Jagat

ananta-rucimat-sthalaṁ sphurad-ananta-vallī-drumaṁ mṛga-dvijam anantakaṁ dadhad-ananta-kuñjojjvalam | ananta-susarit-sarovaram ananta-ratnācalaṁ smarāmy aham ananta-tad-dvaya-ratena vṛndāvanam || I meditate on this limitlessly delightful place filled with limitless vines and trees, limitless deer and birds, limitless splendid groves, limitless charming lakes and streams, limitless jeweled mountains... I remember it as Vrindavan, the place of that Dual's limitless loves. Comment The eternal place of bliss and joy must be like that Vrindavan, because it would be the love playground of the fundamental Duality of gender. True love always basks in paradise, even if external reality tries to impose the opposite. That is the way we are to remember Vrindavan. That is the way we are meant to perceive Vrindavan: As the place of Radha and Krishna's love pastimes. This post was originally written on Govardhan Puja when I had been thinking of Sri Giriraj all da...

With Malati Lata Dasi on Govardhan Parikrama in 2005. This is the Dauji temple in Puchari  where I stayed in 1980. It is now a Nimbarki ashram and being well taken care of. A few days ago I was on a bit of a roll... and it stirred up so many memories of my life in Nabadwip and Braj in the early 80s. In my kaupin, the sweat rolling down my chest as I chanted japa, the heat reminded me of the way my summer days back then were spent sitting, almost entirely inactive except for chanting, meditating and studying. I was feeling a bit of appreciation for the immobilizing heat. It seems to push you inward... not such a bad thing, on the whole, despite all the prejudices and pressures to externalize, externalize, externalize. After reading Ramdas's book , I was thinking about his idea of laminar flows ... that material and spiritual activities are separate and parallel streams that do not really affect one another, existing side by side, ebbing and flowing to their own rhythms. Ramd...

From Dana-keli-kaumudi : Radha and the sakhis are approaching Govardhan, carrying fresh ghee for a sacrifice to be performed by Bhaguri Muni on behalf of Vasudeva, for the protection and well-being of Krishna and Balaram. Chitra Sakhi remarks that they are nearing the site of the Narayan deity, Hari Ray or Hari Deva, whose temple is on the hill. (Since this is Govinda Kund, this is quite likely a reference to Gopal or Srinathji.) This is Vrinda Devi's response: sakhi bahula-śirastve bhū-bhṛtau ceha sāmyaṁ dadhad api girir anchaty eṣa śeṣād viśeṣam | agharipur ayam aṅke mūrdhni yasyodare ca praṇayati rati-līlām adbhutām preyasībhiḥ ||23|| Kushakratha: Look look, Friend. Like Lord Shesha, this mountain has many heads. This mountain is better than Lord Sesha because, on its heads, chest and stomach, Lord Krishna enjoys pastimes with his beloveds. (Has hundred peaks, ergo many heads.) Surendranath Shastri: Behold, friend, this mountain, though in the matter of having numerous ...