CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
The gopÄŤs of VášndÄvana were so attached to KášášŁáša that they were not satisfied simply with the rÄsa dance at night. They wanted to associate with Him and enjoy His company during the daytime also. When KášášŁáša went to the forest with His cowherd boyfriends and cows, the gopÄŤs did not physically take part, but their hearts went with Him. And because their hearts went, they were able to enjoy His company through strong feelings of separation. To acquire this strong feeling of separation is the teaching of Lord Caitanya and His direct disciples, the Six GosvÄmÄŤs. When we are not in physical contact with KášášŁáša, we can associate with Him like the gopÄŤs, through feelings of separation. KášášŁášaâs transcendental form, qualities, pastimes and entourage are all identical with Him. There are nine different kinds of devotional service. Devotional service to KášášŁáša in feelings of separation elevates the devotee to the highest perfectional level, to the level of the gopÄŤs.
It is stated in ĹrÄŤnivÄsÄcÄryaâs prayer to the six GosvÄmÄŤs that they left the material opulences of government service and the princely status of life and went to VášndÄvana, where they lived just like ordinary mendicants, begging from door to door. But they were so much enriched with the gopÄŤsâ feelings of separation that they enjoyed transcendental pleasure at every moment. Similarly, when Lord Caitanya was at JagannÄtha PurÄŤ, He was in the role of RÄdhÄrÄášÄŤ, feeling separation from KášášŁáša. Those who are in the disciplic succession of the MÄdhva-Gauá¸ÄŤya-sampradÄya should always feel separation from KášášŁáša, worship His transcendental form and discuss His transcendental teachings, His pastimes, His qualities, His entourage and His association. That will enrich the devotees to the highest devotional perfection. Feeling constant separation while engaged in the service of the Lord is the perfection of KášášŁáša consciousness.
The gopÄŤs used to discuss KášášŁáša amongst themselves, and their talks were as follows. âMy dear friends,â one gopÄŤ said, âdo you know that when KášášŁáša lies on the ground He rests on His left elbow, and His head rests on His left hand? He moves His attractive eyebrows while playing His flute with His delicate fingers, and the sound He produces creates such a nice atmosphere that the denizens of the heavenly planets, who travel in space with their wives and beloveds, stop their airplanes, for they are stunned by the vibration of the flute. The wives of the demigods who are seated in the planes then become very much ashamed of their singing and musical qualifications. Not only that, but they become afflicted with conjugal love, and their hair and tight clothes immediately loosen.â
Another gopÄŤ said, âMy dear friends, KášášŁáša is so beautiful that the goddess of fortune always remains on His chest, and He is always adorned with a golden necklace. Beautiful KášášŁáša plays His flute in order to enliven the hearts of many devotees. He is the only friend of the suffering living entities. When He plays His flute, all the cows and other animals of VášndÄvana, although engaged in eating, simply take a morsel of food in their mouths and stop chewing. Their ears raise up and they become stunned. They do not appear alive but like painted animals. KášášŁášaâs flute-playing is so attractive that even the animals become enchanted, and what to speak of ourselves.â
Another gopÄŤ said, âMy dear friends, not only living animals but even inanimate objects like the rivers and lakes of VášndÄvana also become stunned when KášášŁáša passes with peacock feathers on His head and His body smeared with the minerals of VášndÄvana. With leaves and flowers decorating His body, He looks like some hero. When He plays on His flute and calls the cows with BalarÄma, the river YamunÄ stops flowing and waits for the air to carry dust from His lotus feet. But the river YamunÄ is unfortunate like us; it does not get KášášŁášaâs mercy. The river simply remains stunned, stopping its waves, just as we also stop crying for KášášŁáša in expectation.â In the absence of KášášŁáša the gopÄŤs were constantly shedding tears, but sometimes, when they expected that KášášŁáša was coming, they would stop crying. But when they saw that KášášŁáša was not coming, then again they would become frustrated and begin to cry.
KášášŁáša is the original Personality of Godhead, the origin of all Viᚣášu forms, and the cowherd boys are all demigods. So just as Lord Viᚣášu is always worshiped and surrounded by different demigods like Lord Ĺiva, Lord BrahmÄ, Indra, Candra and others. When KášášŁáša traveled through the VášndÄvana forest or walked on Govardhana Hill, He was accompanied by the cowherd boys. While walking, He played His flute just to call His cows. Just by His association, the trees, plants and other vegetation in the forest immediately became KášášŁáša conscious. A KášášŁáša conscious person sacrifices everything for KášášŁáša. Although the trees and plants were not very advanced in consciousness, by the association of KášášŁáša and His friends they also became KášášŁáša conscious. They then wanted to deliver everythingâwhatever they hadânamely their fruits, flowers and the honey incessantly falling from their branches.
When KášášŁáša walked on the bank of the YamunÄ, He was seen nicely decorated with tilaka on His face. He was garlanded with different kinds of forest flowers, and His body was smeared with the pulp of sandalwood and tulasÄŤ leaves. The bumblebees became mad after the fragrance and sweetness of the atmosphere and began to hum. Being pleased by the humming sound of the bees, KášášŁáša would play His flute, and together the sounds became so sweet to hear that aquatic birds like cranes, swans and ducks were charmed. Instead of swimming or flying, they became stunned. They closed their eyes and entered a trance of meditation in worship of KášášŁáša.
One gopÄŤ said, âMy dear friends, KášášŁáša and BalarÄma are nicely dressed with earrings and pearl necklaces. They enjoy Themselves on the top of Govardhana Hill, and everything becomes absorbed in transcendental pleasure when KášášŁáša plays on His flute, charming the whole created manifestation. When He plays, the clouds stop their loud thundering out of fear of Him. Rather than disturb the vibration of His flute, they respond with mild thunder and so congratulate KášášŁáša, their friend.â
KášášŁáša is accepted as the friend of the cloud because both the cloud and KášášŁáša satisfy the people when they are disturbed. When the people are burning due to excessive heat, the cloud satisfies them with rain. Similarly, when people in materialistic life become disturbed by the blazing fire of material pangs, KášášŁáša consciousness gives them relief like a cloud. The cloud and KášášŁáša, having the same bodily color also, are considered to be friends. Desiring to congratulate its superior friend, the cloud poured not water but small flowers and covered the head of KášášŁáša just like an umbrella to protect Him from the scorching sunshine.
One of the gopÄŤs told Mother YaĹodÄ, âMy dear mother, your son is very expert among the cowherd boys. He knows all the different arts of how to tend the cows and how to play the flute. He composes His own songs, and to play them He puts His flute to His mouth. When He plays, either in the morning or in the evening, all the demigods, including Lord Ĺiva, BrahmÄ, Indra and Candra, bow their heads and listen with great attention. Although they are very learned and expert, they cannot understand the musical arrangements of KášášŁášaâs flute. They simply listen attentively and try to understand, but they become bewildered and nothing more.â
Another gopÄŤ said, âMy dear friends, when KášášŁáša returns home with His cows, the footprints of the soles of His feetâwith flag, thunderbolt, trident and lotus flowerârelieve the pain the earth feels when the cows traverse it. He walks in a stride which is so attractive, and He carries His flute. Just by looking at Him we become lusty to enjoy His company. At that time, our movements cease. We become just like trees and stand perfectly still, unaware that our hair and clothes are loosening.â
KášášŁáša had many thousands of cows, and they were divided into groups according to their colors. They were also differently named according to color. When He would prepare to return from the pasturing ground, He would gather all the cows. As Vaiᚣášavas count 108 beads, which represent the 108 individual gopÄŤs, so KášášŁáša would also count on 108 beads to count the different groups of cows.
âWhen KášášŁáša returns, He is garlanded with tulasÄŤ leaves,â a gopÄŤ described Him to a friend. âHe puts His hand on the shoulder of a cowherd boyfriend and begins to blow His transcendental flute. The wives of the black deer become enchanted upon hearing the vibration of His flute, which resembles the vibration of the vÄŤášÄ. The deer come to KášášŁáša and become so charmed that they stand still, forgetting their homes and husbands. Like us, who are enchanted by the ocean of the transcendental qualities of KášášŁáša, the she-deer become enchanted by the vibration of His flute.â
Another gopÄŤ told Mother YaĹodÄ, âMy dear mother, when your son returns home, He decorates Himself with the buds of the kunda flower, and just to enlighten and gladden His friends, He blows His flute. The breeze blowing from the south creates a pleasing atmosphere because it is fragrant and very cool. Minor demigods like the Gandharvas and Siddhas take advantage of this atmosphere and offer prayers to your son by sounding their bugles and drums. KášášŁáša is very kind to the inhabitants of VrajabhĹŤmi, VášndÄvana, and when He returns with His cows and friends, He is remembered as the lifter of Govardhana Hill. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the most exalted demigods like Lord BrahmÄ and Lord Ĺiva come down to offer their evening prayers, and they accompany the cowherd boys in glorifying the qualities of KášášŁáša.
âKášášŁáša is compared to the moon, born in the ocean of the womb of DevakÄŤ. When He returns in the evening, it appears that He is fatigued, but He still tries to gladden the inhabitants of VášndÄvana by His auspicious presence. When KášášŁáša returns, garlanded with flowers, His face looks beautiful, adorned with golden earrings. He walks into VášndÄvana with a stride just like the elephantâs and slowly enters His home. Upon His return, the men, women and cows of VášndÄvana immediately forget the scorching heat of the day.â
Such descriptions of KášášŁášaâs transcendental pastimes and activities were remembered by the gopÄŤs during His absence from VášndÄvana. They give us some idea of how attractive KášášŁáša is, not only to human beings but to all animate and inanimate objects. In VášndÄvana, everyone and everything is attracted to KášášŁáša, including the trees, the plants, the water, and animals like the deer and cows. That is the perfect description of KášášŁášaâs all-attractiveness. The example of the gopÄŤs is very instructive to persons who are trying to be absorbed in KášášŁáša consciousness. One can very easily associate with KášášŁáša simply by remembering His transcendental pastimes. Everyone has a tendency to love someone. That KášášŁáša should be the object of love is the central point of KášášŁáša consciousness. By constantly chanting the Hare KášášŁáša mantra and remembering the transcendental pastimes of KášášŁáša, one can be fully in KášášŁáša consciousness and thus make his life sublime and fruitful.
Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purport of the Thirty-fifth Chapter of KášášŁáša, âThe GopÄŤsâ Feelings of Separation.â