NOT DISCLOSED ANYWHERE

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja
Vrndavana, May 1992

Syamarani dasi: You said that we should read the Srimad Brhad-bhagavatamrta. There, in the last volume, Gopa Kumara tells some pastimes about the bull demon Aristasura and the horse demon Kesi. There are apparently some differences in the histories told there and the same ones told in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Brhad-bhagavatamrta states that Krsna didn't kill Aristasura. He simply made him a bull for His cart, and Kesi became one of the horses in Vrndavana.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: We will have to reconcile all these facts.  May God give you the intelligence to understand how to reconcile all of these truths in the way I do, because both facts are true to the highest extent. Srimad-Bhagavatam and Brhad-bhagavatamrta are the same. Srimad-Bhagavatam has told us that He killed Kesi, but after that Kesi went to Goloka. There, Kesi took the form of a horse and Sri Krsna performed some of His pastimes with him. Sometimes Krsna rode on him here and there. So, both are the same.  Do you understand?

Syamarani dasi: Brhad-bhagavatamrta states that when Akrura came to take Krsna to Mathura, Krsna got off the chariot and went into the forest with the gopis. Then, when Akrura and Lord Balarama came to get Him and bring Him back to the chariot, the gopis still did not want Him to go. They told Akrura, who was planning to bring him to Vasudeva Maharaja and Devaki devi, who he considered to be Krsna’s real parents, "You are a liar. Mother Yasoda is Krsna's real mother.”

They told Krsna, “Even if You say that You have to go to kill Kamsa in order to protect the Yadus, we still don't want You to go." It appears that they are not compassionate to Devaki, Vasudeva, and the Yadus, because they said that Krsna should not leave Vrndavana to save the people in Mathura. How do we understand that they are compassionate and not selfish?

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: The gopis are giving the argument that to save the lives of hundreds of thousands, one may be killed; this will not be an offense. Do you understand? But save one life and kill thousands is not good. The gopis are saying, "There, only Vasudeva and Devaki will be killed – by Kamsa. But here everyone will be killed automatically, just by their grief caused by their feelings of separation – not by Kamsa.  Krsna is the life and soul of all the gopis and gopas. Without Him they will automatically die, without any external force.

On the other hand, Devaki and Vasudeva will not be killed if Kamsa does not kill them. It may be that Kamsa will be somehow checked, and they will be saved. But here, everyone one will surely die." The gopis’ argument is very strong.

Syamarani dasi: Did the danger in Mathura not also involve the whole Yadu dynasty? They were all afraid of Kamsa, so didn't Krsna’s going to Mathura involve their protection as well?

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Somehow they would not be killed. They would escape and go here and there, but the gopis have nowhere to go. They will die like fish out of water. The gopis are telling the real fact – that Akrura is a liar – because the residents of Vrndavana had personally seen that Yasoda gave birth to Krsna. Akrura is surely telling a lie. There is something valid in the arguments of the gopis, but not in the arguments of Akrura. Akrura has partiality towards Mathura.

Jagatarini dasi: The gopis have partiality towards Vrndavana.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: No, no. They are frankly telling the facts.

Syamarani dasi: A young girl and her family approached me yesterday in the guest house at our [ISKCON Krsna-Balarama] temple. We were talking about Krsna consciousness, and about chanting japa. She was chanting the Vallabhacarya mantra, “Sri Krsna saranam mama.”

I have two questions in that regard. What happens if someone is chanting “Sri Krsna saranam mama?” Can they also reach the destination of Krsna, or do they have to come to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu?

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: What do you think?

Syamarani dasi: I personally think so, because Krsna das Kaviraja Gosvami said that anyone who does not accept Caitanya Mahaprabhu as Krsna, is not accepted as a real Vaisnava. Other people think differently so I am asking you.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Sixty-thousand rsis (sages) approached Lord Rama in the Dandakaranya Forest. Then, in their next life they were born from the womb of gopis, and they themselves became gopis and entered the rasa dance. So, by going to Rama, rasa-lila can also be achieved and Krsna can be attained. The Srutis, personified Vedas, have also received gopi-bhava. Sri Bilvamangala Thakura also came before Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and he also received it, and Sri Jayadeva Gosvami has also received it.

Syamarani dasi: So why does Srila Krsna dasa Kaviraja say that? It’s in Adi-lila.

["The pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu are inconceivable and wonderful. His ecstasy is wonderful, His qualities are wonderful, and His behavior is wonderful. If one simply adheres to mundane arguments and therefore does not accept this, he will boil in the hell of Kumbhipaka. For him there is no deliverance." (Caitanya-caritamrta Adi-lila 17. 306-307)]

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: We cannot say that without worshipping Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu one cannot achieve Sri Krsna's service – before His appearance. This verse applies only after His appearance.

Syamarani dasi: But nowadays, devotees in other sampradayas, such as the Vallabha-sampradaya, who chant the mantra "Sri Krsna saranam mama "– what is their destination?

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: What do you mean by Sri Krsna saranam?

Syamarani dasi: Surrender to Krsna. Taking shelter of Krsna.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu told Srila Raya Ramananda:

prabhu kahe, – "eho bahya, age kaha ara”
raya kahe, – "svadharma-tyaga, ei sadhya-sara"

["This is also external," Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said. "Please proceed and speak further on this matter." Ramananda Raya replied, "To give up one's occupational duties in the varnasrama system is the essence of perfection."

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah

["As stated in scripture [Bg. 18.66], ‘After giving up all kinds of religious and occupational duties, if you come to Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and take shelter, I will give you protection from all of life's sinful reactions. Do not worry.'" (CC Madhya 8.63)]

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu replied, “This is not good enough. This is external. Say something further. Saranagati alone will not suffice.” Saranagati is in reference to being protected by Sri Krsna. It is for taking something from Him. Therefore it not bhakti, but rather the doorway to bhakti.

The bhakti that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given is on a post-graduate level. Before Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Ramacandra and others gave gopi-bhava, but not manjari-bhava. Mahaprabhu is so generous, kind and merciful – more so than Krsna. The sages of Dandakaranya had performed austerities for hundreds of thousands of years. But now, by chanting "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna" and "Sri Krsna Caitanya Prabhu Nityananda", that kind of prema can come to a devotee in one, two, or three births. This is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s full mercy.

Syamarani dasi: Although I was speaking to that lady and explaining to her that Krsna is non-different from His name, because I knew in my heart that I had no realization of this, my heart was feeling pain. I knew I could not give her anything real, because I myself have no realization. When I experience that pain, how should I pray to Krsna, or, what should I do?

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: We should pray with our hearts. Our words and hearts should be one. When we pray, our hearts should emanate from of our bodies in the shape of tears; then the fruit will come. We can repeat this philosophy to others, but we cannot achieve this without the mercy of Krsna or any of His special associates.
 We are able to weep for worldly things, but not for bhakti. We are able to perform external services, but we don’t know how to weep. We should want to weep from our hearts as we call out, "Oh, Krsna."  This will suffice. Raganuga-bhaktas can do this very easily, but it is hard to develop that raganuga-bhakti. If we don't have it, we should continue performing vaidhi-bhakti. There is no other alternative.

Vaijayanti-mala dasi: Gurudeva, in Navadvipa you were saying that one can pray in Navadvipa to enter the mood of Vrndavana. You said we can pray for such qualification in Navadvipa. Can we also pray to Navadvipa for qualification to enter into Vrndavana while we are in Vrndavana?

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja:  While here in Vrndavana we can pray to Navadvipa, and while in Navadvipa we can pray to Vrndavana.

Vaijayanti-mala dasi: Is that because of the merciful nature of Navadvipa-dhama?

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Have you read Madhurya-kadambini? It will be very helpful for you. Try to follow the instructions of Madhurya-kadambini, which teach how to give up anarthas, how to chant pure harinama and remember Krsna, how to perform nisthitha-bhakti (steady bhakti), and after that how to come to the stage of ruci (taste for bhajana), and asakti (attachment for the object of ones bhajana).

Syamarani dasi: In the Madhurya-kadambini there are many many kasayas (sufferings) and anarthas, (obstacles) mentioned. Sometimes you say we should think of how to give them up, and other times you say that we can give them up by having genuine greed for spontaneous devotion. You say that when this greed manifests, the material impurities automatically go away. How do we adjust this? Do we try to get rid of them individually, or try to increase the spiritual greed by praying and begging more?

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: They disappear when you increase your bhakti activities. In order to increase your greed in raganuga-bhakti, this is essential. This will come about by reading authorized books on its topics, by hearing the hari-katha regarding its topics, and by remembering the pastimes of Sri Krsna. But always read with deep affection and love.

Syamarani dasi: How?

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: Mother Yasoda wants Srimati Radhika to come to her house to prepare meals for Krsna. Do you know why?

Syamarani dasi: She serves the conjugal pastimes of Radha and Krsna by inviting Radharani to cook?

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: It has been told in sastra that she calls Srimati Radhika and tells Her that her son is not eating His meals, and because of that He is very lean and thin. If Radhika will prepare meals, those meals will be very tasteful, and moreover Durvasa Rsi had given Her a boon: "Whoever tastes Your preparations will become very strong and will never be defeated by anyone."

Jagatarini dasi: No disease.

Srila Narayana Gosvami Maharaja: So everything is helpful. We should think about these pastimes in this way.

But this was the external reason. Yasoda-maiya knows somehow or other that if she calls Srimati Radhika, her boy will become very cheerful. She doesn’t know in what way He will be cheerful, but she knows He will be cheerful. “And if I don’t call her, Krsna has no taste for anything.”  This is the internal reason.

She knows so much, but she cannot express it. A mother knows so much about her children, but she will not disclose this to them. She will act as though she is very ignorant and knows nothing, and at the same time she will affectionately facilitate their meeting. If this were absent in krsna-lila, it would not be as sweet. Everyone –  father, mother, sakha, and dasa – helps in madhura-rasa, and that is why it is so sweet.

Once, Srimati Radhika and Sri Krsna were just about to be able to meet together. Just as they were about to speak to each other, Mother Yasoda came by.  She saw both of Them, but she pretended She didn’t see, and walked straight past Them. Srimati Radhika and Krsna both saw her. They became very shy and immediately fled in different directions. This is called rasa.

So whether Mother Yasoda knows something or not, whether or not she is ignorant, still it produces rasa.

The fact is that what I am telling you is not disclosed anywhere. Many secret truths are present in our acaryas' poems and verses, but they are undisclosed. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and Srila Sanatana Gosvami have told many facts about the deep meanings in krsna-lila, but there are so many facts that they have not disclosed. These are not facts to be disclosed. They are to be realized in your hearts by hearing hari-katha.
-from harikatha@harikatha.com