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Śrī Gopa-kumāra said: Abashed at hearing himself praised, Lord Śiva remained silent. Then the associates of Lord Viṣṇu, who were Lord Śiva’s dearmost friends, embraced me and spoke.

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Yet even here you have seen the Supreme Lord in this form because your divine guru gave you his mercy. That mercy created in you the strong desire to see Kṛṣṇa, which impelled Kṛṣṇa to reveal Himself.

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But you deserve to go to Vaikuṇṭha, O son of a Govardhana cowherd, for you are a devotee of the Lord of Mathurā, a disciple of a brāhmaṇa attached only to the Lord’s devotional service, a soul dedicated to the Lord’s mantra given you by your guru, and one who is faithful in your service to the Lord.

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If you receive the full mercy of my father, you will hear the glories of Vaikuṇṭha and go there to see them for yourself.

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From the many thoughts flashing through my mind I concluded I was unfit to go. I cried profusely, and the force of my sorrow made me faint and suddenly fall to the ground.

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They live on Tapoloka, where they give reassurance and security to the residents, who at times feel helpless in the absence of their Lord Nārāyaṇa.

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So attracted was my mind by the spontaneous joy of seeing them that I was aware of nothing but them, internally or externally, not even things most dear to me.

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I told my mind that it is Lord Śiva himself who performs these wonderfully varied pastimes in the special form of Lord Gopāla.

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I told my mind that it is Lord Śiva himself who performs these wonderfully varied pastimes in the special form of Lord Gopāla.

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This Lord Śiva, I realized, is nondifferent from Madana-gopāla, the Deity I worship, the Lord more dear to me than life itself. Lord Śiva serves the cause of love for my Lord by promoting it everywhere.

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Lord Śiva, reading my thoughts, ordered Nandīśvara with a knowing glance, and through Nandīśvara’s pure guidance the facts easily revealed themselves to me.

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Feeling the greatest surprise and delight, I thought, “Who is this, accompanied by such an entourage, and appearing from above the abode of liberation?”

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I was thinking that if I returned to this Vraja-bhūmi I would fulfill my desires. And then I heard some wonderful singing and music.

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The huge treasure of ecstasy I thus obtained inundated my mind. I became like a self-contented sage or like a man whose ambitions have all been fulfilled.

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I was thinking that if I returned to this Vraja-bhūmi I would fulfill my desires. And then I heard some wonderful singing and music.

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Tossed by the waves of ecstasy intrinsic to that abode, my mind was overwhelmed, as if the awareness of my goal had vanished.

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Sometimes my mind felt special pleasure in beholding Him surrounded by the great perfected beings who were His devotees, at once different and nondifferent from Him. They surrounded Him in subtle spiritual forms, like beams of light around the sun.

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That self-manifest Lord is beyond the scope of the senses, but one can see Him directly by the power of His mercy. There is no other way.

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Each covering was the subtle cause of the one before it, and had a greater object of worship, a greater worshiper, and greater sense gratification, opulence, and importance.

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The planets I had earlier attained one by one, over a long period of time, I now crossed in the blink of an eye, as if by the power of my mind alone.

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I then saw my body change into a form transcendental to the five material elements. And as I traveled upward, breaking through the sphere of the sun, I saw all the planetary systems.

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The blessed Lord said: Go to Mathurā, to your dearest pasturing grounds, to the land adorned with many places of My varied supreme pastimes.

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Śrī Gopa-kumāra said: O Mathurā brāhmaṇa, these words of the scriptures greatly strengthened my devotion for the Supreme Lord, and this thought was born in my heart:

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If you have indeed realized the pettiness of liberation and want to attain the treasure of firm faith in pure devotional service to the Lord, then simply worship your transcendental mantra. And please hear this great secret, which is pleasing to the heart:

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Although Lord Viṣṇu is always one and unchanging, at every moment He brings forth hundreds of newer and newer varieties of transcendental charm, both in Himself and in His devotional service. He does this by His personal energy, inconceivable to everyone else.

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That extraordinary happiness is always one, yet it assumes many features. It stands in contrast to the happiness of impersonal liberation. Devotional happiness is made of the intense sweetness of sporting pastimes in the highest devotional service to the Lord. Persons unfamiliar with this pleasure cannot even imagine what it is like.

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The happiness felt in impersonal samādhi is plain, isolated, vague, and limited because in that samādhi the functions of the mind have ceased. But when the object of meditation appears in the active mind, that object is more vividly manifest, like sunlight reflected on a crystal mountain.

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Even though liberation and its effects are natural by-products of devotional service, devotees do not regard satisfaction in the self as worth taking, for it obstructs pure love of God.

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The Lord’s personal energy grants those liberated souls spiritual bodies of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. And with the spiritual senses thus acquired, those souls worship Lord Hari.

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That happiness increases endlessly. It is limitless and supremely great. In contrast, the happiness of Brahman found in liberation never increases, because it is limited.

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That happiness increases endlessly. It is limitless and supremely great. In contrast, the happiness of Brahman found in liberation never increases, because it is limited.

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The devotional scriptures said: O dear one who have achieved the post of Brahmā, this topic is more secret than a rare treasure. But we shall explain it to you because your abundant good qualities inspire us to speak freely.

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Then the major Purāṇas and Upaniṣads became arbitrators, and so victory went to the Āgamas. That pleased me very much.

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After I had spent some days in this way, early one morning, out of curiosity, Brahmā touched a mass of foam, and it turned into a demon.

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Gazing at the Supreme Lord and repeatedly bowing down before Him, I told my mind: “Today you have attained the ultimate fulfillment of all your desires! Be steady and joyful.

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As the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, massaged His feet, He glanced at Garuḍa, who stood before Him with joined palms. Lord Brahmā worshiped the Lord with opulent offerings, and in turn the Lord amply gratified him. Lord Mahāpuruṣa was also attentive to Śrī Nārada’s displays of loving devotion.

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Śrī Gopa-kumāra said: Hearing this, I wanted to go to that planet and see the Mahāpuruṣa. Seated on Tapoloka, I chanted my mantra and focused my attention in samādhi.

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Sometimes when Sanaka and his brothers were absorbed in meditation they would assume those forms of the Lord. Seeing this, I would relish extreme pleasure.

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We devotees of yoga-samādhi see Lord Nara-Nārāyaṇa both within ourselves and without. And so, there being no danger of our suffering pain due to separation from the Lord, He went to Gandhamādana.

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Living there as a guru in the science of weaponry, He dresses as a brahmacārī, His hair in matted locks, and performs severe austerities as an instruction for the benefit of the world.

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Of the nine kinds of devotional service, remembrance is the chief. It is an offering of the activity of the mind, the most important of all the senses.

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There is one goal of all disciplines, one highest attainment of all, the one potent means to bring the Supreme Lord under one’s control. Only by the mercy of the Lord can it be gained. It is the rare, exclusive treasure of His devotees, a treasure rich with every sort of transcendental ecstasy and sweetness. Its wonderful glories are beyond the power to describe. That attainment is called prema. It arises from special transformations of the functions of the mind.

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The Supreme Lord, by nature the bestower of ecstasy, creates such unlikely situations to delight His devotees by showing them the greatness of devotional service.

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The beautiful, all-opulent form of Lord Nārāyaṇa, the concentrated essence of supreme bliss, refines the functions of all the senses. Yet demons like Madhu and Kaiṭabha, even after seeing the Lord in person, did not lose their evil disposition, distressing to all.

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And even if by the power of His mercy He becomes visible to external eyes, the bliss that arises from seeing Him has its natural source in the heart.

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Śrī Pippalāyana said: Why do you want to leave this exalted place and go somewhere else? And why are you wandering around just to see the Supreme Lord with your eyes?

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Certainly this particular gopī has perfectly worshiped the all-powerful Personality of Godhead, Govinda, since He was so pleased with Her that He abandoned the rest of us and brought Her to a secluded place.

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Nonetheless, I stayed there for some time, attracted by the display of great power. Out of respect for my guru’s order, and because I had seen how effective my mantra was, I kept on chanting.

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Śrī Gopa-kumāra said: I then wondered, “Indeed, what kind of happiness do they enjoy on Tapoloka? How many more are there like him? And what kind of Lord do they worship?”

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The great sages put aside their sacrificial rituals, stood up with devotion, bowed down to the boy, who was absorbed in meditation, and worshiped him as if he were the Lord of sacrifice Himself.

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Once, someone arrived from a higher planet. His form surrounded by brilliant light, he was dressed by the directions only. He appeared to be a five- or six-year-old boy.

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Once, someone arrived from a higher planet. His form surrounded by brilliant light, he was dressed by the directions only. He appeared to be a five- or six-year-old boy.

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At the end of one thousand cycles of ages — for that place, one day — the conflagration of the three worlds forced us to take refuge on Janaloka.

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But at the end of each sacrifice, unhappiness would arise when the Lord disappeared; and when the Lord reappeared at the start of another sacrifice, happiness would begin again.

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Therefore, while showing respect to the sages, I declined the status of a brāhmaṇa. But I stayed on Maharloka, enjoying the exalted pleasures that automatically appear in the world of the Prajāpatis.

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Śrī Gopa-kumāra said: Hearing this, O brāhmaṇa, I thought I would be much happier staying a vaiśya, for then I could keep worshiping both the Supreme Lord and those brāhmaṇas, His devotees.

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By that Lord’s abundant mercy, I attained an exceptional bliss I had never known before, and all my desires were fulfilled.

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I made this my intention and chanted my mantra. And soon a celestial airplane picked me up, and I found myself transported to Maharloka.

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Śrī Bṛhaspati said: Above this realm shines the world called Maharloka, attainable through the best of pious works. Even when the three worlds are annihilated, that world is not destroyed.

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O brāhmaṇa, thus I lived in Svarga, ruling in the post of Indra, and happily spent one celestial year.

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And so the distress I felt would make me want to go back to see the Lord of Nīlācala, whose affection for those who take shelter of Him never wavers.

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Eager to see Him, I chanted my mantra specifically for that purpose. In a very short time a celestial airplane arrived. I climbed aboard and joyfully flew to the heavenly kingdom.

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Eager to see Him, I chanted my mantra specifically for that purpose. In a very short time a celestial airplane arrived. I climbed aboard and joyfully flew to the heavenly kingdom.

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Śrī Gopa-kumāra said: O best of the Mathurā brāhmaṇas, after bathing at Viśrānti-ghāṭa I came to Vṛndāvana. Here I wandered freely in such places as Govardhana.

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Thus one year passed, and then one day I heard some detailed news of Mathurā from visitors who had come from there.

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Early in the morning, I went before Lord Jagannātha to ask His permission to leave for Vṛndāvana; but oh, when I saw His beautiful face I forgot all my plans.

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When I heard the songs, prayers, and congregational chanting of the Lord’s names in front of Lord Jagannātha, I was disturbed because they reminded me of Mathurā.

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I offered the kingdom, with all its royal enjoyments, at the lotus feet of Jagannātha. In a completely dependent mood, I took my pleasure in simply serving the Lord.

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“This chanting, please understand, is another form of service to Lord Śrī Jagannātha. Have faith in this and never give up your japa.”

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And even if I sometimes underwent some physical or mental distress, as soon as I saw the lotus-eyed Lord the pain disappeared.

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I came to my senses, opened my eyes, and gazed upon Him again. Like a madman I ran forward quickly to catch hold of Him.

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Overcome by desire to see Lord Jagannātha, in a moment I abandoned everything and set off in the direction of Orissa, chanting Lord Jagannātha’s glories.

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“At Puruṣottama-kṣetra, on the blue mountain on the shore of the salt ocean, Jagannātha, the Lord of the universe, the Personality of Godhead, is present as the Absolute Truth manifest in wood.”

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Within the inner precincts of the city, from a distance I heard the sound of temple worship of the Lord of the universe. I had never heard such a tumult, so I asked about it from people nearby.

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“Filled with supreme bliss, I repeatedly fell flat on the ground. “Today,” I thought, “I have seen what I always wanted to see.”

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“You will feel great ecstasy, fulfilling all your heart’s desires. But for now please come have lunch in my house from the remnants of what has been offered to Lord Viṣṇu.”

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By the influence of that great person, even such aimless chanting purified my mind, and I developed faith in the mantra.

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By the influence of that great person, even such aimless chanting purified my mind, and I developed faith in the mantra.

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Sometimes he shouted, or loudly sobbed, or stumbled and fell to the ground, or rolled about on the ground like a madman.

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Śrī Gopa-kumāra said: There are many relevant historical accounts, but I am going to tell you my own story, including recollections of what occurred at times when I was bewildered by ecstasy and other distractions.

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Śrī Parīkṣit said: Respectfully having heard the brāhmaṇa’s words, the young cowherd thought, “This person has done everything he needs to do. Indeed, his life is a complete success.”

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This young cowherd was the crest jewel of those who know everything. As the brāhmaṇa regained external consciousness, the cowherd recognized him as a Mathurā brāhmaṇa living in the district of the goddess Kāmākhyā and worshiping Śrīmān Madana-gopāla. The cowherd then came out of the grove, raised the brāhmaṇa, bowed down to him, embraced him, and made him sit down.

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This young cowherd was the crest jewel of those who know everything. As the brāhmaṇa regained external consciousness, the cowherd recognized him as a Mathurā brāhmaṇa living in the district of the goddess Kāmākhyā and worshiping Śrīmān Madana-gopāla. The cowherd then came out of the grove, raised the brāhmaṇa, bowed down to him, embraced him, and made him sit down.

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“By My mercy, there you will obtain extraordinary pleasure. Go, and don’t delay anywhere on the road for any reason.”

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“Still, I cannot imagine that my Deity is the Lord of the universe. My Deity doesn’t have the characteristics I have heard described in ‘The Glorification of the Month of Māgha’ and other scriptural texts.”

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“With His many cowherd friends, my Lord takes care of the cows in the forest. He holds a flute to His mouth and is decorated with forest ornaments. Just like an ordinary person, He transgresses the religious principles of saints, being always greedy to enjoy amorous pastimes with all the cowherd girls.”

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The holy Vaiṣṇavas said: He is the supreme master, and He always lives everywhere, both within and without. No one anywhere compares with Him in any respect.

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Initiated by our gurus, we always worship the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu with the mantras and methods they have given us.

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Confused about what he should do, he became depressed. Then, in another dream, Lord Śiva came to him, along with the goddess, to instruct him.

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“ ‘The river Ganges flowing in the heavenly planets is full of golden lotus flowers, and we, the residents of those planets, eat the stems of the flowers. Thus we are very beautiful, more so than the inhabitants of any other planet. This is due to the law of cause and effect, for if one eats food in the mode of goodness, the mode of goodness increases the beauty of his body.’ ”

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Still, out of respect for the goddess, and because it gave him pleasure within, he never gave up chanting his mantra. And one day he saw the Deity of his mantra in a dream.

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Ignorant of the real facts, he thought that something other than this mantra must be his means of success in the next life and something else must be his final goal.

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On the order of the goddess, he chanted the mantra constantly to himself in a secluded place. Gradually he gave up his desire for wealth, and his heart became satisfied.

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Long ago in the city of Prāgjyotiṣa there lived a poor brāhmaṇa. He was ignorant of the teachings of scripture, and he hankered after abundant wealth.

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Long ago in the city of Prāgjyotiṣa there lived a poor brāhmaṇa. He was ignorant of the teachings of scripture, and he hankered after abundant wealth.

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Long ago in the city of Prāgjyotiṣa there lived a poor brāhmaṇa. He was ignorant of the teachings of scripture, and he hankered after abundant wealth.

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I pray to the lotus feet of the six Gosvāmīs — Śrī Rūpa, Sanātana, Bhaṭṭa Raghunātha, Śrī Jīva, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa and Dāsa Raghunātha — so that all impediments to my writing this literature will be annihilated and my real desire will be fulfilled.

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When I heard of that curse, I took it as most welcome. Śrī Vāsudeva, in the form of a brāhmaṇa’s disciple, was dragging me out of the blind well of family life and guiding me to choose to fast till death on the shore of the celestial Gaṅgā.

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Śrī Jaimini said: Delighted by this most pleasing inquiry from Mother Uttarā, her son, Parīkṣit, bowed down to her and began his reply. Tears poured from his eyes, and his bodily hairs stood on end.

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They have all attained the ultimate limit of happiness, each in his own kind of ecstatic reciprocation with the Lord. But what place is destined for the exceptional devotees of the performer of the rāsa dance?

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They have all attained the ultimate limit of happiness, each in his own kind of ecstatic reciprocation with the Lord. But what place is destined for the exceptional devotees of the performer of the rāsa dance?

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That abode, Vaikuṇṭha, is made of concentrated ecstasy and pure consciousness. Even for liberated souls it is difficult to attain. But the Lord’s devotees who are free from selfish desires reach it at once.

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That abode, Vaikuṇṭha, is made of concentrated ecstasy and pure consciousness. Even for liberated souls it is difficult to attain. But the Lord’s devotees who are free from selfish desires reach it at once.

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Śrīmatī Uttarā said: By performing auspicious duties, householders with material desires can achieve the three worlds, and persons who have renounced their homes can reach the four worlds still beyond those.

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Śrīmatī Uttarā said: By performing auspicious duties, householders with material desires can achieve the three worlds, and persons who have renounced their homes can reach the four worlds still beyond those.

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Śrī Janamejaya said: Truly, my father gleaned the essential meaning of all eternal scriptures, and with great love for Kṛṣṇa he revealed to his mother that rare confidential truth.

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Thus Nārada started on his journey to Prayāga, intoxicated with eagerness for pure devotion. Wherever he passed he vibrated his vīṇā and blissfully sang the glories of the kṛṣṇa-bhakti he had seen with his own eyes.

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Nārada then took leave of Mādhava, Lord Kṛṣṇa, and went to Prayāga, thinking, “Let me bestow perfection on the sages who have waited so long for me to return.”

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Śrī Parīkṣit said: Lord Gopīnātha then extended His divine lotus hand and with great respect for Nārada blissfully said, “So be it.”

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Yet none of these devotees is ever satiated. Please, therefore, ask from Me some other, more satisfying benedictions.

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So today you have favored Me greatly, and therefore I am delighted with you. Please choose whatever benedictions you would like.

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Those dear as life one can never forget, but when reminded of them in a special way one feels happy, like one who has lived a life of good fortune.

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The Supreme Lord said: Nārada, My dearest friend, you are always eager to please Me, and you are the best of those who relish transcendental emotions. You have now done Me a great favor.

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The Supreme Lord said: Nārada, My dearest friend, you are always eager to please Me, and you are the best of those who relish transcendental emotions. You have now done Me a great favor.

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Śrī Parīkṣit said: As the Supreme Lord continued ardently praising the splendor of the good fortune of Vraja, the expert counselor Uddhava grew anxious, for the special ecstasies of Vraja might again draw the Lord into a trance. With a gesture, therefore, he prompted the ladies to do something.

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My beautiful form, My dress, and the nectarean sound of My flute, never heard before, enchanted the whole universe with overwhelming love of God. So what to speak of how these affected the residents of Vraja.

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Ah, willful woman, please understand. All that I relished in Vraja gave Me the highest pleasure. And though the glory of those times has now abandoned Me, it still resides in that most worthy place.

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Ah, willful woman, please understand. All that I relished in Vraja gave Me the highest pleasure. And though the glory of those times has now abandoned Me, it still resides in that most worthy place.

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Therefore My staying with them would be equal to My absence. Realizing this, I have not returned there. Now hear the real reason I married you.

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And when they cannot see Me they become so torn that the fire of separation leaves them sometimes as though dead and sometimes as though insane. Thus they partake of the nectar of wonderful ecstasies.

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But even if for their pleasure I were to return to live with them, I don’t see how that would help.

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[Uddhava said:] The other queens all agreed. Only Satya­bhāmā, Sātrājitī, unable to tolerate those words, entered her chamber of anger.

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[Uddhava said:] The other queens all agreed. Only Satya­bhāmā, Sātrājitī, unable to tolerate those words, entered her chamber of anger.

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The beloved queens of the Lord stayed hidden behind objects such as columns, not approaching Him. But Satya­bhāmā had not come there with the others, so Kṛṣṇa asked about her from Uddhava.

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He remembered He had been sleeping inside the palace. Then He saw the flute in His hand, and Himself and His older brother dressed like forest dwellers.

Bṛhad-bhāgavatāmṛta Part 1 Chapter 7 Text 67

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Kṛṣṇa then looked at His brother’s face and smiled as if embarrassed. And since Kṛṣṇa’s body was covered with dust, Balarāma wiped Him clean and bathed Him in the sea.

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Śrī Parīkṣit continued: Having said this, Kṛṣṇa threw a handful of flowers at Śrī Rādhā, looked all around, and then embraced and kissed Her. He then went ahead to meet the cows and cowherd boys.

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As He continued walking, playing His flute to keep the cows from wandering off, He then came upon Śrī Rādhikā with Her girlfriends and spoke to Her with witty comments and charming smiles.

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Śrī Baladeva said: Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, My dear brother! Get up, get up! Wake up from Your sleep! Just see, it is now getting late. The cows are already entering the forest.

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Nārada, however, thinking he had committed an offense, did not accompany the demigods and the Yādavas. Instead with great curiosity he hid himself in the midst of the sky, fixing himself in a yoga sitting posture, to observe the sweetness of the Lord’s acts.

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Advised by Brahmā, everyone else went back home. Meanwhile, as Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were being carried by Garuḍa, Balarāma more or less regained consciousness.

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Brahmā found his own father and spiritual master, the original Nārāyaṇa, in an unprecedented state, distressed by love for His beloved devotees. Seeing the Lord thus boldly revealing His true greatness, normally hidden, Brahmā was astonished. For a moment he too lost his gravity and began to cry.

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Śrī Parīkṣit said: Dear mother, as the sound of Kṛṣṇa lamenting with His family members filled the universe, a series of terrible omens quickly ensued.

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Śrī Parīkṣit said: Having heard all this, the blessed Lord Gopāla felt overwrought with worry for His devotees. Scorching anxiety dried up His lotus face. He was filled with dread.

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Śrī Parīkṣit said: Having heard all this, the blessed Lord Gopāla felt overwrought with worry for His devotees. Scorching anxiety dried up His lotus face. He was filled with dread.

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O virtuous lady, if trees or other obstacles block Kṛṣṇa from sight even briefly, His companions at once shed tears and call in anxious, drawn-out voices, “Śrī Kṛṣṇa! Kṛṣṇa!”

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But You never came. You sent me instead. And when they heard the message You had sent with me, they almost died from disappointment.

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Śrī Nanda said: Our son is an honest person who always speaks the truth. He has first sent us these things, as tokens of His love. He is sure to come back to us quickly, as soon as He finishes what He has to do in Mathurā.

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Śrīmān Uddhava said: The people of Vraja don’t want from You the power and wealth of emperors, nor the enjoyments found in heaven, nor anything else obtainable in this world or the next. They desire nothing else but You.

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Then, fearing that the kingdom was about to be given away, old Padmāvatī, the Lord’s grandmother, the queen of the Yadu king Ugrasena, gathered her muddled wits and cleverly feigned a joking spirit. To protect her husband’s domain, she spoke up again, even though Balarāma’s mother had snubbed her by ignoring her previous remarks. Invoking eloquence, Padmāvatī tried to change the mood, to bring Kṛṣṇa, the exclusive shelter of the Yadu dynasty, back to normal.

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Śrī Parīkṣit said: Hearing this, the Personality of Godhead, who is ruled by the love of those dear to Him, suddenly got up from His bed and came outside, loudly weeping.

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Śrī Baladeva said: Dear ladies, all this is nothing but My brother’s clever deception. We are intent upon speaking about the misery of the residents of Vraja — misery all too real — and He is simply cheating us.

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Śrī Rukmiṇī said: My dear mother, you don’t understand the inner feelings of Kṛṣṇa at all. His heart is softer than newly churned butter. Why are you saying these things? Just hear from me what I have heard.

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Śrī Parīkṣit said: Upon hearing this, the mother of the wicked Kaṁsa spoke out, her head shaking, her manner bold, her judgment spoiled by old age.

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My own experience is this: When Kṛṣṇa lived in Vraja, so many calamities threatened to destroy it. Vraja was disturbed by demons, from Pūtanā to Keśī, by demigods like Varuṇa and Indra, by creatures like the python, and by the falling of familiar things at Kṛṣṇa’s house like the cart and the arjuna trees. But to these dangers the residents paid no regard.

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But I am not very intelligent. After your Lord returned from the house of His spiritual master, my sadness drove me to tell Him briefly how the Vraja-vāsīs were faring.

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When Śrī Vasudeva brought me back from Gokula, the cries of the greatly distraught Yaśodā made even stones shed tears and lightning bolts shatter. And who can let the mouth speak about the other women of Vraja, who after Kṛṣṇa left became like living corpses?

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Śrī Parīkṣit said: Because Rohiṇī had long lived in Gokula, its residents held her in high regard. She knew the inner meaning of Uddhava’s words. So with tears in her eyes, she decided to speak.

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Since then I have understood the amazing sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, of love for Him, and of those who possess that love.

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Śrī Parīkṣit said: Impelled by great respect for Nārada, Uddhava suddenly stood up, held Nārada’s feet, and embraced them. Aware of what Nārada was thinking, Uddhava remembered many devotees who had received the Lord’s special favor. As Uddhava meditated on those devotees, their love for the Lord, and the wealth of their loving ecstasies, he felt distress, thinking himself fallen, and cried helplessly. Only with some effort was he able to regain his composure. Then he became joyful and spoke to the sage, moved by the sāttvika emotion of jealousy.

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Standing up, they brought him carefully to where they had been sitting. They took a moment to restore him to a condition closer to normal and wiped dry his face, wet with tears of love. Then they spoke to him, simply and gently.

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He sometimes tripped and fell to the ground and sometimes stood motionless. Sometimes his body trembled, or he rolled on the ground, or he wept in great distress. He sometimes shouted and jumped about, sometimes sang and danced. And sometimes all the transformations of priceless love of God converged in him at once.

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My dear mother, please now be fully attentive. Listen soberly with steady concentration to what I am about to say.

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Śrī Parīkṣit said: Noble mother, after hearing Ugrasena’s advice, Nārada, the dear devotee of Lord Mahā-viṣṇu, became absorbed in the taste of exalted love of God, which seized him in its grip. Forgetting everything else, he started off, vīṇā in hand. Having spent much time before in Dvārakā, Nārada automatically took the familiar roads to the center of the city, amazing roads that led to the neighborhood of the Lord’s palaces, and came to a palace of Kṛṣṇa’s that he knew how to reach from earlier visits. Under the spell of intense transcendental agitation, Nārada seemed like an ordinary person haunted by a ghost.

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In contrast, despite my begging to stay in Kṛṣṇa’s company, I never obtain that blessing. I am deprived of that achievement because of my degraded occupation of protecting the kingdom.

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Uddhava stays alone with Kṛṣṇa when the Lord playfully enjoys His meals. So he is the only person who can always obtain the Lord’s mahā-prasāda remnants.

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But among us, blessed Uddhava has received Kṛṣṇa’s greatest mercy. That exalted soul is Lord Yādavendra’s adviser, His disciple, His servant, and His extremely dear friend.

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Therefore, go see the divine Yādavas, the Lord’s most beloved associates, who live immersed in a vast, unequaled ocean of joy. My lord Nārada, you know very well how great they are. What can I tell you about their glories?

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Śrī Pṛthā [Kuntī] said: I had no husband to protect me, but Kṛṣṇa always interceded just in time to save me and my sons from calamity. From this I understood that Kṛṣṇa’s mercy on me was special, greater even than His mercy on His mother, Devakī.

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No one is dearer to me than the Supreme Brahman, Kṛṣṇa, with His all-enchanting beautiful form. He has given Himself to me, who have complete faith in Him. He is the reservoir of pure unconditional mercy, the upholder of His word, the best of well-wishing friends, the omnipotent Lord of all.

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Śrī Parīkṣit continued: Then Bhīma, the bosom friend of the Lord of the Yādavas, laughed loudly and said, Please listen, my dear disciple of Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

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The company of those devotees of Śrī Viṣṇu is more desirable to us than life itself. Deprived of that association, we can no longer find any happiness.

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Yudhiṣṭhira said: O crest jewel of brilliant speakers, Lord Hari has no mercy for us. We cannot remember any mercy He has shown us, even after we consider this for a long time.

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Śrī Parīkṣit said: For a moment, Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira remained quiet, and then he sighed, as if embarrassed. At last he spoke, followed in turn by his brothers, wife, and mother.

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Kṛṣṇa relished Śrī Vidura’s porridge and organized the celebration of Śrī Bhīṣma’s passing away. Please, therefore, judge your own standing from how in many controversies both Vidura and Bhīṣma took your side.

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Kṛṣṇa, the life of the Yadus, tried for a long time to leave for Dvārakā, but by enveloping Him with plaintive prayers she kept Him in her home.

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Śrī Parīkṣit said: While singing enthusiastically in this way, the sage instructed his own tongue, which was greedy to chant the glories of Lord Mādhava, “Oh, you are too busy talking about the greatness of our master!” To stop that tongue, he then seized it with his teeth.

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Those unprecedented attractive features of Kṛṣṇa leave one struck with amazement. So also do His pastimes, His qualities, His pure love, His glorious virtues, and the places where He sports.

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We can only pray to satisfy Him through our disciplines of silence, peace, and devotion. But being naturally satisfied with you, He has even submitted Himself to your control.

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For Brahmā, Rudra, and other demigods He is difficult to realize even in advanced meditation. He can be known through the words of the Vedas only when one understands their special purport. Śrīmān Nṛsiṁha, Śrī Vāmana, and Śrī Rāghavendra are His plenary expansions.

Due to a bad internet connection, today’s recording is not the best quality.

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As others had done before, dear mother, the king brought a large assortment of items for worshiping Nārada. But Nārada took those items and instead worshiped your fathers-in-law and their servants.

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Śrī Nārada said: You are indeed the most fortunate persons on earth! The Lord of all lords of the universe is your dearest friend. He is your God, your spiritual master, your blood relation, your maternal cousin. He is your messenger, well-wisher, order carrier, and charioteer.

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Śrī Parīkṣit said: Śrī Nārada, beside himself with joy, arrived dancing at the kingdom of the Kurus and raced into their capital city.

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The eldest of these brothers rules the state out of love for the Personality of Godhead. Thus his kingdom is rich in all sorts of assets rarely enjoyed by the demigods.

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Please do not let your intelligence become shrouded by the offensive idea that you and I are staunch celibates and the Pāṇḍavas mere householders, distracted by political affairs.

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Even so, I simply feel more attracted to the Supreme Lord in His eternal identity as Śrī Raghunātha, the son of Daśaratha and joy of Mother Kauśalyā. His heart always tender with natural, unaffected compassion, He is spontaneously attracted to loving exchanges with His devotees, exchanges free from any tinge of duplicity. He demonstrates how to follow properly the religious duties of a civilized people, and He upholds the strict vow of having only one wife. In the shyness of innate humility, His face always looks downward, His eyes fixed on the ground. His exalted character is pleasing to all. He stands with bow in hand, the king of kings, the hero of the city Ayodhyā, served by Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa, and with Bharata as His older brother. He rules the race of monkeys as the dear friend of Sugrīva and gives shelter to Vibhīṣaṇa. By my hearing of the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, the unlimited loving attraction I feel toward my own master has increased.

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Śrī Parīkṣit said: Hanumān, the ocean of sobriety, then sighed for a moment, and after a brief time in thought he bowed down to Nārada and spoke.