“In this way Krishna and Balarama passed Their childhood age in Vrajabhumi by engaging in activities of childish play, such as playing hide-and-seek, constructing a make-believe bridge on the ocean, and jumping here and there like monkeys.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.11.59)

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एवं विहारै: कौमारै: कौमारं जहतुर्व्रजे ।
निलायनै: सेतुबन्धैर्मर्कटोत्‍प्लवनादिभि: ॥

evaṁ vihāraiḥ kaumāraiḥ
kaumāraṁ jahatur vraje
nilāyanaiḥ setu-bandhair
markaṭotplavanādibhiḥ

1. The universal form

“It is so amazing. The entirety of creation. The different planets. The sun. The moon. The various controllers, who are known as devas. Arjuna is so fortunate to have received this vision. He really appreciated it. The wicked Duryodhana also had a similar interaction, but of a different nature. He remained inimical towards Krishna, after the fact.”

2. Krishna stealing butter

“It is so wonderful. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is a subordinate. He is stealing butter from the neighbors in Vrindavana. The person who cannot be caught by jnana, yoga, karma, and the like is fully under the control of mother Yashoda. This is how God truly is. This is an accurate depiction. He is kindness and compassion personified.”

…

If given the choice, saints of the Vaishnava tradition choose the latter. They prefer to meditate on Shri Krishna as a young child, a dependent, a person under the control of superiors within the farm community of Vrindavana.

They arrive at this choice through proper deliberation, consideration, and contemplation. It is not a choice based merely on sentiment. The saints who meditate on this image are known to be fully renounced from life, with no material attachments. They are saints like Shukadeva Gosvami, who literally emerged from the womb as a liberated soul, an avadhuta.

The universal form is a valid image for contemplation. It is the sum of everything put into a single display, with both three dimensions and a time element. The constant companion of the Supreme Lord, born with the Divine qualities, Arjuna, specifically requests to see the universal form.

एवमेतद्यथात्थ त्वमात्मानं परमेश्वर ।
द्रष्टुमिच्छामि ते रूपमैश्वरं पुरुषोत्तम ॥

evametadyathāttha tvamātmānaṃ parameśvara ।
draṣṭumicchāmi te rūpamaiśvaraṃ puruṣottama ॥

“O greatest of all personalities, O supreme form, though I see here before me Your actual position, I yet wish to see how You have entered into this cosmic manifestation. I want to see that form of Yours.” (Arjuna, Bhagavad-gita, 11.3)

To the wise person, the truth is already known. They do not require an image to believe that everything exists. Only a fool would think that the sum collection of objects in the category of what they already see around them is a figment of the imagination, a product of mythology, or something which cannot be proven empirically.

The image of Krishna stealing butter proves the potential for interaction. It gives a glimpse into the life of liberation. Basically, after I am free from the cycle of birth and death, activity continues. One way for that action to proceed is association with Krishna in Vrindavana.

There is also more at which to marvel in that image. The person who is topmost, Purushottama, is running around like a child. He is not asking politely. He is literally stealing, after creating elaborate plots. He is not making anyone poor, but their attention is still always on Him.

Moreover, the Krishna stealing butter is not angry. He is not bitter. He is not looking for revenge. He is not as miserable as the people conjuring up the image of an angry God based on their foolishness. Rather, Krishna is blissful throughout. He is so happy to be amongst those who love Him the most.

The universe continues to operate. It has its own cycle of appearance and disappearance. There is population and withdrawal between those two endpoints. The living beings associating with that playing field are almost helpless to the process. They think they are strong. They think they have vitality. They think they can remain forever, but time always gives the final lesson.

भूत-ग्रामः स एवायं
भूत्वा भूत्वा प्रलीयते
रात्र्य्-आगमे ऽवशः पार्थ
प्रभवत्य् अहर्-आगमे

bhūta-grāmaḥ sa evāyaṁ
bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate
rātry-āgame ‘vaśaḥ pārtha
prabhavaty ahar-āgame

“Again and again the day comes, and this host of beings is active; and again the night falls, O Partha, and they are helplessly dissolved.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.19)

Whereas the interaction with Krishna is eternal. I can always feed Him butter. I can always give Him offerings. This gives me the greatest pleasure in the current lifetime, and the magnitude only grows with time. Nothing is lost in the process, and I get to stay within that seat of meditation for as long as I want.

In Closing:

Perpetually in that seat,
Where Shri Krishna to meet.

And butter kindly giving,
As if in Vrindavana living.

Where store graciously to keep,
When into homes to sneak.

More than virat-rupa to know,
God’s true nature to show.

Categories: the two

Tags: god, hare krishna, krishna lila, poem, poems, poetry, virat rupa