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30 July 2020
Jhulan of ecstatic devotion!
Hare Krishna! We have participants from 886 locations.
Ekadasi Mahotsava ki jai! You are all welcome to this japa session and japa talk. You may stop chanting now. Jhulan Yatra is going to start from today. Jhulan Yatra Mahotsava ki jai!
You should all celebrate this festival at your temples, at home or in the society, as far as possible. At least you must perform kirtana. I will also do kirtana. We are celebrating the Jhulan yatra in Pandharpur at 5 pm with a kirtana. Krishna Balaram temple in Mauritius is celebrating its 20th anniversary from today and I will be inaugurating the festival with a kirtana at 5 pm.
Jai Radhe Jai Krsna Jai Vrindāvana | Śrī Govinda Gopīnātha Madanamohan ||
We have to reach Vrindavan if we want to join the Jhulan yatra, if not in body then in mind we can enter into the Julana yatra. That is if the Gopīs allow us to participate. At least we can witness, offer obeisances or have darsana of the Jhulan yatra of Śri Radha and Krsna.
divyad-vrindaranya-kalpa-drumadhah srimad-ratnagara-simhasana-sthau srimad-radha-srila-govinda-devau preshthalibhih sevyamanau smarami
Translation In a temple of jewels in Vrindavana, underneath a desire tree, Sri Sri Radha-Govinda, served by Their most confidential associates, sit upon an effulgent throne. I offer my most humble obeisances unto Them. (Abhidheyadhideva Pranama)
Whoever recites this mantra will also remember this pastime of Radha and Krsna in Vrindavan.
Śravanam kirtanam viśnoh smaranam
We do śravana and kirtana for smarana (to remember). Jhulan yatra is celebrated in Vrindaranya, the forest of Tulasi. kalpa-drumadhah - there are many desire trees and under one such tree, jhulan yatra is going on. srimad-ratnagara-simhasana-sthau, here in the verse, a royal seat has been mentioned. We may visualize a swing. Radha Govinda are seated on that swing. preshthalibhih, Radha and Krsna are surrounded by Gopīs and sevyamanau smarami, They are being served by them at Jhulan yatra. The Gopīs must have performed various services before Jhulan yatra. They must have decorated Radha Govinda. They must have offered betel leaves which would have turned the lips of Their Lordship even redder. Radha Govinda are swinging on the swing. They are showering flowers and singing songs in praise of their Lordships. The festival is incomplete without sangeet (songs). Sangeet is very important for celebrations. Sangeet means congregational chanting or singing, playing of instruments and dancing.
On this Jhulan yatrain in the month of spring, there is greenery everywhere, flowers are blooming and birds are singing. Radha Govinda are enjoying this blissful atmosphere. Sometimes Krsna also enjoys swinging with His cowherd friends, but this Jhulan yatra is with Radharani and the Gopīs.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna kirtana is also going on. This is the best song. We should sing this at Jhulan yatra. Kirtana and dancing is going on. Radha and Govinda are swinging. Such a scene should be imprinted in our minds. This will be the result of hearing and chanting. Smaran or remembrance of Radha Govinda is the result of hearing and chanting.
mac-cittā mad-gata-prāṇā bodhayantaḥ parasparam kathayantaś ca māṁ nityaṁ tuṣyanti ca ramanti ca
Translation The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are fully devoted to My service, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss from always enlightening one another and conversing about Me. (BG. 10.9)
Gopīs also do smaran. They discuss with one another, "See this is the place where we saw Krsna."
śrī-gopya ūcuḥ vāma-bāhu-kṛta-vāma-kapolo valgita-bhrur adharārpita-veṇum komalāṅgulibhir āśrita-mārgaṁ gopya īrayati yatra mukundaḥ
Translation The gopīs said: When Mukunda vibrates the flute He has placed to His lips, stopping its holes with His tender fingers, He rests His left cheek on His left arm and makes His eyebrows dance. (ŚB 10.35.2)
They say, vāma-bāhu-kṛta-vāma-kapolo, Krsna bends His left cheek towards His left arm. valgita-bhrur, His eyebrows dance. adharārpita-veṇum, He has placed the flute upon His lips. komalāṅgulibhir āśrita-mārgaṁ, His delicate fingers are dancing on the flute holes. gopya īrayati yatra mukundaḥ, some Gopīs are saying this to other Gopīs. How the Lord stands, how His eyebrows keep moving, how He has placed flute on His lips, How his fingers dance and how He plays the flute. In this way the Gopīs keep discussing Krsna.
Again they hear the flute being played. Krsna reaches the forest and on the full moon night He starts playing the flute. As soon as He starts playing and as soon as the Gopīs hear the flute being played, they get hypnotized (as mentioned in SB 10.21, gopigeet). They embrace each other and start running towards the flute, in love. They were not able to say anything, what they were experiencing in their minds due to the pain of separation.
yaṁ pravrajantam anupetam apeta-kṛtyaṁ dvaipāyano viraha-kātara ājuhāva putreti tan-mayatayā taravo ’bhinedus taṁ sarva-bhūta-hṛdayaṁ munim ānato ’smi
Translation Śrīla Sūta Gosvāmī said: Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto that great sage [Śukadeva Gosvāmī] who can enter the hearts of all. When he went away to take up the renounced order of life [sannyāsa], leaving home without undergoing reformation by the sacred thread or the ceremonies observed by the higher castes, his father, Vyāsadeva, fearing separation from him, cried out, “O my son!” Indeed, only the trees, which were absorbed in the same feelings of separation, echoed in response to the begrieved father. (ŚB 1.2.2)
Śukadeva Gosvāmī, who knows what's going on in one's mind, says, what the Gopīs were thinking, what was on their minds is their remembrance which Śukadeva Gosvāmī has revealed. What thoughts were the gopīs having?
barhāpīḍaṁ naṭa-vara-vapuḥ karṇayoḥ karṇikāraṁ bibhrad vāsaḥ kanaka-kapiśaṁ vaijayantīṁ ca mālām randhrān veṇor adhara-sudhayāpūrayan gopa-vṛndair vṛndāraṇyaṁ sva-pada-ramaṇaṁ prāviśad gīta-kīrtiḥ
Translation Wearing a peacock-feather ornament upon His head, blue karṇikāra flowers on His ears, a yellow garment as brilliant as gold, and the Vaijayantī garland, Lord Kṛṣṇa exhibited His transcendental form as the greatest of dancers as He entered the forest of Vṛndāvana, beautifying it with the marks of His footprints. He filled the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips, and the cowherd boys sang His glories. (ŚB 10.21.5)
Gopīs first think about the barhāpīḍaṁ, peacock feather and the crown of Krsna. They say, naṭa-vara-vapuḥ, the form of our Krsna is like that of the best dancer or actor. Nata means an actor. Our Ācāryas says that vara here means groom. Like the groom is dressed and handsomely present at the time of marriage, so is Krsna beautifully decorated. karṇayoḥ karṇikāraṁ, He is wearing a beautiful flower named Karnikar on His ears. The flower is one and there are two ears. He places one flower over two ears. He keeps changing the place of the flower from one ear to another. Thus He shows the mood of natavara here. karṇikāra flower is yellow in colour. Why did He select a yellow flower? He is thinking of Srimati Radharani. bibhrad vāsaḥ kanaka-kapiśaṁ, He wears a yellow dhoti. That is why He is called Pītāmbara. This is not a normal yellow colour. It's golden in colour, which is the complexion of Radharani. Radharani wears a blue saree which is the colour of Krsna's complexion. That is why She is called Nīlāmbari. Krsna is Pītāmbara and Radharani is Nīlāmbari, one dressed in a blue saree. In this way They express Their love by matching Their outfits with each other's complexion. vaijayantīṁ ca mālām, Krsna wears a vaijayantī garland, a garland that reaches His knees. The ācāryas say that this is a victory garland. It is singing the glories of Krsna.
Krsna Kanhaiya Lal ki jai! Krsna Kanhaiya Lal ki jai!
vaijayantī, vai means definitely and jaya means victory. This garland is glorifying Krsna's victory. When one achieves something he is honoured with a garland. The garland is the last thing in the Sringara of the Lord. This vaijayantī mala has 5 different flowers of different colours.
randhrān veṇor adhara-sudhayāpūrayan, Now Krsna is ready. adhara means lower lip, He had placed the flute on His lower lip. sudhayā means nectar. He is showering nectar all over through the pleasant music of His flute. gopa-vṛndair, this is a different situation where Krsna is surrounded by His cowherd friends who are singing His glories (gīta-kīrtiḥ) and dancing and constantly looking at Him. Some are ahead of Krsna and Balarama and they don't miss the chance to see Krsna. Being in front of Krsna they walk backwards, looking at Krsna and Balarama. Jhulan Yatra Mahotsava ki jai!
sei annamrita pao, radha-krishna-guna gao (Prasādam prayer)
Do listen, read and sing the glories of Radha Krsna today. Don't just eat and sleep. Engage in performing kirtana and bhajans. Celebrate Jhulan yatra.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Do kirtaniyah sada harih and that is to chant the holy name of the Lord constantly. (Verse 3, Sri Siksastakam)
Today is Ekadasi so do extra hearing and chanting. Please stay on as we have some announcements. By this time we have devotees from 991 locations.
We have two important announcements. Garudwaja Prabhu, one of our godbrother’s has tested corona positive. We pray to Lord Narsimha Dev for his quick recovery.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
As Śrī Krsna Janmastami is approaching, for 15 days from 30 July to 13 August, a Krsna Katha extravaganza has been organised under the shelter of Guru Maharāja and many senior devotees every morning from 8 to 9.30 am. Krsna Katha Mahotsava ki jai!
Krsna will manifest Himself in the form of the katha like He manifests in Gokula. The Zoom id - 7118416880 has been shared on WhatsApp . It will also be live streamed on 3 Youtube channels i.e. ISKCON Nagpur, Amravati and Solapur. Today, on the first day of the Jhulan yatra festival, HH Bhakti Purushottam Swami Maharāja from Mayapur Dhama will be delivering katha. Share the news and encourage as many as possible to join. This is a great opportunity for us to celebrate Janmastami.
Please mention your proper names along with your city while joining Zoom. We have again enabled the chat session and some devotees have again started writing pranāms and messages. It is a request, please do not write anything during the japa as it is disturbing many devotees and they are becoming apprehensive about joining the japa conference because of this. Please share this message with others. Please don't chat or send messages, not only during japa, but also during the japa talk. There are English speaking devotees who rely on the translation to understand the japa talk. Chatting in-between makes it difficult for them. You can share your opinions, comments etc at the end of the session if time is specially allotted for this or on the Chant Japa with Lokanath Swami Facebook page or on Loksanga daily. Our team will respond to you there. We do not want to disable the chat session, but will be compelled to if you do not refrain from chatting. So please cooperate.
Hare Krishna! Gaura prema nande hari haribol!
