[Advaita-l] Shree Krishna Karnaamrutam - 7

[kuntimaddi sadananda]

                                Sri Krishna Karnamrutam -7

As Sri Krishna was growing up, the gopi maids became so much involved with him and with his activities, they think of him all the time.  Krishna says:

ananyaashcintayanto maam
ye janaaH paryupaasate|
teShaam nityaabhiyuktaanaam
yogakshemam vahaamyaham||B.G.9-22

Whoever thinks of Me without any other thoughts in mind and worship  Me with single pointed devotion, and constantly meditating on Me, I take care of their yoga and kshema. Yoga is trying to gain what one does not have and need; and kshema is protecting things what one has gained by yoga. These are two pursuits in life. Krishna says whoever has mind, speech and action – manasaa vaachaa- karmanaa- has completely surrendered to Me, I take care of their welfare here and hereafter. Gopies are so much involved in Him, they cannot think of anything else other than Krishna. Here are two examples of the state of mind of Gopies that Leelasuka depicts for us.

Some gopies go out carrying in a basket things and selling what the people need, such as dhahi, etc. When they carry things in their basket they keep shouting what they are selling as they go street by street. Those who want will then come out and buy from them. This is common practice in India even now. You can get fresh vegetables this way almost delivered to the house. Here is one Gopi who was so dedicated to Krishna as she was carrying her basket on her head to sell things. Since her mind is so involved in Krishna she tries to sell something else. She tries to sell not what she is carrying on her head but what she is carrying in her mind. 

vikretu kaamaa kila gopakanyaa
muraari paadaarpita citta vRittiH|
dadhyadikam mohavashaadavocat
govinda! daamodara! maadhaveti|| II-56

muraari paadaarpita citta vRittiH – the one whose thoughts are  continuously  reveling in surrendering to the Lord Krishna, dadyadikim vikretu kaamaa – the one who was intending to sell dhahi etc, gopa kanyaa – the gopika maid, mohavashaat – forgetting everything else in the thought of Krishna, started selling – govinada! maadhava! maamodara! In the bhakti, bhakta does not think anything else. For a jnaani also constant flow of thoughts on the self is  as nidhidhyaasanam – a step required after shravanam and mananam – this is called akhandaakaara vRitti –  -unbroken stream of thoughts in the direction of the truth – or we can say unbroken awareness of the self that I am, in all transactions of the world – pratibhoda viditam matam – says kena.
Here is another Gopi. She was playing with Krishna and held him tightly in her embrace. Krishna to tease her, gets out of her embrace using all force that he can and stands away from her, looking at her and laughing at her. Gopi, obviously, got offended when he got out her embrace. She throws a big challenge at Krishna 

hasta maakshipya yaatopi
balata Krishna kimadbhutam?
hRidayaa dyadi niryaasi 
pouruSham gaNayaami te||

Hay Krishna you are so strong and defeated so many Rakshasaas using your strength – what is a big deal in trying to use that force to get out my embrace. Now I want to see how strong you really are.  I have locked you in my heart. Try and see if you can get out my heart; Let me see you strong you are. Krishna accepts his defeat since he knows she has locked him in her heart permanently and he cannot get out even if he tries using all his strength. 

We can see how innocently looking Gopies have locked Him in their minds forever. Once Narada went to see Krishna and found that he was meditating. When Krishna got up from meditation, Narada asked –everybody meditates on you but what are you meditating on? Krishna says he is meditating on the hearts of all his devotees. Rama means one in whom everyone revels and also who revels in everyone. Krishna says I am there residing in everyone’s heart – all we need to do is just open our eyes and see; and that is what Gopis have done. Ultimately jnaana and bhakti cannot different - they are two sides of the same coin. 

Hari Om!
Sadananda