Narayana Srihare Krishna

Maharishi Śuka continued, “Unmindful of their husbands, brothers, uncles, sons and other male members of their family who were chastising them, the ladies rushed forward to meet Krishna”

The men admonished the ladies who were carrying away the food meant to be offered to the Lord as part of the Yagna ritual. By touching the cooked food, the ladies had defiled the food. Food meant to be offered during Yagna should not be seen by others until the offering to the Lord is complete. Until those who are in the Yagna deeksha are fed, others should not even eat. The Brahmins were distraught that the ladies were rushing with this food and were about to serve some lowly cowherd boys and hence reprimanded them. Unmindful of this, the ladies continued to run eagerly towards Krishna. They believed that seeing Balarama and Krishna was the ultimate fortune that they could ever be blessed with! It was the highest Yoga!

“For a very long period of time, they had been hearing about Srikrishna, the Supreme Lord who has the highest repute”.

Having heard all the glories and extra-ordinary deeds of Krishna, they were convinced that He was the Supreme Lord. They considered themselves fortunate to be bestowed with the ability to serve the Lord on that day. That Supreme Lord, for whose darshan ascetics undertake rigorous austerities declining the comforts of heaven and even of Vaikunṭha, was now in the forests near their home and asking for food. Could there be any fortune greater than seeing Him in person? The ladies, who were filled with such devotion, could not be dissuaded by any male member of the family. ‘Although dharmic rules state that being my husband you are my God, but when God himself has arrived here one should discard all dharmas and merge into Him alone. Abiding by this rule, I am going to see Him’- each lady thought thus. Dharma should be followed. But when the Lord has arrived, then one should surrender totally into Him.

“The minds of these ladies were established completely in Him alone! On the banks of Yamuna, there was a garden of Ashoka trees filled with newly sprouting shoots. Therein the wives of the Brahmins spotted Srikrishna, who was wandering leisurely together with brother Balarama and other cowherd boys”.

Overruling the commands of their male members, the ladies rushed down to the garden where Krishna was grazing the cattle. ‘You can continue your austerities and other disciplines. We are unconcerned. Our minds and our eyes are filled with the Supreme Lord. His thoughts have filled us completely. Now He is here within vicinity. We are rushing to merge into Him’- saying so, the ladies had come running.

“The deep-longing desire of these ladies was fulfilled. Their eyes feasted upon the Lord who was before them. At that time, Krishna had draped a golden-silken garment around His waist. This dark-complexioned Lord was wearing a flower garland around His neck. Peacock feathers and tender shoots decorated His head. His appearance was delightful and beyond description! His form matched exactly the form which they had visualised in their minds. It was the form they eternally described to one another. Like an actor, little Krishna appeared to have painted His body with all minerals”.

The Lord did not have to apply minerals on His body. His body naturally glowed in many colours. When we need to enact the role of Krishna, we have to paint our body with so many colours, all of which are created from chemicals. It is a painful exercise. He was bluish-black in complexion; the colour of the blue sky. Many Mahatmas have composed songs describing this bluish-black complexion of His. He appeared like an actor who had donned that appearance.

At the same time, it is true that He was an actor who was enacting His role in this world. Enveloping himself in illusion, removing that illusion, throwing people into illusion and freeing them from it and in the process destroying their arrogance while teaching them a lesson- He was enacting a drama. Destroying demons, protecting the virtuous, protecting dharma- these were His activities.

“He rested one arm on the shoulder of another companion while playing with a lotus held in His other hand”.

Krishna had playfully rested His hand on the shoulder of his associate. With the other hand, He was swirling a lotus. This form is of great significance. In this form, He was not holding a flute but a lotus. The significance contained in both is vastly different. Swamiji is planning to ask some artist-devotees to sketch this form. He should be worshipped in this form too. After all, this is the form in which he blessed the wives of the Brahmins engaged in Yagna. It is rare to find Him resting His arm on another associate. Paintings of Krishna resting His arm on the cow is common.

Why did the Lord rest His arm on a friend’s shoulder? Why did He hold the lotus? Why did He wear golden garments? Why did He adorn his head with peacock feathers? Why did He wear tender leaves? Why was He wearing a garland of fresh flowers? A deep hidden symbolism is contained in each of these decorations.

“Water-lilies decorated His ears while curly locks were beautifying His cheeks”.

Aha! This was the Lord’s complete form. It was the form these ladies had visualized and would perpetually describe to each other.

“A charming smile decorated His lotus face”.

Krishna Krishna