Saturday, October 30, 2010

ways to adore Him

Krishna was adored in three different ways: vatsalya bhava, madhura bhava and sakhya bhava.

Nanda and Yashoda, Krishna's foster parents, adored Him in vatsalya bhava, whose spirit is: "How lovely the child is; how pleasingly he speaks, how charming is his smile, how sweet is his mouthing of 'Pa-Pa-Pa Ma-Ma-Ma'. I shall bathe, dress and feed him; make him laugh, caress him, placing him on my lap." Such devotees are busy exclusively with Krishna. Nanda and Yashoda were the first to find the cosmic reflected in Baby Krishna. This is vatsalya bhava. Krishna's biological father Vasudeva and mother Devaki were separated from him after he was born and were therefore deprived of vatsalya bhava. Krishna only returned to them when he was grown up and mature.

Radha attained Krishna through madhura bhava. In Krishna she found everything that was charming and sweet in life. The spirit of madhura bhava is this: "I will make my entire existence, whether physical, mental, social or spiritual one-pointed to derive bliss from Krishna." Usually 99 percent of all devotees maintain Radha bhava due to its sweetness. Never before had anyone attained the Supreme Power in madhura bhava: They attained Him so for the first time in Vraja Krishna. As Vraja Krishna the Lord increased the degree of sweetness by playing His flute. People might say, "I will never look at Him again" – but then the flute's melody would reach their ears their ears and they would say, "How could I not look at him?" Or they might say, "I will never even think of Him again, but will remain content to look after my little worldly family" – but then the notes would call to them: "Why didn't you come today? Are you not coming? I'm waiting for You." This is madhura bhava.

Parama Purusha first appeared as the personification of charm and sweetness, to be attained through madhura bhava, in Vraja Krishna. Krishna is "like the dark patches of cloud which appear as harbingers of hope in the northeastern sky after the scorching heat of summer. He brings hope; Krishna means hope – hope of protection, of deliverance. The very sight of Him brings peace to the mind, delight to the eyes, and joy to the heart. Some chew betel or use other things to colour the lips and mouth, but my Krishna needs nothing except His sweet, enchanting smile."

Krishna is one, but adored in different ways. Radha adored Him in madhura bhava. Yashoda and Nanda worshipped Him in vatsalya bhava, and the cowherds – who had neither schooling nor learning, but who had sincerity and a loving heart – adored Him in sakhya bhava, as a friend. The gods also received Him in sakhya bhava as their friend. Initially the gods accepted Him as their close friend, but later said, "You are our friend, no doubt, but You are much more. You are more radiant than all the world's pearls and jewels put together, You are the helmsman in the ocean of bhava, the expressed universe. You have all the qualities to cross this ocean of bhava. You do not need liberation in this world nor in the next world. I take refuge in You without any fear or reservation, for You are everything."

When I am in trouble, when there is not the faintest trace of a single ray of hope, You appear to allay my doubts and fears, only You can grant liberation to those who seek nothing else but to be freed from worldly bondages after carrying out their worldly duties.

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