“Due to the touch of the autumn winds, which are balanced in heat and cold and which blow over the forest flowers, the people experienced respite from heat”.

Such winds, in which heat and cold are evenly mixed, grant good health. It is difficult to withstand the excessive heat. Likewise, extreme cold winds are difficult to withstand. Autumn winds are evenly balanced and hence are pleasant. Here, it highlights a balanced state of mind that exists after attachments and egoism have been driven away completely. The mind is at peace. It is at rest.

“Even such autumn winds, which are balanced in heat and cold, which blow over the forest flowers and which offer respite to people from heat, could not offer any respite to the Gopikas of Brindavan, who were agonizing due to separation from Krishna”.

The Gopikas wanted Krishna to be in their midst every second. They wanted to be around Him every minute. As such, even the pleasant weather did not give any joy to their agonizing minds. That wind, which could destroy the afflictions of everyone in the universe, failed to give them any relief.

“Just as resultant fruits always chase the fruitive worship offered by a person, during autumn season, bulls, deer, other animals and birds were chasing their partners. In this lovely autumn, the ladies adorned their braids with long flower garlands.

Fearing the king the dacoits are always on the run even though the citizens live fearlessly. Similarly in autumn, soon upon Sunrise, lotuses began to bloom in plenty while the night-blooming lotuses closed all their petals.

At the time of the new harvest, Vedic Brahmin scholars conducted Yagnas in all cities, towns and villages”.

This Vedic ritual is known as Agreneṣṭi. Vedic scholars of that period diligently abided by the rituals stipulated for the time period. Since this ritual cannot be performed unless there is a timely harvest, Vedic scholars would pray to the Lord to ensure timely harvest everywhere. They pray for good yield and for the well-being of all in the universe. The well-being of the universe is dependent on agriculture. When the yield is good, society thrives. When the society is thriving, Vedic scholars can conduct penance and other rituals peacefully. Veda thrives. They can perform good meritorious activities. Their penance, Yagnas and all other rituals were exclusively linked to time and season. The Lord has commanded the Vedic scholars to pray for the universal well-being.

“While Vedic scholars were engaged in Yagnas, other citizens of the land were engrossed in street plays and other grand celebrations that brought joy to the mind and to the eyes. At this time, the Earth was shining resplendently with all Yagnas, the accompanying celebrations, the bountiful crops and the presence of Śrikrishna and Balarama, the incarnations of the Supreme Lord.

Just as Yogis, whose penance gets interrupted due to the end of their lifespan, obtain bodies of celestials in accordance to their eligibility, the traders, whose journeys had been interrupted due to monsoons, now proceeded to complete their trades”.

All the activities that take place in autumn are detailed. It is autumn that brings joy and peace to people. Such autumn season should rule your mind! You should earn that eligibility!

“With the onset of autumn, ascetics who had halted their activities during monsoon proceeded to meet great saints; students who had completed the Vedic studies returned home to lead a married life and the kings set out on tours so as to conquer the other territories”.

With this the twentieth chapter of the tenth canto comes to an end.

Tenth Canto Chapter Twenty-one

In this chapter, the song of the flute is detailed.

Hymns and songs occupy prominence in Bhagavatam. Every single hymn in Bhagavatam has in it the capacity to convey the entire essence of Bhagavatam! Listening to even one song brings the entire Bhagavatam into our mind.

However, both in content and in in-depth essence, messages conveyed by songs in Bhagavatam far surpasses those conveyed through hymns. These songs are also very tough to understand. Every verse in Bhagavatam contains many different meanings and can be interpreted differently. Understanding the in-depth meaning of one verse is equivalent of understanding the entire Bhagavatam. Such important essence has been given to us by the revered Maharishi Vyasa, who is none other than the Lord himself. He alone is capable of explaining his own story. None apart from Him can justify this subject.

Maharishi Śuka continued, “The waters in the streams that flowed in Brindavan turned pure with the onset of autumn. The wind carried the fragrance of the lotuses as it blew over them and spread the fragrance all through the forest due to which the wind in the forest was cool, pleasant and sweet-smelling.

Together with Balarama and other cowherd boys, Śrikrishna, the Lord of Madhuvana, entered into one such forest for grazing the cattle. That forest was replete with trees that blossomed with bunches of flowers. With its many streams, rivers and mountains, the many intoxicated bees and the chirping of various flocks of birds, the forest was breath-takingly beautiful. On this autumn day, Krishna, began to play his flute”.

This is the first instance wherein the music rendered by Krishna through his flute has been minutely detailed. Although there have been many references to it, until now the music has never been detailed.

“Mother Nature experienced horripilation as soon as He began to play the flute. His flute rendition, that causes hearts to overflow with love, was no ordinary music. Some Gopikas of Brindavan, who heard this enchanting music flowing from His flute, felt their hearts overflow with love. Upon returning to the hamlet, these Gopikas, in the form of a song, described the music in detail to their friends who had stayed back in the hamlet and as such had missed the opportunity to listen to it. Through different songs they explained the beauty of the music that flowed from Krishna’s flute”.

Krishna krishna