Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Notes on Niranjana Swami's evening lecture

Niranjana Swami praises Dhanesvara Prabhu for his attempts to introduce Vedic economic ideas to the devotees and the general populace of Ukraine for the last year as a new resident of the country.
Maharaja has decided to travel on a limited basis and stay longer in each place. He proposed to the GBC that he would stay in Ukraine for four months next year.
Every day during Karttika we should chant the "Damodarastaka" prayers. Even an insincere person who renders regulated devotional service to Lord Damodara in Mathura or Vrindavan during the month of Karttika attains the platform of pure devotional service. We generally do this by chanting the "Damodarastaka" by Satyavrata Muni which describes two moods, mostly, the parental rasa of Yasoda and briefly, the conjugal rasa of Radharani. He tells that in ISKCON we have our Radha-Damodara in Gitanagari. They were so named because originally they were on the Radha-Damodara traveling bus program and for safety reasons had to be tied in place, thus Srila Prabhupada named them Radha-Damodara, because Damodara means bound around the abdomen with a rope. He said that once Prabhupada briefly rode on that bus, and the devotees present then have colorful stories to tell about that.
Mother Yasoda personally churned the yogurt into butter for Krishna's pleasure although she had many servants who could do the work. She chose the milk from the cows that grazed over the choicest grass on Govardhan Hill because she wanted the best for Krishna. She would sing Krishna's glories as she churned. Prabhupada said that formerly people who wanted to remember someone's activities would turn them into songs.
Despite Yasoda's affectionate care, Krishna sought butter elsewhere. And thus He became a thief and a liar. He is the supreme autocrat and can do whatever He wants. And the people are spontaneously attracted to whatever He does. He does not have to think how to satisfy people, although He does, since His activities are naturally attractive.
Kunti was bewildered that Krishna was genuinely afraid of his mother and was crying out of fear. Had Krishna pretended to cry to please Mother Yasoda, that would be understandable, but He was really afraid and really cried, and that was bewildering.
The elderly gopis were laughing as they watched Yasoda trying to tie Krishna with a rope because every day she easily puts a belt around His waist when she dresses Him. Yasoda asked them to bring all the ropes in the village to bind him up. Finally because of her love, yogamaya arranged that Yasoda successfully bind Him.
Krishna uses His omniscience and other kinds of opulence to protect His Vrindavana devotees, but otherwise His opulence is covered.
He tells how Mother Saci was always thinking of Nimai [Lord Caitanya] as Mother Yasoda was always thinking of Krishna. Once Nimai, in a rowdy mood, destroyed everything in the house and even the house itself, and Saci was worried how she could continue to serve Him without any resources. A couple days later, Nimai appeared with two tolas of gold.
Krishna would cause all kinds of trouble in the village, and when the villagers came to Yasoda to accuse Krishna, Krishna would act like He knew nothing about it and they were all false accusations. When Yasoda would punish Krishna, He would take shelter of His father, Nanda Maharaja, who would reprimand Yasoda for siding with the gopis and daring to chastise his sweet son, Krishna.