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r Annad Ekda Issue no:68 18th August 2017

When Brahma Returns


Features
When Brahma Returns
Conversation between
Sukadeva Goswami and Maharaja Pariksit

After The Disappearance


Of Yogamayas Influence
Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura

Brahmas Prayers To The Supreme Lord


His Divine Grace
A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Why Krishna Did Not


Respond To Brahmas Prayers
Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura

Brahma Leaves For His Own Abode


Srila Vaiyasaki

Prayer To Yogamaya
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
Issue no 68, Page 2 nitya bhgavata-sevay

When Brahma Returns mystified.


Conversation between As the darkness of snow on a dark night and
Sukadeva Goswami and Maharaja Pariksit the light of a glowworm in the daytime have
no value, the mystic power of an inferior person
When Lord Brahma returned after a moment who tries to use it against a person with far
of his time, he saw that although by human greater power is unable to accomplish anything;
measurement a complete year had passed, Lord instead, the power of that inferior person is
Krishna, was still playing with the boys and diminished.
calves just as before. These were of course His Suddenly, while Lord Brahma looked on,
own expansions. Lord Brahma thought: I have all the calves and the boys tending them
left the boys and calves that were in Gokula appeared with complexions the color of bluish
sleeping under the spell of my mystic potency, rainclouds and were dressed in yellow silken
and to this very day they have not risen. Yet a garments. All those personalities had four arms,
similar number of boys and calves seem to and were holding a conchshell, disc, mace
have been playing with Krishna for an entire and lotus flower in Their hands. They wore
year. They are certainly different from the ones helmets on Their heads, earrings on Their ears
enspelled by my mystic potency. Who are they? and garlands of forest flowers around Their
Where did they come from? necks. On the upper portion of the right side
of Their chests was the emblem of the goddess
Thus Lord Brahma thought long and hard, of fortune. Furthermore, They wore armlets on
trying to distinguish between the two sets of Their arms, the kaustubha gem around Their
boys, who were separately existing. He tried to necks - which were marked with three lines like
understand who was real and who was not real, a conchshell - and bracelets on Their wrists.
but he could not understand at all. With bangles on Their ankles, ornaments on
Thus, because Lord Brahma wanted to mystify Their feet, and sacred belts around Their waists,
the all-pervading Lord Krishna, who can never They all appeared very handsome. Every part of
be mystified, but who, on the contrary, mystifies Their bodies - from Their feet to the top of Their
the entire universe, Brahma himself was heads - was well decorated with fresh, tender
nitya bhgavata-sevay top right 3 Issue no 68, Page3
garlands of tulasi leaves offered by devotees entire universe, along with himself. Then, looking
engaged in worshiping the Lord by the greatest in all directions, Lord Brahma immediately saw
pious activities, of hearing and chanting. Those Vrindavana before him, lled with trees, which
Vishnu forms, by Their pure smiling, which were the means of livelihood for the inhabitants
resembled the increasing light of the waxing and which were equally pleasing in all seasons.
moon, and by the sidelong glances of Their Vrindavana is the transcendental abode of
reddish eyes, created and protected the desires the Lord, where there is no hunger, anger or
of Their own devotees, as if by the modes of thirst. Though naturally inimical, both human
passion and goodness. All beings, both moving beings and erce animals live there together in
and nonmoving, from the four-headed Lord transcendental friendship. Then Lord Brahma
Brahma down to the most insignicant living saw the Absolute Truth who is one without a
entity, had taken forms and were differently second, who possesses full knowledge and who
worshiping those viu-mrtis, according to is unlimited. He saw Him assuming the role of a
their respective capacities, with various means child in a family of cowherd men and standing
of worship, such as dancing and singing. All the alone, just as before, with a morsel of food in His
viu-mrtis were surrounded by the personied hand, searching everywhere for the calves and
mystic perfections, headed by aim-siddhi; by His cowherd friends. Seeing this, Lord Brahma
the personied mystic potencies, headed by Aj; hastily got down from his swan carrier, fell to the
and by the personied twenty-four elements of ground like a golden rod and touched the lotus
the material world, headed by the mahat-tattva. feet of Lord Krishna with the tips of the four
Then Lord Brahma saw that time itself (kla), crowns on his heads. Offering his obeisance,
associated nature (svabhva), puricatory rituals he bathed the feet of Krishna with the water
(saskra), desire (kma), fruitive activity of his tears of joy. Rising and falling again and
(karma) and the three modes of material nature again at the lotus feet of Lord Krishna for a long
(gua), their independence being completely time, Lord Brahma repeatedly remembered the
subordinate to the potency of the Lord, had all Lord's greatness he had just seen. Then, rising
taken forms and were also worshiping those very slowly and wiping his eyes, Lord Brahma
viu-mrtis. The viu-mrtis all had eternal, looked up at Mukunda (Krishna). Lord Brahma,
unlimited forms, full of knowledge and bliss his head bent low, his mind concentrated and
and existing beyond the inuence of time. Their his body trembling, very humbly began, with
greatness was well beyond the scope of the jnns faltering words, to offer praises to Lord Krishna.
engaged in studying the Upaniads. Lord Brahma rmad-Bhgavatam (Bhgavata Pura) Canto 10: The Summum
saw the Supreme Brahman, by whose energy this Bonum Chapter Thirteen: The Stealing of the Boys and Calves by Brahma
entire universe, with its moving and nonmoving Verses: 40-64.
living beings, is manifested. He also saw at the
same time all the calves and boys as the Lord's After The Disappearance
expansions. Of Yogamayas Influence
Then, by the power of the effulgence of those Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura
viu-mrtis, LordBrahma,hiselevensensesjolted
by astonishment and stunned by transcendental
bliss, became silent, just like a child's clay doll in Seeing that Brahma could not realize the sweet
the presence of the village deity. The Supreme glory He had shown him, and that Brahma was
Brahman is beyond mental speculation, He is not qualified to view any more of His endless
self-manifest, existing in His own bliss, and He is unprecedented glories, Krishna didnt show any
beyond the material energy. He is known by the more of His opulence. Even though Brahma
crest jewels of the Vedas by refutation of irrelevant was highly learned and also the husband of
knowledge. Thus in relation to that Supreme the goddess of learning Sarasvati, he said, Oh,
Brahman, the Personality of Godhead, whose what an amazing thing I have seen. Then
glory had been shown by the manifestation being mystified, he could no longer see those
of all the four-armed forms of Vishnu, Lord forms. Seeing this and knowing Brahmas lack of
Brahma, the lord of Sarasvati, was mystied. qualification to understand His powers, Krishna
"What is this?" he thought, as he was not able immediately withdrew the curtain of yogamaya
to see anything within his comprehension. Lord (aj javanikm) to make them disappear.
Krishna, understanding Brahma's position, at In other words, by the agency of yogamaya,
once removed the curtain of His yogamaya. Lord Krishna covered the cowherd boys, the grazing
Brahma's external consciousness revived, he calves and Himself looking for the calves. Then
stood up, like a dead man coming back to life. Krishna showed new forms of them produced
Opening his eyes with great difculty, he saw the from within Himself, each having four arms.
Issue no 68, Page 4
Top left 4 nitya bhgavata-sevay
Then He made that yogamaya disappear.
Yogamaya is the potency by which Krishna
is sometimes manifest and sometimes not
manifest. Mahamaya, on the other hand, is the
potency which covers the actual reality and
displays something unreal. Therefore, in this
verse the word aj refers to yogamaya.
Krishna is beyond logic (atarkye), self-manifest
and blissful (sva-pramitike). If Krishna does not
personally reveal Himself, there is absolutely no
means - not even by scriptural knowledge - to
realize Him. Therefore Krishna is beyond logic
or argument. He is also beyond the material
energy (paratra ajtah).
tato nujpya bhagavn
sva-bhuva prg avasthitn
vatsn pulinam ninye
yath-prva-sakha svakam
Krishna brought the calves (ninye), who
were absorbed in eating grass (avasthitn), back
to the same place (prg) on the bank of the river
(pulinam), where the cowherd boys were sitting
in the exactly their same positions (svakam)
taking lunch. In that place sat the original
cowherd boys (yath-prva-sakha), who were desire other than to associate with Krishna.
different from the expansion cowherd boys who Being very kind to His devotees, Krishna fulfills
performed pastimes for one year with Krishna. their desire. Because they always want Krishnas
Editorial comments: When Lord removed association, the Lord is always prepared to
the curtain of yogamaya, the viu-mrtis grant it. The devotees of Vrindavana are also
disappeared from the vision of Brahma and spontaneously in love with Krishna. They do
he was able to see the original cowherd boys not need to strictly follow regulative principles
and calves. At the same time, the boys created because they are already naturally developed
by Mahamaya,who were under the spell of in transcendental love for Krishna. Regulative
Brahmas mystic power also disappeared. principles are required for persons who have not
According to Srila Sanatana Goswami, the achieved such a position of spontaneous love.
calves and boys remained in the forest and on Brahma is a devotee of the Lord, but he is an
the riverbank respectively, for one full year. But ordinary devotee subject to following regulative
the boys did not realize it; for them it was only a principles. He prays to Krishna to give him the
moment. Lord Brahma now got down from his chance to take birth in Vrindavana so that he
swan and after offering his respectful obeisance might be elevated to the platform of spontaneous
he glorified Lord Krishna by various prayers. love.
Srrtha-darin commentary on rmad-Bhgavatam by Srila Vishvanatha Lord Brahma said: My Lord, sometimes I am
Chakravarti Thakur Canto 10: The Summum Bonum Chapter.13: The puzzled as to how Your Lordship will be able to
Stealing of the Boys and Calves by Brahma Verse:57 and Chapter 14. repay, in gratitude, the devotional service of these
Brahma's Prayers to Lord Ka Verse 42 Translation by Bhanu Swami. residents of Vrindavana. Although I know that
Edited by Mahanidhi Swami. You are the supreme source of all benediction,
I am puzzled to know how You will be able to
Brahmas Prayers To The Supreme Lord reciprocate all the service that You are receiving
His Divine Grace from these residents of Vrindavana. I meditate on
A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada how You are so kind, so magnanimous, that even
Putana - who came to cheat You by disguising
herself as an affectionate mother - was awarded
The difference between the devotees of liberation and the actual position of a mother.
Vrindavana and devotees in other places is And other demons belonging to the same
that the residents of Vrindavana have no other
nitya bhgavata-sevay Issue no 68, Page5
family, such as Aghasura and Bakasura, were by my body, mind or speech. What can I say
also favored with liberation and achieved You. about You? How can I realize You by my limited
Thinking of this, I am puzzled. These residents senses? I cannot even think of You perfectly with
of Vrindavana have given You everythingtheir my mind, which is the master of the senses. Your
bodies, their minds, their love, their homes, their qualities, Your activities and Your body cannot be
possessions. Everything is being utilized for Your conceived of by any person within this material
purpose. So how will You be able to repay Your world. Only by Your mercy can one understand,
debt to them? You have already given Yourself to some extent, what You are.
to Putana! I surmise that You shall ever remain My dear Lord, although I sometimes think
a debtor to the residents of Vrindavana, being that I am the master of this universe, You
unable to repay their loving service. are the actual Supreme Lord of all creation. I
My Lord, I can understand that the may be the master of this universe, but there
incomparable and unexcelled service rendered are innumerable universes, and there are also
by the residents of Vrindavana is due to their innumerable Brahmas who preside over these
spontaneously engaging all natural instincts in universes; in actuality You are the master of
lovingly serving You. It is said that attachment them all. As the Supersoul in everyones heart,
for material objects and home is due to illusion, You know everything. Please, therefore, accept
which makes a living entity bound to the material me as Your surrendered servant. I hope that You
world. However, this is only the case for persons will excuse me for committing the great offense
who are not conscious of You. For the residents of disturbing You in Your pastimes with Your
of Vrindavana, obstacles such as attachment to friends and calves. If You will kindly allow me,
hearth and home are non-existent. Because their I will immediately leave so that, by my absence,
attachment has been directed unto You their You can continue to enjoy pastimes Your friends
homes have been converted into temples by and calves.
Your constant presence there. Since they have My dear Lord Krishna, Your very name
forgotten everything for Your sake, there is no suggests that You are all-attractive. The
impediment due to material involvement. For a attraction of the sun and the moon are all due
Krishna conscious person, there is no such thing to You. Through the capacity of the sun, You
as impediments due to attachment for hearth are beautifying the very existence of the Yadu
and home. Nor is there any illusion. dynasty. And with the actions of the moon,
I can also understand that Your appearance as You are enhancing the potency of the land, the
a small cowherd boy, a child of the cowherd men, demigods, the brhmaas, the cows and the
is not even slightly a material affair. You are so oceans. By your enlightening power, demons
much obliged by the affection of the Vrindavana like Kamsa and others are annihilated. Therefore
cowherds that You came here to inspire them it is my deliberate conclusion that You are the
to more loving service by Your transcendental only venerable Deity within the creation. Accept
presence. In Vrindavana there is no distinction my repeated obeisance until the annihilation of
between material and spiritual because everything this material world. As long as there is sunshine
is dedicated to Your loving service. My dear Lord, within this material world, kindly accept my
Your Vrindavana pastimes are simply to inspire humble obeisance.
Your devotees. If someone takes those pastimes In this way, after offering humble and respectful
to be material, he is mistaken or misled. obeisance unto the Supreme Personality of
My dear Lord Krishna, those who deride You, Godhead and circumambulating Him three times,
claiming that You have a material body like an Brahma, the master of the universe prepared to
ordinary man, are described in the Bhagavad-gt return to his abode, known as Brahmaloka. By
as demoniac and less intelligent. You are always a gesture, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
transcendental. The non-devotees are cheated gave him permission to do so.
because they consider You to be of the material KRISHNA, The Supreme Personality of Godhead Chapter 14: Prayers
creation. Actually, You have assumed this body, Offered by Lord Brahma to Lord Krishna.
which exactly resembles that of an ordinary
cowherd boy, only to increase the devotion and Why Krishna Did Not
transcendental bliss of Your devotees. Respond To Brahmas Prayers
My dear Lord, I have nothing to say about Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakura
people who claim that they have realized God;
or that by their realization they have themselves
become God. As far as I am concerned, I frankly Lord Krishna was playing exactly like an
admit that for me it is not possible to realize You innocent young cowherd boy in Vrindavana.
When the four-headed Brahma offered prayers
Issue no 68, Page 6 nitya bhgavata-sevay
the calves, who were still where they had been a
year earlier, and brought them to the riverbank,
where He had been taking His meal and where
His cowherd boyfriends remained just as before.
O King, although the boys had passed an entire
year they considered that year merely half a
moment. What indeed is not forgotten by those
whose minds are bewildered by the Lord's illusory
potency? By that power of Maya, this entire
universe remains in perpetual bewilderment,
and in this atmosphere of forgetfulness no one
can understand even his own identity.
The cowherd boyfriends said to Lord Krishna:
You have returned so quickly! We have not eaten
even one morsel in Your absence. Please come
here and take Your meal without distraction.
Then Lord Hrishikesha, smiling, nished His
lunch in the company of His cowherd friends.
While they were returning from the forest to
their homes in Vraja, Lord Krishna showed
the cowherd boys the skin of the dead serpent
Aghasura.
Lord Krishna's transcendental body was
decorated with peacock feathers and owers
and painted with forest minerals, and He played
His bamboo ute loudly and festively. As He
called out to His calves by name, His cowherd
the Lord maintained His role as a young boyfriends puried the whole world by chanting
cowherd boy and thus remained silent before His glories. Thus Lord Krishna entered the cow
Brahma. Krishna's silence indicates the following grazing pasture of His father Nanda Mahrja,
thoughts: "Where did this four-headed Brahma and the sight of His beauty at once produced
come from? What is he doing? What are these a great festival for the eyes of all the cowherd
words he keeps on speaking? I am busy looking women. As the cowherd boys reached the
for My calves. I am just a cowherd boy and do not village of Vraja, they sang, "Today Krishna saved
understand all this." Lord Brahma had considered us by killing a great serpent!" Some of the boys
Lord Krishna an ordinary cowherd boy and had described Krishna as the son of Yashoda, and
treated Him as such. After accepting Brahma's others as the son of Nanda Maharaja.
prayers, Krishna continued to play as a cowherd rmad-Bhgavatam (Bhgavata Pura) Canto 10: The Summum Bonum
boy and thus did not answer the four-headed Chapter 14. Brahma's Prayers to Lord Krishna Verses: 41-48.
Brahma. Rather, Krishna was more interested in
rejoining His cowherd boyfriends for the picnic
lunch on the bank of the Yamuna river. Prayer To Yogamaya
Srrtha-darin commentary on rmad-Bhgavatam by Srila Vishvanatha
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
Chakravarti Thakur Canto 10: The Summum Bonum Chapter 14. Brahma's
Prayers to Lord Ka Translation by Bhanu Swami. Edited by Mahanidhi mra samna hna nhi e sosre
Swami. asthira ha'yechi poi' bhaba prbre
Brahma Leaves For His Own Abode The likes of such a lowly soul as me is not to
Srila Vaiyasaki be found anywhere in this world. Thus I have
become most agitated due to falling into this vast
Having thus offered his prayers, Brahma three ocean of material existence.
times circumambulated his worshipful Lord,
the unlimited Personality of Godhead, and then kuladeb jogamy more kp kori'
bowed at His lotus feet. The appointed creator of baraa sambaribe kabe biwodar
the universe then returned to his own residence.
After granting His son Brahma permission to Oh Yogamaya! When will you show mercy
leave, the Supreme Personality of Godhead took to me by lifting up the curtain of illusion with
nitya bhgavata-sevay Issue no 68, Page7
internal energy of yoga, or union).
tomke laghiy koth jbe ka pya
ka-rasa prakailo tomra kpya
Without complying with you, no soul at any
time can get Krishna, for the manifestation of
Krishna's pastimes is all enacted only by your
mercy.
ttumi ka-sahacar jagata-janan
tumi dekhile more ka-cintmai
You are the devoted follower of Lord Krishna,
and you are the Mother of the universe. You
have shown me the transcendental touchstone
of Krishna consciousness.
nikapaa ho'ye mt co mora pne
baiaba biwsa bddhi ha'ka prati-khae
My dear Mother, I sincerely wish that you will
let my faith in the Vaisnavas increase at every
moment.
baiaba-caraa bin bhaba-parbra
bhakatibinoda nre hoibre pra
which you shroud the universe in your external
form of Mahamaya? You are known as Kuladevi, Without the lotus feet of the devotees of the
the traditional worshipable Goddess of all the Lord, Bhaktivinoda is not able to cross to the
Vaishnavas dynasties. other side of this ocean of material existence.
unechi game bede mahim tomra Adapted from the book r r Kalya Kalpa-taru - The Desire Tree of
r-ka-bimukhe bndhi karo sosra Auspiciousness by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

I have heard of your glories and activities from


the Vedic literatures. You take all those souls
who are averse to Krishna and bind them within !! Sri Sri Nitai Gaurchandra Jayati !!
the material world.
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Our heart felt thanks to Isha Prakash Das for helping as Copy
Editor, Vrajsevika Devi Dasi for her Sanskrit and Bengali Translations,
e dse janani kori' akaitaba doy Rasa Manjari Devi Dasi for her assistance.
bndbane deha' sthna tumi jogamy Quotations from the books, letters, and lectures of
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Oh my dear Mother! Showing your causeless Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
mercy to this servant, give me a place in All the paintings are copyrights of their respective artists.
Vrindavana, for you are Yogamaya Herself (the
Issue no 68, Page 8 nitya bhgavata-sevay
nitya bhgavata-sevay Issue no 68, Page9

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