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Krishna
Book: Chapter Forty-seven
"Delivery of the Message of Krishna to the Gopis"
...When
the gopis understood that Uddhava had a message from Krishna, they
became very happy and called him to a secluded place to sit down.
They wanted to talk with him very freely and did not want to be embarrassed
before unknown persons.
One of the gopis,
namely Srimati Radharani, was so much absorbed in thoughts
of Krishna by dint of Her personal touch with Him that She actually
began to talk with a bumblebee which was flying there and trying
to touch Her lotus feet. While another gopi was talking with Krishna's
messenger Uddhava, Srimati Radharani took that bumblebee to be a
messenger from Krishna and began to talk with it as follows:
:
"Bumblebee, you are accustomed
to drinking honey from the flowers, and therefore you have preferred to be a messenger
of Krishna, who is of the same nature as you. I have seen on your mustaches the
red powder of kunkuma, which was smeared on the flower garland of Krishna while
He was pressing the breast of some other girl who is My competitor. You are feeling
very proud by touching that flower, and your mustaches have become reddish. You
have come here carrying a message for Me. You are anxious to touch My feet. But
My dear bumblebee, let Me warn you--don't touch Me! I don't want any messages
from your unreliable master. You are the unreliable servant of an unreliable master."
It may be that
Srimati Radharani purposely addressed that bumblebee sarcastically
in order to criticize the messenger Uddhava. Indirectly, Srimati
Radharani saw Uddhava as not only resembling Krishna's bodily features
but as being equal to Krishna. In this way She indicated that Uddhava
was as unreliable as Krishna Himself. Srimati Radharani wanted to
give specific reasons why She was dissatisfied with Krishna and His
messengers.
She addressed the bumblebee:
"Your master Krishna is exactly of your quality. You sit down on a flower,
and after taking a little honey you immediately fly away and sit in another flower
and taste. You're just like your master Krishna. He gave us the chance of tasting
the touch of His lips and then left altogether. I know also that the goddess of
fortune, Laksmi, who is always in the midst of the lotus flower, is constantly
engaged in Krishna's service. But I do not know why she has become so captivated
by Krishna. She is attached to Him, although she knows His actual character. As
far as we are concerned, we are more intelligent than that goddess of fortune.
We are not going to be cheated anymore by Krishna or His messengers."
According to
expert opinion, Laksmi, the goddess of fortune is a subordinate
expansion of Srimati Radharani. As Krishna has numerous expansions
of Visnu-murtis, so His pleasure potency, Radharani, also has innumerable
expansions of goddesses of fortune. Therefore the goddess of fortune,
Laksmiji, is always anxious to be elevated to the position of the
gopis.
Srimati Radharani
continued: "You foolish bumblebee, you are trying to satisfy
Me and get a reward by singing the glories of Krishna, but it is
a useless attempt. We are bereft of all our possessions. We are
away from our homes and families. We know very well about Krishna.
We know even more than you. So whatever you make up about Him will
be old stories to us. Krishna is now in the city and is better known
as the friend of Arjuna. He now has many new girl friends, and they
are no doubt very happy in association with Him. Because the lusty
burning sensation of their breasts has been satisfied by Krishna,
they are now happy. If you go there and glorify Krishna, they may
be pleased to reward you. You are just trying to pacify Me by your
behavior as a flatterer, and therefore you have put your head under
My feet. But I know the trick which you are trying to play. I know
that you are a messenger coming from a great trickster, Krishna.
Therefore please leave Me.
"I can
understand that you are very expert in reuniting two opposing parties,
but at the same time you must know that I cannot place My reliance
upon you, nor upon your master Krishna. We left our families, husbands,
children and relatives only for Krishna, and yet He did not feel any
obligation in exchange. He has left us for lost. Do you think we
can place our faith in Him again? We know that Krishna cannot be long
without the association of young women. That is His nature. He is
finding difficulty in Mathura because He is no longer in the village
among innocent cowherd girls. He is in the aristocratic society
and must be feeling difficulty in making friendships with the young
girls. Perhaps you have come here to canvass again or to take us
there. But why should Krishna expect us to go there? He is greatly
qualified to entice all other girls, not only in Vrndavana or Mathura,
but all over the universe. His wonderfully enchanting smile is so
attractive and the movement of His eyebrows so beautiful that He
can call for any woman from the heavenly, middle or plutonic planets.
Maha-Laksmi, the greatest of all goddesses of fortune, also hankers
to render Him some service. In comparison to all these women of
the universe, what are we? We are very insignificant.

Uddhava - Krishnas messenger
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Krishna
advertises Himself as very magnanimous, and He is praised by great
saints. His qualifications could be perfectly utilized if He would
only show us mercy because we are downtrodden and neglected by Him.
You poor messenger, you are only a less intelligent servant. You do
not know much about Krishna, how ungrateful and hardhearted He has been,
not only in this life, but in His previous lives also. We have all
heard this from our grandmother, Paurnamasi. She has informed us that
Krishna was born in a ksatriya family previous to this birth and was
known as Ramacandra. In that birth, instead of killing Vali, an enemy
of His friend, in the manner of a ksatriya, He killed him just like
a hunter. A hunter takes a secure hiding place and then kills an animal
without facing it. So Lord Ramacandra, as a ksatriya, should have
fought with Vali face to face, but instigated by His friend, He killed
him from behind a tree. Thus He deviated from the religious principles
of a ksatriya. Also, He was so attracted by the beauty of Sita that
He converted Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana, into an ugly woman
by cutting off her nose and ears. Surpanakha proposed an intimate
relationship with Him, and as a ksatriya He should have satisfied
her. But He was so selfish that He could not forget Sitadevi and converted
Surpanakha into an ugly woman. Before that birth as a ksatriya, He
took His birth as a brahmana boy known as Vamanadeva and asked charity
from Bali Maharaja. Bali Maharaja was so magnanimous that he gave
Him whatever he had, yet Krishna as Vamanadeva ungratefully arrested
him just like a crow and pushed him down to the Patala kingdom. We
know all about Krishna and how ungrateful He is. But here is the difficulty:
in spite of His being so cruel and hardhearted, it is very difficult
for us to give up talking about Him. Not only are we unable to give
up this talk, but great sages and saintly persons are also engaged
in talking about Him. We gopis of Vrndavana do not want to make any
more friendships with this blackish boy, but we do not know how we
shall be able to give up remembering and talking about His activities."
Since Krishna is
absolute, His so-called unkind activities are as relishable as His
kind activities. Saintly persons and great devotees like the gopis
cannot give up Krishna in any circumstances. Lord Caitanya therefore
prayed, "Krishna, You are free and independent in all respects.
You can either embrace Me or crush Me under Your feet--whatever You
like. You may make Me brokenhearted by not letting Me see You throughout
My whole life, but You are My only object of love."
"In My opinion,"
Srimati Radharani continued, "one should not hear about Krishna,
because as soon as a drop of the nectar of His transcendental activities
is poured into the ear, one immediately rises above the platform of
duality, attraction and rejection. Being completely freed from the
attraction of material attachment, one gives up the attachment for
this material world, family, home, wife, children and everything which
is materially dear to every person. Being disposed of all material
acquisition, one makes his relatives and himself unhappy. Then he
wanders in search of Krishna, either as a human being or in other species
of life, even as a bird. It is very difficult to actually understand
Krishna, His name, His quality, His form, His pastimes, His paraphernalia
and His entourage."
Srimati Radharani
continued to speak to the black messenger of Krishna. "Please
do not talk any more about Krishna. It is better to talk about something
else. We are already doomed, like the black-spotted she-deer in the
forest who are enchanted by the sweet musical vibration of the hunter.
In the same way, we have been enchanted by the sweet words of Krishna,
and again and again we are thinking of the rays of the nails of His
toes. We are becoming more and more lustful for His association; therefore,
I request you not to talk of Krishna anymore."
This talk of Radharani
with the bumblebee messenger and Her accusing Krishna, and, at the same
time, Her inability to give up talking about Him, are symptoms of
the topmost transcendental ecstasy, called maha-bhava. The ecstatic
maha-bhava manifestation is possible only in the persons of Radharani
and Her associates.
Great acaryas
like Srila Rupa Gosvami and Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura have analyzed
these maha-bhava speeches of Srimati Radharani, and they have described
the different sentiments such as udghurna, bewilderment, and jalpapratijalpa,
talking in different ways. In Radharani is found the science of ujjala,
or the brightest jewel of love of God.
While Radharani
was talking with the bee and the bee was flying hither and thither,
it all of a sudden disappeared from Her sight. She was in full mourning
due to separation from Krishna and was feeling ecstasy by talking with
the bee. But as soon as the bee disappeared, She became almost mad,
thinking that the messenger-bee might have returned to Krishna to inform
Him all about Her talking against Him. "Krishna must have been
very sorry to hear it," She thought. In this way She was very
much overwhelmed with another type of ecstasy.
In the meantime,
the bee, flying hither and thither, appeared before Her again. She
thought, "Krishna is still kind to Me. In spite of the messenger
carrying disruptive messages, He is so kind that He has again sent
the bee to take Me to Him." Srimati Radharani was very careful
this time not to say anything against Krishna. "My dear friend,
I welcome you," She said. "Krishna is so kind that He has
again sent you. Krishna is so kind and affectionate to Me that He has
sent you back, fortunately, in spite of your carrying My message against
Him. My dear friend, you can ask from Me whatever you want. I shall
give you anything because you are so kind upon Me. You have come to
take Me to Krishna because He is not able to come here. He is surrounded
by new girl friends in Mathura. But you are a tiny creature. How can
you take Me there? How will you be able to help Me in meeting Krishna
while He is taking rest there along with the goddess of fortune and
embracing her to His chest? Never mind. Let us forget all these things
about My going there or sending you. Please let Me know how Krishna
is faring in Mathura. Tell Me if He still remembers His foster father,
Nanda Maharaja, His affectionate mother, Yasoda, His cowherd friends
and His poor friends like us, the gopis. I am sure that He must sometimes
sing about us. We served Him just like maidservants, without any payment.
Is there any possibility that Krishna will again come back and place
His arms around us? His limbs are always fragrant with the aguru scent.
Please put all these inquiries to Krishna."
Uddhava
was standing near, and he heard Radharani talking in this way, as
if She had become almost mad after Krishna. He was exceedingly surprised
at how the gopis were accustomed to think of Krishna constantly in that
topmost ecstasy of maha-bhava love.
Uddhava
delivering Krishna's message to the Gopis
Thus
ends Srimati Radharani's talking to the bumblebee
from Krishna Book: Chapter Forty-seven
Srimad Bhagavatam
10.47.11 - 20
Text 11.
One of the gopis, while meditating on Her previous association with
Krishna, saw a honeybee before Her and imagined it to be a messenger
sent by Her beloved. Thus She spoke as follows.
Text 12.
The gopi said: O honeybee, O friend of a cheater, don't touch My feet
with your whiskers, which are smeared with the kunkuma that rubbed
onto Krishna's garland when it was crushed by the breasts of a rival
lover! Let Krishna satisfy the women of Mathura. One who sends a messenger
like you will certainly be ridiculed in the Yadus' assembly.
Purport:
Srimati Radharani indirectly chastised Krishna by chastising the bumblebee,
which She took for His messenger. She addressed the bumblebee as madhupa,
"one who drinks the nectar (of flowers)," and She addressed Krishna
as madhu-pati, "the Lord of Madhu."
Text 13.
After making us drink the enchanting nectar of His lips only once,
Krishna suddenly abandoned us, just as you might quickly abandon some
flowers. How is it, then, that Goddess Padma willingly serves His
lotus feet? Alas! The answer must certainly be that her mind has been
stolen away by His deceitful words.
Purport:
In this verse Srimati Radharani continues to compare Sri Krishna to
the bumblebee, and in Her distress She states that the reason the
goddess of fortune is constantly devoted to His lotus feet must be
that she has been fooled by Krishna's promises.
Text 14.
O bee, why do you sing here so much about the Lord of the Yadus, in
front of us homeless people? These topics are old news to us. Better
you sing about that friend of Arjuna in front of His new girlfriends,
the burning desire in whose breasts He has now relieved. Those ladies
will surely give you the charity you are begging.
Purport:
With the words agrihanam agrato nah, Radharani laments that even though
She and the other gopis gave up their homes to love Krishna in a conjugal
relationship, the Lord left them and became a prince in the great
royal city of the Yadus. Besides meaning "Arjuna, the victor," the
word vijaya also directly indicates Sri Krishna, who is always victorious
in His endeavors, and besides meaning "old (news)," the word puranam
also indicates that Sri Krishna is glorified in the ancient Vedic
scriptures of that name.
Text 15.
In heaven, on earth or in the subterranean sphere, what women are
unavailable to Him? He simply arches His eyebrows and smiles with
deceptive charm, and they all become His. The supreme goddess herself
worships the dust of His feet, so what is our position in comparison?
But at least those who are wretched can chant His name, Uttamahsloka.
Text 16.
Keep your head off My feet! I know what you're doing. You expertly
learned diplomacy from Mukunda, and now you come as His messenger
with flattering words. But He abandoned those who for His sake alone
gave up their children, husbands and all other relations. He's simply
ungrateful. Why should I make up with Him now?
Text 17.
Like a hunter, He cruelly shot the king of the monkeys with arrows.
Because He was conquered by a woman, He disfigured another woman who
came to Him with lusty desires. And even after consuming the gifts
of Bali Maharaja, He bound him up with ropes as if he were a crow.
So let us give up all friendship with this dark-complexioned boy,
even if we can't give up talking about Him.
Purport:
In Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Srila Prabhupada explains
the meaning of this verse as follows: "[Srimati Radharani said to
the bee,] 'You poor messenger, you are only a less intelligent servant.
You do not know much about Krishna -- how ungrateful and hardhearted
He has been, not only in this life but in His previous lives also.
We have heard this from Our grandmother Paurnamasi. She has informed
Us that Krishna was born in a kshatriya family previous to this birth
and was known as Ramacandra. In that birth, instead of killing Vali,
an enemy of His friend, in the manner of a kshatriya, He killed him
just like a hunter. A hunter takes a secure hiding place and then
kills an animal without facing it. So Lord Ramacandra, as a kshatriya,
should have fought with Vali face to face, but instigated by His friend,
He killed him from behind a tree. Thus He deviated from the religious
principles of a kshatriya. Also, He was so attracted by the beauty
of Sita that He converted Surpanakha, the sister of Ravana, into an
ugly woman by cutting off her nose and ears. Surpanakha proposed an
intimate relationship with Him, and as a kshatriya He should have
satisfied her. But He was so henpecked that He could not forget Sita-devi
and converted Surpanakha into an ugly woman. Before that birth as
a kshatriya, He took birth as a brahmana boy known as Vamanadeva and
asked charity from Bali Maharaja. Bali was so magnanimous that he
gave Him whatever he had, yet Krishna as Vamanadeva ungratefully arrested
him just like a crow and pushed him down to the Patala kingdom. We
know all about Krishna and how ungrateful He is. But here is the difficulty:
In spite of His being so cruel and hardhearted, it is very difficult
for us to give up talking about Him.' "
Text 18.
To hear about the pastimes that Krishna regularly performs is nectar
for the ears. For those who relish just a single drop of that nectar,
even once, their dedication to material duality is ruined. Many such
persons have suddenly given up their wretched homes and families and,
themselves becoming wretched, traveled here to Vrindavana to wander
about like birds, begging for their living.
Text 19.
Faithfully taking His deceitful words as true, we became just like
the black deer's foolish wives, who trust the cruel hunter's song.
Thus we repeatedly felt the sharp pain of lust caused by the touch
of His nails. O messenger, please talk about something besides Krishna.
Text 20.
O friend of My dear one, has My beloved sent you here again? I should
honor you, friend, so please choose whatever boon you wish. But why
have you come back here to take us to Him, whose conjugal love is
so difficult to give up? After all, gentle bee, His consort is the
goddess Sri, and she is always with Him, staying upon His chest.
Purport:
In Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Srila Prabhupada explains
the context of this verse: "While Radharani was talking with the bee
and the bee was flying hither and thither, it all of a sudden disappeared
from Her sight. She was in full mourning due to separation from Krishna
and felt ecstasy by talking with the bee. But as soon as the bee disappeared,
She became almost mad, thinking that the messenger-bee might have
returned to Krishna to inform Him all about Her talking against Him.
'Krishna must be very sorry to hear it,' She thought. In this way
She was overwhelmed by another type of ecstasy. "In the meantime,
the bee, flying hither and thither, appeared before Her again. She
thought, 'Krishna is still kind to Me. In spite of the messenger's
carrying disruptive messages, He is so kind that He has again sent
the bee to take Me to Him.' Srimati Radharani was very careful this
time not to say anything against Krishna."
Thus ends Srimati Radharani's talking to the bumblebee.
from the Srimad Bhagavatam 10.47.11 - 20
The King of Bees
paravatanyabhrta
-sarasa -cakravaka -
datyuha-hamsa-shuka-tittiri-barhinam yaha
kolahalo viramate 'cira-matram uccair
bhringadhipe hari-katham iva gayamane
When the king
of bees hums in a high pitch, singing the glories of the Lord, there is a temporary
lull in the noise of the pigeon, the cuckoo, the crane, the chakravaka, the swan,
the parrot, the partridge and the peacock. Such transcendental birds stop their
own singing simply to hear the glories of the Lord. (Shrimad-Bhagavatam 3.15.18)

Purport
Srila Prabhupada: This verse reveals the absolute nature of Vaikunthha. There
is no difference between the birds there and the human residents. The situation
in the spiritual sky is that everything is spiritual and variegated. Spiritual
variegatedness means that everything is animate. There is nothing inanimate. Even
the trees, the ground, the plants, the flowers, the birds and the beasts are all
on the level of Krishna consciousness. The special feature of Vaikunthaloka is
that there is no question of sense gratification. In the material world even an
ass enjoys his sound vibration, but in the Vaikunthas such nice birds as the peacock,
the chakravaka and the cuckoo prefer to hear the vibration of the glories of the
Lord from the bees. The principles of devotional service, beginning with hearing
and chanting, are very prominent in the Vaikuntha world.
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