“Mesmerized by the reddish tender budding leaves on the trees, for a while Śrikrishna stood there admiring them”.

The Lord was fascinated by His own creation! Standing in Brindavan He was surrounded by reddish tender leaves on all the trees. This wondrous sight filled everyone with awe. When Sunrays fall on these leaves, they shine with a golden hue. At time of Sunset they glow like silver. The varied hue makes them breathtakingly beautiful. People of this generation do not stop to admire Nature’s beauty. Yes, it is wonderful that some people do choose to go into forests or to lakes to enjoy the natural beauty . Some even feel the compulsion to travel to such places on a weekly or monthly basis. Despite this urgency, they fail to make the most of their trip, because, after reaching the destination they are more engrossed in clicking snaps to be shown to others. They do not directly admire nature with their eyes, but through the lens. How can they absorb the beauty completely?

Nature’s beauty should be admired to heart’s content. It must be drawn in completely with the eyes. Click a photo or two, but then spend the entire remaining time soaking in the beauty of the surroundings. The real photo should be clicked with the mind’s eye!

On the contrary, people begin to click photos from the moment they step out of the vehicle. Thereafter, they spend the remaining time admiring their clicks and ensuring they have covered all the viewpoints. They could capture beautiful hills and valleys only on their mobiles but would have failed to capture the image in their mind. As such, they would have failed to experience the true inner bliss. Of what use was such picnic? Their folly is truly pitiable.

When in natural surroundings, or when visiting a bonsai garden, at first observe the shape of the tree. Observe the shape and dimensions of the leaf. Appreciate the beauty contained in that leaf. Observe the roots, the bark and the trunk. Enjoy the beauty in that tree. Let this experience sink in. After drawing in the beauty to heart’s content if possible click a few photos. Most importantly ensure that the beauty has been completely captured by your mind’s eye.

Krishna who was captivated by the tender reddish leaves was actually admiring his own creation. He was admiring His own form. When you see a beautiful tree, remember that the Lord has appeared in the form of that tree. This is an undeniable truth. When you go to the bird park Shuka vana, enjoy the beauty of those birds. Do not rush to take photos. Don’t be upset if you are not permitted to take photos. Ensure that you have captured the image and the beauty of that bird in your mind. This is a permanent photo. Enjoy the beauty of the bird as it flies happily. Krishna’s admiration of the natural beauty can be compared to that of a mother, who decorates her child and then admires him/her to her heart’s content.

“Due to the weight of the bunches of fruits and flowers, the branches of these trees were almost touching the ground”.

In whichever direction one looked, branches laden with flowers and fruits were touching the ground. Filled with fruits and flowers, the colourful trees brought delight to the mind.

“Observing the branches that were touching the ground, Krishna felt as if the trees were bowing at His feet. In great elation and surprise, He addressed his elder brother Balarama and spoke.”

Buying seasonal fruits and storing them in the refrigerator is a situation peculiar to Kali yuga. In those eons, trees bore fruit all year long. In fact, it is said that in Brindavan, all seasons could be witnessed simultaneously. While some areas of Brindavan experienced winter, other areas experienced summer at the same time. Due to this, flowers and fruits of every season were available through the year. The beauty of the freshly growing fruits, with their varied colours and shapes, was delightful to the eye. People would happily pluck and eat fruit of their choice. They could select from any fruit across any season.

More importantly, the fruits would ripen naturally on the tree unlike the present days wherein fruits are plucked even when they are unripe and thereafter are ripened artificially with the aid of chemicals. Artificially ripened fruits lack taste and to make matters worse, the chemicals used in the process harm the body.

The branches of the huge trees that were laden with fruit appeared to be bending and touching the tender feet of the six year old Krishna.

Krishna Krishna