Four Things I Didn’t Think I Could Do Before Bhakti

“A person who has extraordinary bodily strength is called baliyan. When Krishna killed Arishtasura, some of the gopis said, "My dear friends, just see how Krishna has killed Arishtasura! Although he was stronger than a mountain, Krishna plucked him up just like a piece of cotton and threw him away without any difficulty!"” (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 21)

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To err is human. Man is fallible, described as chyuta in Sanskrit. Sometimes he falls down. He may fall down repeatedly, failing in one endeavor after another. Seeing what others have, wanting the same, the attempt is made. But the living entity is not the doer, though he makes the choice for action. Nature must give its cooperation.

“The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.27)

The Supreme Lord, on the other hand, is known as baliyan. He has tremendous strength. It is actually at a level impossible to understand. As a small child, Krishna lifts a massive hill and holds it aloft for seven straight days. He picks up a giant bull by the horns and throws it to the ground.

These are miracles to the conditioned living entity, who has limited strength. From Krishna’s perspective, these are ordinary tasks. Mere child’s play. He can do much more, if desired or needed.

Those who connect with Him in a mood of love get some of these abilities. It is like the miracle-capability is sent on loan. Things which were almost impossible before become easy.

1. Getting up early in the morning

In the cold of winter, nothing is worse than having to wake up early and see everyone else in the house enjoying sleep. If only that were you. It was difficult to arise out of bed. Every year the moving of the clocks back one hour helps in this regard.

After taking up bhakti-yoga, the same practice becomes easier. There is an eagerness to start the day, especially with the process of chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. I am following a routine, passed on by the spiritual master. It is best to get the most important work out of the way at the earliest possible time; hence the need to wake up early.

2. Cooking

What was the need? The parents made food at home. If no one was around, just go to one of many restaurants. Have your pick at what to eat. Smartphone technology has made the process easier. Pull up an app and a few swipes later you are done. The food is on its way.

After following bhakti in earnest, there may be a desire to offer foodstuff to Shri Krishna. He accepts pretty much anything, provided there is love and devotion. He gives more details in works like the Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam. Fruits, flowers, water, milk products - He can eat through the deity or picture form.

Well, why not take advantage? Suddenly, what was very difficult before becomes easy. I make a routine out of cooking something from scratch every single day. I offer it nicely and hope that Krishna eats. The resultant food becomes spiritualized and I share it with others. Can life get any better than this?

3. Writing

Probably the toughest class in school, creative writing was dreaded. Ideas are fine. Conversation is no problem. But putting thoughts together, onto paper? That is not so easy. Now that school is finished, no reason to revisit that difficult discipline.

With bhakti the mindset is different. It doesn’t matter what is written, as long as there is some glorification. That is easy, in fact, since Krishna’s glories are endless. He has kindly descended to earth many times, so there is plenty of reference material. In fact, it seems like I could write endlessly about God and devotion to Him. If I got the chance to continue for many lifetimes even, I wouldn’t finish. And there is no problem with that.

4. Singing congregationally

Singing in the car is no problem. In the shower while getting ready for work - that’s easy, too. But in front of other people? Leading a call and response type format, where everybody is paying attention? No way. I would never be able to do that.

After following bhakti it’s not so difficult anymore. There are nerves, no doubt, but there is this feeling of complete helplessness, as well. Total surrender, where the power of the Divine lifts you up and provides the needed help. Singing in a heartfelt way, there is a tremendous rush of blissful feelings. It is like I could continue in this all day, every day.

These are just a few examples. The wise souls always remember from where their power comes, even after extraordinary successes. Shri Hanuman is the best example in this regard. He has done the most amazing things, and yet he is not overly proud at all. He is simply awaiting the next assignment, ready to again please the Supreme Lord Rama.

In Closing:

In early morning difficult to awake,

Initiative not easy to take.

For cooking why the need?

From app and delivery to feed.

But something different now,

Through bhakti transformation how.

Helpless feeling, but work without tiring,

Krishna’s mercy and activities inspiring.

Three Triggers For Greed

“There are three gates leading to this hell - lust, anger, and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 16.21)

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How did it happen? You were doing so well. Next thing you know, it’s like you got thrown deep into a hole that is impossible to get out from. Immense regret. Promises made to never fall into the trap again. Lesson learned. Message received; I’m moving out of this environment.

Greed is known to destroy. A situation that should have made someone happy didn’t. There was a desire for more. In the Bhagavad-gita it is said that greed is one of the gates leading to hell. It should be avoided. Desire should be controlled. There are several triggers, warning signs to keep mind of.

1. The words “limited edition”

Only so many of this particular product will be made. That’s it. No more, no less. Better get your hands on it while you can. The law of supply and demand says that those things which are rare and desired by others will increase in value.

Greed in this situation is the byproduct of the hoarding mentality. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada wisely points out that if a bag of food accidentally falls and breaks open in the street, the pigeons will surely come to partake. But they will only take what they need. They will not think to stock up, to grab everything before another pigeon arrives.

With increased intelligence the human being looks beyond the present time period. Yet greed brings little happiness. Even if I secured thousands of the limited edition product, I can’t really tell anyone. They will get jealous. I must keep it to myself, and I will have something to constantly worry over.

2. Envy

Someone else has so much of that particular product, so let me stock up on something else of value. Previously, I didn’t care. I was content with what I had. But I don’t like this person being so proud of what they have. Let me keep pace.

Greed increases in this way, and the result is the same. If I surpass others, then they will become greedy. If I fail to reach them in the race, then I will be disappointed. It shouldn’t really matter what others have, as that does not affect me at all. I have my own life to live.

3. The temporary nature of the world

Knowledge of this should actually bring vairagya, which is detachment. Whatever I work so hard to accumulate, the fruits of my work driven by greed, will eventually wither away. They will be victims to the falling hourglass of time.

Instead, in ignorance I use this as more impetus to feed greed. I don’t have much time, so let me keep chasing. Let me become as rich as possible, before it is too late.

As the material world is a reflection of the spiritual world, and as everything within a person originally comes from God, greed can have another side to it. It can be spiritualized, in a sense. How, exactly?

See the lives of the saints. See what was important to them, how they were renounced from gathering possessions but fully attached in surrendered service to the Divine. The same Krishna who warns against lobha, or greed, is the person to be worshiped. In the purest way, on the highest platform, that worship is without personal desire.

Not that I set up a worshiping routine in order to get something. Not that I put everything together only to fulfill a particular desire. His association is enough. It is the most valuable possession, and it can come through something as simple as sound: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Let me be greedy for what the saints have. Let me possess a strong desire to keep the image of the Supreme Lord in the mind, where He can be remembered constantly. Such greed will do the most good for me and for others, as the saints have shown.

In Closing:

“Limited edition” words to feed,

Inside me the insatiable greed.

Also when others seeing,

Envy to higher level being.

Or world’s temporary nature recalling,

Hurry now before hourglass falling.

Lives of saints studying and learning,

Real happiness when God’s grace earning.

Like A Cat Chasing A Laser Pointer

“Chanting Shri Rama’s holy name with love, faith and according to regulative principles will be beneficial for you from beginning to end, says Tulsi.” (Dohavali, 23)

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Friend1: Have you ever seen one of those laser pointers?

Friend2: You mean the pen-type thingies?

Friend1: Yes.

Friend2: Sure. You have one?

Friend1: I was thinking about them. They were popular in school.

Friend2: High school or afterwards?

Friend1: In college. Like in a big lecture hall. Did you ever have classes in those?

Friend2: Oh, sure. Especially in the first few years, where the class sizes are larger.

Friend1: A room like that could hold over five hundred students.

Friend2: Yup. It must be different today, with the advancements in technology. People bringing their laptops, smartphones, tablets and the like.

Friend1: In one of my classes there was a prankster that would bring a laser pointer. He would aim the red light right onto the forehead of the teacher. Everyone was giggling, but the professor had no idea why.

Friend2: That is funny. Yeah, those pointers are like that. They shine a bright light on a very small area, discreetly.

Friend1: You know, people use them to play with animals also.

Friend2: What do you mean?

Friend1: If you point the laser at a random area, a cat will chase after it. Then you simply move the light someplace else. The cat will keep going, running from here to there.

Friend2: Some people would say that is animal cruelty.

Friend1: Hey, I’m not the one doing it. Anyway, isn’t it interesting that the cat never figures out what is going on?

Friend2: What do you mean?

Friend1: The cat will chase the light, day after day. Each time it only stops when it gets tired. It doesn’t realize that the owner is playing a trick, that the light is really nothing.

Friend2: That’s true. It’s called animal instincts for a reason. The human birth is distinguished in this way, but only if certain training takes place.

Friend1: Are you saying that we are like the cat and the laser pointer in some ways?

Friend2: In a lot of ways. There is no doubt about it. Prahlada Maharaja refers to it as chewing the chewed. Others call it the wheel of suffering, samsara-chakra. Try one thing, with a specific objective in mind. There is either success or failure. In both cases real happiness doesn’t result, so the same is tried again, and again, and again.

Friend1: Sort of like with drug addiction?

Friend2: That is an egregious form, but you don’t have to go that deep. With drug addiction the cycle is obvious, but take kama in general.

Friend1: Material desire?

Friend2: Yes. Call it lust, too. Take the person who marries multiple times. Each time there is a bitter experience, but the expectation is that the next time will be different. I eat so much today, swearing off rich foods going forward, but rarely does the behavior change. Keep in mind, this cycle continues up until the time of death, and then with rebirth the same starts again.

Friend1: We are more intelligent than the cat, though. We should be able to figure out the pattern.

Friend2: The knowledge is there within us, but it takes someone on the outside to pry it out. That someone is the spiritual master, the guru. That is why in praise of him, wise souls remark how they were previously in the darkness of ignorance. The guru shined the torchlight of knowledge to rescue them.

Friend1: We could say that one description of the guru is the person who helps me to recognize the repeating pattern of attraction and aversion, like and dislike, all encompassed between birth and death.

Friend2: He goes beyond that, hopefully. He shows that there is a true reality, an experience that doesn’t have to be bitter. Just like the object of service Himself, the experience is ever increasing in freshness and bliss.

Friend1: Bhakti-yoga. Devotional service. Be devoted to God. Stay always conscious of Him.

Friend2: Proof is there. Do devotees ever get tired of chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare? Do they ever get tired of hearing Bhagavata-katha, discourses about the Supreme Lord? It’s not silly behavior, either, like the cat with the laser pointer. It is the most important work, and as Goswami Tulsidas says, it is beneficial from beginning to end.

In Closing:

When efforts towards God to send,

Then bliss from start to end.

So even the past seeing purification,

And of future karma nullification.

Be not like cat the laser chasing,

Where next day memory erasing.

From guru showing the way,

Begin transformation today.

Four Languages That Krishna Can Speak

“An old woman in Vrindavana, present at the time of Krishna’s pastimes, once stated in surprise: ‘How wonderful it is that Krishna, who owns the hearts of all the young girls of Brajabhumi, can nicely speak the language of Brajabhumi with the gopis, while in Sanskrit He speaks with the demigods, and in the language of the animals He can even speak with the cows and buffalo! Similarly, in the language of the Kashmere Province, and with the parrots and other birds, as well as in most common languages, Krishna is so expressive!’” (The Nectar Of Devotion, Ch 21)

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The written word is nothing more than a simple sound recording system. The combination of letters and punctuation marks, put together intelligently, is meant for passing on and then decoding messages. There is an originating source, and the receiver is able to get the exact message, without deviation, that could have emanated thousands of years back.

Literacy is required to be able to decode the messages, i.e. the ability to read. Even after years of schooling, perhaps a person knows how to read one or two languages. In special cases, they learn more, but the world is diverse. It is practically impossible for a person to know every language that exists.

Since the Supreme Personality of Godhead resides within the heart of every living thing, He witnesses everything that happens. He sees and hears. In that hearing He is able to understand. No one can trick Him by speaking in code.

When Goswami Tulsidas authored the Ramacharitamanasa, certain people took exception to the fact that the deeds of the Supreme Lord Rama were being presented in a common language, Avadhi, instead of Sanskrit. The narrow-minded view is a de facto insult to the Supreme Lord Himself, who through His own dealings in the form of Krishna interacted in different languages.

1. Sanskrit

This is the oldest known language in the world, and its script is called Devanagari. The literal translation for that word is “city of the gods.” The gods, or devas, live in the heavenly realm, and so they are in the mode of goodness, which is rare to find on earth. In that highest culture, the refined way of living, the most beautiful language is spoken, which happens to be the most difficult to learn and understand, as well.

Shri Krishna spoke with the demigods in Sanskrit because that is their language. They use words from that language to glorify Him. This practice contributes to the name of Uttamashloka applying to Krishna. One way to know God is to see that the best shlokas, or verses, are used to communicate with Him.

2. The language of the animals

Though they can’t understand us fully, we know that certain animals talk. There is communication. In biology there is an entire discipline focused on identifying birds based on their calls. This means that there is a unique communication system.

Shri Krishna speaks with the animal community, especially in the sacred land of Vrindavana. Cows and calves are abundant, as well as parrots and other birds. The parrots are known for passing on descriptions of the pastimes between Krishna and His beloved Radharani. They sometimes carry messages between the two.

3. Common languages

Wherever Krishna goes He can speak the language. In the Nectar of Devotion this characteristic is attached to someone known as a linguist. Not that the Supreme Lord has to undertake years of study. The knowledge is always with Him. Since He is connected to everyone, He can speak without issue. He can understand simply through the thoughts of those reaching out to Him.

4. Brajabhumi

This is the language spoken by the people in Vrindavana. The residents are special, but notice that they are not Sanskrit scholars. That is not a knock against them in the least. Krishna loves to spend time there. It is said that He really never leaves that place. When travelling to Mathura, Dvaraka or other places, it is an expansion of Krishna which departs.

The Braja language is so appreciated by devotees that many saints have written books and composed songs in it. It is something like the peacock feather. The peacock doesn’t really have the best behavior or characteristics. But since Krishna wears its feather on His head, the mere sight brings ecstasy to devotees.

Krishna speaks Brajabhumi in order to be close with those who are closest with Him in terms of consciousness. The idea is that the merciful Lord is so kind that He will make every attempt to maintain the connection that a person wants to keep with Him. This is the other side of the bhakti-yoga process, the side where help arrives from the person who is infallible and all-powerful.

In Closing:

Krishna travelling wherever to go,

Instinctively the language to know.

Like with demigods Sanskrit speaking,

With animals communication seeking.

Brajabhumi common to that place,

With residents of devotion’s face.

In any place, whether large or small,

Not prohibited Shri Krishna to call.

Two Examples Of Krishna Being Baliyan

“When Krishna killed Arishtasura, some of the gopis said, ‘My dear friends, just see how Krishna has killed Arishtasura! Although he was stronger than a mountain, Krishna plucked him up just like a piece of cotton and threw him away without any difficulty!’ There is another passage wherein it is said: ‘O my dear devotees of Lord Krishna, may the left hand of Lord Krishna, which has lifted Govardhana Hill like a ball, save you from all dangers.’” (The Nectar of Devotion, Ch 21)

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The Sanskrit word Bhagavan refers to someone who possesses fortunes, or bhaga. This word appropriately affixes to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Almighty, God, Ishvara, or whatever the otherwise preferred form of address. If there is a supreme being, He must hold all fortunes. He must have them to the highest degree and simultaneously.

The venerable Parashara Muni enumerates six kinds of fortunes belonging to Bhagavan, and one of them is strength. Another word to describe this attribute is baliyan. This refers to extraordinary strength, even beyond what we are accustomed to seeing. Take the strongest person in the world as the reference point, and then understand that Bhagavan is stronger than them. There is no limit to this opulence in Him, and a few incidents from Krishna-lila provide evidence.

1. Picking up Arishtasura

God as a bullfighter? Not quite. In the modern day form, with bullfighting the animal charges at a man, who then deftly moves out of the way. That in itself is quite a skill. To step in the ring requires bravery. There is great risk involved.

Imagine the situation in Vrindavana, then. A giant bull appeared in the community; a place which was otherwise peaceful. This bull was so big that when it stomped on the ground, the earth shook. The cows and calves were deathly afraid.

This was no ordinary bull. It was an asura, or bad character, with special abilities. Named Arishtasura, it was one among many villains to come to Vrindavana with the hope of killing Krishna, the prophesized death-agent for the king of Mathura.

Since Krishna is Bhagavan, He cannot be killed. Though in the form of a boy at the time, there was still full strength. Krishna stepped up and challenged the giant bull. The Supreme Lord stood as the bull charged, but instead of moving out of the way at the last second, He grabbed the bull by the horns and threw him.

Arishtasura was not deterred. He got up and charged again. This time Krishna caught him and threw him to the ground, kicking him afterwards. That was enough for the bull to give up his body, in the most auspicious way.

2. Picking up Govardhana Hill

You have unusual strength. That is established. No argument here. But what is the strength going to do for you against a torrential downpour? Has anyone yet defeated the weather? There is a reason earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes and the like are referred to as “acts of God.” The best hope is to survive by escaping the path.

Once again in Vrindavana, this attack came from the heavens, instigated by an angry and envious king of heaven. Indra sent the cloud that is typically reserved for the dissolution of the world. There was so much rain and sleet that it looked like there was no hope.

In response, the baliyan Krishna lifted up the just worshiped Govardhana Hill. This is a massive piece of land, both in weight and circumference. In competition weightlifters succeed by raising heavy objects for a few seconds. Bhagavan is much more powerful, so He held Govardhana Hill aloft for seven straight days, making it the world’s largest and most beautiful umbrella.

Bhagavan uses His strength for the protection of the devotees. He has no reason to show off, as there is no insecurity in Him. He is not threatened by anyone’s strength, for every ability is borrowed from the Supreme Lord anyway. For those devoted to Him, Krishna enhances their strength, such as seen with the ability of some to chant the holy names lifetime after lifetime: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Inundating with tremendous rain to fill,

Krishna solved through lifting sacred hill.

Held aloft on pinky a tremendous sight,

Heaviest object treated like feather light.

Arishtasura a bull charging fast,

Against Yashoda’s child not to last.

Unusual strength, but for devotees to use,

Passed on for those who bhakti choose.

Where Does Krishna Say That He Always Tries To Please His Devotees

“As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna always tries to please His devotees, and the devotees try to please Krishna. As the devotees always think of Krishna within their hearts, so Krishna also thinks of His devotees within Himself. When Kubja was converted into a beautiful society girl, she wanted Krishna to come to her place so that she could try to receive and worship Him in her own way.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 47)

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Friend1: Bhakti-yoga is about pleasing the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I get that.

Friend2: Remember, it’s more than just speculating on what to do.

Friend1: What do you mean?

Friend2: Well, suppose a person wants to please God. They believe in Him, but they want to progress further. They’ll think up of ways to do that.

Friend1: Sure. Understandable.

Friend2: They might decide to do good deeds. Be kind to others. Be charitable. Don’t tell lies.

Friend1: Those are all good. You don’t agree?

Friend2: It’s certainly beneficial to go down that path, but again this is just speculating. The atheist can do the same things. Are they pleasing God?

Friend1: I would think.

Friend2: On the one hand they are giving in charity and on the other they are telling people that God doesn’t exist, that this life is it. You think that will please Him? Would it make you happy if I said that your parents don’t exist?

Friend1: Some people would be very happy to hear that.

Friend2: Take any person that is dear to you. Someone else then criticizes, to the greatest extent.

Friend1: Right. I get what you are saying. So bhakti-yoga is the authorized way to please God?

Friend2: There you go. Exactly. You have the desire. You have a specific objective. Now go down the right path. The guru shines the light of knowledge on the outside, while on the inside the Supreme Lord is doing the same.

“To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 10.10)

Friend1: Okay, that’s fine. It’s a given that the devotee is trying to please. I read somewhere in the purports of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada that Krishna is always trying to please the devotees, too.

Friend2: Oh, for sure. He is not a statue, you know. Don’t be fooled into thinking that just because the deity in the temple was originally stone, wood or brass that there is a lack of potency. God can do anything with any aspect of His transcendental body.

Friend1: I’m not really debating the point, but what if someone asks for proof?

Friend2: You mean through pastimes, lila?

Friend1: Or a specific verse, say from the Bhagavad-gita. Does Krishna say anywhere that He is always trying to please the devotee?

Friend2: It’s implied for sure. He says that one who sees Him everywhere is never lost to Him. This means active oversight, as opposed to indirect supervision offered to those under the control of the modes of material nature. And from the pastime angle, you could take Krishna’s stealing of butter from the homes of the neighbors in Gokula as the best evidence.

Friend1: Yes, the butter thief.

Friend2: He knew what would please the gopis, and so He would always do that. He met with the hunchback woman named Kubja in Mathura and pleased her in the way that she wanted.

Friend1: Is there one specific verse, though?

Friend2: Krishna also says that the devotees always think of Him, that they derive great pleasure talking about Him. For such people He shines the lamp of knowledge from within. He guides them. That is giving pleasure back. There is no way to deny it. Any person who really challenges you on this point is envious of Krishna. They want to take away His supreme standing over all that be, just like the foolish who think that He assumes the form of the visible incarnation.

“Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.11)

Friend1: Makes sense to me. If He wasn’t trying to please His devotees He wouldn’t have been on the chariot with Arjuna to begin with.

In Closing:

From Bhagavad-gita verse to state,

That deriving pleasure great.

Of His deeds devotees talking,

Steadily on bhakti path walking.

Guru on outside shining the light,

Krishna the same on inside bright.

Reciprocal, pleasure looking to give back,

Like into gopis’ homes for butter attack.

Three Reasons Krishna Is Known As Gopala

“Nondevotees cannot give any nomenclature for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, yet the Lord is known as Shyamasundara and Giridhari. Similarly, the Lord is known as Devaki-nandana and Yashoda-nandana because He accepted the role of son for mother Devaki and mother Yashoda, and He is known as Gopala because He enjoyed the sport of maintaining the cows and calves.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.2.36 Purport)

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One of the countless names for Bhagavan is Gopala. This name is especially relevant in certain sections of the Shrimad Bhagavatam, also known as the Bhagavata Purana. Bhagavan is the highly fortunate one, and the work that best describes Him is Bhagavata. Devotees are also known as bhagavata since they are always connected to Him in yoga.

The beautiful name of Gopala has several meanings, and they each fit the Supreme Lord. Proof is there in His activities, descriptions of which the saints have kindly passed down from generation to generation.

1. Protector of the cows

This is a common depiction of Bhagavan. In paintings and pictures, He is in a youthful form, associated with one or many cows. One of His other names is Govinda, which has a meaning of “giver of pleasure to the cows.”

Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religion - this is one of the conditions for the Divine descents. That accounts for the when, but the where is not always the same. Perhaps the most famous descent, or avatara, is Shri Krishna, who spends a significant portion of time in the farm community of Vrindavana.

A neighboring place, considered part of greater Vrindavana, is Gokula. This is the family of cows, and Krishna’s foster father Nanda Maharaja owns thousands of them. This is not for killing later on or selling to a butcher. The cows are protected for life, and because of that they produce a seemingly endless supply of milk. The resulting products are used to sustain the community. Tax to the neighboring town of Mathura is paid in the form of these products, as well.

Krishna is Gopala because He gives protection to the cows. He looks after them. Even at a young age He gets responsibilities. He and His friends take the calves out every day to the fields. If the sacred animals should happen to wander astray, there is no worry. Gopala simply climbs to the top of Govardhana Hill, plays His flute, and watches everyone come back. That lovely sound grabs the attention of the pure devotees, which Vrindavana is full of, for every kind of species.

Cows are very dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A person may ask why a cow over other animals. They may ask what is the need for caring so much about one kind of species, when the human birth is meant for escaping the cycle of birth and death, which is fueled in one way through strong attachment.

Aside from the physical evidence in the form of Krishna’s lila, or pastimes, there is the fact that cows are one of the most important mothers in the world. Mothers should always be protected, and the cow provides so much value to society otherwise. The auspiciousness should simply be accepted at first, and confirmation of the principle will arrive later on through continued connection to Gopala in yoga.

2. Protector of the senses

“Pala” refers to a protector or keeper, and “go” can also refer to the senses. Controlling the senses, which include the mind in the proper analysis, is very difficult. The great bow-warrior Arjuna compares the mind to the wind, something which cannot be caught.

“For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krishna, and to subdue it is, it seems to me, more difficult than controlling the wind.” (Arjuna, Bhagavad-gita, 6.34)

Without control of the senses, a person cannot become a yogi, and without becoming a yogi a person cannot completely escape the cycle of birth and death. One obvious route is to practice sense control. Don’t eat so much. Don’t sleep too much. Keep an eye on attachments. The benefits are already known even in material life.

An easier way is to surrender to Shri Krishna. As Gopala He will help in protecting the senses. His help is known to be without blemishes. That is to say if I try myself I’m not guaranteed to succeed. I might be in a yogic trance for thousands of years, and suddenly it gets broken.

Whereas with bhakti-yoga, even if I slip up Krishna will bring me back on track. This is provided my desire to be with Him is sincere. Consciousness is the key, and in bhakti-yoga the Supreme Consciousness acts as the greatest purifying agent.

3. Protector of the land

Gopala is also the protector of the land of Vrindavana. Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has declared that as Krishna is worshipable, so is His land. One might say that the entire universe originally comes from God, so does this mean that everything is worshipable? If I go up to any patch of grass, am I connecting with the Supreme Lord?

Certainly a wise person sees the presence of the Supersoul, Paramatma, in every situation and in every place, but worship of Krishna is the more direct method. Therefore certain places are known to be more associated with Him, i.e. there is a direct connection.

It is said that Krishna never leaves Vrindavana; He is there right now. Through purification resulting from practice of bhakti-yoga under the guidance of authority the eyes are able to realize this amazing truth. Gopala is everywhere in His favorite pastime places, protecting the land, the cows, and the people who reside there, never forgetting them.

In Closing:

Favor to the calves and cows shown,

Reason for as Gopala is known.

So much pleasure to the senses giving,

That in yoga even mistakes forgiving.

Also carefully watching over land,

Providing attentive protecting hand.

Who to everyone still visible clear,

In their hearts Gopala always dear.