“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

1. Why are you lighting incense sticks?

“I see that you light these sticks on a daily basis. I think I have figured out the timing. You wait until after taking a shower in the morning. What are you hoping to accomplish? Why do the sticks need to be waved in the direction of the picture in the area known as the altar? What happens if you accidentally skip a day?”

2. Why are you offering food?

“What do you hope to gain by this offering? You already have food. You have it in sufficient quantities. What does this offering prove? What will the object of worship return? How did you know this particular dish will be accepted?”

3. Why are you reading books?

“Are you not already familiar with the material? Is there some secret contained within the words? Are you trying to decrypt a hidden message? It seems like you really enjoy the process, but why? How come there are so many books? People must have a lot to say on the subject.”

4. Why are you writing books?

“You seem to write endlessly on the same topic. You start with a basic premise and then reach the same conclusion, every single time. Do you not get bored in the process? How can you be so dedicated? When will you stop? There must be an end. You have been going at it for more than fourteen years.”

5. Why are you chanting the holy names?

“Is there a reason for this particular mantra? Are you looking for mental clarity? Do you want peace of mind? Why do you chant in a steady manner, whether happy or sad? Whether things are going well or there is calamity surrounding us, you seem to have an addiction to the words within that mantra. What is going on?”

…

It is a kind of rite of passage. It is the way of the world. It is as much a fixture in nature as the changing of seasons, the rising and setting of the sun, the coming and going of life, and the way that the universe intrinsically sustains itself.

The phenomenon of which we speak is the passing of wisdom from one generation to the next. The father instructing the son. The guardian to the dependent. This usually does not require an explicit time designated for the exchange. The child tends to be inquisitive. It is in their nature. They ask questions.

The authority figures are in the position to provide answers. Sometimes, they get stumped. They might not have the appropriate response ready, especially if the precocious son has already prepared for what might be heard.

This was the case in the history involving the very first Govardhana Puja. It is now an annual tradition. The worship is not exclusive to the physical location, either. We can find the same Govardhana Hill, central to the worship, in the exact same area of the world.

Since the worship is transcendental in nature, since it involves the satisfaction of the one who is known as Yajneshvara, the common limitations of time and circumstance do not apply. I can conduct Govardhana Puja from my part of the world, offering worship towards a replica version of that sacred hill, provided I have the proper purification, state of mind, direction, and intention.

Govardhana Puja began with a simple question. Kim phalam. What was the purpose to the yajna that the residents of Vrindavana were preparing for? What were they hoping to gain? That is the catalyst for big events. There is always something to be gained. People will not assemble together at a specific time, investing significant resources, unless they are expecting a certain kind of result.

Shri Krishna asked the kim phalam question. The recipient was the father, Nanda Maharaja, who was also the leader of the community. Nanda felt compelled to explain the reasoning behind the preparations for the Indra-yajna, which was something like a regular occurrence.

The response to the kim phalam question provided the perfect platform for Krishna to offer His proposal. Keep the preparations. Maintain the spirit of worship. Simply change the beneficiary. Transition to Govardhana Hill, which was known to the people. The same phalam would be accounted for. Nothing would be lost.

It is helpful to visualize that inaugural puja because the same justification applies to bhakti life in general. When conducted as a form of yoga, the objective is the same. Bhakti-yoga is for satisfying the person who has a non-different identity from Govardhana Hill. Bhakti-yoga is for pleasing the lifter of Govardhana Hill.

Someone may pose the kim phalam question for the various aspects of bhakti life. As Shri Krishna is complete, purna, there can be variety in the manner of connecting with Him. The worshipers are not restricted to a specific interaction; the people of Vrindavana brought many varieties of preparations to Govardhana Hill.

The person asking the question may be limited in their understanding. They may consider our dedication to worship, the repeating manner to the exercises, to be something like an Olympic competition, where we are trying to reach certain benchmarks, milestones, or achievements.

But the motivation is always the same. The various activities are for pleasing the one who first proposed worship of Govardhana. There is nothing expected in return. The interaction is based on the scientific properties of the participants. We worship because it is in our nature. It is our dharma to connect with that beloved son of Nanda Maharaja.

In Closing:

Why incense sticks waving?
Why dedicated behaving?

Why names always to chant?
What wishes hoping to grant?

Like puja of Govardhana name,
The justification the same.

That without motive to please,
The one who devotion sees.

Categories: kim phalam, the five

Tags: god, hare krishna, hinduism, poem, poems, poetry, religion