I saw in a dream .....

[Gopala Campu 8.3.2 - The bhavas ⁽¹⁾ of the two were like mirrors facing each other and receiving the bhavas of the other]

Srimad Bhagavatam 11.10.26  "Just as by continuous application of the eye-ointment the eyes become clean and can see clearly those things that may be difficult to see, the constant reading of the sacred texts that relate to My pastimes, or listening to them, purify the heart and the devotee is able to see Me, who is otherwise too subtle to be seen with ordinary senses."

I walked into 
a temple of dream

silent steps on a moonbeam,

everywhere was beauty

draped in silvery cascades,

and there, Krishna, adorned with

sparkling jewels

and resplendent veils,

was sinuously bent,

and in His hand

held a long brush -

drawing black lines

around His eyes,

and mesmerized

His gaze became lost

in the mirror,

held in Radha's hand

standing on his left,

He caught a glimpse

of Her side-long glance;

She tilted her head

feigning shyness,

but secretly amused,

out of her doe-like eyes,

quickly darted an arrow of desire

to hook the reflecting

elongated petal of His eye,

and suddenly a tide

of passion swelled,

rippling the skin,

the hips, the limbs intertwined,

as the Divine couple united

in Their eternal dance of love,

and two bodies became as One, 

suddenly I could see

a golden creeper embracing

a bluish tamarind tree.

Note

1)  "Bhava is not lust but a variety of prema resembling lust ." Gopala Campu 24.61

Captive of Love

SKS Ch 5 Txt 7 "The wives of the ass-like brahmanas represent people who are subordinate to those with undeveloped faith. Being under the control of the sweetness of Krishna, Who is the Supersoul, they went to the forest and offered themselves to Him." Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura

Sri Gaura-ganoddesa dipika Text 191 "She who was the wife of the brahmana

who was attached to performing fire sacrifice in Braja has now appeared as Suklambara Brahmacari.  Sri Gauranga begged for and ate rice from him."

This is one of the poems inspired by the continuity between Krishna Lila and Gaura Lila.  The speaker of this poem is one of the Brahmana's wives who later became Suklambara Brahmacari in Gaura Lila. 

Because they all resided on the outskirts of Vraja towards Mathura, along with the other Brahman wives, she had never met Krishna before but only heard about Him and His wonderful activities. 

Krishna, Who always knows His devotees' hearts, arranged for the Gopas to go and beg for some food from the Brahmanas. But the Brahmanas, full of pride about their rituals, their higher varna and false prestige, refused to give them food and forbade their wives as well, to fulfill Krishna's desire. Together with the other wives, she neglected this restriction, and carrying sweets and other preparations, ran into the forest to meet Krishna. After transgressing her relatives' order, she believed in her heart that she would never have to return home again. But Krishna asked her and the others to go back to what she felt was like a prison. When this Lila continued into Gaura Lila, Lord Gauranga went to beg food from her ~ Suklambara Brahmacari. He was now the captive of her love.

Sound ~ 
soaked in the honey of His name

filled my ears

when the boys came,

and the constraints

surrounding my soul,

imposed as duties and roles

crumbled in that moment 

for which I had craved so long.

Since I was first told

about the King of groves,

 my household chores, the hymns

and the reins of kin

dissolved in a longing,

made me indifferent to everything,
and when my heart, 
ensnared among pillars
 of silent loving desires
became finally free,
 no longer muted,
I grasped the sweets,

breads, cakes and creams

and I ran, 
ran into the forest

of my sweetest dreams,

the jars heavy 

with love delights.

The outrage, the restrictions

of faithless relatives,
lapping like shadows at dusk
against my bare feet 
running down a road of no return,

within yet without my heart,

the ribbon-like path

unfurled endlessly ahead of my eyes

like anxious gazelles,

and time crystallized,

when suddenly 
a fragrance of musk

wafted in the air,

and my senses were stunned,

embracing Krsna
as He entered the door of my eyes,
 leaning on his friend
     while He smiled.   

I stood still, astounded ~
sweet was my load of love

 that I placed on the leaves
at his feet,
where I left also my being,
so sour was the way back
with my emptied pots,
salty and silent the tears
in the bitter bite of separation
when I surrendered my dreams
by going back home,
to please with my love Him.

In time, time took away

that imprisonment,

when the Beauteous Cooling Moon
appeared amongst other groves,

and came to my door

begging for food,
now He has become
the captive of my love.

GOPINATH

Another gopi said “ Yes! Let us see, touch, hear and smell Krishna……” Sarartha Darsini 10th Canto pg228

The Gopis met Krishna in Kurukshetra and expressed their trouble hearts in seeing Him dressed like a King, and therefore they tried to remind Him of Vraja because they wanted to attract Him to come back.

Dressed like a King,

encircled in this town by royal kin,

what you hide now 

we have seen ~

your true crown

of flowers, feathers and leaves.

We touched your skin,

smelled the fragrance

in the nocturnal breeze,

when cooling sandal paste 

covered your limbs,

streaked by rolling pearls of sweat

 like scented dew,

the colorful garland on Your chest

crushed against the blue.

We heard you sing to the moon

in the moonlight of that autumn night,

 your flute exhaling your desire;

we heard you cooing

like a cuckoo in the forest of Vraja

after tasting honeyed fruit,

so to attract again to a love tryst, 

your Radha;

we heard your laughs, your jokes

your herding calls

your persuading and your loving words,

we have touched your hands,

and with our faces, your chest,

your feet we placed on our laps,

our earring grazed your earring,

our cheek touched your cheek,

our limbs against your limbs

in a love dance.

We have seen your throne

when you sat on the soft sand

on our shawls, ⁽¹⁾

we know you

as the King of groves,

of lakes, of seasons, 

of the night skies,

of the forest, of dancers, 

of our minds;

We've seen you dressed in pollen,

in cow dung, 

in dust in the light of dusk,

and whirling among the trees,

with the peacocks, 

surrounded by honeybees,

playing in the pastureland,

the air filled with your scent,

and inebriated by mellows of love

on the riverbank.

Lotus among the lotuses

in a night without end,

Your reign is our land

o King of Rasa,

Dwarka is your solitude,

there is no kingdom of love

superior to Vraja.

(1)  Krishna sat twice on the shawls of the Gopis.  The first time just before the Rasa Dance, to which is referring this stanza, but also during the meeting in Kurukshetra where this poem is taking place.  Manohar Das in his book in Bengali "Vaidagdha-vilasa" reports that this Lila of sitting on the Gopis' shawls happened also in Kurukshetra to recall that intimacy. ( this Lila was also mentioned in a seminar of Madhavananda Prabhu on Kurukshetra) 

The Door Ajar to Vraja

“In Vrndavana there are no Jewel trees without Jewel branches and no jewel branches without Jewel buds. There are no jewel buds without Jewel flowers and there are no jewel flowers without attractive scent. There are water basins surrounding the bases of the trees. The bases are filled with flowing streams appearing like piles of liquid Jewels arising from Jewel mountains. Jewel birds ornament the jeweled bases.”

From- Ananda-vrndavana-campu 1.117-120

"The forest of Vrndavana, which automatically nurtures good qualities within its residents, is unlimited but it appears to be only eighty-four krosas in circumference.  Its golden trees, bushes, and creepers sparkle like emeralds. Fragrant creepers cover the golden jewel inlaid footpaths.  Some places abound in crystal trees, bushes and creepers standing on earth made of rubies.  In other places ruby creepers entwine crustal houses, golden creepers embrace emerald trees, or emerald creepers surround golden trees.  One can also see crystal creepers crawling up ruby trees, or ruby creepers embracing crystal trees."
Ananda-vrndavana-campu ~ Description of Vrndavana

This poem is dedicated to Srila Saccidananda Bhaktivinoda Thakur, one of the great poets and Acharyas of the Gaudiya Sampradaya. He describes in some of his songs, the ecstatic visions of Vraja occurred during his meditations and samadhi.  Often, when chanting my japa, I have walked in my mind to his house in Godrum and then climbed up the staris to the tiny room where he used to chant. It is an offering of gratitude for this legacy of books and teachings. I am always praying for his blessings and guidance.

O mind ~

                        take me to Godrum                      ⁽¹⁾  

to the house of Thakur ~

at the gate side

I will humbly leave my shoes

 and bow and sit in the dark room

to chant my japa;

and you may go to Vraja

where the moon never wanes,

and liquefied love fills the lakes,

where nectar flows in the river

 and tears from the eyes spill,

 soaking the soil mixed with milk,

                     where the charming sound of              ⁽²⁾

 churning and yearning,

singing and jingling,

mingles with fragrances in the breeze;

Where women appear

                    2  from flowering vines,                   ⁽³⁾

and along with trees

 and every being with limbs,

dance ecstatically

in the wind;

birds drink nectar from the Moon,

at night, lotuses bloom

in waters of desire,

eyes turn into bumblebees - at times

stealing the pollen of the Gopis’ minds;

their dresses, the bark of desire trees,
 caress their skin

and become loose

when the note of autumn

pours from the flute;

there caves and riverbanks

are paved with gems,

and flowers and buds

are shining stones

encrusted in jewelled branches;

When seasons of pleasure unfold,

blanketing with petals

valleys and roads,

bowers and groves,

the land and the plants,

bliss oozes as sap,

diadems and garlands

bloom on the trees,

riddles make a juice

of red fruits and reddish lips,

of sweat and musk,

of dusk and dust,

of lotuses and dew,

every word tastes blue.

 Garlanded by kunds

of the liquid love of Radha
is this land of Vraja.

O Mahajana,

by the shelter of this japa

please give me darshan of Vraja,

bestow upon me this mercy ~

to take into my heart

 just one glimpse

through the door,

kept ajar 

by the Golden Avatar!

Notes

  ⁽¹⁾  "O Gurudeva! You have very mercifully given me a place in Godruma within the forest of Gaura Mandala.  You have ordered me to dwell in this place which is [non different from] Vraja and to chant the holy names of Sri Hari." ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪

" Sri Prema das Babaji, being a scholar of the scriptures, understood that Sri Godrum was like Sri Nanda-grama, that in Vrindavan, therefore he settled in this sacred area." Jaiva Dharma by BVThakur

 ⁽²⁾ SBB Vol.III 6.31 "... all about I heard wonderful songs, sung by cowherd women, and the charmin gsound of the churning of butter and the jingling of bangles."

⁽³⁾ Sri Garga Samhita 1.5.10 "Sri Hari said : In Vrindavana, at the end of Dvapara-yuga, you will become flowering vines and then you will change into women in the arena of the rasa dance.  I promise this to you."