KB 65 – Sri Balarama Rasa-yatra

Giriraj Swami: Hare Krishna, my dear devotees. I will begin by singing the maṅgalācaraṇa prayers and leading a short kirtan, and then I will speak on today’s topic of Sri Balarama Rasayatra, because tomorrow is Sri Balarama Rasayatra.

[Prayers and kirtan]

So, my dear devotees, tomorrow is Sri Balarama Rasayatra day, and therefore I will speak on Sri Balarama Rasayatra. For Balarama Rasayatra, we shall read from Srila Prabhupada’s summary study of the Tenth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam called “Krishna—The Supreme Personality of Godhead,” about Lord Balarama’s visit to Vrindavan after he and Krishna had left Vrindavan and been away for many years. In our meditation on the deity of the Lord, we begin from His lotus feet and then gradually progress upward toward His ankles, knees, thighs, waist, navel, chest, neck, and face. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is also the form of the Lord, and so we begin our study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with the lotus feet, which are the First and Second Cantos, and gradually progress upwards until we get to the Tenth Canto, which is compared to the smiling face of the Lord. The topics in the Tenth Canto are very elevated and can really be appreciated on the liberated platform because Krishna’s pastimes with His devotees are enacted on the liberated platform. But on special occasions, such as Balarama Rasayatra, we do touch on such topics.

Some years ago, I was in Vrindavan on this special occasion tending to a disciple, Arca Vigraha dasi, who was preparing to leave her body. Many senior devotees would come every day and read to her, discuss with her, and chant for her. On this particular occasion, I read the same pastime about Lord Balarama’s visit to Vrindavan from both the Tenth Canto and the Kṛṣṇa book. The basic features of the pastime are the same in both Texts, though there are little differences in terms of details and revelations of insights into the pastime. Today, I shall read from the Kṛṣṇa book, “Krishna—The Supreme Personality of Godhead,” Chapter Sixty-five, “Lord Balarama Visits Vrindavan.”

READING from the Kṛṣṇa book 

Lord Balarāma became very anxious to see His father and mother in Vṛndāvana. Therefore, with great enthusiasm He started on a chariot for Vṛndāvana. The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana had been anxious to see Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma for a very long time. When Lord Balarāma returned to Vṛndāvana, all the cowherd boys and the gopīs had grown up; but still, on His arrival, they all embraced Him, and Balarāma embraced them in reciprocation. After this He came before Mahārāja Nanda and Yaśodā and offered His respectful obeisances. In response, Mother Yaśodā and Nanda Mahārāja offered their blessings unto Him. They addressed Him as Jagadīśvara, or the Lord of the universe who maintains everyone. The reason for this was that Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma maintain all living entities. And yet Nanda and Yaśodā were put into such difficulties on account of Their absence. Feeling like this, they embraced Balarāma and, seating Him on their laps, began their perpetual crying, wetting Balarāma with their tears. Lord Balarāma then offered His respectful obeisances to the elderly cowherd men and accepted the obeisances of the younger cowherd men. Thus, according to their different ages and relationships, Lord Balarāma exchanged feelings of friendship with them. He shook hands with those who were His equals in age and friendship and with loud laughing embraced each one of them.

COMMENT

So, my dear devotees, there are many points in just this one paragraph. First, Lord Balarama offered obeisances to Nanda and Yasoda, who had played the roles of his parents, and they in turn offered their blessings to him. Yet they referred to him as Jagadīśvara, the Lord of the universe. It appears contradictory that the Lord of the universe is offering obeisances to Nanda and Yasoda, and they are offering blessings to him. But in transcendental pastimes, there are two considerations: rasa and tattva. Rasa means the transcendental mellows exchanged between the Lord and the devotees in a loving relationship, and tattva means their existential positions. Although in terms of tattva, Balarama is the Personality of Godhead, viṣṇu-tattva, and Nanda and Yasoda are devotees, in terms of rasa, in terms of their transcendental relationship, Nanda and Yasoda are in the position of parents to Balarama and Krishna, vātsalya-rasa. Unless one understands these two considerations, one can be bewildered, and even if one does understand them, he can still be bewildered, but in a transcendental way.

Queen Kunti prayed to Krishna:

ŚB 1.8.31

gopy ādade tvayi kṛtāgasi dāma tāvad
yā te daśāśru-kalilāñjana-sambhramākṣam
vaktraṁ ninīya bhaya-bhāvanayā sthitasya
sā māṁ vimohayati bhīr api yad bibheti

TRANSLATION

My dear Kṛṣṇa, Yaśodā took up a rope to bind You when You committed an offense, and Your perturbed eyes overflooded with tears, which washed the mascara from Your eyes. And You were afraid, though fear personified is afraid of You. This sight is bewildering to me.

The image of Mother Yasoda with rope in hand and Krishna trembling in fright with tears in His eyes, though Krishna is feared by fear personified, caused Kunti to become transcendentally bewildered. In Krishna’s pastimes, there are many such intricacies that can bewilder the intellect, and so we should mainly just hear and relish such topics. Our first business is to listen and relish. Once, when we were with Srila Prabhupada in Indore, while touring with him in India, a disciple asked him, “In some places, we read that Lord Brahma is born from the lotus that sprouts from the navel of Lord Vishnu, and then he creates the different planets, as described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. But then in other places, we read that all the planets, the different planetary systems, are contained within the stem of the lotus that sprouts from the navel of Lord Vishnu. How do we reconcile these two versions?” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “It is inconceivable. We cannot understand these topics with our tiny brains. Our only business is to love Krishna.”

So, we study scripture. Bhāgavata-śravaṇa, hearing Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, is one of the five most potent processes of devotional service. We want to understand the science of Krishna consciousness, rasa and tattva, and other elements. But ultimately, we cannot comprehend or accommodate these vast topics in our tiny brains. So ultimately, we just surrender and hear, and relish. Another point is that Nanda and Yasoda address Balarama as Jagadīśvara, as if to say, “We hear that you and your younger brother are the lords of the universe. Why then do you not protect your elderly parents?” There is a slightly sarcastic, accusatory tone here. On a very high level of Krishna consciousness, a devotee, out of pure love, can accuse or quarrel with the Lord. On the transcendental platform, we find the full range of emotions; everything exists there, but it is in an original, completely pure state, śuddha-sattva, beyond the modes of material nature. Everything is done out of love for Krishna. In the material world, anger is usually mixed with hatred, but in the spiritual world, the anger, transcendental anger, is mixed with love for Krishna. The Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta, and other scriptures inform us that beyond even the stage of prema, there are further developments of transcendental love. The general progression given in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.4.15–16 is:

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-
saṅgo ‘tha bhajana-kriyā
tato ‘nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt
tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ

athāsaktis tato bhāvas
tataḥ premābhyudañcati
sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥ
prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ

TRANSLATION

“ ‘In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of sādhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify, and finally there is an awakening of love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.’

“In the beginning, there must be faith (sraddha). Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees (sādhu-saṅga). Thereafter, one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulated principles under his orders (bhajana-kriyā). Thus, one is freed from all unwanted habits (anartha-nivṛtti) and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service (niṣṭhā). Thereafter, one develops taste (ruci) and attachment (āsakti). This is the way of sādhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulated principles. Gradually, emotions (bhāva) intensify, and finally, there is an awakening of love (prema). This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in Krishna consciousness.” (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.4.15–16, quoted as Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 23.14–15)

Generally, we understand that devotees progress from sraddha, sādhu-saṅga, bhajana-kriyā, anartha-nivṛtti, niṣṭhā, ruci, āsakti, bhāva, and all the way to prema. But in the spiritual world, there are developments beyond prema,

CC Madhya 23.42

premā krame bāḍi’ haya — sneha, māna, praṇaya
rāga, anurāga, bhāva, mahābhāva haya

TRANSLATION

“Love of Godhead increases and is manifested as affection, counterlove, love, attachment, subattachment, ecstasy and sublime ecstasy.

Love of Godhead. Prema increases and is manifest as affection (sneha), indignation (mana), love (pranaya), attachment (raga), further attachment (anurāga), ecstasy (bhāva), and sublime ecstasy (mahā-bhāva). Beyond even prema is mana, a sort of transcendental anger, but that is possible only beyond the stage of simple prema, only for the residence of Vrindavan.

READING from the Kṛṣṇa book (continued)

After being received by the cowherd men and boys, the gopīs, and King Nanda and Yaśodā, Lord Balarāma sat down, feeling satisfied, and they all surrounded Him. First Lord Balarāma inquired from them about their welfare, and then, since they had not seen Him for such a long time, they began to ask Him different questions. The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana had sacrificed everything for Kṛṣṇa, simply being captivated by the lotus eyes of the Lord. Because of their great desire to love Kṛṣṇa, they never desired anything like elevation to the heavenly planets or merging into the effulgence of Brahman to become one with the Absolute Truth. They were not even interested in enjoying a life of opulence, but were satisfied in living a simple life in the village as cowherds. They were always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa and did not desire any personal benefits, and they were all so much in love with Him that in His absence their voices faltered when they began to inquire from Balarāmajī.

COMMENT

So, my dear devotees, the different stages of advancement are hierarchical. In other words, the qualities of a prior or lower stage are also included in the subsequent or higher stages. In the above description of the residents of Vrindavan, Srila Prabhupada describes them in terms that apply to any pure devotee on the platform of uttamā-bhakti.

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā

“When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by mystic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Krishna favorably as Krishna desires.” (SP 1.1.11, quoted as CC Madhya 19.167).

As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, First Canto,

ŚB 1.18.13

tulayāma lavenāpi
na svargaṁ nāpunar-bhavam
bhagavat-saṅgi-saṅgasya
martyānāṁ kim utāśiṣaḥ

TRANSLATION

The value of a moment’s association with the devotee of the Lord cannot even be compared to the attainment of heavenly planets or liberation from matter, and what to speak of worldly benedictions in the form of material prosperity, which are for those who are meant for death.

By such association, beginning with even one moment, one can eventually attain pure devotional service and, like the residents of Vrindavan, have no interest in elevation to heavenly planets or merging into impersonal Brahman, and what to speak of enjoying the opulences of the world. The residents of Vrindavan were interested only in loving Krishna and serving Him. Their mood fits the basic definition of pure devotional service, which applies from the beginning stages of sraddha and sādhu-saṅga up to the most advanced stages of anurāga and mahā-bhāva. So too with the different rasas. The elements of śānta-rasa are included in dāsya-rasa. The qualities of dāsya are included in sākhya, and the qualities of sākhya, including śānta and dāsya, are included in vātsalya. The qualities of all four are included in mādhurya. It is not that when we become advanced, we desire material things. No. One disciple said to Srila Prabhupada that when we are liberated, when we become paramahamsas, we can do anything and it wouldn’t affect us because we will be on the transcendental platform. So then, when we are paramahamsas, we can also have sex. Srila Prabhupada replied that, “This, of course, is foolishness.”

He told a story of a servant of the king. The king would ride on the boat, and the servant would walk alongside on a path that ran along the river and would pull the boat from the land, and the king would have a little excursion. The king was very pleased with the servant’s work and told the servant, “I am very pleased with you. I will give you whatever you like.” So the foolish servant replied, “I would like a velvet carpet to be placed along the path so that when I am pulling the boat, it will be soft under my feet.” Srila Prabhupada said that this is foolishness because he could have gotten anything, and he wouldn’t have to pull the boat anymore. He could have attained a boon far greater than doing more or less the same thing but in a little different way. So, Srila Prabhupada said that this—"Oh, if I become a paramahamsa, I can have sex"—is like when you are a paramahamsa, you are in a position to relish on a much higher platform. That Is like asking for a little extra facility to pull the boat on the thorny path. So yes, the idea is that, paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate, on the highest level, one experiences a higher taste and has no interest in elevation to heavenly planets, merging into the impersonal brahman, and then what to speak of worldly pleasures that are meant for those who are bound to die.

Now the residents of Vrindavan are about to speak to Lord Balaram with faltering voices, feeling separation from Krishna.

READING (continued)

First Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodāmāyī inquired, “My dear Balarāma, are our friends like Vasudeva and others in the family doing well? Now You and Kṛṣṇa are grown-up married men with children. In the happiness of family life, do You sometimes remember Your poor father and mother, Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā-devī? It is very good news that the most sinful King Kaṁsa has been killed by You and that our friends like Vasudeva and the others who had been harassed have now been relieved. It is also very good news that You and Kṛṣṇa defeated Jarāsandha and Kālayavana, who is now dead, and that You are now living in a fortified residence in Dvārakā.”

When the gopīs arrived, Lord Balarāma glanced over them with loving eyes. Being overjoyed, the gopīs, who had so long been mortified on account of Kṛṣṇa’s and Balarāma’s absence, began to ask about the welfare of the two brothers. They specifically asked Balarāma whether Kṛṣṇa was enjoying His life surrounded by the enlightened women of Dvārakā Purī. “Does He sometimes remember His father Nanda and His mother Yaśodā and the other friends with whom He so intimately behaved while in Vṛndāvana? Does Kṛṣṇa have any plans to come here to see His mother, Yaśodā, and does He remember us gopīs, who are now pitiably bereft of His company? Kṛṣṇa may have forgotten us in the midst of the cultured women of Dvārakā, but as far as we are concerned, we still remember Him by collecting flowers and sewing them into garlands. When He does not come, however, we simply pass our time by crying. If only He would come here and accept these garlands we have made. Dear Lord Balarāma, descendant of Dāśārha, You know that we would give up everything for Kṛṣṇa’s friendship. Even in great distress one cannot give up the connection of family members, but although it might be impossible for others, we gave up our fathers, mothers, sisters, and relatives. But then Kṛṣṇa, without caring a pinch for our renunciation, all of a sudden renounced us and went away. He broke off our intimate relationship without serious consideration and left for a foreign country. But He was so clever and cunning that He manufactured very nice words. He said, ‘My dear gopīs, please do not worry. The service you have rendered Me is impossible for Me to repay.’ After all, we are women, so how could we disbelieve Him? Now we can understand that His sweet words were simply for cheating us.”

COMMENT

This word of accusation against Krishna is quoted in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta in the discussion of these very high states of love of Godhead exhibited by the vrajavāsīs in relation to Krishna, that they call Him a cheater. Srila Prabhupada also explains that Krishna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, also wants some variety. He gets tired of always being worshiped by Vedic hymns and mantras and elaborate sacrifices and worship. Sometimes He wants someone to chastise Him. But who can chastise Him? Only the most pure devotee can chastise Him. One example is Mother Yasoda with the whipping stick, chastising Krishna for His naughtiness in breaking the butter pots, eating butter and yogurt, and feeding His friends and monkeys. Another example is the gopīs chastising Him for being a cheater. So, Krishna also sometimes wants to take a break, so to speak, from being the Supreme Lord, the ruler of the universe—not just the universe but all the universes—and just relax with His intimate loved ones. That is His Vrindavan-līlā. It is said that He enjoys the chastisement of His friends in Vrindavan more than all the Vedic hymns because that chastisement comes from a deep level of pure love. So here the gopīs are saying that Krishna said, “I cannot repay My debt to you,” and just as he was leaving Vrindavan for Mathura, He said, “Don’t worry, I shall return.” But then He didn’t come back. They were making garlands for Him, “Oh, if He comes today, we will be prepared,” but He never came.

READING (continued)

Protesting Kṛṣṇa’s absence from Vṛndāvana, another gopī said, “My dear Balarāmajī, we are of course village girls, so Kṛṣṇa could cheat us in that way, but what about the women of Dvārakā? Don’t think they are as foolish as we are! We village women might be misled by Kṛṣṇa, but the women in the city of Dvārakā are very clever and intelligent. Therefore I would be surprised if such city women could be misled by Kṛṣṇa and could believe His words.”

Then another gopī began to speak. “My dear friend,” she said, “Kṛṣṇa is very clever in using words. No one can compete with Him in that art. He can manufacture such colorful words and talk so sweetly that the heart of any woman would be misled. Besides that, He has perfected the art of smiling very attractively, and by seeing His smile women become mad after Him and give themselves to Him without hesitation.”

Another gopī, after hearing this, said, “My dear friends, what is the use of talking about Kṛṣṇa? If you are at all interested in passing time by talking, let us talk on some subject other than Him. If cruel Kṛṣṇa can pass His time without us, why can’t we pass our time without Kṛṣṇa? Of course, Kṛṣṇa is passing His days without us very happily, but we cannot pass our days happily without Him.”

When the gopīs were talking in this way, their feelings for Kṛṣṇa became more and more intense, and they were experiencing Kṛṣṇa’s smiling, Kṛṣṇa’s words of love, Kṛṣṇa’s attractive features, Kṛṣṇa’s characteristics and Kṛṣṇa’s embraces. By the force of their ecstatic feelings, it appeared to them that Kṛṣṇa was personally present and dancing before them. Because of their sweet remembrance of Kṛṣṇa, they could not check their tears, and they began to cry without consideration.

Lord Balarāma, of course, could understand the ecstatic feelings of the gopīs, and therefore He wanted to pacify them. He was expert in presenting an appeal, and thus, treating the gopīs very respectfully, He began to narrate the stories of Kṛṣṇa so tactfully that the gopīs became satisfied. To keep the gopīs in Vṛndāvana satisfied, Lord Balarāma stayed there continuously for two months, namely the months of Caitra (March–April) and Vaiśākha (April–May). For those two months He kept Himself among the gopīs, and He passed every night with them in the forest of Vṛndāvana to satisfy their desire for conjugal love. Thus Balarāma also enjoyed the rāsa dance with the gopīs during those two months.

COMMENT

Now, here is an important point that is mentioned in the commentaries on this chapter in the Tenth Canto: that there were two sets of gopīs—Krishna’s gopīs and Balaram’s gopīs. So, it is not that Balaram enjoyed the rasa dance with Krishna’s gopīs; that would have been rasābhāsa, a disturbance in the rasa. But they are his gopīs who are attached to him in mādhurya-rasa, and so he had his rāsa-līlā with them. The other gopīs, who are attached to Krishna, he pacified by speaking about Krishna.

READING (continued)

Since the season was springtime, the breeze on the bank of the Yamunā was blowing very mildly, carrying the aroma of different flowers, especially the flower known as kaumudī. Moonlight filled the sky and spread everywhere, and thus the banks of the Yamunā appeared very bright and pleasing, and Lord Balarāma enjoyed the company of the gopīs there.

The demigod known as Varuṇa sent his daughter Vāruṇī in the form of liquid honey oozing from the hollows of the trees. Because of this honey the whole forest became aromatic, and the sweet aroma of the liquid honey, vāruṇī, captivated Balarāmajī. Balarāmajī and all the gopīs became very much attracted by the taste of the vāruṇī, and all of them drank it together. While drinking this natural beverage, all the gopīs chanted the glories of Lord Balarāma, and Lord Balarāma felt very happy, as if He had become intoxicated by drinking that vāruṇī beverage.

COMMENT

So, Varuni is a devotee, and when he was drinking that Varuni beverage, he was actually drinking the love and devotion of Varuni.

READING (continued)

His eyes rolled in a pleasing attitude. He was decorated with long garlands of forest flowers, and the whole situation appeared to be a great function of happiness because of this transcendental bliss. Lord Balarāma smiled beautifully, and the drops of perspiration decorating His face appeared like soothing morning dew.

While Balarāma was in that happy mood, He desired to enjoy the company of the gopīs in the water of the Yamunā. Therefore He called the Yamunā to come nearby. But the Yamunā neglected the order of Balarāmajī, considering Him intoxicated. Lord Balarāma became very much displeased at the Yamunā’s neglecting His order. He immediately wanted to scratch the land near the river with His plowshare. Lord Balarāma has two weapons, a plow and a club, from which He takes service when they are required. This time He wanted to bring the Yamunā by force, and He took the help of His plow. He wanted to punish the Yamunā because she did not come in obedience to His order. He addressed the Yamunā, “You wretched river! You did not care for My order. Now I shall teach you a lesson! You did not come to Me voluntarily. Now with the help of My plow I shall force you to come. I shall divide you into hundreds of scattered streams!”

When the Yamunā was threatened like this, she became greatly afraid of the power of Balarāma and immediately came in person, falling at His lotus feet and praying thus: “My dear Balarāma, You are the most powerful personality, and You are pleasing to everyone. Unfortunately, I forgot Your glorious, exalted position, but now I have come to my senses, and I remember that You hold all the planetary systems on Your head merely by Your partial expansion Śeṣa. You are the sustainer of the whole universe. My dear Supreme Personality of Godhead, You are full with six opulences. Because I forgot Your omnipotence, I have mistakenly disobeyed Your order, and thus I have become a great offender. But, my dear Lord, please know that I am a soul surrendered unto You, who are very affectionate to Your devotees. Therefore please excuse my impudence and mistakes, and, by Your causeless mercy, may You now release me.”

COMMENT

So she was repentant.

READING (continued)

Upon displaying this submissive attitude, the Yamunā was forgiven, and when she came nearby, Lord Balarāma enjoyed the pleasure of swimming in her waters along with the gopīs in the same way that an elephant enjoys himself along with his many she-elephants. After a long time, when Lord Balarāma had enjoyed to His full satisfaction, He came out of the water, and immediately a goddess of fortune offered Him a nice blue garment and a valuable necklace made of gold. After bathing in the Yamunā, Lord Balarāma, dressed in blue garments and decorated with golden ornaments, looked very attractive to everyone. Lord Balarāma’s complexion is white, and when He was properly dressed He looked exactly like the white elephant of King Indra in the heavenly planets. The river Yamunā still has many small branches due to being scratched by the plowshare of Lord Balarāma. And all these branches of the river Yamunā still glorify the omnipotence of Lord Balarāma.

Lord Balarāma and the gopīs enjoyed transcendental pastimes together every night for two months, and time passed so quickly that all those nights appeared to be only one night. In the presence of Lord Balarāma, all the gopīs and other inhabitants of Vṛndāvana became as cheerful as they had been before in the presence of both brothers, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma.

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

COMMENT

And so, my dear devotees, thank you for listening so patiently and attentively. Now, if any of you have any questions or any comments, any reflections you would like to share, you can raise your hand, your physical hand, or your virtual hand. Hare Krishna.

So, are there any questions or comments? If not, we can conclude by offering Vaishnava praṇāma.

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

vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca 

patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ

Anant koti Vaishnava Vrinda ki jaya!

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Thank you.

Hare Krishna.