HH Radhanath Swami
Taking the Prasadam of Srila Prabhupada
Thank you Maharaj, Indra’s thunderbolt was very hard and hot and painful but Maharaj’s thunderbolt words are very soft and sweet. They quickly penetrate our heart and attract Krishna to come. Thank you for your beautiful expression of love for Srila Prabhupad and it is our sincere prayer that we can share that love and gratitude for Srila Prabhupad. Imagine the power of Prabhupada’s compassion. He came to America, to Russia to Europe to South America to Australia to Africa to all these countries and he taught us that we should worship a mountain as God. Now in India people anything as God but in the western world try to understand the Islamic faith the Jewish faith the Christian faith, you know there is just a God if slightly different from their conception of God you are going to hell forever. Yes..and they absolutely condemn idol worship and Prabhupad comes to America and tell us that there is a mountain in India that is God. The supreme Absolute. The source of all incarnations. Jesus is the son of that mountain. Mohammed is the prophet servant of that mountain. Yes..and millions of people believed him and accept and come from all parts of the world to worship the supreme personality of Godhead who is eternally bestowing causeless mercy as Govardhan hill.
Sri Giriraj Maharaj Ki Jai, Srila Prabhupad ki Jai. His compassion his love and Krishna shakti vina nahe tara pravartana. Because of his love for every living entity and his complete faith in the order of his spiritual master Srila Prabhupad is empowered by Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda prabhu to penetrate people’s heart with the highest principles of spiritual truth. So yes we are just taking some particles of the remnants of the remnants of remnants of the servants of the servants of the servants of Srila Prabhupad. That is our fortune and that is our hope. Thank you Maharaj for giving us this insight. Govind Kund, one of the most important holy places.
Govardhan serving Krishna
It was here that after Krishna completely crushed into powder all the pride of king Indra. Indra did not know what to do. Seven days Samwartaka clouds, these are the clouds for the devastation of the universe, torrents of rain. It wasn’t rain drops falling. The Bhagvatam describes that the water was pouring like pillars. Huge columns, Indra his personal raja thunderbolt crushing crushing and crushing. And the Braja wasi’s they came to Krishna Krishna Krishna you are very strong and you have all opulence.
We all did this because it was your wish and now Indra is very angry and your cows are feeling great distress and so are we, please protect us. Krishna came and effortlessly lifted the Govardhan hill with the little finger of his left hand. Govardhan is non different than Krishna but as Maharaj has stated he is also Haridas variha . In his ecstatic position he is accepting the position of a servant of Krishna and the servant of the servants of Krishna. So when Krishna lifted Giriraj, Giriraj actually became so light, he practically floated in the air. Krishna just balanced him and for 7 days and 7 nights all the Vrijwasis and their cows and animals they were all under the hill of Krishna.
Benediction in the guise of crisis
Actually what appeared as a crisis became the greatest benediction because usually the residents of Vrindavan at the most they are with Krishna personally for some time of the day and the rest of the time they are in such deep separation they are just seeing his glories from the core of their heart to remember him. But on this occasion everyone the young gopis headed by Sri Radha Rani, all the cowherd boys and the elder gopas and gopis headed by Nanda and Yashoda everyone was with Krishna without interruption for 7 days and 7 nights and as Krishna was lifting the hill by his glance and by his smiles he was reciprocating with each and every devotee. The cows, the calves, it was a glorious festival. The residents of Vrindavan perhaps they never wanted this rain to ever stop. They were inseparable for 7 days from Krishna. All the various rasa’s of love Krishna was exchanging in the hearts of each devotee and meanwhile Sri Giriraj Govardhan was performing the service to facilitate this wonderful wonderful union of the Vaishnavas with Krishna, the brijwasis with Govind.
Lord Indra’s pride crushed
He was in so much ecstasy that even though Indra was throwing massive thunderbolts and the Samwartaka clouds torrents and torrents of rains. The rain that floods the universe. These are devastation clouds and he was sending enormous winds bigger than any hurricanes and cyclones that have ever been seen. He actually ordered the winds to blow the Govardhan of the finger of that small boy Gopal. Winds, binge, lightning, thunder but Govardhan didn’t feel the slightest inconvenience. Why? Because underneath, all this that was happening on top, was the touch of the tip of Govind’s finger. And that touch of the tip of Krishna’s little finger of his left hand was giving him so much ecstasy. He was energizing him with so much prem that in 7 days Indra did not have the power to remove one leaf from any of the millions of trees on Govardhan Hill. He did not have the power to even push aside one blade of grass on Govardhan hill. Even the animals that were on the Govardhan Hill were just happily going parched. When Indra expended all the power he had and he could even move a blade of grass Krishna pulverized his false ego. Can you imagine? Then he realized this is the Supreme personality of Godhead. He made a big mistake. So He went back home and he wouldn’t even talk to his wife. He was really ashamed. Brihaspati approached him he saw he couldn’t do any duties as the king of heaven. He was in depression as they say in the 21st century. Brihaspati told him you have made a big offense. He said I know what should I do? Brihaspati said even I don’t know. That was Krishna …You better go Lord Brahma this is above my realization. So he went to Brahma and Brahma said even I cannot help you but I can tell you who can help you. Surabhi the cow, cows are very dear to Krishna. Will tell the story in detail at Surabhi Kund. Indra came with Surabhi he offered his obeisance’s here. Krishna ignored him. He is just a little cowherd boy. 7 years old just walking around seeing the condition of the vraj after the rainstorm and here is king of Indra with the Airavata and Krishna just walks by. But then Surabhi begged please forgive him. So Krishna accepted his prayers.
Demigods Coronate Krishna as Supreme
Then Indra dev the king of heaven, he wanted to offer honor and worship to Krishna. And all the demigods felt inspired to come and join. They performed the supreme abishekam ceremony here where we are sitting today. Airavata brought waters from the Akash Ganga. The great rishis came with their wives with all auspicious paraphernalia and Brahma, Siva, Varuna, Agni, Chandra they all brought auspicious gifts along with their consorts. And Surabhi supplied profuse quantity of milk and this way there was abhishekam of Krishna. The demigods wanted to recognize that Krishna was their king. The water that was used to bathe the body of Krishna is what filled Govind Kund. And then they made a beautiful throne for Krishna and Brahma escorted him on the throne and Brahma proclaimed on behalf of all of the demigods that Krishna you are our Indra .You are our Lord. And Surabhi and others gave him the name Govind. They worshipped him with singing and dancing and Lord Brahma himself offered the arati. And there was so much beautiful paraphernalia that was brought from the heavenly planets. After the ceremony Krishna blessed them her at Govind Kund and the denizens of the higher world returned to their planets.
Brajwasi’s pure love for Krishna
And just after that the gopas they were herding the cows. They came to this place and they saw Krishna sitting on the stone and they saw the beautiful elegant chamaras and ghee lamps and all the other Puja paraphernalia the demigods left it here. And the cowherd boys very playfully started singing and dancing and offering all these different articles to Krishna. All they were laughing it was all play for them. And the demigods looked down and they saw how the gopas were worshipping Krishna just laughing and smiling in such spontaneous and intimate and pure love. When the demigods saw the gopas worship of Krishna they felt embarrassed and ashamed. That in comparison they did not have any real love or devotion at all. As the gopas were having this wonderful leela of just playing with Krishna, they didn’t accept him as God, they did not accepts him as Supreme. They were just playing with him with pure love. Madhurya sweetness of sakhya raas. And hearing this all the cowherd boys singing and dancing and playing celestial conch shells, Nanda Maharaj and the cowherd men and the gopis came with Yashoda mayi and they saw this. What’s happening here? What is all this paraphernalia? Because the Brijwasis did not have these kind of paraphernalia. And they said we were just herding the cows and we saw Krishna on the throne and we saw all this paraphernalia and so we are playing like this. Madhumangal spoke, he said I know what happened and I will tell you what happened. First of all you know what I saw, I saw a talking cow. This cow came and started talking to Krishna. And then I saw this guy with thousands of eyes all over his body and he was offering his obeisance lying like a stick on the ground. Dandavat Dandavat Dandavat Dandavat to Krishna. And then I saw a huge elephant with all these trunks and he was bringing large quantities of water from some place and they were bathing Krishna with this water. Then I saw someone with 4 heads offering prayers to Krishna and then someone came with 5 heads and was offering prayers to Krishna. Then the demigods spoke in the sky in a very very celestial voice. Nanda Maharaj as we have coronated Krishna as our Supreme God. We have given the title Govind. You should coronate the king of Vraj. So here at Govind Kund Nanda, Yashoda, the gopas and the gopis performed abhishekam and coronated Krishna as the king of Braj ..Brajraj. Sri Govind Kund Ki Jai !!!
Gopalji reveals himself to Madhvendra Puri
Many years later Srila Madhvendra Puri who is kalpavriksha in goloka Vrindavan who has descended to this world who is 1st Acharya after Sripad Madhvacharya to reveal the supreme excellence of madhurya raas in our Sampradaya. His disciples who were extraordinary Advaita Acharya, Nityanand , Pramanand Puri, Brahmanand Bharti, Pundarik Vidyanidhi. Eshwar Puri served with such humility and faith when Madhvendra Puri was in his last days. Such menial service he rendered with so much faith and love ..Madhvendra Puri blessed him. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu became the disciple of Eshwar Puri. When Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was performing his Govardhan puja he came here and took his holy bath in ecstatic love at Govind Kund. And in his heart he was remembering his param guru Madhvendra puri. Because after Madhvendra Puri performed the Govardhan parikrama he sat under a tree at this place immersed in remembrance of Radha and Krishna and chanting of the holy names. A little cowherd boy came with a pot of milk and said “Oh Goswamiji I understand that you are fasting. In my village no body fasts. Some sadhus they will beg from door to door for madhukuri but those who are too humble to even beg I will personally come to supply them what they require”. Then he said “Actually it’s time for milking the cows now I have to go now I will give you this milk and I will return later to collect the pot and he disappeared. Madhvendra Puri was very much enchanted by this beautiful child but he did not recognize him who really was. He was chanting the holy name after he drank this ambrosia milk and he entered into a state of dreaming. That little cowherd boy appeared to him and revealed he was Krishna himself and he said in the form of Gopal I have been waiting for you for a long time. I am very hot and very hungry and very thirsty, please come and establish a temple for me and worship me. I have been waiting for you. And the little cowherd boy took Madhvendra Puri by the hands and showed him where to find Gopal. Madhvendra Puri came and brought some of the local Brijwasis and they cleared the way through many bushes and then they found the extraordinary deity of Gopal who is today worshipped in Nathdwar as Srinathji the lifter of Govardhan hill. The great ecstatic love Madhvendra puri here at Govind Kund performed the abhishekam for Gopal and thousands and thousands of Brijwasis from all the neighboring villages came to participate. They bought the entire stock of all their different food as bhoga and cooked mountains of preparations re-enacting the original Govardhan puja in which Krishna instructed the Brijwasis to make such large offerings of food stuffs. And it was on that holy day that Madhvendra Puri installed Srinathji called Sri Gopal here at Govind Kund. Thousands of buckets of water for the maha abhishekam from the Govind Kund were used. It was such glorious festival with such beautiful Prasad distribution and kirtans and just the darshan of Madhvendra Puri’s loving devotion to Gopal enchanted people’s heart. Everyday another village of Braj bhumi would come and say we want to sponsor and enact the same abhishekam ceremony. For months went by and everyday there was a grand festival of annakoota for Gopal here at Govind Kund. By Srila Prabhupada’s and Vaishnavas mercy we have come here to bathe our hearts in the remembrance of the sanctity of the holy place. Let us sincerely pray with our heads in the holy dust of the Govind Kund. Let us pray for that sincere humility in which we can taste the nectar of the holy name for that sincere dedication in which Krishna will be pleased to accept us as the servant of the servant of the servant of his servants. Let us pray that the fruit of our aspiration to give the dust of the feet of Rupa and Raghunath in sometime we realize.
Thank you very much. Jai jai Sri Radddddddddddhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeee Shyam. So at this time even though we don’t have a schedule we are behind schedule some devotees should take some achman charnamitra of Govind Kund some can go down and others could do abhishekam for devotee’s heads and let us do this quickly and continue our circumambulation.
