Bhagavatam tenth canto study 72 – 10.13.11-20 – Krishna makes even a big disturbance into a no disturbance

Srimad Bhagavatam, text 10, 13, 11.
Chapter on Brahma stealing the cows and the cow, cows, cowherd boys and cows. Here the scene is Krishna and the Gopas are having lunch on the banks of the Ganga, of the Yamuna. So Krishna and the Gopas, they kept the venu, jathar patayo, between the tight clothing, kept a flute in the abdomen.
Shringavetre jakakshe. Similarly, they all had their playthings, their, not just playthings, they’re also useful tools for directing and controlling the cows. But the horn bugle, the cow driving stick, whatever it was, they all kept it on the waist.
Vame pano masna kavalam tat phalan yangulishu. They took in hand the food, which is made of rice and yogurt, and then taking it in their hands between the fingers. Now this food also had some tasty fruits in between.
Tishthan madhe smadhe sopari suhrdo. They kept that fruit in between, where, in the middle. Haas jan, they’re laughing, joking, in the fingers they were keeping this.
And while they were doing this, the inhabitants of the Svarga Loka, the heavenly planets, Svarga Loka, Mishriti, they were observing how Krishna was enjoying. Babuji, Yagyabhukbal keli, that lord was a Yageshwar, his childhood pastimes they were observing. Now, things become interesting, even fascinating, when we place them in various contexts.
Even, say, for example, in today’s world, in ordinary activity, what seems to be utterly ordinary activity, like, say, talking with someone on cell phone. If we consider this, if you put this in the frame of, say, 500 or 1000 years of the changes in human society, then somebody, 1000 years ago, if they came by time travel, they would be fascinated. What is this person doing? They keep holding something in their hands, putting it near their head, and they’re just muttering.
Who are they talking with? So, just as a simple phone conversation becomes intriguing when seen from the perspective of a time traveler who has come from 1000 years into the past, into the present. Similarly, the ordinary activities of Krishna, taking food with his friend, cowherd friends, becomes fascinating when seen from the perspective of the residents of heaven, who understand that actually Krishna is not just a child eating food, he is Yagyabhuk, he is the person to whom, with great ceremonies and fire sacrifices, oblations are offered. So, that Yagyabhuk is now casually eating food from the fingers of his friends.
How astonishing this is. So, in fact, all the previous nine cantos of the Srimad Bhagavatam are meant to give us the proper framing within which to see the 10th canto pastimes. So, if we just hear Krishna’s stories without the preceding philosophy of the nine cantos, then they just seem amusing.
But in the framing of the previous 10 cantos, by which we understand that Krishna is Yagyeshwar, Yagyabhuk, then we understand that this is amazing. So, although the Bhagavatam has given us this framing earlier, it’s built up the narrative to describe the position of the Supreme Personality. But simultaneously, even while this narrative is going on, the Bhagavatam periodically expands the frame of reference, showing things from different perspectives, by which we can understand better the extraordinariness of what is happening.
And Krishna Leela is characterized by ordinary activities interspersed with sudden extraordinary activities. To make sense of those extraordinary activities, we need the appropriate framing. Otherwise, they will seem like fantasy.
If you understand that Krishna is God, His extraordinary activities will be seen not as fantasy, not as they are fantastic, but they are not fantasy. So, this description that the heavenly residents were observing with astonishment, Krishna’s eating, that is the segue, that is the link for describing how Brahmaji becomes intrigued, puzzled, then tries to do something foolhardy and gets trapped in the trap which he had set for Krishna. Let’s look at how this happens in the subsequent verses.
So, text 12, भारतैवं वत्सपेशु भुञ्जानेश्व अच्छुतात्मसु वत्सास्त्व अंतरवने दूरं विविशुस्त्रुणलो भितः So, भारतैवं वत्सपेशु. Now, after they had taken, while they were eating the lunch, the cow, Bharata, in this way, भुञ्जानेश्व अच्छुतात्मसु, along with the boys, Krishna was having his lunch, and the cows were intended, the cows walked away, भुञ्जानेश्व अच्छुतात्मसु, the boys were enjoying with Krishna, but वत्सास्त्व अंतरवने दूरं, the cows went away deep into the forest, विविशुस्त्रुणलो भितः, seeking for greener grass. Now, it was earlier mentioned that the cows were tied up, but maybe these are children, they don’t know how to tie cows perfectly.
Some of them were tied up, some of them were not tied up, or they had tied them gently, so they broke free. But either way, what has happened is, the cows have gone away. Because the cows have gone away, now the Gopas, although they are enjoying their food, they are also aware that they are servants, they are there to serve the cows.
Text 13, तान्द्रिष्ट्वाभ्यसंद्रस्तान्, ऊचे कृष्णोस्यभीभयम्, मित्रान्यासान्माविरमते, हानेश्वत्सकानहम्, When the cowherd boys saw that, oh, our cows are going away, Krishna, they got up, but Krishna said, oh, no need for you to get up, I’ll take care of this. So, मित्रान्यासान्माविरमते, do not fear, I will get the cows back. Krishna is in the mood of serving his devotees.
Krishna accepts discomfort himself, the discomfort of interrupting his meal, so that his friends can have comfort, that is, they can continue to eat their meal without any interruption. Such is Krishna’s amazing service attitude. So, when Krishna does this, he gets up and he goes to look for the cows.
So, as Krishna goes, then what happens? So, इत्ति उक्त्वाद्रि, speaking like this, saying that I’ll get the cows, Krishna started moving. Now, when they were having the food, they were in a cheerful mood, so they did not notice things so much, but then they saw that actually the cows had gone quite far away. So, गावरेश्वात्मवत्सकान्, he started searching in the mountains, the mountain caves, the valleys, the bushes, narrow places, विचिन्वन्, as he was searching like this, भगवान् सपानी कवलो ययो, actually he was still carrying the yogurt and rice in his hand.
He interrupted his meal, but he didn’t want to cast aside the food that he was eating, so he carried it with him. He started moving here and there, looking for some things. But then, what is the next thing to be done? As Krishna was doing like this, he couldn’t spot them anywhere.
अवस्थितो यः पुरा, दृष्ट्वागः सुरमोक्षिनं प्रभवतः प्राप्तः परंविष्मयं, So here, what is going on is described from another perspective now. अम्भोजन्मजनेश, the one who is born from a lotus flower, तद अन्तरगतो, who has now become, who became entangled in the pastimes of Krishna, observing how they were enjoying food and sharing each other’s food, माया अरभकस्य, of the bow. So, those children who were Krishna’s friends, नित्वान्यत्र, he took them far away and he hid them.
So, what happened was that, when he took these children away, he, उकुरुद्वह, is being spoken to Maharaj Parikshit, he brought those cows, he wanted to see what Krishna will do now. So, on one side, as Krishna was looking for the cows, Brahmaji took those cows away and hid them. And then when Krishna came back to look for the Gopas, those Gopas were also hidden.
And either way, Krishna was left alone with neither here nor there. But what happened? Why did Brahmaji do this? Because he wanted to see, who is this Krishna? How could he kill Agahasura? In the previous chapter, it was described how the Devatas from Svarga Loka were showering flowers and dancing and singing praises and blowing various instruments. So, that sound of jubilation and celebration became so high that it attracted even Brahmaji, who lives in the highest planetary system in this world, Sathya Loka.
And from there, he came down to observe. When he observed, he was also awestruck. And here now, that point is being continued.
It’s said in a novel story, if somebody says that there is a gun in the room, then that gun needs to go off somewhere in the next few pages. Otherwise, the mention of the gun is simply a distraction. And there is an expert story teller and expert story reader.
When the story teller drops the hint like that, oh, there is a gun there. And the story reader thinks, oh, now something is going to happen with the gun. So, like that, in this story, Shukadeva Goswami drops the hint in the previous chapter that Brahmaji came and he was also astounded to see what was happening.
So, that’s like the gun being mentioned. And now, in this chapter, the gun is going off. So, a precursor or a prelude to the Brahmaji Mohanlila came in the previous chapter.
That was like the smoking gun being mentioned. And the gun shooting here comes over here. So, Krishna couldn’t find the cows.
So, he searched. But when he couldn’t find, he came back to the cowherd boys and he couldn’t find them either. And Krishna was searching here, searching there.
He couldn’t find anyone anywhere. What to do then? He couldn’t see them anywhere in the forest or anywhere else, both the cows and the gopas, cows and their caretakers. Krishna was not bewildered by this because he is Vishwaveda.
He is the knower of everything. The knower of the universe means he is omniscient and he knows whatever is happening in the universe in different places. He understood that all this was done by Vidhi.
Vidhi refers to Brahmaji. So, Vidhi Krutam, that means this has been done by Brahma. He became illumined.
That understanding, that awareness rose within him. So, again we see this dynamism between Krishna’s being all-knowing and Krishna’s being unknowing. So, at one moment Krishna was unknowing.
Where are the gopas and the cows? At the next moment Krishna is all-knowing. He knows, oh Brahma, Vidhi Krutam, Brahmaji has done this. This is the dynamism of Krishna Leela.
Then Krishna decided to have fun for Brahma as well as for everyone else. For to increase the pleasure for Brahmaji, Tanmatranam Ja Kasyach. Tanmatranam means the mothers of the cowherd boys and the cows.
Kasya refers to Ka in the name of Brahmaji. So, Kasyava, Ka refers to Brahmaji, Isha refers to Shiva. So, Kasyava refers to the one who is the lord of Brahma and Shiva.
One who is beyond Brahma and Shiva. So, for both of them, Ubhayati, Ubhayaitam. So, he expanded himself as both of them.
Atmanam Chakra Vishwakrudeshwaraha. Now for him to create or manifest such expansions was not at all difficult because he is Vishwakrit. He is the creator of the whole universe.
So, the greatness of Krishna is being repeatedly stressed. This verse has Vishwakrit. As the creator of the universe, he can create expansions which look like the Gopas and the cows.
And the previous verse was Vishwavith. He knew what Brahma did. So, although Krishna is at one place in one form, but still he is also all-knowing.
This is the mystery of the divine which Brahma couldn’t figure out and Brahma would learn in due course. Vatsapavatsa Kalpaka Vapur Yavat Karangrad Adikam Yavat Yashti Vishana Venudal Shig Yavat Vibhushamambaram Yavat Chila Gunaadhika Kunaabhidhakarthi Vayo Yavat Biharadikam Sarvam Vishnumayam Giro Angavat Ajah Sarvaswaroopobhav So, here it is described that Krishna manifested in forms that were exactly identical to the forms of the Gopas who had disappeared. So, Yavat, exactly like Vatsapavatsa Kalpaka Vapur, like the bodies of the cows and the cowherd boys, Vatsapa.
Vatsapa refers to, Pa is the protector, Vatsa is the cows, the protector of the cows. Vatsakalpaka. So, Vatsakalpaka, Vapuhu.
Vapuhu is small. The small tender bodies were there of the cows. Krishna manifested even in those bodies.
Yavat Karangradikam, even to the ekkarangri, even to their hands and legs, the exact measurements. Yavat Yashti Vishanna, but also he had their bugles, their flutes, Velu Dalashika, their sticks, their lunch bags, everything. Krishna also manifested in those forms.
He manifested exactly like them. Yavat Vibhushambaram, also their ornaments and their garments, in all their particulars, varied particulars, as Prabhupada, the word to word translation says. Yavat Chila, that actually, not only were their external attributes identical in the expansions that Krishna manifested, but also their behavioral characteristics, their characters, habits, Shila, Shila is their culture, Shila Guna, Abhida Akriti, Guna is their qualities, their culture, character, their features, attributes, Akriti, Vaya, their age, everything, their shape, everything.
Yavat Viharadikam, and also even everybody has some hobbies, some interests, some things they do for amusing themselves. Krishna even manifested those. So, we see through this that each of the Gopas was richly individual.
Pure devotion creates oneness of intention, but it retains richness of individuation. Each Gopa is richly individual and Krishna manifests the rich individuality of every Gopa in all their features, their bodily features, their paraphernalia, their behavioral characteristics, their ornaments and garments, their personal likes and hobbies, everything. Sarvam Vishnumayam Giro is where Vishnumayam, they were actually expansions of Krishna, but even their voices were exactly like that of those Gopas.
Sarva Svarupa Bhav and the Lord manifested Himself in all these forms without any difficulty and this was the miracle by which now Brahmaji would become believed and Brahmaji would be taught a special lesson. Swayam Atmatma Go Vatsan, Prativaryatma Vatsapai, Kridan Atma Viharishcha, Sarvatma Pravishad Vrajam. Now what happened is Krishna manifesting as his cows and cowherd boys entered into Pravishad Vrajam, he returned back to Vraja.
He returned back to perform the daily activities, Kridan, the play and Atma Viharishcha, their particular activities which they would perform, Krishna did them as his own pastime now. So basically although a huge you could say disappearance or abduction had happened, Krishna by his omnipotence made a big disturbance into no disturbance at all. Although these Gopas and cows had disappeared, Krishna arranged it so that there had been no disappearance at all.
Such is Krishna’s potency that he can expand himself so fully that even if everything seems to be lost, still nothing will be lost. In our lives also we may lose many things sometimes. Sometimes some forces beyond us may take various valuable things away from us.
But Krishna, if we focus on Krishna and dwell on Krishna, Krishna can expand himself and whatever needs were fulfilled by those things, Krishna can arrange to fulfill those needs for us. So in Vrindavan nobody can create a disruption, not demons and not even gods. So that is demonstrated here by Krishna negating entirely the disruption created by Brahmaji and instead the disturbance created by Brahmaji ends up disturbing Brahmaji itself.