Part 60 (1/2)

It is to those and those only that eagerly desire to make this inward journey that the Vrindavana Lila is addressed.

Nanda is bliss, he is spiritual Bliss the Bliss of an Antar Mukha. It is spiritual bliss that attracts spirit unto itself. It is the field for spiritual growth, the nursery ground of enthusiastic devotion and, what is more, of devotional love. The ideal spiritual bliss is that of Radhika and of her fellow Gopis. It is the Bliss aspect of isvara that in the Jiva causes mutual attractions and makes devotion a law, a necessity. Reflected in the Universe at large, it is the one bond that holds together all beings, and becomes a force of attraction on all planes. Man is guided by bliss in his relations to the Universe. He is guided by bliss in his relation to himself.

Nanda is located in the brain, in the thousand-petalled Lotus. The spiritual seat in the head is Gokul, the first abode of Nanda.

Krishna appears in Gokul. The devotee sets out on his devotional journey.

The first impediment of a devotee is Mala or impurity. In spite of himself, he cannot get the better of his pa.s.sions, his personal desires.

They have such a strong and apparent charm, there is such an hereditary and acc.u.mulated attraction toward them, that they easily overcome the devotional life in its infancy. The fascinating Putana overtook all by her charms and she found an easy access to Krishna himself. She made an attempt to nurse Krishna with poisoned milk. She was killed and Mala was removed (X. 6.)

The next impediment is Vikshepa or distraction. The mind, with its load of outside experiences always responding to the outside world, is so much distracted, thinking now of this and now of that, that it has to be set right before further development is possible. The cart has to be upturned, with its load of food-articles, the cart of mind with its load of experiences. That is, the man has to become Antarmukha (X. 7.) When this is done, the Asura of distraction, Trinavarta or whirlwind, is easily killed (X. 7.). The Gopis were now void of impurities and void of distraction; yet more they were being attracted to Krishna. Krishna favored them by stealing the fruits of their karma or action and accepting them for himself. Sri Krishna said to Arjuna, ”You have a right to the Karma only and not to the fruits thereof.” The senses of the Gopis used to roam about in the performance of daily duties, and they brought back perceptions and conceptions for the day which were worked out by the Gopis as duty required. The perceptions and conceptions are the milk-products and milk. They were churned into the karma of the Gopis. The senses are the cows; the outside objects of perception, their gra.s.s. The Brahma Vaivarta Purana says: - ”_Ghrita_ is obtained from milk, _Yajna_ is performed with _Ghrita_, and all happiness arises out of the performance of Yajna.” _Prakriti Khanda_.

The preparation of milk products is the karma or sacrifice of the Gopis.

(X. 8.).

The husk-stand is the discriminating faculty, that which separates the husk from the grains. When Krishna becomes fastened to the discriminating faculty (not that any one can fasten him with any effort of his own), when right and wrong are centered in him, self becomes abnegated and offered up entirely to Krishna, Egoism and ignorance, the pair of Arjuna trees disappear, though deeply rooted in man (X. 10).

When fruits are offered to Krishna, there is a rich return (X. 11.).

We have reached here a point in spiritual progress. Personality has been completely given up. Brain intellect is no longer congenial to spiritual progress. The head r.e.t.a.r.ds the spiritual man and does not carry him forward.

The elders of Gokula sat in council and they decided to leave Gokula for Vrindavana.

Vrindavana is the Heart. The eight-petalled lotus in the heart is the permanent abode of Sri Krishna. The twelve forests are twelve centres 4 x 3, the primary number being 4, the number of the sacred Tetraktys.

Within the heart, the only Purusha is Sri Krishna. AH others have to make themselves pa.s.sive to Him. The Gopis, the ideal devotees of the Purusha in the heart, left the world outside, their husbands and homes, and placed themselves entirely at the service of the Divine Lord. Let us approach the sublime truths of the Vrindavana Upasana with the utmost solemnity possible. Those who cannot bring themselves to an exalted appreciation of the Vrindavana Lila had better not read the Bhagavata at all.

The Gopas and Gopis went to Vrindavana. Rama and Krishna headed the Gopa boys and looked after the calves.

What are the cows and calves? Who are the Gopas, the Gopa boys and the Gopis?

Once more let us understand the triad - Adhyatma, Adhibhuta and Adhidaiva. Take sight.

The sense of sight comes in contact with the outside world and carries the perception of sight to the possessor of the eye, under the guidance of a conscious energy. The senses and the mind are Cows or Adhyatma. The outside world is gra.s.s or Adhibhuta. The possessor of the senses and the mind is the Gopi, the Ego or Jiva. In Vrindavana, the Gopis are the highest Jivas or Ris.h.i.+s, as explained in the Upanishads. The conscious energy is the Gopa or Adhideva.

The Adhidevas are the Vedic Devas, as we have already seen.

The Gopas are reincarnations of the Devas, as explained in the Upanishads.

Ordinarily the Gopas lead the cows or the Adhi-Davas lead the senses, but in Vrindavana the Devas surrender themselves entirely to Krishna.

The calves or the Vatsas are the modifications of the senses and the mind - the Vrittis.

In Vrindavana, Rama and Krishna first tended the calves. The Gopa boys were the attendants of Rama and Krishna, the parishads or companions who reached very near the state of divinity, the work-mates of Bhagavan in the preservation of the universe.

The Lord tended the Vrittis of the mind. Therefore they could not go astray.

Now let us follow up the working of the divine in the heart of the individual and the killing of all obstacles.

_Vatsa, Baka, Agha and Brahma_. - The Vatsa Asura is a Vritti of the mind. If a non-spiritual Vritti becomes unconsciously mixed up with the spiritual Vrittis of the mind, it has instantly to be killed.