SB 10.65 – Sri Balarama Rasa-yatra

Devotee: Hare Krishna, everyone. We are fortunate enough to be joined by His Holiness Giriraj Swami. Thank you so much for taking the time to come speak with us today, Maharaja, we are all yours.

Giriraj Swami: All right, I will begin by singing the maṅgala-ācaraṇa prayers and leading a short kirtan, and then we will speak about today’s special event, which is Balarama Rasa-yatra. Lord Balarama’s own rasa dance in Vrindavan with His own set of gopīs.

[Prayers]

Giriraj Swami: So, my dear devotees, I thank you all for joining. Those of you on Zoom, I request you, as far as possible, to turn on your cameras so we can see your moon-like faces on this full moon day of Balarama Rasa-yatra. Before we speak about the specific pastime of Balarama Rasa-yatra, I will discuss a little about Lord Balarama.

As we know from revealed scripture, especially Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and His first expansion is Lord Balarama. As such, Lord Balarama is the original spiritual master. The spiritual master gives knowledge of Krishna and also renders service to Krishna, and Lord Balarama does both. In Kali-yuga, Krishna comes as Lord Caitanya, and Balarama comes as Lord Nityananda, who is renowned for His extreme mercy. And therefore, we take shelter of Lord Nityananda, Balarama, and His dear empowered representative, Srila Prabhupada.

So, although, of course, Krishna is eternal and Balarama is eternal, They have Their appearance pastimes, and about five thousand years ago, They appeared in Mathura or Vrindavan. And at that time, there was a name-giving ceremony conducted in the cow-shed of Nanda Maharaja in Vrindavan, because Nanda Maharaja was afraid of Kamsa sending demons to kill Krishna and Balarama. Of course, no one can kill Krishna or Balarama, but out of paternal affection, Nanda Maharaja was protective of Krishna and Balarama, and so, as not to call attention to Their presence in Vrindavan, he held the name-giving ceremonies in secret in a cow-shed.

So, I will read one. . . And the, you could say, family priest who was called to give the name-giving ceremony was Garga Muni. So, this is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Ten, Chapter Eight, Text Eleven. To save time, I’ll just read the English.

TEXT 11

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: Having thus been especially requested by Nanda Mahārāja to do that which he already desired to do, Garga Muni performed the name-giving ceremony for Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma in a solitary place.

TEXT 12

Garga Muni said: This child, the son of Rohiṇī, will give all happiness to His relatives and friends by His transcendental qualities. Therefore He will be known as Rāma.

COMMENT

Rama means, you could say, pleasure, enjoyment. And so, because He will give pleasure to His relatives and friends, He would be known as Rama.

TEXT 12 continued

And because He will manifest extraordinary bodily strength, He will also be known as Bala.

COMMENT

So, the name Balarama is a combination of those two aspects of Balarama. Rama, the pleasure that He gives and enjoys, and Bala, the strength that He manifests.

TEXT 12 continued

Moreover, because He unites two families — Vasudeva’s family and the family of Nanda Mahārāja — He will be known as Saṅkarṣaṇa.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Baladeva was actually the son of Devakī, but He was transferred from Devakī’s womb to that of Rohiṇī. This fact was not disclosed. According to a statement in the Hari-vaṁśa:

pratyuvāca tato rāmaḥ

sarvāṁs tān abhitaḥ sthitān

yādaveṣv api sarveṣu

bhavanto mama vallabhāḥ

Garga Muni did disclose to Nanda Mahārāja that Balarāma would be known as Saṅkarṣaṇa because of uniting two families — the yadu-vaṁśa and the vaṁśa of Nanda Mahārāja — one of which was known as kṣatriya and the other as vaiśya.

COMMENT

So, please listen to this next fact, which is very interesting.

PURPORT (continued)

Both families had the same original forefather, the only difference being that Nanda Mahārāja was born of a vaiśya wife whereas Vasudeva was born of a kṣatriya wife. Later, Nanda Mahārāja married a vaiśya wife, and Vasudeva married a kṣatriya wife. So although the families of Nanda Mahārāja and Vasudeva both came from the same father, they were divided as kṣatriya and vaiśya. Now Baladeva united them, and therefore He was known as Saṅkarṣaṇa.

COMMENT

So, now we will come to today’s celebration of Sri Balarama Rasa-yatra, which is described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto Ten, Chapter Sixty-Five, Lord Balarāma Visits Vṛndāvana.

Lord Balarama was so affectionate to the residents of Vrindavan and so concerned about their welfare that He came to Vrindavan to visit them even at the cost of leaving His beloved younger brother, Krishna, which was not an easy thing to do, but still, Lord Balarama did it out of His love for the residents of Vrindavan. When He arrived in Vrindavan, He was greeted by Nanda and Yasoda, and then eventually, He met the gopīs who were lamenting in separation from Krishna. Of course, when I say lamenting in separation from Krishna, I refer to a transcendental ecstatic emotion, it is nothing like our material lamentation in separation. And He presented to them various messages from Krishna to pacify them and encourage them.

So, I’ll begin reading here with Text Fifteen.

TEXT 15

iti prahasitaṁ śaurer

jalpitaṁ cāru-vīkṣitam

gatiṁ prema-pariṣvaṅgaṁ

smarantyo ruruduḥ striyaḥ

TRANSLATION

While speaking these words, the young cowherd women remembered Lord Śauri’s laughter, His pleasing conversations with them, His attractive glances, His style of walking and His loving embraces. Thus they began to cry.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī comments as follows: “The gopīs thought, ‘The Kṛṣṇa moon, after piercing our hearts with the darts of His nectarean laughter, went away. So how will the city women.

COMMENT

Means the women in Mathura, where Krishna went from Vrindavan.

PURPORT (continued)

So how will the city women not die when He does the same to them?’ Overwhelmed with these thoughts, the young cowherd girls began to cry, even in the presence of Śrī Baladeva.”

TEXT 16

saṅkarṣaṇas tāḥ kṛṣṇasya

sandeśair hṛdayaṁ-gamaiḥ

sāntvayām āsa bhagavān

nānānunaya-kovidaḥ

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Lord Balarāma, the attractor of all, being expert at various kinds of conciliation, consoled the gopīs by relaying to them the confidential messages Lord Kṛṣṇa had sent with Him. These messages deeply touched the gopīs’ hearts.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī quotes the following verse from Śrī Viṣṇu Purāṇa (5.24.20), which describes the messages Lord Balarāma brought from Kṛṣṇa for the gopīs:

sandeśaiḥ sāma-madhuraiḥ
prema-garbhair agarvitaiḥ
rāmeṇāśvāsitā gopyaḥ
kṛṣṇasyāti-manoharaiḥ

“Lord Balarāma consoled the gopīs by giving them Lord Kṛṣṇa’s most charming messages, which expressed sweet conciliation, which were inspired by His pure love for them, and which were without a tinge of pride.” Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī also comments that the use of the name Saṅkarṣaṇa here implies that Balarāma attracted Lord Kṛṣṇa to appear in His mind and in this way showed Śrī Kṛṣṇa to the gopīs. Thus Balarāma consoled Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s beloved girlfriends.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī comments that Lord Kṛṣṇa sent various messages. Some instructed the gopīs in transcendental knowledge, others were conciliatory, and still others revealed the Lord’s power. Besides its given meaning, the word hṛdayaṁ-gamaiḥ also indicates that these messages were confidential.

COMMENT

Text Seventeen. Now we come to today’s celebration of Balaram Rasa-yatra.

TEXT 17

Lord Balarāma, the Personality of Godhead, resided there for the two months of Madhu and Mādhava, and during the nights He gave His cowherd girlfriends conjugal pleasure.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī states that the gopīs who enjoyed conjugal affairs with Śrī Balarāma during His visit to Gokula had not taken part in Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa dance, being too young at the time. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī confirms this statement by quoting a phrase from the Bhāgavatam (10.15.8) — gopyo ‘ntareṇa bhujayoḥ — which indicates that there are particular gopīs who act as Lord Balarāma’s girlfriends. Furthermore, Jīva Gosvāmī states that during the Holī festivities celebrated when Kṛṣṇa killed Śaṅkhacūḍa, the gopīs Lord Balarāma enjoyed with were different from the ones Lord Kṛṣṇa enjoyed with. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī agrees with this explanation.

COMMENT

So, yes, it’s natural that Krishna has His gopīs with whom He dances, and Balarama has His gopīs with whom He dances. But everything in Vrindavan is full of love, love for Krishna, love for Balarama, and love for all of the residents of Vrindavan. And in Vrindavan, everything is conscious and full of love for Krishna; the trees, the birds, the beasts, the bumblebees, they are all fully conscious, Krishna conscious, and full of love for Krishna. And Vrindavan is our ultimate goal, we also want to develop love for Krishna like the residents of Vrindavan and join Krishna in His loving pastimes in Vrindavan.

TEXT 18

In the company of numerous women, Lord Balarāma enjoyed in a garden by the Yamunā River. This garden was bathed in the rays of the full moon.

COMMENT

It is full moon today.

TEXT 18 continued

This garden was bathed in the rays of the full moon and caressed by breezes bearing the fragrance of night-blooming lotuses.

COMMENT

So, it was a very pleasant atmosphere.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī explains that Lord Balarāma’s conjugal pastimes took place in a small forest alongside the Yamunā, a place known as Śrīrāma-ghaṭṭa, which is far from the site of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa dance.

TEXT 19

Sent by the demigod Varuṇa. . .

COMMENT

Varuna is the demigod in charge of waters.

TEXT 19 continued

Sent by the demigod Varuṇa, the divine vāruṇī liquor flowed from a tree hollow and made the entire forest even more fragrant with its sweet aroma.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that vāruṇī is a liquor distilled from honey.

COMMENT

Sometimes in our festivals for Lord Balarama, we make a version of varuni from honey.

PURPORT (continued)

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī explains that vāruṇī is a liquor distilled from honey. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī adds that the goddess Vāruṇī, the daughter of Varuṇa, is the presiding deity of that particular divine liquor. The ācārya also quotes the following statement from Śrī Hari-vaṁśa: samīpaṁ preṣitā pitrā varuṇena tavānagha. Here the goddess Vāruṇī says to Lord Balarāma: “My father, Varuṇa, has sent me to You, O sinless one.”

TEXT 20

The wind carried to Balarāma the fragrance of that flood of sweet liquor, and when He smelled it He went [to the tree]. There He and His female companions drank.

TEXT 21

As the Gandharvas sang His glories. . .

COMMENT

The Gandharvas are residents of a higher planet, and they sing very beautifully. So, they were aware of Lord Balarama’s activities on earth.

TEXT 21 continued

As the Gandharvas sang His glories, Lord Balarāma enjoyed within the brilliant circle of young women. He appeared just like Indra’s elephant, the lordly Airāvata, enjoying in the company of she-elephants.

TEXT 22

At that time kettledrums resounded in the sky, the Gandharvas joyfully rained down flowers, and the great sages praised Lord Balarāma’s heroic deeds.

TEXT 23

As His deeds were sung, Lord Halāyudha. . .

COMMENT

It’s a name for Lord Balarama, means the holder of the plow.

TEXT 23 continued

As His deeds were sung, Lord Halāyudha wandered as if inebriated.

COMMENT

That means intoxicated, as if intoxicated.

TEXT 23 continued

As His deeds were sung, Lord Halāyudha wandered as if inebriated among the various forests with His girlfriends. His eyes rolled from the effects of the liquor.

TEXT 24–25

Intoxicated with joy, Lord Balarāma sported flower garlands, including the famous Vaijayantī. He wore a single earring, and beads of perspiration decorated His smiling lotus face like snowflakes. The Lord then summoned the Yamunā River so that He could play in her waters, but she disregarded His command, thinking He was drunk. This angered Balarāma, and He began dragging the river with the tip of His plow.

TEXT 26

[Lord Balarāma said:] O sinful one disrespecting Me, you do not come when I call you but rather move only by your own whim. Therefore with the tip of My plow I shall bring you here in a hundred streams!

TEXT 27

[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] Thus scolded by the Lord, O King, the frightened river-goddess Yamunā came and fell at the feet of Śrī Balarāma, the beloved descendant of Yadu. Trembling, she spoke to Him the following words.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

According to Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the goddess who appeared before Lord Balarāma is an expansion of Śrīmatī Kālindī, one of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s queens in Dvārakā. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī calls her a “shadow” of Kālindī, and Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī confirms that she is an expansion of Kālindī, not Kālindī herself.

COMMENT

This is very interesting, another name for the Yamuna River is the Kalindi, but the original Kalindi is associated with Krishna, and the Kalindi who came before Lord Balarama was an expansion of the original Kalindi. But an expansion means in essence they are the same, but not exactly the same, because one is the original and the other is the expansion.

PURPORT (continued)

Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī also gives evidence from Śrī Hari-vaṁśa — in the statement pratyuvācārṇava-vadhūm — that Goddess Yamunā is the wife of the ocean. The Hari-vaṁśa therefore also refers to her as sāgarāṅganā.

TEXT 28

[Goddess Yamunā said:] Rāma, Rāma, O mighty-armed one! I know nothing of Your prowess. With a single portion of Yourself You hold up the earth, O Lord of the universe.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

The phrase ekāṁśena (“with a single portion”) refers to the Lord’s expansion as Śeṣa. This is confirmed by the ācāryas.

COMMENT

So, the Yamuna is realizing who Lord Balarama is and praising His prowess.

TEXT 29

My Lord, please release me. O soul of the universe, I didn’t understand Your position as the Supreme Godhead, but now I have surrendered unto You, and You are always kind to Your devotees.

COMMENT

This is instructive for us because we may also make mistakes in devotional service for which we need to repent and beg forgiveness. But if we do so sincerely and honestly, we can depend on the Lord’s mercy. We can expect the Lord’s mercy and depend on the Lord’s mercy, as Yamuna did here. So, I’ll read her prayer to the Lord again because it’s very blissful and very instructive.

TEXT 29 continued

My Lord, please release me. O soul of the universe, I didn’t understand Your position as the Supreme Godhead, but now I have surrendered unto You, and You are always kind to Your devotees.

TEXT 30

[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] Thereupon Lord Balarāma released the Yamunā and, like the king of the elephants with his entourage of she-elephants, entered the river’s water with His female companions.

TEXT 31

The Lord played in the water to His full satisfaction, and when He came out Goddess Kānti presented Him with blue garments, precious ornaments and a brilliant necklace.

COMMENT

Now, who’s goddess Kanti?

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī quotes from the Viṣṇu Purāṇa to show that the goddess Kānti mentioned here is actually Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune:

varuṇa-prahitā cāsmai

mālām amlāna-paṅkajām

samudrābhe tathā vastre

nīle lakṣmīr ayacchata

“Sent by Varuna, Goddess Lakṣmī then presented Him with a garland of unfading lotuses and a pair of garments colored blue like the ocean.”

The great Bhāgavatam commentator Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī also quotes the following statement from Śrī Hari-vaṁśa, spoken by Goddess Lakṣmī to Lord Balarāma:

“O Lord, please accept as divine ornaments for Your ears this single gold earring studded with diamonds and this primeval lotus called Padma. Kindly accept them, for this act of adornment is traditional.”

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī further points out that Goddess Lakṣmī is the consort of the Lord’s plenary expansion Saṅkarṣaṇa who belongs to the second vyūha.

COMMENT

So, there are so many expansions on the side of the energetic, saktiman, and also on the side of the shakti. And so, an expansion of Lakshmi made this offering to the Lord’s plenary expansion, Saṅkarṣaṇa.

TEXT 32

Lord Balarāma dressed Himself in the blue garments and put on the gold necklace. Anointed with fragrances and beautifully adorned, He appeared as resplendent as Indra’s royal elephant.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Anointed with sandalwood paste and other pure, fragrant substances, Balarāma resembled Airāvata, the great elephant of Lord Indra.

TEXT 33

Even today, O King, one can see how the Yamunā flows through the many channels created when it was dragged by the unlimitedly powerful Lord Balarāma. Thus she demonstrates His prowess.

TEXT 34

Thus for Lord Balarāma all the nights passed like a single night.

COMMENT

Wow.

TEXT 34 continued

All the nights passed like a single night as He enjoyed in Vraja, His mind enchanted by the exquisite charm and beauty of Vraja’s young ladies.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Lord Balarāma was enchanted by the charming pastimes of the beautiful young ladies of Vraja. Thus each night was a completely new experience, and all the nights passed as if they were a single night.

Thus end the purports of the humble servants of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda to the Tenth Canto, Sixty-fifth Chapter, of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, entitled “Lord Balarāma Visits Vṛndāvana.”

COMMENT

One thing I didn’t really discuss, although I mentioned in passing, that Lord Balarama, at the cost of Krishna’s company, left Krishna to return to Vrindavan. The question may be raised, why did Krishna not go along with Balarama? Why did only Balarama go? And the answer, with reference to shastra, is that Krishna is controlled by love, and the love of the residents of Vrindavan for Krishna is greater than the love of anyone else. And so, the members of the Yadu dynasty were concerned that if Krishna went to Vrindavan, He would not return. And so, they prevented Him from going to Vrindavan with Balarama, because they didn’t want to lose Him. Hare Krishna.

So, on this blessed auspicious occasion, we’ve had the opportunity to speak a little about Lord Balarama’s visit to Vrindavan and His sporting with His devotees there. And now, we can take questions and comments from the assembled devotees. And yes, thank you all for joining us from different parts of the world, different time zones. There is even a devotee named Balarama dasa.

So, please, if you have any questions or comments, raise your hand.

Host: Maharaja, everyone can actually just unmute themselves if they have a question.

Giriraj Swami: Okay, all right, Manjari. I saw your father raise his hand. Nitai Gaurasundara Prabhu? But we can’t hear you.

Host: Daddy, unmute yourself.

Devotee: Now, finally. I couldn’t unmute, Maharaja. Thank you, Maharaja, thank you very much. So, Maharaja, what was the reason Kalindi got bewildered and did not recognize her Lord Balarama?

Giriraj Swami: Well, I mean, the reason was that He appeared to be drunk and she thought Why do I have to obey this drunken fellow? Yeah, it happens. People can become bewildered by the Lord’s appearance. Lord Brahma became bewildered and he stole the cowherd boys and calves, Lord Indra became bewildered and he sent devastating rainfall. So, it can happen. Because the Lord’s pastimes in Vrindavan are nara-līlā, that means human-like pastimes, and they can bewilder someone. We have the advantage of seeing through the eyes of the scriptures, sastra-cakṣu, so we don’t get bewildered. But if someone was actually there and witnessing these pastimes, he could become bewildered. It’s not like Lakshmi, Narayana, in Vaikuntha where everything is very proper and everyone is serving with awe and reverence. Vrindavan is very confidential because of human-like pastimes.

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: But by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada and the previous acharyas, we are given access to these divine līlās.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Maharaja, daṇḍavat-praṇāmās, Madhava dasa, Hare Krishna.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna, Madhava dasa.

Devotee: Maharaja, I saw in the description that actually, Lord Balarama was moving around that compared to the Arabic elephants, and as we understand, Airavata, Lord Indra rides Airavata in this kind of opulence and rise, and he is certainly superior than his elephants. And how his elephants get compared with Lord Balarama who is way above Indra? So, how do we understand this comparison?

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, I had the exact same thought when I was reading that passage. But externally, Airavata is very sort of imposing, formidable personality, although an elephant. And so, in that sense, Lord Balarama was compared to him. But certainly, Lord Balarama is far greater than Airavata, or Indra. But because a lot of comparisons was made to elephants bathing in the river, so that’s why Airavata was invoked as a topmost elephant.

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Maharaja. Wonderful class and wonderful association. Thank you so much. I have one small question. I heard about Lord Krishna leaving the planet, but how did Lord Balarama leave earth planet?

Devotee: How did He end His pastimes?

Devotee: Yeah, how did He end His pastimes on the planet?

Giriraj Swami: I don’t recall reading that. I mean, there is a description of the destruction of the Yadu dynasty, and it could be that Balarama, as a member of the Yadu dynasty, left in that. But I don’t really know, I haven’t come across that. And as it is, Srila Prabhupada said that we don’t like to dwell on the disappearance pastimes.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Govardhana dasa, please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Guru Maharaja, Krishna always enjoying with gopīs in Vrindavan.

Giriraj Swami: Can you put on your camera?

Devotee: Actually, Guru Maharaja, I’m working from home so at the same time, I’m hearing your lectures, that’s why.

Giriraj Swami: Okay.

Devotee: So, I’m unavailable.

Giriraj Swami: Okay.

Devotee: I’m unavailable to put my camera.

Giriraj Swami: That’s okay.

Devotee: My question is, Krishna always enjoying with gopīs in Vrindavan and Balarama also had separate gopīs with enjoying. So, Balarama also have separate dhāma like in Goloka Vrindavan, separate place like Krishna?

Giriraj Swami: No, They are together.

Devotee: Okay.

Giriraj Swami: They are together.

Devotee: Okay, Guru Maharaja, thank you so much.

Giriraj Swami: As we read, there is a separate place where Balarama has His rasa dance, which is some distance from where Krishna has His rasa dance. But it’s all Vrindavan, and the same one in Goloka Vrindavan in the spiritual sky.

Devotee: But Guru Maharaja, in Vrindavan, where is that place Balarama played the rāsa-līlā?

Giriraj Swami: It’s called Rama-ghat, Sri Rama-ghat.

Devotee: Okay, Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah.

Devotee: Thank you, thank you so much.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah, there is a beautiful song we sing, Vrindavan-mahamrta.

Devotee: Okay, Guru Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Haribol.

Giriraj Swami: Are there any other questions or comments?

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja. Please accept my humble obeisances.

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Guru Maharaja, hearing about this pastime with Lord Balarama, which I just heard today from you how Lord Balarama comes to visit the gopīs while Krishna did not visit shows that Lord Balarama’s compassionate nature more than Krishna. And the same quality I also have been hearing from you about Lord Nityananda who is more merciful than Krishna again. Another same thing with our spiritual master coming from the line of Lord Balarama, Nityananda, and the spiritual master, they are much more easy to remember and to pray to than to pray to Krishna.

So, I’m just wondering, why is Krishna so reserved, not kind of easily approachable? And is it that only that the ones who have this knowledge of approaching Krishna through spiritual master or Lord Nityananda or Balarama? Do they get the mercy of Krishna? What about those who don’t have this line of understanding and they are just simply all the time praying directly to Krishna? So, what is their hope?

Giriraj Swami: Well, there is a nice discussion in The Nectar of Devotion about Krishna’s compassionate nature. Let me see. Anyway, basically. . . I think it’s better if I read it directly. Okay, so this is from The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter Twenty-Two, Qualities of Kṛṣṇa Further Explained.

32. COMPASSIONATE

A person who is unable to bear another’s distress is called compassionate.

COMMENT

Very important definition.

32. COMPASSIONATE

A person who is unable to bear another’s distress is called compassionate.

Kṛṣṇa’s compassion was exhibited when Grandfather Bhīṣma was lying on the bed of arrows which had been shot through his body. While lying in this position, Bhīṣma was very anxious to see Kṛṣṇa, and thus Kṛṣṇa appeared there. Upon seeing the pitiable condition of Bhīṣma, Kṛṣṇa began speaking with tears in His eyes. Not only was He shedding tears, but He also forgot Himself in His compassion. Therefore, instead of offering obeisances to Kṛṣṇa directly, devotees offer obeisances to His compassionate nature. Actually, because Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is very difficult to approach Him. But the devotees, taking advantage of His compassionate nature, which is represented by Rādhārāṇī, always pray to Rādhārāṇī for Kṛṣṇa’s compassion.

COMMENT

So, it’s not that Krishna is not compassionate, He is, but His compassionate nature is represented by Srimati Radharani and it’s easier to approach Her. But everything is through paramparā. I mean, we don’t approach anyone directly, really, but we approach through paramparā. Hare Krishna.

Are there any other questions or comments?

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Maharaja, daṇḍavat-praṇāmās, Madhava dasa again. Just a small comment about that question of compassion. When Krishna is Supreme Personality of Godhead, of course, who can be more compassionate than Krishna is? Must be understood. And there are so many examples, even Putana who comes to kill Him, but she thought about being a mother, although she wanted to kill. But He gives her His place and liberation. There are so many examples. So, how can Krishna be any less compassionate than any of His expansions? Of course, as He can be approached by His devotees, Radharani, Lord Balarama, but this question doesn’t arise that He is less compassionate than Radharani or Lord Balarama and His pure devotees. So, I just wanted to share something. Hare Krishna, daṇḍavat-praṇāmās, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Beautiful. Thank you. What you said is absolutely true.

Are there any other questions or comments?

Devotee: Maharaja, one question. Please accept my humble obeisances at the dust of your lotus feet. Maharaja, sometimes when we read the pastimes of Lord Krishna or Balarama or even hear it, we don’t understand it and it goes kind of beyond our understanding. So, at that time, what should our mood or how should we kind of take it inside and not create any offense?

Giriraj Swami: Well, when the book The Nectar of Devotion first came out, I mean, it’s quite an advanced book. I mean, it starts on a certain level, describing pure devotional service, which is accessible for us, but then later, it goes into some very high topics. And Srila Prabhupada said that when we come to something that we don’t understand, we should just read it again and again. So, I think that’s a good approach, just read it again and again.

I mean, the Kṛṣṇa book, sometimes on this occasion I read from the Kṛṣṇa book, today I decided to read from the Bhāgavatam. But in the Kṛṣṇa book, Srila Prabhupada explains things very carefully so we don’t misunderstand. And we can pray to understand the Lord and His pastimes properly and to avoid making any mistakes or committing any offenses. Hare Krishna. Jaya!

So, if there are no more questions or comments, I have an announcement to make that will bring great joy to Nitai-Gaurasundara Prabhu’s heart, and that is that the book has finally arrived in Los Angeles, and it will be immediately shipped out to different locations.

Nitai-Gaurasundara: Maharaja, that’s a wonderful book, there should be movies made out of it.

Giriraj Swami: Yes.

Nitai-Gaurasundara: And as Prabhupada written Kṛṣṇa book, you have written Prabhupada-book, like a Līlāmṛta, more access to Prabhupada līlā. It’s just a wonderful book, Maharaja. How you and devotees have struggled, that’s unbelievable, Maharaja, unbelievable.

Giriraj Swami: Yeah. One of the devotees here got her mother to send three copies from India, and I knew that Nitai-Gaurasundara Prabhu is so eager, so I sent him one of the three copies. So, he is ahead of.

Nitai-Gaurasundara: Maharaja, I’m reading it every day. It’s thrilling.

Giriraj Swami: Nice. All right, well, if we are going to end now, I suggest we conclude by offering Vaishnava praṇāma.

Let us offer our respectful obeisances unto all Vaishnava devotees of the Lord who are just like desires trees who then fulfill the desires of everyone and they are full of compassion for the fallen conditioned souls.

vāñchā-kalpa-tarubhyaś ca

kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo

vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja, it was wonderful.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja.

Devotee: Thank you, Guru Maharaja.

Devotee: Hare Krishna, Guru Maharaja.

Devotee: Maharaja, those who want to order your book, how do they get access to it?

Devotee: Thank you very much, Guru Maharaja. Hare Krishna.

Devotee: Thank you very much, Guru Maharaja. [Unintelligible 01:22:23].

Giriraj Swami: [Unintelligible 01:22:46] to order copies go to www.thejuhustory.com.

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja.

Giriraj Swami: Thank you, [Unintelligible 01:23:18]. But yeah, we are sending books to different locations; Columbus, Ohio. Cincinnati, Ohio. Anyway, they’ll be out there, and yeah, but you can order them, yeah. Thank you. Anything else? All right, so thank you again for joining on this auspicious occasion. And yeah, Nitai-Gaurasundara Prabhu has roped me in for the fourth Monday of every month so I imagine that we’ll be getting together in another month or so.

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja.