“Our dear Lord, we are offering our loving service unto You because we are all eternal servitors of Your Lordship. You can order us and ask us to do whatever You please. Every living being can be relieved from all kinds of despair if he agrees to abide by Your orders.” (Nagapatnis offering prayers to Krishna, Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Volume 1, Chapter 16)

Download as podcast episode (right click and save)

The premise is that they are less intelligent. The Sanskrit terms are unflattering, at best, and insulting, at worst. This group is part of the category known as pāpa-yoni. They are born into sin. As Goswami Tulsidas describes the history of the female ascetic known as Shabari, it is like a breeding ground of sin.

जाति हीन अघ जन्म महि मुक्त कीन्हि असि नारि
महामंद मन सुख चहसि ऐसे प्रभुहि बिसारि

jāti hīna agha janma mahi mukta kīnhi asi nāri
mahāmaṃda mana sukha cahasi aise prabhuhi bisāri

“The one who was without a caste, who took birth from a ground of sins – even that woman was liberated. O you of greatly foolish mind, how can you desire happiness while forgetting such a Lord?” (Dohavali, 156)

They are stuck in the female birth, relegated to follow the lead of men. In case they should happen to branch out, in insisting upon independence, they are exploited left and right. They are left to accept the camera as their husband, speaking into it for validation, confirmed in the illusion of likes and comments from a public that has no meaningful connection to them.

The Vedic tradition, through its histories, highlights the reality that barriers are never absolute in their ability to obstruct. In a real connection with the origin of everything, in linking through what is known as yoga, there is no interruption and no cause. That is to say, pure devotion does not depend on conditions. We see the truth through some of the most famous prayers offered, documented and preserved in shastra.

1. Kunti Devi

She has been through a lot. Her family has suffered. It feels as though they were targeted for being good. When you align with dharma, when you follow through on activities without making a giant fuss, without boasting of your pious nature, outsiders might mistake that silence for weakness. They might feel emboldened to attack, to exploit, and to attempt to bring down.

Kunti Devi and her sons, known as the Pandavas, endured one calamity after another. Somehow, they survived. Queen Kunti knew it was because of one person: Krishna. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He had always favored the Pandavas. One time, Kunti offered such kind prayers that a person might not believe she actually held the sentiments contained therein. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada used these prayers as the basis for an entire book describing the timeless culture of sanatana-dharma.

विपदः सन्तु ताः शश्वत्
तत्र तत्र जगद्-गुरो
भवतो दर्शनं यत् स्याद्
अपुनर् भव-दर्शनम्

vipadaḥ santu tāḥ śaśvat
tatra tatra jagad-guro
bhavato darśanaṁ yat syād
apunar bhava-darśanam

“I wish that all those calamities would happen again and again so that we could see You again and again, for seeing You means that we will no longer see repeated births and deaths.” (Queen Kunti speaking to Lord Krishna, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.8.25)

The mother of the Pandava brothers essentially prayed to have calamities return. During those difficult moments, it felt as though God was close by. Though there was struggle, there was assurance. When things are going well, perhaps Krishna will not feel compelled to intervene. He might become distant. Rather than take the risk of losing the association, better to keep struggling.

2. Yashoda

Krishna protected Kunti and her family during adulthood, but someone else was protecting Krishna prior to that. During the childhood period, it was Yashoda watching over her beloved son. The power of yogamaya was such that Yashoda did not realize the true identity of her son. Rather, she considered Him to be a dependent. Krishna needed her love, you see. Krishna required her attention.

Complicating matters was the truth that bad things kept happening in Gokula. Krishna was at the center of the action. He managed to walk away from each incident unharmed. Rather, it was the attackers who perished. One time, Yashoda felt compelled to recite the names of Vishnu in order to protect her son. This was after He had survived the attack of poison from a shape-shifting witch. These names of Vishnu would be like a protective cover against the various parts of the body. Yashoda was essentially praying to God to protect God.

“’My dear Krishna, may the Lord who is known as Maniman protect Your thighs; may Lord Vishnu who is known as Yajna protect Your legs; may Lord Achyuta protect Your arms; may Lord Hayagriva protect Your abdomen; may Lord Keshava protect Your heart; may Lord Vishnu protect Your arms; may Lord Urukrama protect Your face; may Lord Ishvara protect Your head; may Lord Chakradhara protect Your front; may Lord Gadadhara protect Your back; may Lord Madhusudana who carries a bow in His hand protect Your eyesight; may Lord Vishnu with His conchshell protect Your left side; may the Personality of Godhead Upendra protect You from above, and may Lord Tarkshya protect You from below the earth; may Lord Haladhara protect You from all sides; may the Personality of Godhead known as Hrishikesha protect all Your senses; may Lord Narayana protect Your breath; and may the Lord of Shvetadvipa, Narayana, protect Your heart; may Lord Yogeshvara protect Your mind; may Lord Prishnigarbha protect Your intelligence, and may the Supreme Personality of Godhead protect Your soul. While You are playing, may Lord Govinda protect You from all sides, and when You are sleeping, may Lord Madhava protect You from all danger; when You are working may the Lord of Vaikuntha protect You from falling down; when You are sitting, may the Lord of Vaikuntha give You all protection; and while You are eating, may the Lord of all sacrifices give You all protection.’ Thus mother Yashoda began to chant different names of Vishnu to protect the child Krishna’s different bodily parts.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Volume 1, Chapter 6)

3. Gopis

The golden avatara, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, has declared that the standard of worship of the cowherd damsels of Vrajabhumi is topmost. These are the gopis, whose work is central to maintaining the economy of the rural area, which features many cows. The gopis love Krishna without expectation of reward. They feel the pain of separation when Krishna is away from them for even a moment. Their most well-known expressions of love are found in Bhagavata Purana, in a section known as “Gopi-gita.”

गोप्य ऊचु:
जयति तेऽधिकं जन्मना व्रज:
श्रयत इन्दिरा शश्वदत्र हि
दयित द‍ृश्यतां दिक्षु तावका-
स्त्वयि धृतासवस्त्वां विचिन्वते

gopya ūcuḥ
jayati te ’dhikaṁ janmanā vrajaḥ
śrayata indirā śaśvad atra hi
dayita dṛśyatāṁ dikṣu tāvakās
tvayi dhṛtāsavas tvāṁ vicinvate

“The gopis said: O beloved, Your birth in the land of Vraja has made it exceedingly glorious, and thus Indira, the goddess of fortune, always resides here. It is only for Your sake that we, Your devoted servants, maintain our lives. We have been searching everywhere for You, so please show Yourself to us.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 10.31.1)

4. Nagapatnis

The childhood of Krishna features battles with wicked characters known as asuras. The optics aren’t great for the aggressors. They are close to literally trying to take candy from a baby, except instead of taking they are applying lethal force. They appear in disguises, they approach when least expected, and they give trouble enough to instill terror in even the most valiant of heroes.

Since the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is transcendental in nature, He can accomplish the work of the world while giving the visual of an infant. Krishna handles the asuras without issue. He is kind enough to offer them liberation in the process, by killing them. One notable exception in the stories is the serpent known as Kaliya. He wasn’t necessarily sent to do harm. He escaped out of fear of the eagle-carrier known as Garuda. Kaliya retained his serpent-nature, and so as soon as he came in contact with the sacred Yamuna River, the waters became contaminated. The waters were suddenly poisonous, which Krishna happened to notice by the effect on His male cowherd friends.

Krishna decided to deal with the issue directly. He jumped into the waters and wrestled with the formidable foe. Kaliya used his coils to wrap young Krishna up tightly, giving the visual of impending victory. Except Krishna flipped the script, eventually emerging on top of Kaliya and dancing on his hoods. Things were not looking good for the serpent, but then his wives stepped in. Known as the Nagapatnis, they offered such kind words in praise of Krishna that the crisis was averted. Krishna let Kaliya go and even gave the amazing parting gift of the imprint of His lotus-like feet on the head. This mark would serve as protection against Garuda. It was like Kaliya had visited a sacred temple and left with a wonderful tilaka, indicating to everyone else that he was now aligned with Supreme Divinity.

In Closing:

Tapping out and ready to quit,
Left with mark of temple to sit.

Because wives kindly to pray,
Intelligence and devotion display.

That Krishna their husband could spare,
Since crisis no longer there.

Kaliya with imprint on forehead clear,
Safe now even if Garuda near.

Categories: the four

Tags: dailyprompt, god, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, prayer