The Story of the Creation

This is the eternal spiritual world. At the top we see Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, a transcendental cowherd boy at play with His topmost devotees. These devotees are so totally in love with Him that they even forget He is God. Being God, He can expand Himself into unlimited forms without diminishing Himself. Therefore we see, in the middle, a milk-white form of Krishna wearing blue instead of yellow. This is Balarama, Krishna’s first expansion who plays as His brother, another cowherd boy. After Balarama come the Vishnu or Narayana forms, manifested for those who do not want to forget that He is God, and who prefer the more formal worship of this majestic four-armed form. But some become envious of God’s position and want one just like His.

They wish to be gods themselves instead of serving God. Just to give these souls a place to try to fulfill their desires, and to ultimately learn that such a choice cannot bring happiness, the Supreme Lord again expands Himself as Maha-Vishnu (Great Vishnu). Maha-Vishnu lies down in a darkened part of the spiritual world, in the Causal Ocean, which is made of the undifferentiated material energy. There He begins to create the material world.

In the Causal Ocean, the Supreme Lord first separates the qualities of the material elements (ether, air, fire, water, and earth) by His glance.

The Supreme Lord, in His exhalation, breathes out the universes. It is said there are millions of universes, and each one is covered by layers of the material elements. The Lord next expands Himself again, to enter each universe.

Within each universe, all is dark. The Lord lies down in the waters of devastation, on a bed formed by His servant, Shesha-naga, who is actually another type of expansion. From His navel grows an effulgent lotus, whose light dries up the waters around it.

On the lotus is born Brahma, the first-born. Here, Brahma is shown trying to understand who he is, where he has come from, and what is his purpose.

In an attempt to answer his questions, Brahma climbs down the lotus stem into the water, seeking the stem’s origin. But he is stopped by the Wheel of Time, representing Death, and returns to his seat on the lotus flower. For one hundred years he performs austerities, meditating until he finds the Lord within his heart.

Suddenly, the Supreme Lord Vishnu appears below him, vast and more beautiful than the grandest landscape.

After the Lord disappears from Brahma’s sight, Brahma sees that the lotus has spread throughout the universe. Now understanding his purpose, Brahma begins the work of creation as the delegated and empowered representative of the Supreme Lord. Meditating on the Lord in his heart, he forms the planetary systems from the petals of the lotus. Next he begins to reproduce population from the different parts of his body, including his mind, feelings, and shadow, by mystic powers. He does not create the souls, who are eternal spiritual sparks from the spiritual form of the Lord, any more than he created the material elements. He merely gives them bodies formed from those material elements according to their various levels of consciousness at the time.

The Lord further enters His creation to maintain it. He expands Himself millions and billions of times to live in each atom and to personally accompany each soul in its journey in the material world. Besides the Lord Himself in each heart, we also see here: - the individual eternal soul, a tiny spark of spirit who is so powerful that he fills the body with consciousness and life. - the subtle body, defined as mind, intelligence, and false ego, which reflects the level of advancement of understanding of each soul. - and the gross physical body, selected to fit the nature of the subtle body. This story has a resolution. Remember, in the first painting, the rebellious soul who has rejected the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to seek his own supposed godhood? He has encountered much trouble and misery, some bits of happiness that are more like absence of misery, and repeated births and deaths. He has not realized who lives in his heart as his eternal friend. When he finally becomes frustrated enough to ask “why?” the Lord in his heart arranges for him to encounter a spiritual master who can guide him to surrender to Krishna in loving devotional service and return to the spiritual world.

Courtesy from Krishna.com

Nandhalala's Rasa Leela

Raasa Leela forms the most enchanting and the most devotional play (Leela) of Sree Krishna. It depicts the supersensual love between milkmaids (Gopis) of Vrindavan and Sree Krishna. However, it must be remembered that child Krishna was just about ten years of age at that time.

All this love for Gopis in general and Radha in particular should be seen as divine love between Atman and Paramatman, without any physical or carnal element. We human beings may not understand the celestial beauty and spiritual content of such love between a man and a woman, but it is not the fault of Sree Krishna or the Gopis; we must blame ourselves if we see the whole episode with impure mind, if we get feeling of attraction between flesh and flesh in this Leela.

Sree Krishna now started going to forest regularly with his cows. As the cows grazed in the loneliness of forest, Sree Krishna would play most melodious tunes on his flute. The clear skies, soft breeze, and newly blossomed tress with lush green foliage made the atmosphere pleasant, enchanting and cool. Peace, bliss, and love exuded all around. The Gopis (milkmaids of Vrindavan) were captivated by the sweet melody of Krishna's flute, unable to control their feelings towards Him. Forgetting their household duties, their children and husbands, these youthful lovers of Sree Krishna rushed to forest to have the company of their beloved. [This is known as relationship of a devotee with the attitude where the Lord is 'sweetheart'; Madhur Bhava as it is called.] Their heart and mind was occupied with the virtues of the Lord of the Universe, Paramatman Krishna.

Praising the beauty and love of Sree Krishna, the Gopis were immersed in His Bhakti in its highest manifestation - para bhakti - where union of Atman with Paramatman was the goal sought. Body, mind, and thoughts vanished even while in body; transcendental joy and bliss was all that mattered. What to talk of Gopis and Radha (best amongst the Gopis), even the trees and shrubs, flowers and leaves, birds and animals all surrendered themselves to the sweet music of aptivating flute. Hence, Sree Krishna is also known as 'Muralidhar' (One holding the Flute).

Evenings changed into nights, the full moon spreading its bright but pleasant light to make the night shine with gaiety and desire to unite. Sree Krishna with a peacock feather in his hair, adoring the loveliest yellow silk cloth on his beautiful celestial dark body, the flute kissing his rosy lips, and the gracious dance that he performed, all this was beyond the grasp of any mortal on the earth. The Gopis oblivious to the time of day rushed to the Tulasi (Sweet basil) Grove to meet Sree Krishna in this prime mood of Love. Then the divine Raasa Leela would to be enacted.

The leader amongst the Gopis, Radha by name, the most beautiful and greatest exponent of Madhur Bhava, Love Power of Lord Krishna, losing her ordinary consciousness would start dancing in tune with Chitchor (one who has stolen the mind and heart - another name of Sree Krishna). Other Gopis would encircle this divine pair and thus would the Leela continue whole night. [It still continues night after every night in Vrindavan, and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Vallabhacharya, Surdas and a few more saints and Holy people have had visions of these Raasa Leelas at Vrindavan in their lives).

Heavens and earth would come to standstill; gods and demigods of heaven - kinnaras, gandharvas, and yakshas - would enjoy Raasa Leela peeping down from their abode in the high sky. They would fill the grove with fragrance of celestial freshness and sweetness of heavenly music, while stars and the moon would stop in their orbit in awe and joy, becoming brighter and cooler to allow Raasa Leela to reach its peak of eternal bliss.

However, this supernatural delight brought feeling of superiority and pride in the hearts and minds of the Gopis. "Why, the Lord Himself is dancing with me. Has anyone else such a fortune? Others are inferior to me", so would think a Gopi. And to rectify this defect of vanity and pride, Sree Krishna would vanish for a moment! The restless Gopis would search Him here and there, running from one tree to another, from one shrub to the next, inquiring 'have you seen my Krishna? Please tell me where he has disappeared.' And when the pangs of separation would become too unbearable, the Gopis would cry and lament:

"O my friend, please arrange my meeting with Him, I cannot stay alive without Him. Where has He gone? What wrong have I done that He now no more loves me? I have given everything to Him, and now how shall I survive! My body, mind, emotions, thoughts, home and children, husband and family I have sacrificed in his favor. O my friend, bring Him to me; otherwise this life force is sure to leave from my heart.

Bring Him to me or take me to Him; I shall wash His feet with tears from my eyes, I shall clean his feet with my long hair. I shall do everything and anything that might appear impossible for a human being. These pangs of separation are no more possible to tolerate, don't you feel my skin is dry and parched, burning in the separation from the Beloved! Don't you see my eyes have lost their entire luster, my breath is irregular, my mind is not steady, and my heart is pounding in fear! O friend, have you seen my Krishna!"

Such and many more songs are composed in the Vaishnava tradition of literature in India, which bring tear to every eye, which express the pang of separation as writhing of heart like a wet towel. From medieval time to this date, scores are songs are composed, ballet and dramas enacted, with wonderful description of Raasa Leela. From Kashmir in the north to Kanyakumari in the south, from Dwaraka in the West to Manipur in the east music is played in all Vaishnava temples with madhur bhava as the main ingredient eulogizing this 'out of the world' feat of Sree Krishna and Radha.

No one has captured the heart and mind of the masses with such fervour as Sree Krishna has. Not for nothing, He is the most adored deity in His many varied and beautiful divine forms. In his gesture of supreme love towards Radha and Radha's love for Him, Sree Krishna blessed her thus: 'O Radha, for centuries to come people would take your name first and then mine.' And thus devotees chant 'Radhe Krishna; Radhe Krishna', in ecstasy of madness; Radhe Krishna having become the Mantra for Final Liberation!

கீதாசாரம் / GEETHASHARAM

கீதாசாரம்

எது நடந்ததோ, அது நன்றாகவே நடந்தது,

எது நடக்கிறதோ, அது நன்றாகவே நடக்கிறது,

எது நடக்க இருக்கிறதோ,

அதுவும் நன்றாகவே நடக்கும்,

உன்னுடையதை எதை இழந்தாய்,

எதற்காக நீ அழுகிறாய்?

எதை நீ கொண்டு வந்தாய், அதை நீ இழப்பதிற்கு?

எதை நீ படைத்திருந்தாய், அது வீணாவதற்கு?

எதை நீ எடுத்துக் கொண்டாயோ,

அது இங்கிருந்தே எடுக்கப்பட்டது,

எதை கொடுத்தாயோ,

அது இங்கேயே கொடுக்கப்பட்டது,

எது இன்று உன்னுடையதோ,

அது நாளை மற்றொருவருடையதாகிறது,

மற்றொரு நாள், அது வேறொருவருடையதாகும்.

இதுவே உலக நியதியும், எனது படைப்பின் சாராம்சமாகும்.

- பகவான் ஸ்ரீ கிருஷ்ணர்

GEETHASHARAM

WHAT EVER HAPPENED

HAPPENED WELL

WHAT'S HAPPENING HAPPENS WELL
ALL THAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN

WILL HAPPEN WELL AS WELL
WHAT HAVE YOU LOST TO CRY?

WHAT HAVE YOU BROUGHT TO LOOSE?

WHAT HAVE YOU CREATED TO WASTE?
WHAT EVER THAT'S TAKEN IS TAKEN FROM HERE

WHAT EVER THAT'S GIVEN IS GIVEN FROM HERE

ALL THAT IS YOURS TODAY WILL BE OTHERS TOMORROW

ON ANOTHER DAY IT WILL BE SOMEONE ELSE'S

THIS CHANGE IS THE LAW OF NATURE.

- BHAGAWAN SREE KRISHNAR