LAST DAY OF KARTIK

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja- Govardhana, India

[Dear Readers,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Sri Sri Guru and Gauranga. Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja gave this end of Kartik lecture in Govardhana, India on November 5, 2006. Here is also a link to a video of another years lecture on the last day of Kartik: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pp1gNgtOAM0]

By the causeless mercy of my Gurudeva, Srila Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Gosvami Maharaja, my Gurupada-padma (siksa-gurus) and Gandharvika-Giridhari Sri Sri Radha-Vinoda-bihari, our Vraja-Mandala parikrama is very successful in all respects.

 

In this very month Sri Krsna was bound by the rope of the vatsalya-rasa (relationship in parental affection) of His mother Mother Yasoda. Actually, He was not bound by a rope, but by vatsalya-rasa. The Supreme Lord Krsna had never been bound before, and I think He will not be bound again. He can only be bound by Mother Yasoda. He has accepted this fact: "I am bound by vatsalya-rasa," and it is for this reason that this month is called Damodara.

Also, the gopis tied the veil of Srimati Radhika to Sri Krsna's yellow chadar in Ganthuli, and Krsna therefore became known as “Radha-Damodara”. This pastime took place in this month.

Especially, the crown jewel of all pastimes, the supreme pastime, rasa-lila, took place in this month. All of Krsna’s unlimited pastimes, such as His boat pastimes at Manasi-Ganga *[See endnote 1] and the stealing of His flute, are building up to this rasa-lila.

In this month, Akrura went to Nandagaon and told Krsna and His family members about Kamsa’s torturing Vasudeva and Devaki. Hearing this, Krsna and Balarama became like fire. Extremely angry, They told Nanda Baba that They must go to Mathura. They went to Mathura, and there they killed Canura and Mustika, and all of Kamsa’s brothers and other associates.

Sri Krsna held Giriraja Govardhana on His pinky finger for 7 days, without Giriraja Govardhana shaking at all. At that time all the Vrajavasis, especially the purva-raga gopis,* [See endnote 2] came very near, and those gopis held up Giriraja Govardhana by their eyesight. Aksaya navami *[See Endnote 3] also comes in this month.

Therefore, this month is very, very auspicious.

I invite you all to come next year, along with more of your friends. I know that our boarding arrangements could not make you happy, compared to the happiness you get by the way you live in your houses – palaces – in your countries. There is not so much facility here. Although we tried, it was not sufficient for you. You are like kings with many palaces.

We can only give hari-katha. The topics we have discussed in this month are very important – what we discussed here in the temple and at the holy places we visited. The places we visited are very powerful – such as Rasa-sthali, Vamsi-vata, Bhandira-vat and many other pastime places.

Try to keep all this hari-katha in your “heart-pocket” and be very strong. I think this hari-katha inspired you all, and I am inviting you all to come next year as well.

All 64 limbs (practices) of bhakti are performed in this month very easily. Also, I have full confidence in the boon of Narada Muni, given in the form of a request to Sri Krsna: "Please give krsna-prema to anyone who hears all Your sweet pastimes and goes to the places of those sweet pastimes." I think that Sri Krsna will fulfill Narada's desire, so please try to come each year.

Also, Navadvipa parikrama is coming, and I am inviting you all to come to Navadvipa. [Please see www.purebhakti.com for details]

If you have experienced any distress during this parikrama, try to forget it – for Krsna –and excuse me if I have spoken any unpleasant words.

[*Endnote 1:  Sri Krsna would play the part of a boatman and perform boating-pastimes (nauka-vilasa) and other lilas while ferrying the gopis across Bhagavati Manasi Ganga. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has given a very touching description of this nauka-vilasa-lila in his prayer Sri Govardhanastakam (text 7): yatraiva gangam anu navi radhamarohya madhye tu nimagna-naukahkrisno hi radhanugalo babhau sa, govardhano me disatam abhistam”

"In the middle of Manasi Ganga, Srimati Radhika was sitting in Krsna’s boat. Krsna dressed like the boatman, tried to sink the boat, and the terrified Radhika caught Sri Krsna in Her embrace. May that Sri Govardhana fulfill all my desires.”]

[*Endnote 2: In this Bhauma-vrndavana, all gopis – including Srimati Radhika – experience purva raga, i.e. they feel they have never met with Krsna before in an intimate way, although they had so much strong desire to do so.]

[*Endnote 3: This particular day in Kartika month signifies that any undertaking on this day will be imperishable. Aksaya-trtiya is in January-February, and has a similar meaning.] -From Harikatha Newsletter