bowerbird cyberlibrary -- bhagap289.html

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words of Uddhava only reminded the Gopis of the doings of Krishna.
They loudly took his name. They were full of Krishna and \vould
not forget him. But they knew from His message that He was Atm
and their pain of separation was gone.

Uddhava remained for several days at Vraja, reminding all of
Srikrishna. When he left Vraja he wished that he could be one of
the creepers or herbs in Vrindavana, that had been rendered sacred
by the dust of the Gopis' feet. (With that wish let us take leave of
the Vrindavana Lila of Bhagavan Srikrishna.)

THOUGHTS ON THE VRINDAVANA LILA.

Before making any remarks of my own, it will be necessary to
draw upon the Upanishads.

Gopala Tapani is one of the chief Upanishads dealing with
Krishna. The work is divided into two parts. The first part gives one
yantra for the Upasana of Krishna. The second part gives a narra-
tion. The women of Vraja asked Krishna to name some Brahmana
to whom they could make offerings of food. Krishna named
Durvasas. " But how can we approach him without crossing the
Yamuna? " asked the Gopis.

"Take my name, that of Krishna, a Brahmacharin, and the
Yamuna shall give you way" So it was. The Gopis crossed the
Yarnun^ and went to the Asrama of Durvasas, the incarnation of
Rudra. They offered the sweet things to the Rishi and when he
partook of these, he permitted the Gopis to retire. " But how can we
cross the Yamuna?"

The Rishi replied: "Remember me, the eater of Durv
(a kind of grass) and the river shall give way."

"Krishna a Brahmacharin! And thou an eater of Durv ??
only? How can that be? " asked the chief Gopi and she asked a
number of other questions.

(According to the common exoteric notion Sri Krishna is the
lord of many women and Durvasas is a voracious Rishi. This is the
cause of the wonder.)

Durvasas first explained that Krishna was the all-pervading

Purusha, underlying all. Then further on, there are seven Sakdmya

Puris or places, on the top of Meru, as well as seven mshkdmya Purls.

(The commentator Visvesvara explains " Sakamya," as regions where

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