Sri Govardhana-puja Part 02

Giriraj Swami: Yesterday we celebrated Govardhana-puja, and we read a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam about Govardhana Hill in which the gopīs, and some commentators say Srimati Radharani in particular, glorify Govardhana Hill as the best servant of Lord Hari.

TEXT 18

hantāyam adrir abalā hari-dāsa-varyo

yad rāma-kṛṣṇa-caraṇa-sparaśa-pramodaḥ

mānaṁ tanoti saha-go-gaṇayos tayor yat

pānīya-sūyavasa-kandara-kandamūlaiḥ

TRANSLATION

Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my friends, this hill supplies Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, along with Their calves, cows, and cowherd friends, with all kinds of necessities — water for drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers, and vegetables. In this way the hill offers respects to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, Govardhana Hill appears very jubilant.

COMMENT

This verse was spoken by the gopīs in the autumn. And as mentioned yesterday, the gopīs had not yet met Krishna but they had a desire to meet Him. And they heard from Gargi, who is the daughter of Gargamuni, he is a brahman priest related to the family of Krishna in Mathura, they heard from Gargi that by the mercy of great souls, all of one’s desires can be fulfilled. And they also heard from her that great souls are devotees, devotees are great souls, and of all devotees, Govardhana Hill is the best. So, they thought, let us tell our elders, because they were all either under the protection of their parents or under the protection of their husbands and in-laws, they had no chance to meet a young man like Krishna. So, they thought, let us tell our elders that we want to go to Govardhana Hill to take bath in Manasi Ganga and worship the presiding deity of Govardhana Hill named Harideva. But their real purpose was to get the mercy of Govardhana Hill, because the mercy one can get from the devotee from Haridasa is greater than the mercy that one can get from Harideva or Krishna. Or, in other words, when one gets the mercy of the devotee, automatically the mercy of the Lord follows.

So, Krishna appeared about five thousand years ago and displayed His pastimes. And the same Krishna appeared again five hundred years ago in the mood of a devotee, as Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. And Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s activities and teachings are described in a scripture called Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. So, we shall first read from Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta about Lord Chaitanya’s visit to Vrindavan and how He saw Govardhana Hill. Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, Chapter Eighteen: “The Lord’s Visit to Śrī Vṛndāvana.”

jaya jaya śrī-caitanya jaya nityānanda

jayādvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

TEXT 16

govardhana dekhi’ prabhu ha-ilā daṇḍavat

‘eka śilā’ āliṅgiyā ha-ilā unmatta

TRANSLATION

When the Lord saw Govardhana Hill, He immediately offered obeisances, falling down on the ground like a rod. He embraced one piece of rock from Govardhana Hill and became mad with love.

TEXT 17

preme matta cali’ āilā govardhana-grāma

‘harideva’ dekhi’ tāhāṅ ha-ilā praṇāma

TRANSLATION

Mad with ecstatic love, the Lord came to the village known as Govardhana. There He saw the Deity named Harideva and offered His obeisances unto Him.

TEXT 18

‘mathurā’-padmera paścima-dale yāṅra vāsa

‘harideva’ nārāyaṇa — ādi parakāśa

TRANSLATION

Harideva is an incarnation of Nārāyaṇa, and His residence is on the western petal of the lotus of Mathurā.

TEXT 19

harideva-āge nāce preme matta hañā

saba loka dekhite āila āścarya śuniyā

TRANSLATION

Mad with ecstatic love, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to dance before the Harideva Deity. Hearing of the Lord’s wonderful activities, all the people came to see Him.

TEXT 20

prabhu-prema-saundarya dekhi’ loke camatkāra

haridevera bhṛtya prabhura karila satkāra

TRANSLATION

The people were astonished when they saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s ecstatic love and personal beauty. The priests who served the Harideva Deity offered the Lord a good reception.

COMMENT

Then it describes that the Lord spent the night in the temple of Harideva and continued on His journey.

TEXT 32

prātaḥ-kāle prabhu ‘mānasa-gaṅgā’ya kari’ snāna

govardhana-parikramāya karilā prayāṇa

TRANSLATION

In the morning, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu took His bath in a lake called Mānasa-gaṅgā. He then circumambulated Govardhana Hill.

TEXT 33

govardhana dekhi’ prabhu premāviṣṭa hañā

nācite nacrite calilā śloka paḍiyā

TRANSLATION

Just by seeing Govardhana Hill, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became ecstatic with love of Kṛṣṇa. While dancing and dancing, He recited the following verse.

TEXT 34

hantāyam adrir abalā hari-dāsa-varyo

yad rāma-kṛṣṇa-caraṇa-sparaśa-pramodaḥ

mānaṁ tanoti saha-go-gaṇayos tayor yat

pānīya-sūyavasa-kandara-kanda-mūlaiḥ

TRANSLATION

“ ‘Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best!’”

COMMENT

The rest of the translation we have already read. So, the process that the gopīs proposed was proper. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself took bath in Manasi Ganga and worshiped the deity of Harideva at Govardhana Hill. Later, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu retired in Jagannatha Puri. And there, He manifested the deepest love for Krishna in separation. He would feel the same type of love for Krishna in separation that the residents of Vrindavan felt when Krishna left Vrindavan and went to Mathura and Dvaraka. And in the mood of the gopīs, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would become mad in feelings of separation from Krishna.

He resided in a room called the Gambhira at Kashi Misra’s residence. And Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was always attended to by His personal servant, Govinda, His secretary, Svarupa Damodara Gosvami, His secretary’s assistant, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, and Sri Ramananda Raya, who was another very confidential associate of the Lord. And sometimes, they would lock the Lord in His room at night because they were afraid that in the madness of ecstatic love, He would escape and go running here and there in search of Krishna. And they would never know where He would go or what would become of Him. But one day, while walking in Jagannatha Puri in broad daylight with all of His associates, He saw a hill made of sand called Caṭaka-parvata. And when He saw that hill, He didn’t see Caṭaka-parvata, He saw Govardhana Hill, and He began to rush madly toward it. He ran as fast as the wind toward the hill. And what happened then is exactly what the gopīs or what we, as aspiring devotees of Krishna, can hope to achieve by the grace of great souls such as Govardhana Hill in particular.

These are very confidential topics. We discussed quite a bit last night. How many were here last night to hear the talk? So, tonight’s talk follows last night’s discussion. Now, Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami wrote Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta based on the notes of Srila Svarupa Damodara dasa Gosvami and Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami. They were constant companions of the Lord in Puri, and they took notes of His activities. And then later, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami himself resided at Govardhana Hill, on the banks of Radha-kunda, and he would speak about the pastimes of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Puri to various Vaishnavas. And one of the Vaishnavas in the audience who would hear him speak was Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami.

So, Krishna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami explains that what he is writing, he is simply repeating from what he has heard from Svarupa Damodara Gosvami and Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, what he has read in their notebooks. And he says that he has complete faith in what they have written, even though what he has written is so extraordinary. Text Eighty; this is Antya-līlā, Chapter Fourteen, “The Lord’s Feelings of Separation,”

TEXT 80

ei ta’ kahiluṅ prabhura adbhuta vikāra

yāhāra śravaṇe loke lāge camatkāra

TRANSLATION

Thus I have described the uncommon transformations of the body of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When people hear about this, they are very much astonished.

TEXT 81

No one has witnessed such bodily changes elsewhere, nor has anyone read of them in the revealed scriptures. Yet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the supreme sannyāsī, exhibited these ecstatic symptoms.

TEXT 82

These ecstasies are not described in the śāstras, and they are inconceivable to common men. Therefore people in general do not believe in them.

TEXT 83

Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī lived continuously with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. I am simply recording whatever I have heard from him. Although common men do not believe in these pastimes, I believe in them totally.

TEXT 84

eka-dina mahāprabhu samudre yāite

‘caṭaka’-parvata dekhilena ācambite

TRANSLATION

One day, while Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was going to the sea to bathe, He suddenly saw a sand dune named Caṭaka-parvata.

TEXT 85

govardhana-śaila-jñāne āviṣṭa ha-ilā

parvata-diśāte prabhu dhāñā calilā

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu mistook the sand dune for Govardhana Hill and ran toward it.

TEXT 86

hantāyam adrir abalā hari-dāsa-varyo

yad rāma-kṛṣṇa-caraṇa-sparaśa-pramodaḥ

mānaṁ tanoti saha-go-gaṇayos tayor yat

pānīya-sūyavasa-kandara-kanda-mūlaiḥ

TRANSLATION

“[Lord Caitanya said:] ‘Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my friends, this hill supplies Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, as well as Their calves, cows, and cowherd friends, with all kinds of necessities — water for drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers, and vegetables. In this way the hill offers respect to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, Govardhana Hill appears very jubilant.’ ”

TEXT 87

Reciting this verse, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu ran toward the sand dune as fast as the wind. Govinda ran after Him, but he could not catch Him.

TEXT 88

First one devotee shouted loudly, and then a tumultuous uproar arose as all the devotees stood up and began to run after the Lord.

TEXT 89

Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī, Jagadānanda Paṇḍita, Gadādhara Paṇḍita, Rāmāi, Nandāi, and Śaṅkara Paṇḍita are some of the devotees who ran after Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

TEXT 90

Paramānanda Purī and Brahmānanda Bhāratī also went toward the beach, and Bhagavān Ācārya, who was lame, followed them very slowly.

TEXT 92

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was running with the speed of the wind, but He suddenly became stunned in ecstasy and lost all strength to proceed further.

TEXT 93

The flesh at each of His pores erupted like pimples, and His bodily hairs, standing on end, appeared like kadamba flowers.

TEXT 94

Blood and perspiration flowed incessantly from every pore of His body, and He could not speak a word but simply produced a gargling sound within His throat.

TEXT 95

The Lord’s eyes filled and overflowed with unlimited tears, like the Ganges and Yamunā meeting in the sea.

TEXT 96

His entire body faded to the color of a white conchshell, and then He began to quiver like the waves in the ocean.

TEXT 97

While quivering in this way, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu fell down on the ground. Then Govinda approached Him.

TEXT 98

Govinda sprinkled water from a karaṅga waterpot all over the Lord’s body, and then, taking His own outer garment, he began to fan Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

TEXT 98

When Svarūpa Dāmodara and the other devotees reached the spot and saw the condition of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they began to cry.

TEXT 99

All eight kinds of transcendental transformations were visible in the Lord’s body. All the devotees were struck with wonder to see such a sight.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

The eight ecstatic symptoms are the state of being stunned, perspiration, standing of the bodily hairs on end, faltering of the voice, trembling, fading of the body’s color, tears, and devastation.

COMMENT

These symptoms are mentioned in the scriptures but it is very rare that someone will experience all eight simultaneously. But Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu did. Also, there are different degrees of experience of the different symptoms, and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu experienced them all to the most intense degree.

Devotee: Maharaja, what is the last one, devastation, what is devastation?

Giriraj Swami: What does devastation mean? You mean in this context or just the word?

Devotee: Yes, in this context. What is the manifestation of it?

Giriraj Swami: Well, devastation, I can’t say other than what is mentioned here, but the body is completely overwhelmed with ecstatic love, and of course, it is true of all of them, but one is unable to function, one feels that one cannot keep one’s body and soul together.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 00:27:49]

Giriraj Swami: Yes, definitely. But that is true of, when one comes to that stage of prema, one is totally absorbed. But this is even more than simple prema. Prema also has different degrees of development. There is prema, raga, sneha, anurāga, bhāva, mahā-bhāva, manu, comes earlier.

TEXT 100

ucca saṅkīrtana kare prabhura śravaṇe

śītala jale kare prabhura aṅga sammārjane

TRANSLATION

The devotees loudly chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra near Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and washed His body with cold water.

TEXT 101

After the devotees had been chanting for a long time, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu suddenly stood up and shouted, “Haribol!”

Haribol! Haribol! Haribol!

Haribol! Haribol! Haribol!

TEXT 102

When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stood up, all the Vaiṣṇavas loudly chanted, “Hari! Hari!”

Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari!

Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari! Hari!

TEXT 102

In great jubilation. The auspicious sound filled the air in all directions.

TEXT 103

Astonished, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stood up and began looking here and there, trying to see something. But He could not catch sight of it.

TEXT 104

When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw all the Vaiṣṇavas, He returned to partial external consciousness and spoke to Svarūpa Dāmodara.

COMMENT

So, the phrase for half-external consciousness is ardha-bāhya. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would move between three states in consciousness: bāhya-dasha means external consciousness, that is what everyone has, consciousness of the external world. And there is antar-dasha, that is internal consciousness, it means consciousness of the internal world, which really means consciousness of the spiritual world. In antar-dasha one actually enters into the pastimes of Krishna. So, when externally, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was exhibiting such extraordinary symptoms, internally, He was experiencing Himself in kṛṣṇa-līlā, or one could say that He had a glimpse of kṛṣṇa-līlā and His service in kṛṣṇa-līlā. So, that is antar-dasha. And ardha-bāhya dasha is the in-between stage, half-external consciousness. And right now, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has come from antar-dasha into ardha-bāhya dasha. He is aware that there are devotees around Him, but He is still absorbed in the consciousness that He had been with Krishna, and He is not conscious of how people would see Him, what people would think about Him. And in the state of half-external consciousness, He reveals confidential facts about His internal state of consciousness, or His experience during His internal state of consciousness. So, when Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu saw all the Vaishnavas, He returned to partial-external consciousness and spoke to Svarupa Damodara.

TEXT 105

“govardhana haite more ke ihāṅ ānila?

pāñā kṛṣṇera līlā dekhite nā pāila

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, “Who has brought Me here from Govardhana Hill? I was seeing Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, but now I cannot see them.

TEXT 106

ihāṅ haite āji mui genu govardhane

dekhoṅ, — yadi kṛṣṇa karena godhana-cāraṇe

TRANSLATION

“Today I went from here to Govardhana Hill to find out if Kṛṣṇa was tending His cows there.

TEXT 107

govardhane caḍi’ kṛṣṇa bājāilā veṇu

govardhanera caudike care saba dhenu

TRANSLATION

“I saw Lord Kṛṣṇa climbing Govardhana Hill and playing His flute, surrounded on all sides by grazing cows.

TEXT 108

“Hearing the vibration of Kṛṣṇa’s flute, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and all Her gopī friends came there to meet Him. They were all very nicely dressed.

TEXT 109

“When Kṛṣṇa and Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī entered a cave together, the other gopīs asked Me to pick some flowers.

COMMENT

Now, here is the picture. Here is Lord Chaitanya. In the picture, He is depicted of sannyasi dress. And here are the gopīs, sakhīs picking flowers. And here, Radha and Krishna about to enter a cave on Govardhana Hill.

TEXT 110

hena-kāle tumi-saba kolāhala kailā

tāhāṅ haite dhari’ more ihāṅ lañā āilā

TRANSLATION

“Just then, all of you made a tumultuous sound and carried Me from there to this place.

TEXT 111

“Why have you brought Me here, causing Me unnecessary pain? I had a chance to see Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, but I could not see them.”

TEXT 112

Saying this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu began to weep. When all the Vaiṣṇavas saw the Lord’s condition, they also wept.

TEXT 113

At that time, Paramānanda Purī and Brahmānanda Bhāratī arrived. Seeing them, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu became somewhat respectful.

COMMENT

Because they were senior to Him, and seeing them, He had to show them respect and He had to contain His emotions.

TEXT 114

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to complete external consciousness and immediately offered prayers to them. Then these two elderly gentlemen both embraced the Lord with loving affection.

TEXT 115

prabhu kahe, — ‘duṅhe kene āilā eta dūre’?

purī-gosāñi kahe, — ‘tomāra nṛtya dekhibāre’

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said to Purī Gosvāmī and Brahmānanda Bhāratī, “Why have the two of you come so far?”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Purī Gosvāmī replied, “Just to see Your dancing.”

TEXT 116

When He heard this, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu felt somewhat ashamed. Then He went to bathe in the sea with all the Vaiṣṇavas.

TEXT 117

After bathing in the sea, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to His residence with all the devotees. Then they all lunched on the remnants of food offered to Lord Jagannātha.

TEXT 118

Thus I have described the transcendental ecstatic emotions of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Even Lord Brahmā cannot describe their influence.

TEXT 119

In his book Gaurāṅga-stava-kalpavṛkṣa, Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī has very vividly described Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pastime of running toward the Caṭaka-parvata sand dune.

TEXT 120

samīpe nīlādreś caṭaka-giri-rājasya kalanād

aye goṣṭhe govardhana-giri-patiṁ lokitum itaḥ

vrajann asmīty uktvā pramada iva dhāvann avadhṛto

gaṇaiḥ svair gaurāṅgo hṛdaya udayan māṁ madayati

TRANSLATION

“Near Jagannātha Purī is a great sand dune known as Caṭaka-parvata. Seeing that hill, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu said, ‘Oh, I shall go to the land of Vraja to see Govardhana Hill!’ Then He began running madly toward it, and all the Vaiṣṇavas ran after Him. This scene awakens in my heart and maddens me.”

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

This verse is Gaurāṅga-stava-kalpavṛkṣa 8.

TEXT 121

Who can properly describe all the uncommon pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu? They are all simply His play.

TEXT 122

I have briefly described them just to give an indication of His transcendental pastimes. Nevertheless, anyone who hears this will certainly attain the shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet.

TEXT 123

śrī-rūpa-raghunātha-pade yāra āśa

caitanya-caritāmṛta kahe kṛṣṇadāsa

TRANSLATION

Praying at the lotus feet of Śrī Rūpa and Śrī Raghunātha, always desiring their mercy, I, Kṛṣṇadāsa, narrate Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, following in their footsteps.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, Fourteenth Chapter, describing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s transcendental ecstatic emotions and His mistaking Caṭaka-parvata for Govardhana Hill.

COMMENT

So, although Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was often in the mood of Srimati Radharani in separation from Krishna, but here in this meeting at Govardhana Hill, He was one of the subordinate gopīs who was engaged in service to the divine couple. And that is possible for us, no living entity can become Srimati Radharani or Nanda Maharaja or Yasoda Mai, but one can become their servants, gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ, one can be the servant of the servant of the servant of Krishna. So these are the mercy. Of course, it is a pastime, but otherwise, it is the mercy that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu got from Govardhana Hill, from Caṭaka-parvata. Not even the original Govardhana Hill, but Jagannatha Puri is also a dhāma, and different places in Jagannatha Puri also correspond to different places in Vraja. So, Caṭaka-parvata corresponds to Govardhana Hill. And Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura constructed a big Math there. He himself spent most of his time, when he was in Puri, at Caṭaka-parvata. And it is said that in his last days, he was often reciting a prayer asking for residents at Govardhana Hill. That is a prayer, ten verses, by Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami praying for residents at Govardhana Hill. Nija-nikaṭa-nivāsaṁ dehi govardhana! tvam, “Please grant me the residence near to you that is so dear to me.”

And Srila Prabhupada also in his last days had a desire to go to Govardhana Hill. Of course, it was the time of Govardhana-puja, and Srila Prabhupada said we must participate. But at the time, he was very ill. He was in what turned out to be the last few days of his physical presence in that form on earth. But he wanted to go on bullock cart to Govardhana Hill and spend the night there, camp out and observe Govardhana-puja with the vrajavāsīs. His disciples prevailed upon him not to go because it would be too hard on him. And the kaviraj who was attending him confirmed that if he were to attempt the journey, he would probably give up his life on the way. But then, after Srila Prabhupada left, about three days later, devotees took a small deity of him on Govardhana parikramā. There are a few parts I remember vividly, but at the end, they brought the deity to Radha-kunda, and they placed the deity at the saṅgam, which means the place where Radha-kunda and Shyama-kunda meet, but there is a cement, you could say, platform between the two kundas there, and they placed his deity there and did kirtan. And at that moment, I just had the perception that the deity of Srila Prabhupada actually was Srila Prabhupada, Srila Prabhupada was actually there.

Then, some years later, when His Holiness Tamal Krishna Goswami and I began to understand more deeply the importance of Govardhana Hill, we got the idea to acquire a property there. There was a palace that had belonged to a king. It still belonged to him but he wasn’t a king anymore because after independence, all the kings ceded their powers to the government of India. But it was a beautiful property at the best part of Govardhana Hill where you get the best darshan. It was somewhat in disrepair, it wasn’t being used, it was just lying vacant. So, we found out that the palace belonged to the king of Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh. But he had two main palaces; one in Chhatarpur, and one in Khajuraho.

So, we went to Khajuraho and we didn’t know what to expect, but we found out where the palace was and there was the king, sitting on the front porch. He was an old man. So, we approached him and we told him our purpose, and he was aware of ISKCON, he had been to the Krishna-Balarama temple, and he was very impressed with the worship of the deities, with the kirtan, with the cleanliness of the temple, with the organization. So, I asked him to donate the palace to us, and he said that if it was earlier, he would have given it to us, but now times were not so good for the kings. And although he would have liked to have given it to us, he felt he had to ask for some payment. So, he gave a figure that was really a fraction of what the property was worth. And we didn’t want him to go back on his word later, sometimes out of sentiment people say something or promise something and then later they have second thoughts.

So, I said, “Can I see your deity?” Thinking when we get to the deities, he can repeat his promise in front of the deities. So, he actually worshipped a deity of Ṣaḍ-bhuja. Ṣaḍ-bhuja is a special form of Lord Chaitanya that Lord Chaitanya manifested. The Ṣaḍ-bhuja form has six arms. In two hands, Lord Chaitanya holds His sannyasa-danda and kamandalu, water pot. In another two arms, He holds a flute. And in His other two hands, He holds a bow and arrow as Lord Ramacandra. So, the Ṣaḍ-bhuja is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu but manifesting a form that reveals that He is also Krishna and also Lord Ramacandra. So, when we came in front of Ṣaḍ-bhuja, I said, “This is very auspicious, you have offered your palace to the devotees in ISKCON. You should repeat your commitment in front of your deity,” which he did.

Anyway, there were complications. From the beginning, as soon as his panda, I don’t even know how to describe his panda, but his panda felt that he should have been consulted before he entered any agreement with us to give us the palace. And his panda said, “The property is worth much more, you shouldn’t give it to these people.” And so, he tried to come in the way. And the relatives, the close family members, they also felt they should have been consulted because it was an ancestral property and they all have a share in it. So, they also put obstacles. So, I went back to visit the king, he kept saying he was going to do it but he wasn’t doing it. But he said that, “They are telling me not to give to you, that it is worth much more, but I have given my word, I won’t go back on my word.” But nothing was happening. So, Tamal Krishna Goswami thought, we need to use another approach here. So, he sent two pretty heavy-duty ISKCON lawyer types to Khajuraho; Mahaprabhu dasa who actually is a lawyer from Bombay, and Mahamantra dasa, from Delhi. There are certain lawyers in India, they specialize in dealing with government officers. So, Mahamantra dasa, he was that kind. [laughter]

So, the two of them went, and they understood the situation, they reported to Tamal Krishna Goswami, and Tamal Krishna Goswami said, “Just pay them off.” [laughter] So, he said, “Don’t spend more than you have to but pay them off. I want this transferred in our name.” So they did, they paid off all the greedy family members and secretaries. Then, on the auspicious day of Varaha-dvadasi, we went to the Mathura courthouse and actually got the land registered in ISKCON’s name. And the day after Varaha-dvadasi is Nityananda-Trayodasi. So, on Nityananda-Trayodasi, we actually entered the property with hari-nāma-saṅkīrtana and began to occupy the property. And then we renovated the palace and ultimately, brought a deity of Srila Prabhupada, thinking that it was one of his last desires, to go to Govardhana Hill. So there is a room where the king used to give audience, it is like elevated, and it would face the Govardhana Hill, and then there would be a courtyard and I guess his subjects or citizens or admirers would sit in the courtyard. So, in the same place where the king used to sit on his throne in his court, we brought the deity of Srila Prabhupada, and now he is residing at Govardhana Hill, having constant darshan of Govardhana Hill and vice versa. Hare Krishna.

Sri Giri Govardhana ki jaya!
Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ki jaya!
Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!
Nitai-Gaura premānande Haribol!

So, are there any questions or comments?

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. We heard the story of how Govardhana came to Houston, but how did you [Unintelligible 00:59:51]?

Giriraj Swami: Oh. Well, the main deities of Krishna-Balarama at the palace, not even sure. The king himself had a sizable number of govardhana-śilās. And in the garden in the front of the palace, there is sort of a shrine type structure that is filled with govardhana-śilās. But I am not actually sure about Krishna-Balarama. Anyone here knows? But we have two little govardhana-śilās in Carpinteria, and the Krishna came from the king’s collection of śilās that were in the front garden. And the Radharani came from Govinda-kunda. His Holiness Indradyumna Swami heard that I was coming to get govardhana-śilās, so he kept his eyes open when he was doing parikramā and he found the one at Govinda-kunda. He had a few but I thought, well, let us look a little further. So, then we went down and went through the ones in the garden in front of the palace, and then we took that one up, and Indradyumna Swami placed that one next to the one from Govinda-kunda and he said, “Now, who does that look like?” And it just looked like Radha and Krishna. So, that is how those deities came to Carpinteria. Yes, Rasikendra Prabhu.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:02:38] one that could be worshipped in the mood of a devotee, and also could be worshipped as Krishna Himself. So, in our tradition, what is typically the mood the devotees worship Govardhana at?

Giriraj Swami: Devotees can worship Him either as Krishna or as hari-dāsa-varyo, as the best servant of Krishna, He is worshipped both ways. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu worshiped Govardhana Hill as Krishna because He was in the mood of Radharani. When it is described He embraced a rock from Govardhana Hill and was mad in ecstasy, He was in the mood of Radharani embracing Krishna. But He was always repeating this verse. When He came to Govardhana in Vrindavan and when He saw Caṭaka-parvata and mistook it as Govardhana Hill, He repeated the verse.

So, there is no one way, different devotees have different moods, or sometimes the same devotee might have different moods at different times. But the worship of Govardhana Hill as a devotee is more esoteric, because most people are atheists or agnostics, they don’t really have faith. And for them to understand that the deity is Krishna is an important step. Until they actually have faith that the deity is Krishna, they are not really considered devotees. Even then, they can be largely on the material platform, they are called Prakṛta-bhaktas, but they are bhaktas because they have faith that the deity is Krishna, that the Lord has form, and that the deity is the Lord. So, that is quite advanced from a certain point of view. Most people are not bhaktas, most people that come to the temple even are not necessarily bhaktas, they don’t really have faith or they are not sure if they really have faith. So, for them to understand that Govardhana Hill is Krishna is important. And Govardhana Hill is Krishna but He is just in the mood of a devotee. So, the idea that Govardhana Hill is Krishna but in the mood of a devotee is more advanced or more esoteric. Here we worship Him with the flute, peacock feather. The people don’t understand that Govardhana Hill is Krishna, govardhana-śilās is Krishna. Yes, Sri Radhika?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:06:42]?

Giriraj Swami: Sri Radhika dasi says that Balarama is also the best servant of Krishna because He also becomes Krishna’s bed and couch and umbrella and everything. So, that is true. In fact, some govardhana-śilās, which are lighter in color, are taken as Balarama. And Vraja Riti Cintāmaṇi by Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that some are gopīs, some of the śilās are gopīs. They are all the best servants.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:07:51].

Giriraj Swami: Yes. Janak Maharaja dasa says that on parikramā, if you go beyond Govinda-kunda, there is Saṅkarṣaṇashan-kunda, and there is a Dauji temple. Dauji refers to Balarama, the older brother of Krishna, and there Balarama is also in the mood of servant. Correct. Caitanya-caritāmṛta says that everyone wants to be the servant of Krishna, everyone is imbued with the mood of service to Krishna, even Balarama, Maha-Vishnu, Shiva.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:08:53]

Giriraj Swami: Yes. They are all in the mood of Haridasa.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:09:00]

Giriraj Swami: Yes, that is right.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:09:10]

Giriraj Swami: Yes. Indranuja Prabhu.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:09:22]

Giriraj Swami: Yes. Well, when I was in Mayapur this time, after a long time, there was a lunch. His Holiness Radhanath Swami and His Grace Jananivas Prabhu, His Grace Pankajanghri Prabhu, and I were invited, and we discussed many of these points. And Jananivas Prabhu mentioned some pastimes in which Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went into the mood of Krishna and decorated His hair with peacock feathers. Although it wasn’t His usual mood, but on occasion it was His mood. But beyond that, it is the same point. Srila Prabhupada wanted people to understand that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna, He wanted His own disciples to understand that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna. And in some instances, when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was not dressed with the peacock feather, He asked, “Where is the peacock feather? He should be dressed with a peacock feather.”

So, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has different moods. One of His moods is He wants to spread Krishna consciousness. Srila Prabhupada was empowered to spread Krishna consciousness, and he understood that to spread Krishna consciousness, people had to understand that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna. And therefore, He should also be decorated with the peacock feather, to demonstrate the idea that He is Krishna; and He is Krishna. So, I wouldn’t say one is right or one is wrong. That was our conclusion, it is not that one is right or one is wrong. But that was part of the discussion.

There is rasa and tattva. In terms of rasa, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the mood of a devotee, He wouldn’t want to have a peacock feather. In terms of tattva, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna. We were talking about Ṣaḍ-bhuja, it is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu; in two hands, He is holding a flute, that is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu but He is not always in the mood of being the servant of Krishna or devotee of Krishna. Sometimes He is in the mood of being Krishna, being the Mahā Prakash, He is in the mood of being Krishna. It is true that it would disturb a mood of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to be decorated with peacock feathers, but we couldn’t say that it would disturb every mood, because He has varieties of moods. Is that all right?

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:13:44]

Giriraj Swami: Yes. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also showed Ramananda Raya, the form of Radha and Krishna, combined form of Radha and Krishna. Rasikendra Prabhu.

Devotee: Maharaja, when we do Govardhana parikramā, we see some elderly people, they are doing daṇḍavat parikramā, but I have heard from devotees sometimes their motive is to get their daughters married off. The motive might not be spiritual, but they are doing daṇḍavat parikramā. So, this is a very amazing thing, just to walk around Govardhana, we get very tired. Can you imagine doing daṇḍavat parikramā? What would be the benefit of those devotees who go to Govardhana with some motive, which is not completely spiritual? Would they still get love for Krishna?

Giriraj Swami: Not necessarily. People come to our deities; we don’t know what their motives are. Krishna fulfills all desires. It is really by the mercy of a devotee that one gets bhakti. Of course, doing Govardhana parikramā or coming to the temple, one gets the chance to associate with pure devotees and get the seed of devotional service, but it is not automatic, that just by seeing the deity or doing parikramā or even daṇḍavat parikramā that one will get bhakti.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:15:53]

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:16:27]

Giriraj Swami: Yes, that is true. Everyone heard? Yes, very nice. Jita Koda Prabhu.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:16:53]

Giriraj Swami: The devotee prays to Krishna to give mercy, that is how it works. But you have to accept the mercy.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:17:26]?

Giriraj Swami: Yes, by the devotee’s mercy, one gets love for Krishna, one gets bhakti. Begins with sraddha.

Devotee: [Unintelligible 01:17:54]

Giriraj Swami: It is causeless. But if one is eager to serve and hear, one is more likely to receive the causeless mercy. By being eager to serve and eager to hear, one cannot force the mercy to come, but when a Vaishnava sees that someone is eager to serve and eager to hear, then he is naturally inclined to give mercy. Another understanding of giving mercy is giving instruction.