Graduating Beyond General Awareness

“My dear father, I am very respectfully and humbly inquiring. What is this arrangement? Why you are busy in making some sacrificial ceremony, what is the reason, and what is the result? For whose benefit is it and by what means will it be accomplished?” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.24.3)

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कथ्यतां मे पित: कोऽयं सम्भ्रमो व उपागत:
किं फलं कस्य वोद्देश: केन वा साध्यते मख:

kathyatāṁ me pitaḥ ko ’yaṁ
sambhramo va upāgataḥ
kiṁ phalaṁ kasya voddeśaḥ
kena vā sādhyate makhaḥ

“Has anyone bothered to ask why Krishna meddled in the affairs in Vrindavana? We celebrate today in the annual tradition known as Govardhana Puja. That tradition did not manifest on its own. There is an entire history to the affair, with associated date, time, and location.

“We tend to prepare in an appropriate manner. Up to fifty-six different offerings. Chappan bhog. Chanting, dancing, and feasting. Everyone is happy to address Krishna as Giridhari. During the year, they sometimes visit the site of that first puja. They circumambulate Govardhana Hill, asking for a spot of devotion, bhakti, in return for the vow, vrata.

“Okay, I am not arguing against the benefits of the tradition. Govardhana Puja is certainly a festive occasion, but Nanda Maharaja was not doing anything wrong. The people of the community were accustomed to worshiping Indra, who is the king of heaven.

“This is how civilized societies operate. They understand that man cannot survive on its own. There has to be assistance from nature, at the very least. The sun. The clouds. The sky. The earth. The various animals. Just consider the benevolence of the cow, and how it produces so much for the benefit of mankind.

“What was the need to disrupt the flow of appreciation? Why did Krishna have to interfere amongst a population which was already pious in nature? It is not like they were atheists.”

There is the saying that it is impossible to read the mind of a sadhu, who is a saintly person. We cannot understand their motivations precisely because we are guided by dualities. We are overcome by attraction and aversion, which is a problem plaguing practically the entire society.

इच्छाद्वेषसमुत्थेन द्वन्द्वमोहेन भारत
सर्वभूतानि संमोहं सर्गे यान्ति परन्तप

icchādveṣasamutthena dvandvamohena bhārata
sarvabhūtāni saṃmohaṃ sarge yānti parantapa

“O scion of Bharata [Arjuna], O conquerer of the foe, all living entities are born into delusion, overcome by the dualities of desire and hate.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.27)

The sadhu is above such dualities. They obviously see with distinctions in the manner of managing daily affairs, but they simultaneously maintain the spiritual vision. They see the spirit soul in everything that is living, and they understand that there is one chief eternal who maintains all of the other eternals.

“The Upanishadic verse runs as follows: nityo nityanam chetanash chetananam. The purport is that amongst all the living entities, both conditioned and liberated, there is one supreme living personality, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who maintains them and gives them all the facility of enjoyment according to different work.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita, 15.17 Purport)

As it is impossible to read the mind of the sadhu, the same applies to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Shri Krishna asked a series of questions to Nanda Maharaja. The foundation was kim phalam. What is the purpose of the sacrifice about to be conducted? What is the use?

Krishna already knew the answer, but He intentionally wanted to hear it spoken by Nanda. Because once the answer is provided, it is on record. The record can then be dissected. It is like offering a response in a debate. The challenger can then base their response on the content.

General awareness is good. The tendency towards religion is what separates the human being from the animals. The people of Gokula-Vrindavana must have been pious; otherwise Vishnu would not have appeared before them as the adorable Krishna.

The interference was intentional. The answer to the kim phalam question could also be satisfied in worshiping Govardhana Hill, which was dear to the cows. Nothing would be lost in the process. The cows were everything to the community, so if the cows were pleased how could there not be auspiciousness in return?

It should also be noted that the animal community does not follow religion. They eat, sleep, mate, and defend. They work in such a way as to maintain life. They are trying to enjoy, but they do not have the capability to conduct yajna.

At the same time, they are eating. They enjoy the benefits of rainfall. This must mean that there is a prior arrangement, that someone is already providing. If the human community contemplates that question for a moment, after they have graduated from appreciating the various fixtures of nature, they will reach the conclusion that the benefactor of benefactors should be satisfied first.

That is to say, His satisfaction should be the highest priority. That is the clear symbol from the historical incident that is the first Govardhana Puja. The people took a chance on Krishna. They put full faith and trust in Him to deliver. He did so and more, by protecting them from the instigated attack from the devas who had previously been satisfied.

In Closing:

From symbolic reaction clear,
Reason for Krishna to interfere.

That everything already to provide,
Protected when on His side.

As the maintainer of all,
Govardhana His judgment call.

To worship in that direction,
Even from devas sufficient protection.