Disappearance Day of Raya Ramananda

First of all, I offer my dandavat pranams to asmadiya paramaradhya guru padapadma,

Om Vishnupad Paramahamsa Swami Ashtottara-Shata Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Srila Vamana Goswami Maharaja, Om Vishnupad Paramahamsa Swami Ashtottara-Shata Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Srila Narayana Goswami Maharaja, Srila Trivikrama Goswami Maharaja, Srila Bhakti Prajana Kesava Goswami Maharaja, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada, and all our beloved Guru-varga.

Once Mahaprabhu, before taking Sanyasa, was informed that Srivas Pandit’s son had passed away. Mahaprabhu, upon hearing this, asked Srivas Pandit, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Srivas Pandit replied, “Prabhu, a son has died. We are four brothers and he was our only son. His death is immensely painful. Somehow or other, I might tolerate this loss. But he was a Krishna bhakta, and the separation from a Krishna bhakta is unbearable.” Mahaprabhu then touched the dead boy’s heart and said, “Hey boy! Why are you sleeping? Get up! Get up!” Due to the soft, nectarian touch of Mahaprabhu, the boy opened his eyes.

Mahaprabhu asked, “Hey Boy, where did you go? Your father and mother are all weeping.”

The boy replied, “Who is my father? Who is my mother? Perhaps due to so many lifetimes, I have been their mother and father. I cannot recognize anyone other than you. And where I am, I am very happy there.”

Mahaprabhu then asked Srivas Pandit, “Srivasa! Do you want to keep your son here?”

Srivas Pandit replied, “Prabhu, all parents desire the happiness of their children. If he cannot recognize me and is telling me that he is happy where he is, then let him stay there. I don’t want to disturb him.”

True parents prioritize the happiness of their children. Srivas Pandit exemplified this; his son stated his happiness in his current location, so Srivas saw no reason to force him to stay.

I asked Srila Gurudeva a question about this pastime: “Gurudeva! With Sriman Mahaprabhu’s pastimes going on in prakat Navadvipa, how could that boy be happier than here in Navadvipa?”

Gurudeva smiled and told me, “This is a very great question.”

Then I asked him if I was qualified to know the answer. He replied, “Yes!”

Srila Gurudeva then explained, “When someone performs bhajan after being initiated by a bona fide guru, under the guidance of the guru and Vaishnavas, they gradually reach nishta, ruchi, asakti, bhava, prema, and they achieve svarupa sidhi. Svarupa sidhi means they realize their constitutional form. Especially in dhanya Kali-yuga, when they attain perfection, their souls are divided into two: one  serves the dhama of Mahaprabhu internally, and the other eternally serves the dhama of the divine couple.”

Srila Gurudeva then gave the example of Srila Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, etc. On one hand, Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami are our guru-vargas; they are eternal associates of Sriman Mahaprabhu. On the other hand, they are eternal associates of Sri Sri Radha Krishna. In the same way, Gurudeva explained that the boy expired from here, and after that, he took birth where Krishna’s prakat pastimes are ongoing, from the womb of a gopi. That is why the boy was saying, “I am very happy.”

So, when somebody takes birth in Mahaprabhu’s lila, they will learn and after leaving that body, they will take birth in Vraja where Krishna’s manifest pastimes are going on. Taking birth from the womb of a gopi and learning whatever is necessary under the guidance of a nitya siddha (eternally perfect) associate, the soul will then enter eternal Vraja and Navadvip. This is called vastu siddhi, meaning there is no need to return to this material world; sadhana is complete. However, if Mahaprabhu desires to send nitya siddha (eternally perfect) to help fallen souls, our guru-vargas come, not bound by karma. They come because Mahaprabhu sends them to help us. Similarly, Gurudeva (Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja) said the son of Srivas Pandit completed whatever bhajan and sadhana were needed here. Then, where Krishna’s manifest pastimes were going on, he took birth from the womb of a gopi, thus being happier than here.

Svarupa Damodar Prabhu is Lalita, and Ramananda Ray is Vishakha. So Sriman Mahaprabhu came to South India to discover Ramananda Ray, desiring to relish Radhika’s three moods.

śrī-rādhāyāḥ praṇaya-mahimā kīdṛśo vā anayaivā-svādyo yenādbhuta-madhurimā kīdṛśo vā madīyaḥsaukhyaṁ cāsyā mad-anubhavataḥ kīdṛśaṁ veti lobhāttad-bhāvāḍhyaḥ samajani śacī-garbha-sindhau harīnduḥ (CC Adi 1.6)

Mahaprabhu did not explicitly state the purpose of his journey. He told everyone he was going to meet his elder brother. However, a sannyasi is not allowed to maintain relationships with their previous ashram according to the Vedas. Doesn’t Mahaprabhu know the shastras? Doesn’t he know the Vedas? Shastra janitva – all scriptures originate from His lotus feet. Whatever He did, does, or will do is perfect. If the Vedas support His actions, they have meaning; otherwise, they do not. Mahaprabhu cannot do anything wrong. In His dictionary, there is no word for wrong. So how can we reconcile this?

Gurudeva (Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja) explained that Mahaprabhu was going to meet his elder brother, Vishvarupa Prabhu, who was a sannyasi. When two brothers from the same parents both take the renounce order, they are permitted to meet each other. The Vedas do not prohibit this; they will not criticize them. So Mahaprabhu was going to meet his elder sannyasi brother, thus there was no harm.

What was the main goal? The main aim was to meet Ramananda Ray to learn about Radhika. But Radha Krishna’s most dear sakhi is Lalita. Why didn’t Mahaprabhu go to Lalita? Why did He choose Vishakha? Because Lalita is very talkative and chastises both Radha and Krishna. If she sees any fault in Radhika, she chastises Radhika. If she sees a fault in Krishna, she chastises Krishna. “Maan gumaan lakut lie thaade, darapat kunj bihaari.”

Radhika was in a sulky mood, and Krishna came to meet her, listening intently. Lalita told Radhika, “Oh Radhe! Your most beloved soulmate has come.” Radhika did not raise her head. Why? Because Lalita had previously told her, “Krishna is black, internally and externally black. Don’t fall into his trap. If He breaks your sulky mood, you won’t be able to control him. We must be very strict.” Hearing Krishna’s voice, Radhika’s heart melted. Krishna was praying. Then Radhika thought, “smaratu mana me prita parihasam”. Actually, Radhika wanted to show her face. Lalita angrily said no.

dhurte vrajendra-tanaye tanu susthu-vamyamma daksina bhava kalankini laghavayaradhe giram srnu hitam iti siksayantimdevim gunaih sulalitam lalitam namami (Sri Lalita Astakam BY Srila Rupa Goswami 4)

“dhurte vrajendra-tanaye” – “Oh Radhe, He is a cheater, the son of Brajendranandan, a pretender, a rogue. Don’t be submissive. Always maintain a contrary mood if you want to control him.”

If Radhika did not listen, she would be chastised by Lalita. If Krishna did anything wrong, Lalita would chastise him. Now the question may arise: why do Radha and Krishna both accept being chastised by Lalita? Why? Because Lalita has too much love for both of them, and due to that love, they accept her chastisement. Gurudeva (Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja) said that control comes through love, not administration. If love is present, administration works. If love is absent, simply saying ‘do this, do that’ will not work. So, administrate with love. Lalita has so much love, and Krishna and Mahaprabhu have a little fear. Mahaprabhu thought, if I go to Svarupa Damodar, who is Lalita, He might sometimes chastise me. But if I go to Vishakha, Vishakha and Radhika’s moods are the same. Radhika and Vishakha were born on the same day, only a few minutes apart, under the same constellation. Vishakha has a little more affection for Krishna; she does not chastise Him as much. So Mahaprabhu, as Krishna, chose to go to Vishakha, Ramananda Ray. He told others, “I am going to meet my brother.” Why did he not reveal his inner mood to everyone? Why? It is said, “praksh karlile karya nahi sidhi hoye.” If you reveal everything beforehand, saying ‘I will do this, do that,’ you may not achieve perfection; the work may not be done. So if someone tells Gurudev (Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja), ‘I will do this, I will do that,’ Gurudev (Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja) advises not to say this. First, do something, then show him, ‘Gurudev, I did this, I did that.’ Then he will give blessings. Otherwise, it is just boasting, ‘I will do that,’ and there is no faith in that.

So Mahaprabhu chose to go to Vishakha. Moreover, Vishakha is closer to Jatila. Jatila’s sister is the mother of Vishakha, so Jatila has great faith in Vishakha because Vishakha’s mother and Jatila are sisters, from the same father and mother, not half-sisters. Unlike the mundane world with half-sisters and half-brothers, this concept was not present in India traditionally. India has adopted this idea recently from the influence of Western culture. So what happened? Vishakha takes the opportunity to trick Jatila and Kutila and arrange meetings between Sri Radha and Krishna. Krishna thought, Mahaprabhu thought, it is better to go to Vishakha. So He went. When He went to South India, there were many temples of Nrisimha Deva. He went to many. Upon going there, he offered his pranam, and the pujari gave a garland to Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu praised Nrisimha Deva:

śrī-nṛsiṁha, jaya nṛsiṁha,jaya jaya nṛsiṁhaprahlādeśa jaya padmāmukha-padma-bhṛṅga(CC Madhya 8.5)

By doing this, He indicated that Nrisimha Deva, though usually very ugra (angry), is very submissive and sober towards Prahlada Maharaj, not angry at all. Why? Gurudeva (Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja) explained, “Consider a lion going for hunting. He might hunt a large elephant, his entire body covered in blood. When he returns to his cave, his baby cubs jump on him, pulling his ears and tail. The lion is very happy and does not harm his own babies. Similarly, Nrisimha Deva is ugra for non-devotees but very affectionate towards Prahlada Maharaj.”

Gurudeva (Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja) continued, “When Lord Narasimha Deva killed Hiranyakashipu, fire was coming from his mane, his appearance was so scary. All the demigods, like Brahma and Shiva, were scared and wondered what to do. They decided to send the ladies first, thinking they could face the problem. They sent Lakshmidevi. She approached cautiously, keeping her distance, and said, ‘Oh goodness, I have never seen my Prabhu like this. I cannot go.’ She stated, ‘I have never seen my Lord in this situation. I cannot handle this situation.’ Then who would go? Everyone was trembling.”

Brahma told Prahlada, “The Lord appeared for you, so go and console your Lord.” Then Gurudeva (Srila Narayan Goswami Maharaj) explained that just as a baby lion jumps on its father, pulling his hair and ears after a hunt, Prahlada went and jumped onto the Lord’s lap. He had no fear. Narasimha Deva grabbed him and began licking him like an animal licks its babies. Tears rolled down His eyes. So, Mahaprabhu was praying that Narasimha Deva, who is fierce for others, is very affectionate towards Prahlada and other devotees. He recited many shlokas to praise Narasimha Deva.

Mahaprabhu stayed there, and the next morning, He was so absorbed in prem that He did not know where He was going. When He saw the Godavari River, He remembered the Yamuna. When He saw the upavana (jungle), He remembered Vrindavan. He was not superimposing; for Him, it was actually Vrindavan and the Yamuna. Just as we might superimpose that this mountain is like Govardhan, for Him, it was not just like Govardhan, but it was actually Govardhan. For example, in Jagannath Puri, there is Chatak Parvat. He would see high sandhills and run there, thinking it was Govardhan Parvat (mountain). We can only superimpose, but Mahaprabhu was not superimposing.

Mahaprabhu near Godavari thought it to be Vrindavan and began dancing intensely. After taking bath, He sat there and chanted Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. While chanting, sitting on the banks of the Godavari, Ramananda Ray arrived, sitting on a palanquin, as he was like a king of that area, serving under Pratap Rudra. He was the governor of that region. Nowadays, people travel by car, but in those days, it was by palanquin. The palanquin had a magnificent style. Not only that, thousands of Vedic Brahmins were walking with him, reciting Vedic mantras.

When he saw Mahaprabhu, he offered his pranam (full prostration). Mahaprabhu asked him if he was Ramananda. He replied, “Yes, I am that sudra.” Sudra means very low. Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, sudra. He did not say, “I am Ramananda Ray.” Vaishnavas, by nature, are very humble. So he said, “I am that sudra.” Mahaprabhu and he embraced each other and became unconscious. The thousands of Brahmins were bewildered. They thought, “What is this? He is a sannyasi, and He is touching this sudra.” They could not reconcile this. Because of their presence, Mahaprabhu somehow controlled his mood. Mahaprabhu said, “Get up and say Krishna, Krishna, Krishna.” Then all the Brahmins were thinking, “Who is this sannyasi, and why is a sannyasi touching him, when he is untouchable for a sannyasi?”

Then Ramananda Rai said, “I am untouchable, and do You not hate me? And they will prohibit You from touching a sudra. And You are Lord Narayan Himself, You are Narayana, You are God Himself. God Yourself is touching me? You are causeless merciful. Due to Your causeless mercy, You will not care whether You are touching me.” And he quoted:

mahad-vicalanaṁ nṝṇāṁgṛhiṇāṁ dīna-cetasāmniḥśreyasāya bhagavannānyathā kalpate kvacit(SB 10.8.4/CC Madhya 8:40)

This shloka was uttered by Nanda Baba. When Krishna and Baladev Prabhu were babies, Gargacharya came for the name-giving ceremony. But Gargacharya was the priest of Vasudeva Maharaj, so if Kamsa knew why Vasudeva’s priest came here, and Nanda Baba’s priest was Shandilya Rishi, Kamsa would have some doubt. So Nanda Baba did not invite anyone for the name-giving ceremony of Krishna and Baladev. Nanda Baba went to the cowshed with Gargacharya and told Yashoda Maiya and Rohini Maiya, “Bring these two boys to the cowshed.” He did not even invite his brothers Upananda, Abhinanda, Sannanda, and Nandana, nor their wives Tungi, Pibari, Kubala – no one. Whenever he had any festival, he would invite the whole of Vraj, but today, no one. After giving the names, Nanda Baba said:

mahad-vicalanaṁ nṝṇāṁgṛhiṇāṁ dīna-cetasāmniḥśreyasāya bhagavankalpatenānyathā kvacit(ŚB 10.8.4)

“Oh, I am dina, I am fallen.” Being the eternal father of Svayam Bhagavan, how much humility he had – this was natural humility, not superimposition. “I am so fallen. To bestow Your mercy upon me, You came because you are mahad. Why would mahad go to a householder’s house? To bestow their mercy.” Why are they called mahad? Mahad for Bhagavan; it is mentioned, “mahato pimahi-an” – He is the greatest of all great. Who? That is Krishna. At that time, they were serving Narayana. “Oh, you are holding Narayana in your heart. For the welfare and auspiciousness of the householder, you are coming.” So Nanda Baba spoke this shloka for Gargacharya.

So Ramananda said, “You are mahad. You came for my welfare.” Ramananda continued, “I have over 1000 Brahmins with me. Just by seeing You, their hearts melted, and they are chanting, ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare.’” Ramananda said, “Not only that, their hairs are standing on end, and they are shedding tears automatically. And not only that, all Your symptoms indicate that You are Bhagavan. I have seen all the symptoms mentioned in the scriptures on You, so You are Bhagavan. For a jiva soul, it is not possible to possess all these qualities. You are not a jiva at all, You are Bhagavan.”

Then Mahaprabhu wanted to hide Himself. Mahaprabhu said, “You are Bhagavat-tattvam, you are uttam bhagavat. For this reason, you are seeing God everywhere. And due to your presence, their hearts melted.” But they came every day as before; why didn’t their hearts melt then? Why only today? If Mahaprabhu asked this question, what would Ramananda Prabhu reply? What Ramananda Raya was saying, that He is Ishvar, is true. But Mahaprabhu came to this world in the mood of a devotee, so He wanted to hide Himself. But Ramananda Raya was not an ordinary person. He was very extraordinary; he could recognize Him. Mahaprabhu could not hide from him.

Even Mahaprabhu said, “What to say about others? I am a Mayavadi sannyasi. Due to your association, I am also floating in Krishna prema.” Is Mahaprabhu a Mayavadi sannyasi? A question may arise. And what does “bhagavat-tattvam” mean? Bhagavat is of two types. So two bhagavats. One is the book form bhagavat and the other is the person bhagavat. So book bhagavat is two – one is Caitanya Bhagavat and one is Srimad Bhagavat. In Caitanya Bhagavat are the pastimes of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and in Srimad Bhagavat are the pastimes of Lord Krishna. If you want to achieve Krishna prema, want to achieve the mercy of Vrindavan dham, it is not an easy task. How can you get it? What is the easy task, the easy process?

aradhitam nava-vanam vraja-kananam tenaradhitam nava-vanam vraja eva durearadhito dvija-suto vraja-nagaras tenaradhito dvija-suto na taveha krsnah(Navadvipa Satakam (verse 78) by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati)

“aradhitam nava-vanam vraja-kananam te” – If someone does bhajan of nava-vanam, ‘nava-vanam’ means Navadvip. Why is it called nava-vanam? Because ‘nava’ means new, ‘van’ means forest. Why is it called nava-vanam? Krishna is always with so many gopis, bahu-kanta, so many heroines.

bahu kāntā vinā nahe rasera ullāsalīlāra sahāya lāgi’ bahuta prakāśa(CC Ādi 4.80)

If there is only one heroine, the rasa will not flourish as much; so many heroines are needed. So Krishna would tell each and every gopi, “Believe Me, I love you more than anyone.” These were flattering words, not spoken in front of others, but separately. And it is mentioned in Vraj, “Bholi gopi Radhe Radhe.” Radhika is very simple-hearted; not only Her, but all the gopis. “Oh, Krishna loves me more than anyone.” And they were very happy. But when the time came, the truth would be revealed.

So what happened? From time to time, Krishna would see Radhika and then go somewhere else. Radhika would ask, “Krishna, where are You going?” Krishna would say, “No, just moving around a little.” Radhika was not less intelligent than Krishna; she was very intelligent. And She had so many CIA agents. Who were they? Rupa Manjari, Rati Manjari, Raman Manjari, Raga Manjari – they were very expert. Radhika told Rupa Manjari, “Hey, listen, check where this black fellow is going. But you have to go in such a way that the black fellow doesn’t understand you are following Him.” “Ok.”

So Rupa Manjari, Rati Manjari – the group of Manjaris were searching, one here, one there. They were talking amongst themselves so Krishna could not understand. Then He went, and when He came back, the Manjaris said, “Oh my goodness, what a nice place.”

Then they told Radhika, “O Swaminiji, He is going to a very beautiful place.”

“What does it look like?”

“Always like springtime, and so many mango trees, jackfruit trees, coconut trees. And a very nice river; the water is crystal clear, like white. Ohhhh, and so many fragrant flowers.”

Then Radhika came and saw the place and said, “Ok, I will manifest like this.” So Radhika Herself, from Her heart, created Navadvip dham. From Her heart, She created it, so it is called Nava-vana – the new forest. So another name is Radha-vana too. Why? Because Radhika created it from her heart. So one name is Nava-van, another name is Radha-van, Navadvip, Svetadvip, Gauramandal, Gaura Dham – so many names, synonyms.

aradhitam nava-vanam vraja-kananam tenaradhitam nava-vanam vraja eva durearadhito dvija-suto vraja-nagaras te(Navadvipa Satakam (verse 7,8))

“aradhito nava vanam braja kana nante,” those who have done bhajan of Navadvip Dhaam, they can attain the mercy of Vrindavan Dhaam.

“Oh, I am no less than anyone. Why should I go to Navadvip? I am a great devotee. I don’t care for Navadvip. I’ll go directly to Vrindavan.” This is because they are hankering for Krishna prem, not Mahaprabhu prem.

Then “naradito nava vanam vraja eva dure.” If you neglect Navadvip Dhaam, Vraja Dhaam will never bestow its mercy upon you. It will be very, very far away. Not within your grasp. Not only that, aradhito dvija suto vraja nagar aste. Just as Krishna is the paramour of Radhika and other gopis, in the same way, we want Krishna to be our paramour, but under the guidance of Lalita, Vishakha, and especially Radhika. So aradhito dvija suto vraja nagar aste. Some are doing bhajan of dvija suta. Dvi means two, ja means birth. Double birth; one who has taken double birth is called dvija.

Who has taken double birth? First milk teeth, then second teeth, adult teeth – this is called dvija. So when Lord Rama came in Treta Yuga, He ornamented the Kshatriya dynasty. Lord Krishna incarnated in this world in Dvapara Yuga and ornamented the Gopa kul (dynasty), and Mahaprabhu ornamented the Brahmin dynasty. So a Brahmin is called a dvija. First is the biological birth from parents, and then savitra janma. The father is the guru or acharya or priest, and the mother is the Gayatri mantra. This is called savitra janma, so called dvija. So Mahaprabhu is dvija suta means the Brahmin boy. aradhito dvija suto vraja nagar aste. Those who have done bhajan of dvija suta, meaning of Mahaprabhu, they get Krishna as their paramour.

Gurudev, my Guru Maharaj, said, “Always, just like Radha Krishna are together, worship Gaur Gadadhar. Do bhajan of Gaur Gadadhar together, not Gaur alone. Then what happens? When your bhajan becomes mature, Gaur Gadadhar will transform into Radha and Krishna. Radha and Krishna will be visible in front of you.”

So, aradhito dvija suto braja nagar aste naradito dvija suto nataveha. If you are not doing bhajan of Mahaprabhu, you cannot get the mercy of Krishna. Never, never.

So in Caitanya Bhagavat are Mahaprabhu’s pastimes, and in Srimad Bhagavat are Krishna’s pastimes. So book Bhagavat is two, and person Bhagavat is three.

Book Bhagavat are: kanistha bhagavat, madhyam bhagavat, and uttam bhagavat. And kanistha is also three: kanistha kanistha, madhyam kanistha, and uttam kanistha. According to the manifestation of bhava in their mood. According to the manifestation of prem.

Then second: madhyam kanistha, madhyam madhyam, madhyam uttam. And uttam kanistha, uttam madhyam, uttam uttam. Out of all 3 x 3 = 9, the topmost is uttam uttam. Of uttam uttam there are also three: murcit Kasai, nirgut kasai, praptat parshad bhagavat deha.

Murcit Kasai means some fault is there. Murcit means unconscious. Unconscious stage, or dormant stage, or latent position. Some kashai, some fault is there, but in a dormant position. Like Narada, when Narada came to Bhadrikashram, Vyasadeva is a shaktyavesh avatar of Bhagavan. Sitting as if morose, Narada came. According to Vedic scripture, when Gurudev or any highly qualified Vaishnava comes, we have to stand up to greet him. So Vyasadeva stood up, offered him a seat, washed his feet, did arti…

Then Vyasadeva sat, and Naradaji asked, “Oh Vyasa, don’t enter into a trance.” So, what happened… Then Narada Rishi told, “Vyasa, are you okay? Why do you look like you are in a state of indecision or morose? It seems you are not happy.”

Vyasadeva said, “Gurudeva, I cannot understand my own situation. You are a doctor; you can feel my pulse. Why am I unhappy?”

Narada told him, “You divided the Vedas, you wrote so many Puranas, you wrote the fifth Veda, the Mahabharata, which includes the Gita. You did everything, but you are still unhappy.”

Vyasadeva said, “Gurudev, I am still not happy. I still have no satisfaction in my mind. Why? Please tell me.”

Then Narada said, “Oh Vyasa! You have bewildered people. Sometimes in the Shiva Purana, you say that Brahma, Krishna, Vishnu, Rama, everyone is coming from Shiva. Shiva is supreme. Sometimes you say that Brahma is the topmost, and everyone depends on him. In the Kalika Purana, you describe her with her tongue out, disrobed, and holding a large sword. So you have bewildered people, and therefore you are not satisfied in your mind.”

Then Vyasadeva asked, “Gurudeva! Then how can I attain peace and tranquility of mind?”

Narada answered, “Have you ever stated anywhere that Krishna is the supreme personality of Godhead? Have you ever stated anywhere that Krishna, being the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is controlled by the love of His sakhas love?”

Krishna’s friends (sakhas) say, “What kind of wealthy person are You? We are both equal.”

Krishna says, “My father has 9 lakhs of cows.”

The sakhas say, “Oh! Forget it, you have 9 lakhs of cows! My father has 11 lakhs of cows! I am wealthier than you.”

Then Krishna says, “I am My father’s only son.”

Then Sridama says, “Yes, I also am my father’s only son. Not only that, I have two sisters whom You are hankering for so much. And You have no sister. So I am more wealthy.”

Whatever Krishna says, the sakhas will counter it. And when they play, they make two groups. One group captain is Baladeva Prabhu, and the other group captain is Krishna. They make a deal before starting that the loser party will carry the winner party on their shoulders for some distance, back and forth. So, Krishna’s party wins and Baladeva’s party loses. Krishna says, “I will get on Sridama’s shoulder because Sridama is the crown prince, and I am the crown prince.”

Then Krishna says, “Oh, My little horse. Go, go! Go faster!”

Sridama is silent in the loser party, so he cannot say anything. Then what happens? They start playing again, and Krishna’s party loses. Now Sridama is clapping and saying, “Oh! Now I will climb on the shoulder of that black fellow!” Krishna cannot say anything because they are the losers. When Sridama is riding on Krishna’s shoulder, Krishna has to drag His lower leg, and Sridama is telling Krishna, “Go on, My horse! Faster, faster!”

Krishna is very notorious, and He looks here and there, then throws him off and runs away. Sridama becomes very angry and says, “Rascal, you were disqualified. You dropped me here, and we have to start again from there.” Taking a stick, he runs after Him. Krishna, being the Supreme Godhead, becomes very scared and thinks, “Where shall I hide?”

Sridama ran very fast because Krishna had dropped him and taken off. After standing up, Sridama took two minutes to catch his breath and then sprinted after Krishna. Krishna thought, ‘Only Dau (Baladeva Prabhu) can save me.’ Since Dau (Baladeva) was Sridam’s group captain, Krishna knew Sridama had to follow Dau’s (Baladeva) orders. Krishna rushed to Dau, grabbing him and pleading, ‘Save me, Dau, save me! Sridama is coming to beat me!’ Just then, Sridama arrived, grasped Krishna’s hand, and taunted, ‘You were counting on Dau to save you. Come on, rascal, come on. You’ll have to carry me from the start again! You’re disqualified.’ Baladeva exclaimed, ‘Oh Sridama, He’s my younger brother! His body is fragile and super soft.’ Sridama said, ‘No way! He made me his horse and rode on my back, so now I’ll make him do the same.’ Baladeva intervened, trying to console Sridama.

Narada asked Vyasadeva, “Have you written this?”

Vyasadeva replied, “No, Gurudev.”

Narada continued, “Have you written about Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, being controlled by parental mood, with His mother binding Him? Have you written about Krishna being completely controlled by His beloved gopis, who would grab His ears and say, ‘Don’t go, don’t leave us alone.’ And have you written about Krishna holding the gopis’ feet and begging them not to go?”

“No, Gurudev. I didn’t know.” Narada told him, “If you have not written this, then you will never be happy.” Vyasadeva replied, “How can I write? I don’t know.”

bhakti-yogena manasi samyakpraṇihite ’male apaśyatpuruṣaṁ pūrṇaṁ māyāṁca tad-apāśrayām(ŚB 1.7.4)

Then he composed Srimad Bhagavatam. Narada began to describe his own character, saying, “I was born as the son of a maidservant, and my mother loved me dearly. During the rainy season, the Bhakti Vedantas (Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, and Sanatkumara) would arrive, and I would serve them. With their permission, I would take the prasadam they left on their plates. I felt immense affection for these sages, but due to my mother’s love, I couldn’t bring myself to leave with them.”

“My mother’s love for me became a bondage. One day, while she was going to milk the cows in the evening when it was getting dark, she accidentally stepped on a snake and was bitten and died. Without even looking back at her body being cremated, Narada left for the forest to engage in bhajan. Upon catching a glimpse of the Supreme Lord, he became overwhelmed with emotion and became restless, weeping. Then a voice from the sky echoed, “Narada, in this lifetime, you will not be able to see Me again.” Narada asked, “Why not?” The response came, “It’s because you’re not yearning for the association of devotees (sadhu sanga); instead, you’re craving to live in the forest. You wish to cultivate a mood of goodness, but your focus should be on seeking the company of devotees.” This is the flaw, known as “murchit kasai” – a fault in a latent position. Then “nirhut kasai” means a fault completely washed away. And who embodies that? Sukadeva Gosvami.

Shukadeva Goswami remained in his mother’s womb for 16 years. Finally, a voice urged him to emerge, saying, “You’re causing too much trouble to your mother; come out!” Shukadeva replied, “No, I won’t come out into this material world (Maya). You’re just wanting to see the face of your son, that’s why you’re saying this.”

Vyasadeva insisted he could dispel the illusory energy (Maya), but Shukadeva refused, saying, “I don’t have faith in you. I have faith only in Krishna.” Upon hearing this, Vyasadeva meditated on Krishna, and He appeared, instructing Shukadeva to come out from the womb.

The question arises: how did Shukadeva, still in the womb, recognize Krishna’s presence? The answer is in Shukadeva’s familiarity with Krishna’s voice. Just like recognizing our Gurudev’s voice in a kirtan video because we’ve heard him before. Similarly, Shukadev Goswami recognized Krishna’s voice because he had heard Krishna’s voice in the form of a parrot. So he was very well aware of Sri Sri Radha Krishna’s voice due to prior exposure.

Krishna said, “I can remove maya if someone drops a mustard seed on the side of a blade for that much time. I will remove maya from this world.” Shukadev Goswami replied, “Oh, I don’t need that much time either.”

He came out and ran to the jungle. Then, by some trick or other, Vyasadeva brought him back and taught him Bhagavatam. When Shukadeva Goswami was completely trained by Bhagavatam and Parikshit Maharaj was cursed by the son of Shaunak Rishi, Shukadeva came. He had a very attractive, very handsome form, big eyes, bodily complexion like a fresh cloud, like Krishna, hands reaching His knees, and was completely disrobed. So many boys and girls were throwing stones and dust, but he didn’t care at all. But when he entered the assembly of Parikshit Maharaj, all the saints—Vyasadeva, Parikshit, Parashara Rishi, everyone—stood up. Seeing this, the boys thought, “Oh my goodness,” and they folded their hands. He had no fault at all, called nirbhut kasai. After that, prapt parshad bhagavat deha. When Narada received the body of a dasi putra, he attained the perfected body of an associate; he could go anywhere, and there was no obstacle.

So Bhagavat is of three types. Mahaprabhu is calling Ramananda Rai “bhagavat uttam.” He is telling Ramananda Ray, “Due to your influence, everyone is weeping and their hair is standing on end. This is happening because of you, not because of me.” Mahaprabhu continued, “Mahaprabhu is telling that in Jagannath Puri, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya told me to meet you.”

And Ramananda Ray said, “Now I understand You have so much mercy for Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya; otherwise, being Bhagavan, how could You touch an untouchable person? I understood You have so much mercy on Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya.” Mahaprabhu replied, “To meet you, Sarvabhauma told me.”

Ramananda Rai replied, “You have come, and I am very wicked-minded. You have to stay here for at least 5-7 days to rectify me.”