20210918 Govardhana, Part 1

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on September 18th,2021 in Śrī Dhāma Māyāpur, India.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! Today we will continue with the compilation of Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book. Today's chapter is entitled as:

Govardhana
Under the Section: The Lord Travels to Vṛndāvana

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.8.1

Translation: Kṛṣṇa Dāsa continued, “Again due to fear of Kamsa, Mahārāja Nanda consulted with his people and thus the community of cowherds made their new abode on Nandīśvara hill.

Jayapatākā Swami: Since lot of demons were coming and seemingly attacking Kṛṣṇa, so it was considered danger for the cowherd men. Then he Nanda Mahārāja consulted with others to figure out where to go.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.211

kaṁsera utpāte saba gopa bhaya pāñā
nandīśvara-girite āśraya kaila giyā

Jayapatākā Swami: Being afraid of the atrocities of Kaṁsa, all the cowherd men went and took shelter of Nandīśvara after leaving Gokula.

So, Nanda Mahārāja received the consultation to go to Nandīśvara.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.8.2

Translation: “Every day Kṛṣṇa and Rāma enjoyed with their friends on the two banks of charming Mānasi Gaṅgā on the Govardhana Hill.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, while Lord Caitanya is going on His Vṛndāvana Parikramā the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma are being mentioned. So, Lord Caitanya was being explained why the cowherd men left Gokula and moved to Nandīśvara.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.212

basati karila mānasagaṅgāra du-kūle
vilāsa karila govardhanera śikhare

Jayapatākā Swami: Staying on the two banks of Mānasi Gaṅgā They performed pastimes on the Govardhana Hill.

Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma were performing pastimes on Govardhana Hill.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.8.3

Translation: “In order to drive out the pride from the heart of Indradeva, Lord Śrī Hari, at the age of seven, cheerfully held up Govardhana Hill, thinking of the protection of His people.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Indra was angry at the vrajavāsīs, as they stopped the Indra-pūjā, instead they worshipped Govardhana, worshipped the cows and brāhmaṇas. So, then Indra had sent torrents of rain and to protect His devotees Kṛṣṇa lifted the Govardhana hill with the small finger of His left hand and thus He gave protection to all the people of Nanda Mahārāja and all the cows and calves.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.213

indra-sane vāda kari’ e parvata dhare
tulileka mahāgiri saptama-vatsare

Jayapatākā Swami: Arguing with Indra, He lifted up this great Govardhana Hill, at the age of seven of years.

Lor Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Personality of Godhead all the time and it is not that He does some tapasyā to become God, He is always God and He is always the Supreme Personality of Godhead and at the age of seven He could lift up a gigantic hill and could give shelter to all the Vrajavāsīs.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.8.4

Translation: “Always eager to taste new varieties of rasa, Kṛṣṇa sported boating pastimes on Mānasa Gaṅgā, ferrying the cowherd folk as they travelled from the pasturelands to Mathurā for marketing their milk products.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kṛṣṇa was enjoying the different kinds of transcendental mellows or rasas and He did some boating pastimes on Mānasī Gaṅgā.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.214

mānasa-gaṅgāra dhārā parvata-īśāne
sthala nāhi –pāra haite nāre gopīgaṇe

Jayapatākā Swami: On the Northeast of the Hill, there runs a tributary of Mānasa Gaṅgā. There was an unfavorable situation and the gopīs could not get across the other side.

Lord Kṛṣṇa, He in the disguise of a boat man, He ferried the young gopīs across the river.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.215

naukā pārābāra kari’ bāḍhāya kautuka
jale bhāsi’ deha gopī dileka yautuka

Jayapatākā Swami: Using His boat, Lord Kṛṣṇa ferried across the passengers from one side of the bank to the other and was enjoying His pranks and the gopīs while on the water with Lord Kṛṣṇa on the boat, they gave their bodies as a dowry to Lord Kṛṣṇa (The Naukā-vilāsa pastime).

So, this pastime of Naukā-vilāsa was enjoyed by Kṛṣṇa with Rādhā and gopīs across the river. Lord Caitanya was hearing all these pastimes of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs while boating across the river.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.8.5

Translation: Here, desiring to show mercy to His bhaktas, Śrī Hari entered this narrow passageway in the rock for the purpose of demanding payment of a toll. He enjoyed and gave pleasure to the milkmaids.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Kṛṣṇa was saying, He was the son of Nanda, who was the owner and ruler of these parts. So, He said that anyone who want to use the thoroughfare has to pay the toll. And Rādhā and the gopīs they challenged Kṛṣṇa so like this there was pastimes and that rock is still visible. So this pastime is called dāna-keli.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.216

parvatera madhya diyā āche rājapatha
gokula-mathurāra loka kare gatāgata

Jayapatākā Swami: In the middle of the Govardhana Hill, is this path which was used by the people of Gokula and Mathurā as a thoroughfare.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.217

parvata-upare hera dekha ramya sthāna
eikhāne gopikāra sādhe’ mahādāna

Jayapatākā Swami: On top of this hill, behold the beautiful place to look upon; herein (dāna-ghāṭi), Lord Kṛsṇa enjoyed His līlā of taxing the gopikās.

Lord Caitanya was going and seeing all these pastime places of Lord Kṛṣṇa līlā so we can understand that Lord Caitanya was in great ecstasy.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.218

basiyā sādhita dāna ei ta pāṣāṇe
ei dānacautārā prabhu dekha vidyamāne

Jayapatākā Swami: Sitting on this stone, Kṛṣṇa performed this pastime of collecting taxes. O Prabhu (Lord Caitanya), see this toll collecting platform manifesting here.

So, going on the Vṛndāvana Parikramā Lord Caitanya was being shown the various pastimes places where Kṛṣṇa was collecting the taxes, where He lifted the Govardhana and where He went across the Mānasī Gaṅgā, all the pastimes place of Lord Kṛṣṇa was shown to Lord Caitanya.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.8.6

Translation: Observing the stone altar of dāna-keli, the rasa of the toll pastime, Śrī Gaura Candra, gave up his external consciousness and manifested dark complexioned form, marked with Śrīvatsa, holding a bamboo flute and a staff for herding cows, and adorned with flowers and fresh leaves. He exclaimed, “O Rādhe! O reservoir of rasa! Give Me charity. I am a most suitable candidate for Your charity.” All glories to Śrī Gaura Hari, for whom Rādhikā is dearer than His life-breath, as He prays in this way.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya He was so overwhelmed with the pastimes of Krsna in Govardhana hill that He manifested the form of Kṛṣṇa and He was transported to the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. 

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Govardhana, Part 1
Under the Section: The Lord Travels to Vṛndāvana