The Harikatha thread!

Thats beautiful!! In gopika geet the gopis say to Krishna that thhe only truly generous people are those who share stories of his glory.

 

Ah...that's why the stories are such an important part of us...love makes them important to us...and when we share that love, they last forever...

 

Narada muni once had a doubt about the devotion of the Gopikas, mistakingit for just some passing lust or temporary infatuation. He went to Vraja to test them. There as he arrived he saw one gopika sitting under a tree inthe lotus position, eyes closed, in meditation. He was surprised, since the gopikas never did meditation or anything. He watched for a while. After a few minutes she opened her eyes and walked off grumbling. Narada stopped her and askedher what was the matter.

She said, "I was trying very hard to somehow remove my mind from Krishna, but it is impossible. No matter what I do, my thoughts are always dancing around him alone."

Then Naradaji understood the depth of the devotion of these village girls. Later on in Narada Bhakti Sutra, he says yatha vrajagopikaanaam... be like the Gopikas.

 

Hanumanji, being a chiranjeevi (one who never dies) was present even during Sri Krishna's avatar. Krishna remembered their love from the days of Ramavatar and he longed to meet Hanumanji. He sent Narada muni to call Hanumanji to Dwaraka.

Whne Hanumanji came, he saw Sri Krishna and Rukmini devi and knew that they were Vishnu and Lakshmi in thier latest avatar. However, he could not bring himself to feel the same intense devotion he felt for Sri Rama. All the same he bent down and touched Krishna's feet, but in his heart he longed to see the form of Rama. And sure enough, when he rose, there was Sri Rama, smiling down at him, with the kodanda bow in his hand. By his side, Sitaji gazed at him lovingly. Hanumanji's heart was flooded with joy and bhakti and he fell at bhagawan's feet and served him throughout the Krishnavatar also.

 

awww....

 

One day, the bigger children of Gokul, including Krishna's elder brother Balarama, rushed
out to eat the fruits of a tree growing in the compound. Krishna loved
those fruits, so He toddled after them even though nobody had thought
of inviting Him. They shooed Him off as being too small to climb trees.
Still, He insisted on accompanying them, so they agreed to give Him the
task of picking up the fruits as they fell.

"Now mind you, don't eat a single one," they warned, knowing His
capacity for food. "Your job is only to collect the fruits and we'll come
and divide them equally."

"All right," He said meekly.

The big boys, including Balarama, scrambled up and started dropping
bunches of lovely, ripe, purple fruits to the ground. Krishna started picking
them up and gobbling them as fast He could. He crammed His mouth, and His little hands were going up and down like pistons from the ground to His mouth. After some time, one of the boys chanced to look down and discovered what was going on. "Hey! Stop that nonsense at once!" he shouted. "Look at Krishna," he called to the others. "He's eating the fruit instead of collecting it!"

"Stop it! Stop!" all of them shouted from the top of the tree. All the
little heads popped out from among the branches, shouting angrily at
Krishna, who seemed supremely unconscious of the whole affair and
continued to cram His mouth. The purply fluid was oozing down the corner
of His mouth and in His hurry to eat as much as He could, He had not
even cleaned the fruit. Quite a bit of mud also found its way into His
mouth. The boys came sliding down and shook Him hard. "What do you
think you're doing?" they shouted.

Krishna did not speak a word for the simple reason that His mouth
was packed with fruit.

"All right, we'll show you," they cried and ran inside searching for His
mother.

"0 Mother!" they cried. "Your son is eating mud!"

Yashoda came running to find out what the commotion was all about.

"Your son is eating mud!" they cried, pointing accusingly at Krishna.

"Have you been eating mud?" she repeated sternly.

Krishna shook His curly head and started sniffing loudly as a prelude
to crying. He dared not open His mouth yet, for He hadn't quite finished
swallowing the fruit.

"Ask Him to open His mouth, Mother!" Balarama urged. Krishna
glared at him as if He couldn't believe that His brother would stoop to
such a low trick.

"Yes, ask Him to open His mouth," the rest of the boys chorused.

"Open your mouth, Krishna," Yashoda said sternly.

Krishna turned His limpid gaze on her. "Have you forgotten what
happened when you looked into my mouth the last time?" was the
unspoken question.

She had indeed forgotten, or probably misunderstood. If so, the time
was propitious for another lesson. Or perhaps, He thought, if she wanted
to see mud, she could have her fill of it!

And the Lord who had become a human child out of sport, without
any loss of His divine powers, now opened His little mouth. She bent forward to peer more closely and lo! she felt herself to be whirling in space, lost in time, for inside the baby mouth was seen the whole universe of moving and unmoving creation, the earth and its mountains and oceans, the moon and the stars, and all the planets and regions. She was wonderstruck to see the land of Vraja and the village of Gokula, herself standing there with the child Krishna beside her with a wide-open mouth, and within that mouth another universe, and so on and on and on.

"0 God!" she thought. "Am I going mad or is this a dream or the
magic wrought by this strange child of mine? Krishnaaa " she cried,
clinging to His name like a drowning person to a lifeline. "Krishnaaa"
It was a despairing cry, for she felt her head whirling. Immediately, He
shut His mouth, and she got back her equilibrium. In a trice, she had
almost forgotten what she had seen. "Why have you been eating....." She
stopped in mid-sentence. What a fool she was! This child carried the
whole universe within Himself and she was worrying about a few grains
of sand! "Krishna! 0 Krishna!" she whispered, snatching up her boy in
her arms. "Who are You? Who are You? Who are You?" she whispered,
nuzzling His baby curls with her lips. Before the astonished gaze of a
dozen small boys, she carried her darling inside, caressing Him and murmuring endearments to Him. The boys gazed after her in disappointment. You really couldn't tell with adults, they decided. There was no saying how they would react. They had fully expected to enjoy the spectacle of Krishna howling for mercy from an irate mother and look at her! Hugging and kissing Him!

 

lol...I love this story...its one of my favourites! Thanks Bhaskar!

 

You're most welcome, pyaare

 

I don't know how totally accurate this is...but I found it by accident...I'm sure its from the Mahabharata because it seams like it precedes the Gita...but regardless...it is sooo beautiful.

Part 5: Krishna, I Need Only You

DURYODHANA, ELDEST OF THE KAURAVAS

ARJUNA

KRISHNA

(The eve of the battle of Kurukshetra. Duryodhana has come to Krishna's abode. Krishna is fast asleep. Duryodhana enters Krishna's room and sits by Krishna's head on a chair. Soon Arjuna comes in and sits at Krishna's feet. Both of them are waiting for Krishna to wake up. Arjuna is looking at Krishna's feet most devotedly and soulfully. Duryodhana is looking at Krishna with tremendous confidence and assurance.)

DURYODHANA (to Arjuna): Look at this Krishna! Why is he sleeping so much during the day? Has he not read the Shastras? It is a great sin to sleep during the day. What is he doing?

ARJUNA (to Krishna): For the first time, Krishna, I am seeing your feet. They are so beautiful. They are so divine.

(Arjuna touches Krishna's feet, appreciating and admiring their beauty.)

DURYODHANA: Yes, that is what you should do and must do. You should touch his feet, kiss his feet. You are meant for his feet and I am meant for his head. I shall touch his head.

(He is about to touch Krishna's head when Krishna opens his eyes and sees Arjuna.)

KRISHNA: Ah, my Arjuna, what brings you here? You are my joy, you are my pride, you are my love. What can I do for you?

DURYODHANA: Krishna, I came before him. I came before him, so you have to pay attention to me first. You have to fulfil my desire first.

ARJUNA: Krishna, I have come also with a desire.

KRISHNA: If both of you have desires, I shall fulfil your desires.

DURYODHANA: But I came first. You must fulfil my desire first.

KRISHNA: True, you came first, Duryodhana, but I saw Arjuna first. I have to fulfil his desire first. After all, he is younger than you. The younger one gets the first chance, always.

DURYODHANA: All right, Arjuna, you beggar, ask Krishna to fulfil your desire.

KRISHNA: Duryodhana, let us not quarrel here. This is my house. Both of you came here to have your desires fulfilled. I shall fulfil them. But here there should be no quarrel, no fight, no dispute. My place is all peace, love and harmony. Both of you are dear to me, and I assure you both that I shall fulfil your desires.

ARJUNA: O Krishna, you know that the battle is imminent. I want you to take my side.

DURYODHANA: Stop, Arjuna! I want Krishna on my side. I want him!

KRISHNA: If both of you want me, I have to choose one side. But I want to please both of you. Here is my suggestion: I shall be on one side, and my soldiers and warriors all will be on the other side. Now you make a choice. Arjuna has to make the first choice because I saw him first.

ARJUNA: O Krishna, I want you, I want you. I don't need your army. I want you only.

DURYODHANA: Krishna, are you sure? Will you keep your promise? You will be on one side and your army, your entire army, will be on the other?

KRISHNA: Duryodhana, my promise is my promise. Rest assured, I shall never break my promise. You take my entire army, and I will be on Arjuna's side.

ARJUNA (shedding tears of joy and gratitude): O Krishna, you are so kind. To have you is to achieve victory. For me to have you is my supreme joy, supreme glory and supreme pride. O Krishna, you are so kind to me. My joy, my life is all gratitude to you.

DURYODHANA: I thank you deeply for your army. Your army is your real strength. Let Arjuna have your body's strength. I will have the strength of your entire army. But keep your promise. Keep your promise, O Krishna. All of your army must be on my side.

KRISHNA: O Duryodhana, I shall tell you something more. I shall not fight. I shall only give whatever help Arjuna asks of me.

ARJUNA: I want you to be my charioteer, O Krishna. Since you have taken my side, please be my charioteer.

KRISHNA: Of course, I will be your charioteer, Arjuna. But I shall not fight.

ARJUNA: No, you don't have to fight. Only be my charioteer.

DURYODHANA (overjoyed): Krishna, so you will be Arjuna's charioteer! You cannot fight and you cannot have your army with you. This is your promise.

KRISHNA: Yes, this is my promise. You take my army with you and I shall be Arjuna's charioteer.

DURYODHANA: Tomorrow I shall come and take your army. Don't forget your promise, Krishna.

KRISHNA: Never.

(Exit Duryodhana)

ARJUNA: I know that the creator is always infinitely greater than the creation. You are the creator of your army. Duryodhana has the creation, but I have the creator. I know, Krishna, that you are All. Your very presence is infinite strength for me. Your very presence is my victory.

(Arjuna sings)

Ogo sundara ogo ananda

Ogo mor prananath

Sasime asime peyechhi tomar

Chetanar sakkhat rupantarer alor banshari

Bajabo hriday bane

Hasiya nachiya harabo

Amare rakhal rajar dhane

[O my beautiful One,

O my Lord of Delight,

O Lord of my life-breath,

In the finite and the infinite

I have met Your universal consciousness.

I shall play on the flute of transformation-light

in the forest of my heart.

Smiling and dancing

I shall lose myself in the wealth

of Lord Krishna.]

(Krishna gives him a most soulful smile.)

KRISHNA: O Arjuna, you do not know how dear you are to my heart. Come, let us go.

 

Thisis a story I have heard before, but not in its entirety. Thank you Nicole

 

I found out this particular version of that story is part of a play by Sri Chinmoy about Krishna's life...called :" The Singer of the Eternal Beyond:
A Play about Lord Krishna"

Part 3: Radha and Krishna Are Pure

(Krishna sits alone. Beside him is his f1ute.)

KRISHNA (lifting his flute): When I play on this flute, men and women, especially women, come to listen to my music. People criticise me because they feel that my association with these women is not pure. But I know how pure these women are, and I know what purity I embody. Poor Radha, she is my dearest Shakti. She is Purity itself. But human beings, how will they understand divine Love? How will they understand divine Delight? I shall have to suffer criticism from people.

(Krishna sings)

Je besechhe bhalo

Ei dharanire

Se peyechhe shudhu byatha

Parane tahar dhelechhe abani

Kuruper malinata

Tabu nirbhay chale sei bir

Pritthvir bojha niye

Ahaba ante habe upanita

Prabhur charane giye

[He who has loved this world

Has only got excruciating pangs.

The world has thrown on him all ugliness and

filth and dirt, and impurity.

Yet the hero marches along,

Carrying the burden of the entire world.

At the end of his teeming struggles

He will go and stand at the

Feet of the Lord Supreme.]

KRISHNA: I don't mind. I am above it all. But my Radha suffers, and I feel sorry for her.

(Enter Radha.)

KRISHNA: How do you feel today, Radha?

(Radha does not answer.)

KRISHNA: Yesterday you were in a sulking mood. It seems today you are worse. Radha, please tell me what is going on. Yesterday I asked you what was wrong with you, and you didn't answer. Today again I am asking you. I am begging you. Now tell me what is wrong with you. Has anybody insulted you?

RADHA: You are so pure, so divine. I come to you to listen to your music, to listen to your divine voice, to listen to your eternal Truth. I know you are divine, and my heart is all for you. But everybody criticises us, even my girl friends who also come here to listen to you. My girl friends are creating such gossip. It is unthinkable, unbearable.

KRISHNA: Do you know why they do it? Can you tell me why they act like that?

RADHA: Just because you show me special attention, they can't bear it. They are jealous of me. (Krishna smiles.) Can you not stop their jealousy?

KRISHNA: Human jealousy, Radha, is a very serious disease. I shall try to free them from jealousy. But it is a very difficult task.

RADHA: Either you have to free them from jealousy, or you have to make them feel that I am pure.

KRISHNA: To make them feel that you are pure -that is far easier. That I can do easily. I shall show you.

(Krishna begins playing soul-stirring music on his flute. All his divine friends come rushing to hear his music. Krishna plays for a few minutes.)

KRISHNA: Today I wish to play a special game. (Speaking to the women.) Most of you are married. I want you to prove today that you are all chaste. I want you to prove your purity.

(When Krishna says this, some of them immediately run away.)

KRISHNA: Look at this. I wanted them to prove their chastity and they have run away. You can imagine what kind of life they lead. So you people are remaining. I am so glad that you lead a chaste life. Now, here is a sieve and here is a bucket of water. One by one you come and pour the water into the sieve. If the water does not leak through when someone pours, that means that that woman is extremely pure and chaste.

(The girls line up. The first girl comes and pours water into the sieve. The water leaks through. The onlookers start laughing.)

ONLOOKERS: Oh, she is not chaste. She is not pure.

(The girl hides her face in embarrassment. The next girl starts pouring, but again the water goes through.)

ONLOOKERS (laughing): She is not chaste, she is not chaste.

KRISHNA (to a third girl): Now come on.

(The third girl comes and suffers the same fate. The water leaks through the sieve. Everybody starts laughing.)

THIRD GIRL (mockingly): Oh, Radha should come. Let her try!

OTHERS: Yes, Radha should come. Let Radha come. Let Radha try!

SECOND GIRL: Why do you bother Radha? She is not chaste either. Have some sympathy for her. You know perfectly well what kind of life she is leading.

KRISHNA: All right, she is not leading a life of purity. But let her try anyway. Radha, please come and see. You try, Radha. Come.

(Radha comes forward and is about to pour the water. The other women immediately start laughing.)

KRISHNA: Be quiet. Let us see first.

RADHA: Look, already they are laughing and mocking and criticizing me. Why should I do it?

KRISHNA (to the onlookers): Don't mock. Don't laugh. This is not yet the time to laugh and criticise. You people have proved yourselves. You have proved that you are not chaste at all. You only know how to criticise and mock. Now, let Radha try. At least give her a chance.

(Radha pours the water. The water does not leak through the sieve. Everybody is astonished.)

KRISHNA: Now you can see who is chaste, who is pure. You people, look. You know how to criticise, how to mock. But you do not know how to lead a pure life. I am teaching you the eternal Truth. I am the Lord of the Universe. Radha comes to me for spiritual help, eternal Truth. Her love for me is divine. My love for her is also divine. Your minds are in the gutter. You remain in a filthy consciousness. You care for men, you care for earthly duties, you care for name, fame and so many things. But my Radha, I am always in her mind. She is also a married woman. She has her husband and everything else, just like you. But no matter where she goes, no matter with whom she speaks, her mind is always on my Transcendental Consciousness. She knows that I am the Lord of the Universe. (Pauses.) Whoever thinks of me has the purest heart on earth. Those who think of other things are not pure and can never be pure. Their purity today you observed. A day will come when the whole world will know who Radha is. The world will not only recognise her purity, but also receive from her divinity the purest delight that exists in the earth-consciousness. She is my delight; she is the delight of the Universe. Pray, meditate. All of you will one day have Radha's purity, Radha's consciousness. It will take time; it will take centuries, millenia. But it will be possible for you also to have Radha's height, Radha's consciousness, Radha's realisation.

(Radha soulfully looks at Krishna and the other girls listen quietly while the second girl sings.)

Kalo baran nai je kanu
Jena kancha sona
Bishwa ruper rup madhuri
Jyoti diye bona
Amar -
Maner kali dhela pare
Dekhai tare kalo
Ta nahale priya je mor
Sudhui ujal alo
Alo andhar tahar gara
Kanu bishwamoy
Sabar sathe habe amar
Naba parichoy

[My Krishna is not black,
He is pure gold.
He Himself is woven
Into the universal Beauty,
Light and Splendour.
He looks dark
Because I have spilled the
ink of my mind on Him.
Otherwise, my Beloved is All-Light.
He created Light and Darkness,
He is within and without the Cosmos Vast.
With this knowledge,
I will have a new acquaintance
With the world at large.]

 

Twisted in Eight Places

This is a story about Krishna and Radha. It was a moonlit night and Lord Krishna was playing on his flute most hauntingly. Radha and the other gopis were all listening. They were admiring the music of KrishnaÕs flute and drinking in his celestial beauty. They were in the seventh Heaven of delight.

After some time, Krishna stopped playing and said, ÒI have transported you all to a world of purest delight. Now that you are all filled with happiness, I am going to take a walk in the forest.Ó

Krishna saw that Radha wanted to accompany him and he said to her, ÒYou may come.Ó The other gopis did not dare to join them. They had the utmost respect for Radha.

So Krishna and Radha walked and walked until they came to a particular place in the forest. Krishna turned to Radha and said, ÒRadha, I am in the mood to tell some stories. Would you care to listen to my stories?Ó

ÒOf course, my Lord!Ó exclaimed Radha. ÒPlease tell me some stories. I am eager to hear them.Ó

Krishna said, ÒAnything that comes into my mind, I will tell.Ó Krishna was all ready to tell Radha some stories when, all of a sudden, a strange looking man appeared. His body was bent in eight different places. His legs were crooked, his arms were crooked; everything was unnatural. This man was known as AstabakraÓ ÒastaÓ means Òeight,Ó and ÒAstabakraÓ means Òcrooked in eight places.Ó

As soon as Radha saw this unfortunate human being, for some reason she began laughing and laughing.

ÒHow can you laugh at this poor man?Ó asked Krishna.

ÒHis body is bent in eight different places! I cannot refrain from laughing at such an odd spectacle,Ó answered Radha.

Krishna scolded her: ÒIt is not kind to laugh at others. You should not behave in this way.Ó But Radha kept laughing and laughing.

Astabakra had thought that Radha would be full of compassion for him because she was KrishnaÕs dearest disciple. He simply could not understand why she was laughing at him so heartlessly. He was standing before her with tremendous devotion and love, but her laughter was hurting him deeply.

Krishna said to Radha, ÒIf I tell you about Astabakra, will you stop laughing at him?Ó

ÒOf course, my Lord,Ó came RadhaÕs reply.

ÒThen stop laughing and listen to his unhappy story.Ó As Krishna began to relate the story, Astabakra bowed to Krishna and Radha and silently left their presence.

This is the story that Krishna told. Astabakra was formerly a high-class Brahmin. He was married and he spent quite a few years with his wife. Then, for God knows what reason, he became disgusted with his wife. He took a vow, saying, ÒFrom now on I shall never, never mix with any woman! All women are so bad. Here is the absolute proof. My wife has proved that women are unbearable. I will have no connection, no association, with any woman whatsoever in GodÕs entire creation. I shall not even look at a woman.Ó

This was the strict vow that the Brahmin took after his sad experience with his wife. At that time his body was not crooked at all. In appearance he was very strong and handsome.

O God! A nymph in the palace of Lord Indra noticed this Brahmin and fell in love with him. The name of this nymph, or apsara, was Rambha. She was extremely beautiful. She came to the Brahmin and said to him, ÒI am in love with you. I want to marry you.Ó

The Brahmin became furious. He said, ÒI have taken a vow that I shall never marry again. My first wife was enough for me. She was the first and the last!Ó

Rambha began pleading with him. She said, ÒYou have to marry me, since I have declared my love for you.Ó

ÒNever!Ó insisted the Brahmin. ÒI will not mix with any woman in this life.Ó

When Rambha saw that the Brahmin would not change his mind, she became very angry and upset. ÒYou have such a foul tongue! How dare you talk to me like this! I am a dancer in the palace of Lord Indra himself. I curse you for refusing my love. Your body will become crooked in eight different places. You will be so ugly that no woman will ever want to look at you again.Ó

After cursing the Brahmin, Rambha vanished. The poor Brahmin! His body immediately became twisted and bent. Each of his limbs went in a different direction. He could move only with the greatest difficulty.

In despair, the Brahmin said, ÒWhat is the use of keeping this life? Rambha has cursed me and this is what has happened. Why should I remain on earth any longer? I will immolate this body of mine.Ó

Suddenly, Lord Vishnu appeared before him and said, ÒIt is not good to kill yourself. Pray and pray and pray. After some time, I will come to you again and you will be cured. Then you will be happy on earth with your physical body as before. You say that you do not want to look at women. No harm! You will be able to keep your vow. Now start praying and I will soon appear before you.Ó

The Brahmin listened to Lord Vishnu and began praying most sincerely.

ÒWhen will Lord Vishnu come and cure the Brahmin?Ó asked Radha when Krishna had reached this point in his story.

Krishna smiled sweetly. ÒVishnu has already come,Ó he said, and began walking home. Krishna was an emanation of Lord Vishnu. They were and they are one and the same. So this was how Krishna cured Astabakra.

from The Earth-Illumination-Trumpets of Divinity's Home (Stories from the Indian Scriptures: the Puranas)
by Sri Chinmoy

 

Sri Chinmoy in his very obviously Bengali accent says Ashtabakra for AshtaVakra. A beautiful story, I have never come across it before.

There is another version of Ashtavkra's story, which has no connection with Sri Krishna. In this he gives self knowledge to Sri Rama's father in-law Janaka.

Ashtavakra was a great jnani - a man of wisdom. Even in his mother's womb, he used to correct his father's recitation of the vedas. His father got irritated and cursed him, saying that he would be born deformed - with 8 bends - Ashtavakra.

He accepted it without any anger or sadness or anything. He was after all, completely unattached to the body.

He became a wandering sadhu. One day he walked into Janaka maharaj's court. Seeing his bzarre form, all the courtiers started laughing. Janaka also laughed. Ashtavkra himself joined in the peals of mirth.

Janaka, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, asked him why he was joining in when all were laughing at him.

He said, "I am laughing at the sight of a King's court filled with cobblers, who only look at the skin and the body, not knowing the self within."

At this King Janaka was shocked into silence, the smile wiped from his face. He began to question Ashtavakra, who then gave him the knowledge of the self.

It is a long conversation, where the concepts of vedanta are explained wonderfully well by Sri Ashtavkra, in lucid simple terms. You can read the translation at http://www.realization.org/page/doc0/doc0004.htm

 

After the mahabharata war, Ashwatthama, the son of Dronacharya, and close friend of Duryodhana, woved to kill all the Pandava's descendants. He was successful. Arjuna's daughter-in-law, Abhimanyu's wife Uttara, was pregnant with a child. This Ashwatthama, evil one, released a Bramhastra, the deadliest weapon, upon the womb of Uttara. The Bramhastra was such that only one who is a true bramhachari, celibate, completely pure, who has never even once entertained the slightest desire, may destroy it.

Uttara ran to Krishna and begged to be saved. Krishna, who had several wives, who from childhood had sported with women, picked up his weapon, and with ease destroyed the Bramhastra. Some places it is said he used the discus, sudarshana chakra, in other places it is said he used his mace, the gadha. Guruji explains that what happened was that he used the mace, but he spun it so fast that it looked like the discus!

Thus Krishna not only saved the child - Parikshit, the one who listened to the Bhagavatam - but also proved that he was purity itself.

 

Durvasa Rishi was a great yogi, who had gained tremendous powers by meditation. However, he was also quite quick tempered, so if slightly displeased, he was wont to curse the offender. So everyone was quite scared of him.

One day, Durvasa Rishi came to Vrindavan. When the Gopikas heard this, they immediately prepared to take food and serve him, lest he become angry with them. But there was a problem. Durvasa rishi was on the other side of the Yamuna, which was close to flooding.

They went to Krishna for a solution. Krishna grinned and said, "Go to Yamuna, and say that if Krishna has never had any sexual desire, give way to us."

The Gopikas were astonished. Krishna, who had stolen their clothes, who had shared so many intimate moments with them... How could they tell suh a blatant lie?! But they could not go against Krishna's word also.

They went to Yamuna. Very shyly, they whispered Krishna's command. And, there, the river ebbed, until they could wade across easily!
Once they had crossed it, they went to Durvasa Rishi and gave him food and did puja and served him. He ate and ate and ate, until all the food was finished. He was pleased.

But now, they had to return and Yamuna was again flooding.

So they asked Durvasa Rishi for advice, having told him what happened before. Durvasa Rishi knew what Krishna was trying to teach them. He said, "Don't worry, I will tell you a way across. You go to Yamuna and say that if Durvasa Rishi has not eaten a single bite today, give us way."

Now this was too much. Whether Krishna had any desire or not could be a matter of doubt, since it was in his mind. But they had seen right them, Durvasa Rishi had eaten enough to feed a small army!

But they feared the Rishi's wrath, so they went to the river and uttered the command. And to their utter discombobulation, the river parted to give way for them!

Thus Sri Krishna and Durvasa Rishi taught the gopikas the secret of action and inaction. In bhagavad gita Krishna says,

karmany akarma yah pasyed
akarmani ca karma yah
sa buddhiman manusyesu
sa yuktah krtsna-karma-krt

He who sees action in inaction
and inaction in action
he is wise among men
and he stands above action, even though acting in the world.

 

I actually read almost that same story the other day but set up differently...

(Krishna's palace. Krishna and Satyavama are together.)

SATYAVAMA: How is it that people think you are full of compassion? I see that you have no compassion at all. Look at your greatest devotee. He is repeating your name so devotedly and so soulfully! But you don't care for him. All he eats is a blade of grass now and then, because there is nobody to feed him.

KRISHNA: What do you want me to do?

SATYAVAMA: Why don't you ask someone to look after him? You have so many admirers and devotees. Why don't you ask someone to bring food to Durvasha every day, so that he can continue his meditating and still have proper food to eat.

KRISHNA: He does not need that kind of food.

SATYAVAMA (becoming angry): He does need it, but you don't supply it.

KRISHNA: No, no. His food is different, entirely different.

SATYAVAMA: I am sure that if I take him some proper food, delicious food, right now, he will eat voraciously.

KRISHNA: Well, perhaps you are right. You can try it. Go to him on the other side of the Jamuna, and then come back and tell me what he says about the food.

(Satyavama, having prepared a most delicious meal, goes to the River Jamuna, and tries to cross it. The Jamuna is a tiny river that is usually knee deep, but when there is a flood or a storm, it has to be crossed in a ferryboat. Satyavama sees that the water is raging like the surges of the sea. The boatman refuses to take her across because of the danger. Satyavama, depressed and angry, returns to the palace.!

SATYAVAMA: Krishna, I went to cross the river to take food to your dearest disciple, but the river was hostile to me. Do something!

KRISHNA: All right. Go and say this to the river: "If my Lord Krishna has not seen the face of any woman other than me, then calm down."

SATYAVAMA: How can I say this? I know how many women friends you have. I cannot say to Jamuna that you have never seen the face of any woman but me. It is all lies! Jamuna will never calm down. You have seen the faces of millions of women. To say that you have only seen my face is ridiculous!

KRISHNA: Go. Go and say what I have told you to Jamuna and see what happens.

(Satyavama stands at the edge of the raging river.)

SATYAVAMA: O Jamuna, if my Lord Krishna has not seen the face of any woman but me, then please calm down so that I may cross.

(The river subsides and she crosses.)

SATYAVAMA (thinking aloud): I am sure the Jamuna has allowed me to cross just to please Krishna.

(She comes to the place where Durvasha is meditating. He is in a high trance, but slowly opens his eyes when she approaches him.)

SATYAVAMA: O Durvasha, I have observed that for many weeks now you have been repeating my Lord's name with deepest devotion, and you have taken almost no food. Today, I have brought you food which I myself have prepared for you.

DURVASHA (still in a meditative mood, touches the feet of Satyavama): Mother, your compassion is food enough for me. Yet I am supremely grateful that you have thought of me and brought me food.

(Satyavama has to feed Durvasha herself as he is still in a trance-like state. When he has finished the food, Durvasha bows and touches Satyavama's feet.)

SATYAVAMA: Now I am going home. I am happy that you are pleased with my meal.

(Exit Satyavama)

(Durvasha resumes his deep meditation, and a little later Satyavama returns.)

SATYAVAMA: O Durvasha, please do something for me. There is no boatman at the river and my Lord is on the other side. I cannot cross because of the storm. While I was coming here it was also stormy, but my Lord made the river subside. But now my Lord is not here. Please tell me what I should do.

DURVASHA: This is very easy, Mother. I will tell you. Go and say this to the river: "If Durvasha has not eaten anything but a few blades of grass for many years, then you must calm down, O Jamuna."

SATYAVAMA: You fool! You liar! I have just fed you a most delicious meal with my own hands, and now you are asking me to say this!

DURVASHA: Mother, please tell the river what I have told you. I will come with you.

(Exeunt Durvasha and Satyavama)

(Satyavama and Durvasha at the river.)

SATYAVAMA (sarcastically, to the river): If Durvasha hasn't taken anything to eat for several years except a few blades of grass, then please, Jamuna, calm down. (The waters subside. Satyavama is surprised and angry.) Durvasha, your Lord is a liar and you are a liar! I am caught between two liars. But at least I am able to go home.

(Exit Satyavama)

(Krishna's palace.)

SATYAVAMA: Krishna, you are a liar and you have taught your dearest disciple also how to tell lies.

KRISHNA: What lies have we told?

SATYAVAMA: You said that you have never looked at any woman's face in your life except mine. How can it be? Millions of women you have seen. We have so many relatives, including your own mother, your sister and many others around us. So how can you say that you have not seen any other woman's face?

KRISHNA: Satyavama, you don't understand my spiritual knowledge. You are my dearest. You and I are one. When I look at any woman, immediately I see your face in that person. All women to me are represented by you. When I look at any woman's face, physically it is different, but according to my inner wisdom, inner light, I see that it is you who are that particular person. You are the Divine Mother and I am the Divine Father. So I see my female part, you, inside everyone. How, then, can I say that I am seeing somebody else? It is you I see in different forms, in different shapes.

SATYAVAMA (satisfied): I see. You are dealing with your universal consciousness. You are the Lord and I am your divine Shakti. But what about this liar Durvasha? He is your devotee. I fed him a delicious meal with my own hands. And immediately afterwards he said that he had not eaten anything but a few blades of grass for several years!

KRISHNA: Dearest Satyavama, all the while you were feeding him, Durvasha was in trance. He always remains in trance. And in trance what he eats is delight, ecstasy. That is his only food. He has practically lost all outer consciousness. On rare occasions he comes down to the earth-consciousness. Most of the time he is in his highest transcendental Consciousness, where he is communing with me. I feed him Peace, Light and Bliss. When he told you that he had taken only blades of grass, he was speaking the truth. He ate your food, true, but he didn't get any taste from the food you gave him. He was only drinking my divine nectar all the time. Before he entered into this rigorous discipline, this austere life, he decided that he would eat only blades of grass after beginning serious meditation. That particular idea is still in his mind, and he still thinks that he is eating only grass and nothing else, for he is not aware of outer things, earthly things. He has lost the consciousness of the outer world. So if you give him delicious earthly food, he gets no more taste from your meal than he gets from grass. That is why he could say that he had not eaten anything other than a few blades of grass for many years.

SATYAVAMA: You have convinced me, my Lord. I am most grateful to you. I withdraw my charges.

(Krishna smiles.)

 

Think Of God. He Will Not Only Think Of You, But He Will Think Of Your Dear Ones As Well

(A Brahmin and his wife inside their cottage.)

WIFE: My Lord, you always speak of your friend, Krishna. If he really is your friend, how is it that you don't go to him and get some money to relieve our poverty? You happened to be a very close friend of his when you were both boys. Now he has become King of Dwaraka, a very opulent, powerful King ruling a vast territory. But your fate is otherwise. You are extremely honest, sincere, moral and spiritual, but you are extremely poor. Sri Krishna is so rich, and you always speak highly of him. Why don't you go to him for help?

BRAHMIN: I don't want to ruin our friendship now that I know Krishna is not an ordinary man. He is a King in the outer world, and he is also a King in the inner world. I think of him, meditate on him and pray to him. He gives me much joy, much inner treasure. Although I don't have a lot of money and I do not wallow in the pleasures of riches, inwardly I am very happy. If I take money from him, then perhaps our friendship will come to an end. That is why I don't want to go to him.

WIFE: No, you should go. He is not an ordinary man, and he is very generous. He will give you a large sum of money. And I assure you that he will maintain his same old friendship with you.

BRAHMIN: I really can't do it. (Pauses.) All right. Since you have been insisting on my going for a long time, I will go there. I will kill two birds with one stone. I will please you by listening to your request, and I will please myself by seeing my intimate childhood friend whom I haven't seen for a long time. I will go and see him, but not to ask for money. I will see him, my Lord Krishna, so I can be filled with inner joy. And at the same time, I will be fulfilling your request that I go to his palace. Give me some food. Krishna, if he is still the same old Krishna, may ask me for something home-made.

WIFE: I have a small quantity of popped rice that you can tie in the corner of your dhoti.

BRAHMIN: Thank you. I shall leave for his palace right now.

(The Brahmin and Sri Krishna at Sri Krishna's palace.)

KRISHNA: I am exceedingly glad to see you, my old friend. Please tell me about your present life,

BRAHMIN: I am very happy, and my wife is very nice. And you, Krishna, you are a Lord now-an inner King and an outer King. Even so, you are showing me the utmost kindness, sympathy and friendship.

KRISHNA: What have you brought from home? I am eager to eat something of yours.

BRAHMIN (aside): Krishna is the King here. He has hundreds of slaves, and his palace is most luxurious. All divine and earthly things are at his command. What can I do? I am too embarrassed to give him this small quantity of popped rice.

(Sri Krishna snatches away his popped rice and starts eating.)

KRISHNA: Delicious, most delicious! For a long time I have not been blessed with this kind of food. I left Brindavan, and now I am King. Here I get food, but it doesn't have in it the real affection, the boundless affection, that is in this food you have brought from your wife. Now that I am in a city, I miss real affection, real concern.

BRAHMIN (aside): How I am enjoying Sri Krishna's presence! Divine Joy, divine Peace, divine Light is pouring forth from him, and I am drinking in his divine Nectar. I am so happy. Oh, now I am really pleased. I have fulfilled my desire, and my wife's desire I have also fulfilled in a way, since I have come to Sri Krishna. But I will not be able to ask my beloved Krishna for earthly wealth. I can't. How can I ask him for earthly things, fleeting things, ephemeral things, when out of his infinite bounty he has given me divine things, eternal things?

(The Brahmin is on his way home the following day filled with utmost inner and outer joy. He sings.)

Amar bhuban tomar charan lagi

Amar jiban tomar swapan lagi

[My world is for Your Feet.

My life is for Your Dream.]

(Suddenly, a heaviness attacks him.)

BRAHMIN: I am spiritual; that is why I am in a position to cry for divine things. But my wife does not care for spiritual things; she needs earthly things. Perhaps I made a mistake. I ought to have asked Krishna to give her something. She likes candy. I should have asked him to give me some candy for her. I feel sorry, but now it is too late. I don't want to go back to my friend, but I know she will be angry with me. What can I do?

(The Brahmin enters his village and approaches his home. Many men and women servants are moving around.)

BRAHMIN: Oh God! Where is my cottage? Standing where my home, my tiny cottage, was, I see a big building, a huge palace. I see servants and maids. (Looking in.) From here I can see that it is full of expensive furniture, and it is decorated with elaborate ornaments. (Turning to one servant who is passing by.) What happened to the cottage that was here?

SERVANT: Oh, don't you know? The owner is now wallowing in riches.

BYSTANDER: He went to his friend, Krishna, and Krishna gave him all this wealth.

BRAHMIN: Ah! Now I know the whole story. (His wife appears briefly in the doorway, dressed in costly garments and jewels.) Now my wife is decked in a most expensive, beautiful dress, and I see a flood of joy in her face. Hundreds of servants are waiting to attend me. But an inner pang shoots through me. O Lord Krishna, you have deceived me! Now how can I think of you? You pleased me when I was with you. Now you have pleased my wife. But here is temptation. My wife did not care for the spiritual life. Now that she is rich it will be worse; she will never care for it! Perhaps my spiritual life will come to an end as well. I will become involved in these ordinary earthly things, ephemeral glittering things.

(Suddenly Krishna appears before the Brahmin in a vision.)

BRAHMIN: O Krishna, feed me only with inner wealth. I want to live in you and receive your inner wealth, not this outer wealth. O my eternal friend, beloved Krishna, keep me inside your heart and feed me with your Compassion, Peace, Light and Bliss. And I pray to you to transform my wife's consciousness so that she will also realise that earthly wealth is no wealth-only inner wealth is worth having.

KRISHNA: My childhood friend, do you think I would betray you? You sought only inner wealth, and I have given you all that I am. Your wife sought outer wealth, and I have given her all that I have. After a while she will get tired of this outer wealth, she will see that it does not satisfy her, and then she too will cry for Light, Peace and Bliss. And then you both will run side by side to your Goal: my Infinity's Breath and my Eternity's Life.

 

The story you just told is of Sudhama, KRishna's boyhood friend. It has been told beautifully in many different ways. The description of their meeting in Bhagavatam is especially beautiful.

Sudhama goes to the palace and tells the guard that Krishna's old friend Sudhama is here. The guard finds bhagawan and starts to deliver the message. But before the guard can get further than "Your friend Su..." Krishna had already rushed out to meet him.

He brought Sudhama in and seated him on the throne. Rukminiji brought water and a basin, and Krishna began to wash Sudhama's feet with his own hands. However, he never needed to use the water brought by Rukmini, for Bhagwan's eyes were pouring out tears of joy on Sudhama's feet as he washed them.

And then he asked Sudhama what his wife had sent. Sudhama was very bashful. The little puffed rice had been borrowed from different neighbors, and was tied in an old dirty piece of cloth. While walking all the way he had carried it under his arm and had sweated all over it also. He hid it behind his back and said nothing.

But Krishna knew, he grabbed the little bundle and opened and ate a fistful, enjoying it - the salt was just right! The he ate one more fistful. As he began to eat the third Rukminiji stopped him. "Share some with us also!!"

Such a beautiful and moving moment, when the lord himself washes the feet of his devotee...

 

I have seen that picture before...thank you for sharing the story that goes with it.



Everytime I saw the picture I would think of when, before the last supper, Lord Jesus washes the feet of his disciples...


John 13:12-17
"So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them."

 

When Sri Rama's monkey army was building the bridge to Lanka, they found that the stones kept sinking. Therefore, they wrote the Rama name on each stone and placed it in the ocean. By the power of Bhagawan's name, the stones also floated.

Seeing this Sri Rama had a doubt. He wondered what would happen if he put the stone in himself. So he went off to a place where nobody was around to watch him and he conducted the experiment. He threw the stone in the water, it immediately sank, like a stone. He blushed, glad that nobody was around. After all, by his name only all stones are floating, so it is rather embarassing that the stones that he dropped himself were sinking!!

He looked over his shoulder to ensure he was alone. There he saw Hanumanji gazing at him, hands folded in prayer. Sri Rama was taken aback and he asked, "Hanuman, did you see what just happened?"

"Yes Bhagawan."

"Please don't tell anyone. It is a matter of shame, thatI, by shose name alone the stones float, could not make a stone float myself!"

Hanumanji said, "Bhagawan, there is no matter of shame in this. It is perfectly right, and all is as it should be."

"How so?"

"O Bhagawan, holding on to your name alone, all things float on the ocean of samsaar. But the one whom you drop will drown only!!"

Sri Rama smiled with relief and said, "Thank you Hanumanji, for your explanation!"