vana-latÄs tarava Ätmani viṣṇuá¹
vyañjayantya iva puá¹£pa-phalÄá¸hyÄḥ
praṇata-bhÄra-viá¹apÄ madhu-dhÄrÄḥ
prema-hṛṣá¹a-tanavo vavṛṣuḥ sma
1 times this text was mentioned in purports to other texts: CC(1)
vana-latÄḥ - the herbs and plants; taravaḥ - the trees; Ätmani - in the Supreme Soul; viṣṇum - the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vyañjayantyaḥ - manifesting; iva - like; puá¹£pa-phala-Äá¸hyÄḥ - filled with luxuriant fruits and flowers; praṇata-bhÄra - bowed down because of loads; viá¹apÄḥ - the trees; madhu-dhÄrÄḥ - showers of honey; prema-hṛṣá¹a - inspired by love of Godhead; tanavaḥ - whose bodies; vavṛṣuḥ - constantly rained; sma - certainly.
“ ‘The plants, creepers and trees were full of fruits and flowers due to ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa. Indeed, being so full, they were bowing down. They were inspired by such deep love for Kṛṣṇa that they were constantly pouring showers of honey. In this way the gopÄ«s saw all the forests of Vá¹›ndÄvana.’ â€
This verse (BhÄg. 10.35.9) is one of the songs the gopÄ«s sang during Kṛṣṇa’s absence. In Kṛṣṇa’s absence the gopÄ«s were always absorbed in thought of Him. Similarly, the mahÄ-bhÄgavata, the advanced devotee, sees everything as potentially serving the Lord. ÅšrÄ«la RÅ«pa GosvÄmÄ« states:
prÄpañcikatayÄ buddhyÄ hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ
mumuká¹£ubhiḥ parityÄgo vairÄgyaá¹ phalgu kathyate
(Bhakti-rasÄmá¹›ta-sindhu 1.2.126)
The advanced devotee does not see anything as unconnected with Kṛṣṇa. Unlike the MÄyÄvÄdÄ« philosophers, a devotee does not see the material world as false, because he knows that everything in the material world is connected to Kṛṣṇa. A devotee knows how to utilize everything in the service of the Lord, and this is characteristic of the mahÄ-bhÄgavata. The gopÄ«s saw the plants, creepers and forest trees loaded with fruits and flowers and ready to serve Kṛṣṇa. In this way they immediately remembered their worshipable Lord ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa. They did not simply see plants, creepers and trees the way a mundaner sees them.
