॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Monday, 17 April 2023 - X a.21 - Sage Vyasa, the Gopis, all life in Vrindavan and us lucky ones, all lose ourselves in Sri Krishna's divine flute music.
***
This chapter is called Venugeeta or the Song of the Flute. Vyasa is ecstatic in his descriptions of Sri Krishna's flute melody and its effect on all, especially the Gopis. He makes them speak and describe Sri Krishna and his divine melody on the flute. The chapter has only 20 shlokas and all are delectable. You can hear the recitation here:
कुसुमितवनराजिशुष्मिभृङ्गद्विजकुलघुष्टसरःसरिन्महीध्रम् ।
मधुपतिरवगाह्य चारयन् गाः सह पशुपालबलश्चुकूज वेणुम् ॥
तद्व्रजस्त्रिय आश्रुत्य वेणुगीतं स्मरोदयम् ।
काश्चित्परोक्षं कृष्णस्य स्वसखीभ्योन्ववर्णयन् ॥
T: In the lap of that heavenly garden full of fragrant flowers. rows of trees attracted bees and birds that feasted on the plentiful nectar, going about singing their happy songs. So did the lakes and rivulets and valleys of the hills look extremely happy. Sri Krishna went there with Balarama, the cowherds and their cattle, and began to play his flute as they all grazed their cattle. Listening to this music wafting to their ears in Vraja, the Gopis were plunged in a mood of ecstatic love and began to describe Sri Krishna who was out of their sight but firmly entrenched in their hearts. Vyasa says that this was the kindling of the greatest Bhakti that one can ever experience, called Madhura Bhakti.
The Gopis recalled every element of divine beauty in Sri Krishna- his eyes, cheeks, lips, curls, peacock feather crown, the garland made of five types of wildflowers and so on. How they pined for him!
"Our Sri Krishna is making a grand entry like a consummate actor on the stage called Vrindavan! How handsome, how attractive, is everything about our Sri Krishna! His lotus feet are enhancing the beauty of Vrindavan!"
As the Gopis responded to the call of his flute, they lost themselves in Sri Krishna.
"To feast our eyes on Sri Krishna and Balarama of divine charm playing their flutes as they wend their way to and from Vrindavan - what better use can there ever be for our eyes?"
"They are as charismatic as the best of actors all dressed up and presenting themselves on the stage!"
"How we envy the flute - a bamboo thing, blessed because of its good deeds in its past lives, to be so close and able to drink up all the ambrosia of Sri Krishna's lips! All bamboo trees are celebrating their representative, the flute, enjoying this honour; you can see them shedding tears of joy (the sugary water that oozes from bamboos)!"
'Vrindavan is now celebrated as holy even in heaven. Just as he blesses the most devout of sages, Sri Krishna is blessing all the birds and animals who stop whatever they are doing just to absorb his music. The peacocks dance in ecstasy. Many a doe (female deer) has come in a daze of joy and darts her lovely glances at Sri Krishna."
"Apsaras from heaven lose themselves to the music, unmindful of wardrobe malfunctions even. Look at the cows and calves! Their ears are lifted and oriented towards Sri Krishna's melody from the flute! The calves have stopped drinking milk from their mothers' udders!"
"I suspect these birds looking frozen in their joy are all actually great sages in disguise who have come to enjoy Sri Krishna's divinity. They have filtered out everything from their beings, and are totally immersed in the music of Sri Krishna's flute!"
"Just look! Even the river flows slowly, taking in the music. The waters are touching Sri Krishna's lotus feet with their hands in the form of waves and ripples!"
"And then look up at the clouds! They have spread the shade of their love so Sri Krishna and Balarama and the cattle are all shielded from the sun!"
"The hunter women are pining for Sri Krishna. Their fever of excitement can only be cooled by embalming their breasts from the vermilion dropped here and there after Sri Krishna's sport with Gopis."
"Look at the beautiful Govardhana mountain! How blessed is he, serving Sri Krishna all year round, offering to Sri Krishna his rich fare of delicious fruits and roots and flowers and tender leaves! His water streams wash and quench the thirst of all, the cattle find his tender grass delicious to graze. All he wants in return is the touch of Sri Krishna's feet!"
"It is fascinating how cows and other creatures become static by the effect of Sri Krishna's music, whereas trees, rocks and water and such inanimate things begin to move and respond with palpable joy to Sri Krishna's music! Oh, how divine!"
एवं विधा भगवतो या वृन्दावनचारिणः ।
वर्णयन्त्यो मिथो गोप्यः क्रीडास्तन्मयतां ययुः ॥
T: Sage Shuka tells Parikshit that the Gopis were simply lost in their love for Sri Krishna as they continued to enjoy witnessing and describing his pastimes in Vrindavan.
***
॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
