|
KC Nectar - Jul 18 | |
|
Drops of Nectar. Excerpts from a lecture by HH Varsana Swami Submitted by Manoj Krishna, harder than a thunderbolt, softer than a rose: According to how we serve Krishna, He can be harder than a thunderbolt or softer than a rose. Vrstasura charged Krishna and Gopis violently and fiercely. Lord Krishna with His fist and the bulls own horn, harder than a thuderbolt crashed the bull's skull. Yet these innocent cowherd girls are seeing Krishna as a festival for their eyes. He is softer and more fragrant than a rose for the Gopis, but harder than a thunderbolt to the asura. Both these personalities are all reciprocal to our mentality. If we approach Krishna with the enraged ego, we will bring about our own destruction. But if we approach Krishna with the service attitude, everything becomes joyful, and peaceful, like a festival. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Difference between the Lord and the Holy Name; between Srimati Radharani and Radha Kund: Non-different from Srimati Radharani is Radha Kund. But there is simultaneously a difference. The acintya beda abeda tattva applies to all things, which have something in common, and something different. And we say there is no difference between the Lord and His holy name and that Radha Kund is non-different from Srimati Radharani, Philosophically, siddhantically speaking this is true. But from another perspective - perspective of Mercy, kindness and compassion and from the conditioned souls perspective of hope, there is a difference. As there is a difference between the holy name and the Lord in terms of Mercy and kindness, magnanimity, because of the unlimited easy availability of the holy name, Who is non-different from the Lord, harder than the thunder-bolt to Vristasura, and yet softer than a rose, in that He is pleased to condescend, to manifest Himself and dance upon even the foul mouths of omnivorous persons, if they simply muster up the slightest humility, or even jokingly take His Holy name, begins their process of deliverance. Similarly, Srimati Radharani, Who cannot be touched by anyone but Krishna, has appeared in this form, such a soft merciful flowing form of a kund, as the topmost, crest-jewel of Holy places in all of creation. Making Herself, Her Mercy available, in the form of a pilgrimage site. Making Herself available to those who want to wash off the unlimited sins which harden the heart and misguide the ego. We have to approach the holy places and the holy personalities, with the attitude of humility, forbearance, and service to reap the proper benefits of their darshan. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Why do we want to bind Krishna? Satyvrata Muni's prayers are very interesting on how they proceed. They are like a diary of his on-going spiritual realizations from namam isvaram sac-cid-ananda rupam, Lord who is the personification of eternity, knowledge and bliss. Satyavrata Muni's prayers gradually melts from awe and reverance, which is a necessary approach to the understanding of the Lord into a sweet and spontaneous loving mood, which culminates in offering the obeisances to the rope of Mother Yasoda, which he then compares to the love of Srimati Radharani, which alone can bind Krishna. Why do we want to bind Krishna? Because as the Lord keeps within the heart His devotees, devotees also want to keep within their heart, their Lord. Heart is like the dungeon of Kamsa. Kamsa's dungeon where Krishna appeared symbolizes the nature of the heart, which is a dark place and the source of misery for those who have not captured Krishna there. Krishna appears in the dungeon when Srimati Bhakti devi, who in the case of the pastime is Kamsa's sister, Devaki, when devotion makes its manifestation in the heart. Krishna appears there and begins to dispel the darkness by killing the demons. The heart of the conditioned souls is like a dungeon where Krishna is wanting to appear as soon as there is some invitation and expression of our willingness to welcome Him by service and love and humility. [BACK] |