17. We Want You in Vrndāvana!

17. We Want You in Vrndāvana:

Kışņa is navakisora națabara, gopa-veśa venu-kara- 10, 11 or 12  years old. He is navakišora, always new and fresh. He never grows old; națabara, He is always in a dancing mood, and fickle, cañcala. His form is gopa-veśa, that of a cowherd boy with a very simple garment. He is crooked in 3 places, śyāma tribhanga lalita. With a flute in His hand touching His lips, venu muralivadana. A Peacock feather on His head - that is Krsna in Vrajabhūmi. That Krşņa in Vrajabhūmi is His real form. All the paraphernalia for His transcendental play with the cowherd boys and the damsels of Vrajabhūmi is there. The Yamuna river is there. Kadamba kanana, the groves of kadamba flowers are there. The peacock is there. Cows and calves are there. The jungle of Vrndāvana is there. There Krşņa plays with the cowherd boys and the damsels of Vrajabhūmi. So many varieties of trees and creepers are there. Fruits and newly sprouted leaves are there. These are all paraphernalia of Krsna's play. And Krsna's form is befitting for that play. 

The Vrajavāsīs, the cowherd boys and especially the damsels of Vrajabhūmi-don't want to see Krsna in the royal garb of a king. Krsna had gone to Kurukshetra in royal dress because He was king in Dvärakä at that time. They told Him, "Oh Krsna! We don't want to see this form. Come to Vịndāvana. That Vrndāvana is waiting with all paraphernalia. The kuñjas are there. Everything is there. Everything is waiting for you! Oh Krsna! We will drag You there. We don't want to see you in this royal garb." This is Ratha-yātrā. This is Mahāprabhu's mood, His bhāva-gopi bhava. The residents of Vrajabhūmi are very dear, very intimate, very close to Krsna. There is no question of king and citizens. No. The citizens cannot approach a king. He keeps at a distance. The citizens must stay apart and offer him obeisances. That sentiment is not there in Vrajabhūmi. They are intimate like the limbs of His own body. The cowherd boys sometimes climb on the shoulder of Krsna. They have no awe and reverence. This is pure love. Very close intimacy. They are close like His own limb. If your leg touches your body do you feel uncomfortable? But if another person's leg touches you, you feel awkward and he also feels awkward. Isn't it? The cowherd boys climb onto the shoulder of Krsna. Krsna never feels awkward and cowherd boys don't feel awkward. Why? Because they are like Krsna's own limbs-very close and intimate. This is the tattva behind Ratha-yatra. Mahaprabhu is Krsna in gopi-bhava, in radha-bhava, always crying for Krsņa, feeling acute pangs of separation from Krsna. In that mood, the mood of the gopis, He was pulling Jagannatha's ratha. At that time He recited a verse from Srimad Bhagavatam 10th canto:

ahuś ca te nälina-nabha padāravindam 

yogeśvarair hrdi vicintyam agadha-bodhaih samsara-küpa-

patitottaranavalambam 

geham jusăm api manasy udiyät sada nah

The gopis spoke thus: 

Dear Lord, whose navel is just like a lotus flower, Your lotus feet are the only shelter for those who have fallen into the deep well of material existence. Your feet are worshiped and meditated upon by great mystic yogis and highly learned philosophers. We wish that these lotus feet may also be awakened within our hearts, although we are only ordinary persons engaged in household affairs."

The gopis are offering prayers to Krsna, saying, 

"Oh nalina-nabha-krsna...

Oh lotus-eyed Krsna!"

Your two lotus feet are unfathomable. All yogeśvaras headed by Brahmä are always meditating on them in their hearts. Your two lotus feet are the only place of shelter for those who have fallen in this dreadful ocean of materialistic existence and are drowning, for those who have fallen into the dark well of household affairs-andha-küpa. And we gopas and gopis are householders, so let those two lotus feet always be manifest in our mind. This is the meaning of the verse. 

Then He sang this song:

anyera hrdaya-mana, 

mora mana-vrndavana,

'mane' 'vane' eka kari jäni

tähän tomāra pada-dvaya, 

karaha yadi udaya, 

tabe tomāra pürņa kṛpā mani

For most people, the mind and heart are one. But because My mind is never separated from Vrndāvana, I consider My mind and Vrndāvana to be one. My mind is already Vrndāvana, and since You like Vrndāvana, will You please place Your lotus feet there? I would deem that Your full mercy."

In radha bhava, Mahaprabhu is saying, "For others there is a difference between their heart and mind, but My heart and mind are Vrndāvana." Therefore there is no difference between the mind of a vaishnava, a premi-bhakta, and Vrndāvana. Mahāprabhu said, "If

out of mercy Your two lotus feet appear in My mind, then I can understand that it is your real mercy to Me, pürna krpa, Your complete mercy."

tomara ye anya veša, 

anya sanga, anya deša 

vraja-jane kabhu nahi 

bhāya vraja-bhūmi chadite näre, 

toma na dekhile mare, 

vraja-janera ki habe upaya

The inhabitants of Vrndávana do not want You dressed like a prince, nor do they want You to associate with great warriors in a different country. They cannot leave the land of Vrndavana, and without Your presence, they are all dying. What is their condition to be?

tumi-vrajera jivana, 

vraja-rajera präņa-dhana 

tumi vrajera sakala sampad 

kṛpārdra tomāra mana, 

asi jiyão vraja-jana

vraje udaya karão nija-pada

My dear Krsna, You are the life and soul of Vrndavana- dhama. You are especially the life of Nanda Mahäräja. You are the only opulence in the land of Vrndavana, and You are very merciful, Please come and let them all live. Kindly keep Your lotus feet again in Vrndāvana."