣṇa just as a cow thinks of her helpless young calf, and thus these poor, suffering people rushed out of the village, intent upon finding Him.” (SB 10.16.16)

Govardhana-līlā shows us the sweetness of love in union, where Kṛṣṇa is everyone’s shelter and the object of collective ānanda (joy). In this lila, the mood of the Vrajavasis was, “How can Kṛṣṇa protect us from the torrential rains sent by Indra?”

“All the residents of Vṛndāvana were overwhelmed with ecstatic love, and they came forward and greeted Śrī Kṛṣṇa according to their individual relationships with Him — some embracing Him, others bowing down to Him, and so forth…. The cowherd girls returned to their homes, singing joyfully about the lifting of Govardhana Hill and other glorious deeds performed by Lord Kṛṣṇa, who had so deeply touched their hearts.” (SB 10.25.29 & 35)

In both the pastimes, Kṛṣṇa shows heroism by subduing the serpent Kāliya and pride of Indra. But the underlying tone in both is to relieve the distress of His devotees and increase their prema for Him. In Govardhana-līlā, each devotee sees their relationship with Him deepened—mothers see His strength and feel awe, friends cheer His heroic act, and the gopīs melt in love seeing His beauty and grace.

Also in both the pastimes, Kṛṣṇa applies the principle of ‘Kill the sin, but not the sinner.’ He doesn’t punish Indra and Kāliya harshly. He rids Indra of his false pride and Kaliya of his false ego and envy.

In the Kāliya-līlā, Kṛṣṇa demonstrates His power to purify and redeem. The Govardhana-līlā highlights Kṛṣṇa’s supremacy over demigods like Indra and His intimate care for His devotees.​ These pastimes teach us about surrender, the futility of pride, and the boundless compassion of Krsna. They invite devotees to reflect on the nature of their own devotion and surrender and the protective embrace of the Lord.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

This pastime of Kṛṣṇa lifting Govardhana Hill has a profound lesson for humanity. The Vrajavasis faced the wrath of Indra for not offering the annual sacrifice to him. It was not an ordinary course of events that followed.

“Ordered by King Indra, all the dangerous clouds appeared above Vṛndāvana and began to pour water incessantly, with all their strength and power. There was constant lightning and thunder, blowing of severe wind and incessant falling of rain. The rainfall seemed to fall like piercing sharp arrows. By pouring water as thick as pillars, without cessation, the clouds gradually filled all the lands in Vṛndāvana with water, and there was no visible distinction between higher and lower land. The situation was very dangerous, especially for the animals. The rainfall was accompanied by great winds, and every living creature in Vṛndāvana began to tremble from the severe cold.” (Texts 8-23: Kṛṣṇa Book)

How did the Vrajavasis react? Firstly, they did not blame Kṛṣṇa for advising them to stop Indra-yajna. Nanda Maharaja could have said, “I told you so, Kṛṣṇa! Indra would be upset and there could be repercussions. Because of you we have to undergo this calamity.” This is typically the behavior in the material world. We like to resort to blame game immediately without attempting to see the positives. This world is always full of blame and counter-blame. We are so prone to fault-finding; it has become our second nature. We have lost the qualities of compassion, understanding, tolerance, patience, and cooperation. Cooperating with each other despite disagreements. Instead of trying to make things work when they fail, we waste time trying to shift the blame on others.

But what did the Vrajavasis do? With all humility, they approached Govinda (Kṛṣṇa) to take shelter at His lotus feet. Even the cows, with their calves, bowed down their heads and approached the Supreme Personality of Godhead to take shelter of His lotus feet. The Vrajavasis prayed, “Dear Kṛṣṇa, You are all-powerful, and You are very affectionate to Your devotees. Now please protect us who have been much harassed by angry Indra.” (Texts 8-23: Kṛṣṇa Book)

Kṛṣṇa is very much pleased with them for this utmost level of surrender. He considered, “I shall give protection to My pure devotees in Vṛndāvana, who are at present completely at My mercy and whom I have taken completely under My protection. I will save them by My mystic power.” (Texts 8-23: Kṛṣṇa Book)

The lesson is that Kṛṣṇa will not disappoint His devotees if they surrender unto Him completely and unconditionally. Devotees must always depend on Kṛṣṇa for protection without taking help of lesser demigods who have tendencies to become angry or envious like Indra. This reveals Kṛṣṇa’s unlimited powers in protecting His devotees and His affection for the miserable. If we too can take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and stop blaming others or defending ourselves in everyday life, it will do a world of good to our spiritual advancement.

There is also a hidden meaning to Kṛṣṇa lifting the Govardhana Hill. According to Srila Sanatana Goswami in Sri Brhad Vaisnava Tosani, “All of this was arranged by the will of the Lord in order to enact the pastime of lifting Govardhana to increase the prema of the people of Vraja and to show that the cause was Indra’s pride. Otherwise the cows and people of Vraja could never suffer.” (Sri Brhad Vaisnava Tosani, Text 25.11)

This pastime also has a lesson for us showing us the power of chanting the Holy Name. The Vrajavasis cried, “Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, O most fortunate one, please deliver the cows from the wrath of Indra! O Lord, You are so affectionate to Your devotees. Please save us also.” They were calling out the name of Kṛṣṇa in distress like a child crying for his mother.  They repeated Kṛṣṇa’s name in order to attract Him to their suffering. We know that all suffering is destroyed merely by uttering the Holy Name. When one cries out for the Lord, the Lord immediately reciprocates. This is how we should be chanting the Holy Name. Every utterance of the Holy Name should be a call of distress. This will immediately attract the attention of Kṛṣṇa. But alas, I am so far away from that state of chanting!

The end result of chanting the Holy Name of Govardhandhari is always bliss.

This is explained in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa: “Sri Kṛṣṇa held up the mountain while His praises were chanted by the Vrajavasis, all of whom now had the opportunity to dwell together with Him, and who glanced at Him with joyful and amazed eyes. Thus the cowherd men and women were all elated, and out of loving affection they opened their eyes wide.” (Sārārtha-darśini 10.25.23)

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

As I keep meditating on this pastime, my mind is unable to accept that Indra could act independently in the mischief that he is up to. He is not an ordinary living entity. He is the Lord of the devatas (demigods). He is not a lone living entity cut off from the rest of the world, thinking that he is the lord of everything. He has thousands of servants, attendants, advisors, friends, and well-wishers. He has subordinate demigods who report to him. He has spiritual master and great sages as guides. Even if I assume for a moment that he is forgetful of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself and thus picking up a fight with the Lord which will lead to disastrous consequences, aren’t there others around him to remind him what he is getting into and who he is dealing with? Aren’t good counsels not available to Indra? I am sure there are because even the Samvartaka clouds are fearful of what Indra is asking them to do.

“When King Indra ordered the sāṁvartaka and companion clouds to go to Vṛndāvana, the clouds were afraid of the assignment.” (Kṛṣṇa Book, Chapter 25)

Considering all this, I can only see the divine hand of Krsna in this pastime. He is using Indra as an instrument to execute this pastime. This meant that Krsna had to make Indra puffed up of his position and privileges. Through this pastime, Krsna wanted to demonstrate that even the mightiest demigod is subordinate to Him, and that pure devotion to the Lord is more pleasing than ritualistic of the demigods.

Another lesson that I can draw from this is that by dismantling over-reliance on karma-kanda (fruitive activities) rituals and demigod worship, Krsna establishes that pure bhakti is the highest path. This pastime foreshadows the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu where nama-sankirtana and loving devotion become the primary practice in Kali-yuga.

“Kṛṣṇa has declared in the Bhagavad-gītā that the worshipers of the demigods are not very intelligent. He has also declared that one has to give up all kinds of worship and simply concentrate on Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa’s invoking the anger of Indra and later on chastising him is a clear indication to His devotee that those who are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness have no need to worship any demigod, even if it is found that the demigod has become angry. Kṛṣṇa gives His devotees all protection, and they should completely depend on His mercy.” ((Kṛṣṇa Book, Chapter 25)

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

Srila Prabhupada is eternal Vrajavasi. He took what was originally a sweet and intimate līlā in a rural setting of Vṛndāvana—Kṛṣṇa worshiping Govardhana Hill—and made it accessible to people across continents. A celebration once known only in Indian villages is now lovingly observed in cities from New York to Nairobi. Through Govardhana Pūjā, Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasized Kṛṣṇa’s teaching to the Vrajavāsīs—that pure devotion (bhakti) surpasses ritualistic worship of demigods. In this way, he taught the essence of Vedic culture to a global audience: that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the ultimate shelter.

Govardhan Puja is a joyous festival. In all the temples of Vṛndāvana or outside of Vṛndāvana, huge quantities of food are prepared in this ceremony and are very sumptuously distributed to the general population. (Krsna book). Devotees make Govardhan hill replicas made of sweets. Devotees also offer simple offerings of vegetarian food such as rice, dahl, halavah, pākorā, puri and all kinds of milk preparations like sweet rice, sweetballs, sandeśa, rasagullā and lāḍḍu. After the Govardhan Puja, devotees circumabulate the Govardhan Hill with kirtana. Prabhupāda showed the world that spiritual practice could be both deeply philosophical and joyfully accessible.

By celebrating Kṛṣṇa as Govardhanadhārī, Śrīla Prabhupāda subtly corrected impersonalist misconceptions and reminded the world that God is not abstract—He is a playful, loving cowherd boy who lifts mountains to protect His devotees.

“But, today Kṛṣṇa lifted this hill; therefore His name is Giridhārī. Giridhārī means who held the hill. Giri means the hill, and dhārī means one who holds up. So today is that, is the annual ceremony of today, this Govardhana-pūjā. So we follow that principle. Because we are devotees of Kṛṣṇa, we are trying to follow His instruction.” (Govardhana Pūjā Lecture; Nov. 14, 1966; New York)

Govardhana Hill is very dear to the Vaisnavas. In Sri Caitanya Caritamrta (Madhya Lila), there is a beautiful pastime of Sri Madhavendra Puri rediscovering Gopala and establishing Him on top of Govardhana Hill.

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto Mādhavendra Purī, who was given a pot of sweet rice stolen by Śrī Gopīnātha, celebrated thereafter as Kṣīra-corā. Being pleased by Mādhavendra Purī’s love, Śrī Gopāla, the Deity at Govardhana, appeared to the public vision.” (CC Madhya 4.1)

“Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura annotates that this Gopāla Deity was originally installed by Vajra, the great-grandson of Kṛṣṇa. Mādhavendra Purī rediscovered Gopāla and established Him on top of Govardhana Hill. This Gopāla Deity is now situated at Nāthadvāra and is under the management of descendants of Vallabhācārya. The worship of the Deity is very luxurious, and one who goes there can purchase varieties of prasādam by paying a small price.” ((CC Madhya 4.1 Purport)

There is also a sweet pastime of Lord Caitanya and His loving exchange with Sri Raghunath Dasa Goswami.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu instructed Raghunātha dāsa, “This stone is the transcendental form of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Worship the stone with great eagerness.” (CC Antya 6.294)

Purport: Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura writes in his Anubhāṣya that in the opinion of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the govardhana-śilā, the stone from Govardhana Hill, was directly the form of Kṛṣṇa, the son of Mahārāja Nanda. The Lord used the stone for three years, and then in the heart of Raghunātha dāsa the Lord awakened devotional service to the stone. The Lord then gave the stone to Raghunātha dāsa, accepting him as one of His most confidential servants…

Srila Raghunath Das Goswami composed Govardhana-vasa-prarthana-dasakam to glorify Sri Govardhana. There is a nice verse (and one of my favorites):

nirupadhi-karuṇena śrī-śacīnandanena

tvayi kapaṭi-śaṭho ‘pi tvat-priyenārpito ‘smi

iti khalu mama yogyāyogyatāḿ mām agṛhṇan

nija-nikaṭa-nivāsaḿ dehi govardhana tvam

“Although I am a cheater and a criminal, unlimitedly merciful Lord Sacinandana, who is very dear to you, has given me to you. O Govardhana, please do not consider whether I am acceptable or not, but simply grant me residence near you.”

All glories to Srila Prabhupada for connecting us with Sri Govardhana who is dear to all the Vaisnavas!

Hare Krsna,

Our scriptures offer rich guidance on communication, persuasion, and the art of convincing others – but they do so within a deeper spiritual context.

In Bhagavad Gita, convincing is not just about winning arguments; its about communicating truth with compassion, purity of purpose, and alignment with scriptures. The entire Bhagavad Gita is in essence Krsna persuading Arjuna to perform his ksatriya duty of fighting. Kṛṣṇa does not force Arjuna but patiently explains using logic, philosophy, examples, and personal realization. Krsna finally ends with vimṛśyaitad aśeṣeṇa yathecchasi tathā kuru – Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do. (BG 18.63) The lesson here is that the best persuasion respects the other person’s free will and encourages reflection, not blind acceptance. In my last forum post, I gave reference of BG 17.15 to highlight that real persuasive power lies in truth spoken sweetly and wisely, grounded in śāstra.

Even in Srimad Bhagavatam, we see examples of great devotees convincing others not by debate, but by purity of their consciousness, sweetness of their speech, and deep realization. Sukadeva Goswami convinces Pariksit Maharaja to absorb his mind in Krsna instead of being absorbed in fear of death. His speech was full of nectar, and many exalted devotees listened with rapt attention for seven days and seven nights. Similarly, we see Narada Muni travelling the universe inspiring transformation – from hunter Mrgari to kings such as Dhruva Maharaja and Citraketu Maharaja. He never imposes; he reveals the beauty of devotional life so powerfully that the listener naturally feels inspired. The lesson is that when one speaks with conviction from realization and compassion, even kings become eager listeners. When Srila Prabhupada spoke (and still speaks to us through his voice recordings), it changed the lives and consciousness of thousands and thousands of people across the world. Such power of conviction arises from bhakti and personal realization – not age or status.

Krsna is merely a child by age, but He spoke with logic and philosophy. Basically, Krsna did not ask Nanda Maharaja to stop the sacrifice (Indra-yajna). Ratherhe proposed dovetailing. Whatever arrangement and paraphernalia Nanda Maharaja made should be engaged in worshiping Govardhan Hill.

Kṛṣṇa replied, “My dear father, don’t delay. The sacrifice you propose for Govardhana and the local brāhmaṇas will take much time. Better take the arrangement and paraphernalia you have already made for sacrificing Indra-yajña and immediately engage it to satisfy Govardhana Hill and the local brāhmaṇas.” (Krsna book, 24-30)

“After everyone has eaten to his satisfaction, you should all dress and decorate yourselves handsomely, smear your bodies with sandalwood paste and then circumambulate the cows, the brāhmaṇas, the sacrificial fires and Govardhana Hill. This is My idea, O father, and you may carry it out if it appeals to you. Such a sacrifice will be very dear to the cows, the brāhmaṇas and Govardhana Hill, and also to Me.” (SB 10.24.29-30)

Krsna’s instruction to Nanda Maharaja and cowherd men aligns with His teachings in BG 9.27: “Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform – do that, O son of Kuntī, as an offering to Me.”

Thus, Krsna is instructing that whatever sacrifice they perform must be performed for Him in the form of Sri Govardhana Hill. This will satisfy Him. They don’t need to do anything differently.

“Therefore may a sacrifice for the pleasure of the cows, the brāhmaṇas and Govardhana Hill begin! With all the paraphernalia collected for worshiping Indra, let this sacrifice be performed instead.” (SB 10.24.25)

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

The beauty of Srimad Bhagavatam is that whatever Krsna instructed in Bhagavad-Gita to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kuruksetra is practically demonstrated in the pastimes of Srimad Bhagavata. In BG 7.20-23, Krsna says:

“Those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.”

“Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary. Those who worship the demigods go to the planets of the demigods, but My devotees ultimately reach My supreme planet.”

Thus Krsna is advising Nanda Maharaja and others that they should stop worshiping the demigod Indra.

“He suggested that they forgo the sacrifice. His reasons for discouraging the sacrifice performed to please Indra were twofold. First, as stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, there is no need to worship the demigods for any material advancement; all results derived from worshiping the demigods are simply temporary, and only those who are less intelligent are interested with temporary results. Secondly, whatever temporary result one derives from worshiping the demigods is actually granted by the permission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Krsna book; 12-23)

Rather Krsna is teaching that “whatever benefit is supposed to be derived from the demigods is actually bestowed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Without the permission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one cannot bestow any benefit upon others. But sometimes the demigods become puffed up by the influence of material nature; thinking themselves as all in all, they try to forget the supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” (Krsna book; 12-23)

This pastime holds profound deeper meaning. By halting the Indra-yajna (sacrifice to Indra), Kṛṣṇa emphasized that demigods, including Indra, function under the Supreme Lord’s direction and that ultimate devotion should be directed toward the Supreme. This act served to humble Indra, who had become proud of his position, and to illustrate that material opulence can lead to false pride. Kṛṣṇa’s protection of Vṛndāvana’s residents further underscores that those who surrender to Him are safeguarded, highlighting the importance of exclusive devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Another lesson I take away from this chapter is the use of argument and logic to convince someone about something. As in Bhagavad Gita, here also Krsna simply does not order. “Stop worshipping Indra.” Krsna provides thorough reasoning and logic why Nanda Maharaja should stop worshipping Indra. He invokes various schools of thoughts to build His arguments. He uses karma-mīmāṁsā phiolosphy which emphasizes on commitment to one’s duties, and do not accept the supreme authority of God. karma-mīmāṁsā is basically atheism with a belief of reincarnation. The followers of karma-mīmāṁsā say that there are subtle laws of nature that reward or punish us according to how we act: “As you sow, so shall you reap.” In a future life one reaps the fruit of one’s present work, and this is the sum and substance of reality.

Krsna also uses other line of arguments such as

(a) There is some supreme controller who awards all others the results of their activities and that there is no question of being the bestower of fruitive results unless fruitive activities have actually been performed. (SB 10.23.14)

(b) Jivas are forces to experience the consequences of their own work. Indra cannot change that destiny, which is born of their own nature. So why worship Indra? (SB 10.23.15)

(c) Every individual is under the control of his own conditioned nature (svabhava), and thus he must follow that nature. (SB 10.23.16)

(d) It is karma that causes the conditioned living entity to accept and then give up different high- and low-grade material bodies, this karma is his enemy, friend and neutral witness, his spiritual master and controlling lord. (SB 10.23.17)

(e) The causes of creation, maintenance and destruction are the three modes of nature — namely goodness, passion and ignorance. Impelled by the material mode of passion, the clouds pour down their rain everywhere, and by this rain all creatures gain their sustenance. What has the great Indra to do with this arrangement? (SB 10.23.22-23)

This teaches us that a devotee must be well-versed in scriptures and philosophy in order to preach in the correct way without agitating someone.

BG 17.15: Austerity of speech consists in speaking words that are truthful, pleasing, beneficial, and not agitating to others, and also in regularly reciting Vedic literature.

Krsna spoke the truth in a pleasing way without agitating Nanda Maharaja and others on why they should stop worshipping Indra. He quoted various philosophical thoughts to build His arguments. Srila Prabhupada also employed the same techniques when preaching. He says that he had to spend or waste gallons of blood before he could convert a person to Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Blind faith and following has no basis on the path of bhakti. Krsna is teaching us that we use our intelligence (supported by scriptures) to become convinced about anything in life and convince others also.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

This is yet another beautiful pastime of how Lord Krsna inspires the wives of the brahmanas to go beyond prema. It is conclusively established in the lesson that the wives of the brahmanas were endowed with the greatest prema. (Sārārtha-darśini; SB 10.23.25). Yet Krsna wants the gopis to develop more love and attachment for Him. There are more varieties of love of Godhead beyond prema.

“The nine varieties of prema-bhakti are rati, prema, sneha, māna, praṇaya, rāga, anurāga, bhāva and mahābhāva—attraction, love, affection, adverse feelings, intimacy, attachment, subattachment, ecstatic love and sublime ecstatic love.” (CC Madhya 24.30)

Krsna wants to increase the eagerness of their feeling of separation and unalloyed love. He explains that physical proximity with Him is not the best way to increase their love for Him.

“For you to remain in My bodily association would certainly not please people in this world, nor would it be the best way for you to increase your love for Me. Rather, you should fix your minds on Me, and very soon you will achieve Me.” (SB 10.23.32)

“It is by hearing about Me, seeing My Deity form, meditating upon Me and chanting My names and glories that love for Me develops, not by physical proximity. Therefore please go back to your homes.” (SB 10.23.33)

Basically, Krsna is teaching that devotional service in separation from Him will enhance one’s bhakti and prema. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to give us exactly that – love in separation. Our Goswamis and acaryas have written many scriptures explaining to us the science of love of Godhead in separation. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu desires that His special mercy be spread throughout the world in this Kali-yuga – prthivite ache yata nagaradi-grama sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama. These are the inner feelings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Sri Rupa Gosvami committed to writing all these feelings of the Lord.

Devotees acknowledge Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s special mercy upon Srila Rupa Gosvami in the following words: sri-caitanya-mano ’bhistam-sthapitam yena bhu-tale svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam. “When will Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?” The special function of Srila Rupa Gosvami is to establish the feelings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Srila Prabhupada, in line with Srila Rupa Goswami’s desired, provided us a perfect transcendental platform to perform what Sri Krsna says in SB 10.23.33: It is by hearing about Me, seeing My Deity form, meditating upon Me and chanting My names and glories that love for Me develops, not by physical proximity. Therefore please go back to your homes.

Srila Prabhupada has given us Krsna consciousness literatures such as Srimad Bhagavatam to hear from; he has established temples and deities to worship; he has taught us the perfect process to meditate on Krsna; he has brought to us the Holy Name to chant; and he has inspired us to preach and glorify the message of the Supreme Lord. Thus, Srila Prabhupada has perfectly executed the mission and desire of Srila Rupa Goswami (and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu). If we follow these instructions sincerely and seriously with devotion and faith, we can attain love of Godhead as Krsna promises. We do not have to renounce our family and occupation. Arjuna did not have to forsake his family. He just had to follow Krsna’s instruction to fight. Krsna did not want the wives of the brahmanas to leave their fathers, brothers, sons, other relatives or the general populace. What is called for here is not external renunciation, but renunciation from within and full surrender to Krsna. By staying in the world and performing our worldly duties but always meditating on Krsna, we can develop love for Krsna as promised.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

Hare Krsna,

There are two wonderful lessons I draw from this lesson – (a) eagerness to serve and please Krsna spontaneously, as demonstrated by the brahmana wives, and (b) perfection of hearing leading to Krsna’s darshan and service.

“Immediately upon hearing this, the wives of the brāhmaṇas became anxious for Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma. These reactions were spontaneous. They did not have to be convinced of the importance of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma; immediately upon hearing Their names, they became very anxious to see Them. Being advanced by thinking of Kṛṣṇa constantly, they were performing the greatest form of mystic meditation. All the wives then became very busily engaged in filling up different pots with nice foodstuff. Due to the performance of the sacrifice, the various food was all very palatable. After collecting a feast, they prepared to go to Kṛṣṇa, their most lovable object, exactly in the way rivers flow to the sea.” (Texts 13-23: Kṛṣṇa Book)

This shows that Krsna reciprocates according to one’s level of surrender and devotion – ya yatha mam prapadyante (BG 4.11). Depending on what we desire earnestly, Krsna reciprocates accordingly. Being the Supersoul in everyone’s heart, Krsna knew that the wives of the brahmanas had been eagerly waiting to serve Him. And thus they were given the opportunity to serve Him, Lord Balarama and Their cowherd friends.

There is a similar pastime in Ramayana – a heartwarming tale of Lord Rama and Shabri’s half-eaten berry fruit. Seeing her faith and devotion, Shabari had been blessed by her spiritual master (Sage Matanga) that she will have the good fortune of having the darshan of Lord Shri Rama. She waited and waited for years on end.  She became old and feeble, but the assurance in her heart that Lord Rama would arrive, remained ever-fresh. At last in search of Mother Sita, Lord Rama and Lakshman arrived at Sage Matanga’s ashram, after killing the demon Kabandh.  Shabari welcomed them and washed their feet reverentially with the tears that flowed from her eyes.  Lord Rama asked her to fetch some fruit.  Shabari offered him berries (ber) and fruits but before giving them to Lord Rama, she tasted each one of the berries, drowned in devotion. She forgot that she was feeding Lord Rama with berries that were bitten and therefore unfit and impure for offering.  But swayed by her intense devotion, Lord Rama ate the berries with joy.  It was a moment when the devotee and divine were joined in immense love and devotion.  Laxman, with tears rolling down his cheeks, was silently observing the pure love between God and the devotees.  Similarly, Lord Krsna reciprocated with the pure love of His devotee brahmana wives by asking them for food.

The second lesson is the result of perfecting the art of hearing about Krsna.

“O ruler of men, for a long time those brāhmaṇa ladies had heard about Kṛṣṇa, their beloved, and His glories had become the constant ornaments of their ears. Indeed, their minds were always absorbed in Him. Through the apertures of their eyes they now forced Him to enter within their hearts, and then they embraced Him within for a long time. In this way they finally gave up the pain of separation from Him, just as sages give up the anxiety of false ego by embracing their innermost consciousness.” (SB 10.23.23)

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura writes that their ears had become successful by hearing repeatedly about the excellent qualities of their beloved, and thus their minds became absorbed in Kṛṣṇa. This mood of the ladies is called śuddha or nirguṇa-bhakti (pure devotion). In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.29.11-12, Lord Kapiladeva said to his mother, Devahūti,

“O Mother! If one simply hears about my virtues, his mind flows without interruption to me, living in the hearts of all, like the Gaṅgā flows to the sea. Such causeless and ceaseless devotion to me, the Supreme Person, has been spoken of as a characteristic of nirguṇa-bhakti-yoga.”

This perfection of hearing by the wives of the brahmanas led to direct vision of Krsna.

In Sārārtha-darśinī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 1.2.21, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura describes fourteen steps of a jīva’s journey to attain the highest attainment]: (1) the grace of sādhus, (2) service to a great person, (3) śraddhā, (4) taking shelter at the feet of a guru, (5) desire for [engagement in] practices of bhakti (bhajana), (6) bhakti [i.e., engagement in sādhana-bhakti], (7) disappearance of anarthas, (8) niṣṭhā [i.e., fixity in the practice of bhakti], (9) ruci (taste), (10) āsakti (affinity), (11) rati [i.e., bhāva-bhakti], (12) prema (divine love), (13) darśana [i.e., direct perception of Bhagavān], and then (14) experience of his mādhurya (mellifluousness).”

satāṁ kṛpā mahat-sevā śraddhā guru-padāśrayaḥ |

bhajaneṣu spṛhā bhaktir anarthāpagamas tataḥ ||

niṣṭhā rucir athāsaktī ratiḥ premātha darśanam |

harer mādhuryānubhava ity arthāḥ syuś caturdaśe ||

As we can see, stage 13 is darśana [i.e., direct perception of Bhagavān]. The wives of the brahmanas attained this stage of bhakti by constantly hearing about the Lord and attaining prema.

This is the power of chanting and hearing about Krsna.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!