Venu-gita (8): SB 10.21.18, Mercy of Sri Guru, Gopis Glorify Giriraja

This audio is included in the following series of lectures:

Topics

• In the first 10 minutes of harikatha, Srila Gurudeva speaks about a person who does not know how to read and write but hears harikatha very patiently and serves his Gurudeva. Then by the mercy of Sri guru, he becomes knowledgeable in sastras.
• He said this through a small incident about the disciples of Sri Sankaracarya who once were sitting on the banks of a river and among them a disciple who was not so educated had gone through the other side by a bridge.
• Somehow the bridge got broken and he could not cross back, so he just jumped in the river and came back safely.
• Every other disciple of Sri Sankaracarya was telling him not to wait for him. But he remained silent, and when his ignorant disciple came back swimming, he then uttered so many verses in Sanskrit language that everyone there became astonished. This is guru' s mercy upon him.
• Then Srila Gurudeva starts speaking about Giriraja Govardhana.
• Srila Gurudeva then quotes a verse from Srimad bhagavatam 10.21.18, 'hantāyam adrir abalā hari-dāsa-varyo yad rāma-kṛṣṇa-caraṇa-sparaśa-pramodaḥ mānaṁ tanoti saha-go-gaṇayos tayor yat pānīya-sūyavasa-kandara-kandamūlaiḥ'.
• Gopis are feeling powerless (abala) because they are seeing that everything in Vrndavana (trees, bushes, grass, animals) are all so lucky to have darsana of Krsna. But actually, they are not powerless (abala), but they are sabala (filled with spiritual power).
• If one's desire is not fulfilled then one becomes sorrowful. The word 'hantaya' in this verse is described by Srila Gurudeva as the gopis are full of sorrow because they don't have a chance to see Krsna.
• When gopis are doing rasa with Krsna, at that time they forget themselves out of deep love for Krsna.
• Gopis discuss how fortunate Giriraja Govardhana is. He is Haridasa Varya (topmost among all servants of hari).
• Srila Gurudeva explains in the rest of the lecture why Giriraja Govardhana is Haridasa Varya.
• When one serves his master, the servant gets so overjoyed by serving and even the master gains so much more joy by the service. - If one serves his master unwillingly then that servant is not 'sevaka' but only ‘vaka'.
• Govardhana is 'Haridasa Varya' because he serves Krsna with mind, body, wealth, and with everything, and never keeps anything for himself.
• Three persons in Srimad Bhagavatam are mentioned as Haridasa.
• 1. Yudhistra Maharaja as Haridasa because Krsna is always with the Pandavas and Krsna is controlled by their love.
• 2. Uddhava as Haridasa-vara because he was sent by Krsna as His representative to spread the glories of separation in this world.
• Srila Gurudeva narrates the pastime of prema-sarovara (when the bee was driven away by Madhumangala) and Srimati Radharani felt so much separation.
• Giriraja Govardhana is Haridasa Varya because he serves Krsna in so many ways more than Yudhistra Maharaja and Uddhava.
• Sri Giriraja Govardhana has served Krsna by giving its whole body. By becoming caves, from its tears Manasi Ganga, and Kusuma Sarovara are created. He gives sweet-smelling grass, beautiful flowers, and makes the seasons accordingly to please Krsna.
• Giriraja Govardhana supplies spring water, food, grains, flowers, fruits and gives respect to all associates of Krsna, so he is bhagavata-bhakta ‘crown of all devotees’.
• Govardhana is the witness of the pastimes which takes place in the groves with Radhika and the other gopis.
• Giriraja Govardhana has served with his whole body and seen the rarest thing when Krsna danced with all the gopis.
• Srila Sanatana Gosvami and Srila Ragunatha Dasa Gosvami have also told this (in their astakam) for Giriraja Govardhana, being addressed as Haridasa Varya by all the gopi's especially by Srimati Radhika.
• Govardhana sees and witnesses all the secret pastimes of Sri Radha and Krsna, that Uddhava cannot know, how Krsna was controlled by the gopis.
• The stones of Govardhana become so soft by the touch of Krsna's lotus feet, gopis are saying that we are seeing Krsna, and hearing his flute sound but yet we are not melting so we want to be a dust or a stone at Govardhana hill.
• If anyone wants Krsna bhakti or Krsna prema he should seek shelter under any tadatmika bhakta or Raganuga bhakta or any devotee who has some greed towards Raganuga then one can become like a stone of Govardhana.
• One should pray to Giriraja Govardhana to give us the mercy that we could become qualified and serve Krsna like him.
• Caitanya Mahaprabhu was in the mood of Radhika so he was seeing Giriraja Govardhana as Krsna, but we will not do so, we only want to see Giriraja as the gopi's have seen.
• Finally, Srila Gurudeva spoke about tat-tat-bhava-icchamayi (about manjari bhava). That we must remember his asraya-tattva (Lalita and Visaka).
• Srila Gurudeva says that we should remember in the mood of Radhika and the gopis and especially our Gurudeva like manjari in captainship of Rupa and Rati.