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  Sai Krishna

Sai Krishna 1

Lovingly Shared by Venkatachalam Srinivasan

ANANYA BHAKTHI

(Please note that Gopalakas indicate males and gopikas are females)

The first episode is an extract from the Book, "SRI SATHYA SAI ANANDADAAYI" written by very old devotee of Swami. (This book is available in Prashanthi Nilayam Book Stall) The lady describes that one day one Mr. Laskshminarayana Sastry was giving a discourse at Prashanthi Nilayam, in the Divine presence. Swami intervened and said, "You were telling about Akrura. Tell my devotees about Gopikas". Sastri said, " Swami, I leave that to you. You were the one who knew their longing for Krishna. Knowing from You would be wonderful. What do I know? I know only what is written in the books".

Swami did not reply. The Sastry then continued the story and told that Krishna went to Mathura at the age of eight years. Swami intervened again and said, "How is it possible? Krishna went to Mathura at the age of fourteen years. Isn’t it? Sastry said, "Swami, How do I know? Bhagavatha tells so. Only You know at what age Krishna went to Mathura. Now tell us all your secrets!" Swami laughed gently; turned towards the devotees and started telling the story.

Krishna went to Mathura at the age of fourteen years, not at the age of eight years. Up to the age of eleven years, He was with Gopalakas. From the eleventh year up to His fourteenth year, He was with Gopikas.

Once Kamsa sent a giant python to kill Krishna. At that time Krishna was staying in a village called Rapalle. This place was surrounded by hills and the only way in and out was a small path in between two hills. A very huge python slept on that path with its big mouth open. Krishna knew about this. He came with all the Gopalakas after their cows had finished gazing in the fields. Krishna led all the gopalakas into the mouth of the python. As Krishna walked through the body of the python, He slit open the stomach of the python. All the gopalakas and their cows came out safely. After coming out, Krishna explained to them what had happened. If they had known about the snake earlier, they would not have volunteered to follow Krishna into the snake’s mouth.

Till the age of fourteen Krishna teased gopikas by playing pranks on them. They were complaining to Yasodha about the unbearable and provocative mischief of Krishna. Once in a while Yasodha felt irritated. Once, when Yasodha expressed her displeasure about His playing pranks on the gopikas, Krishna told her, "Mother, did I not sleep near you all night? Why do you believe their words that I harassed them?" Placating Yasodha like this was not a problem for Krishna. Even with all these, the gopikas could not bear the separation from Him even for a moment. Seeing this, the villagers got jealous and moved Krishna from Gokula to Brindavan. Any person who entered Brindavana had to pay an entry tax!

Just as he villagers tried to separate gopikas from Krishna, the villagers of Puttaparthi also tried to drive Me out of this place thinking that I will amass a lot of wealth! (Swami’s wealth is His devotees!)

But Radha made it to Brindavana. The old man guarding Brindavana refused entry and demanded her to pay the entry tax. Radha told, "I am poor and cannot pay the tax." When the old man informed this to Krishna, He said, "Is that so? When she comes again don’t allow her inside. Hold her and inform me. I will come and make inquiries." Radha came next day and on hearing Krishna would come, she became extremely happy. Krishna came and asked her, "Why did you come? Pay the tax." She answered, "Krishna, I do not have anything except a basket of cow dung." Krishna said, "In that case, offer yourself (Atma arpana)" She agreed and totally surrendered her soul to Him. To attain liberation there are many paths; eligibility is essential.

The Gopalakas of Gokula celebrated regularly a festival in which Lord Indra was worshipped. Krishna asked Yasodha, "Mother, why is this festival celebrated?" She said, "Indra is responsible for the timely rains, which help in keeping our fields green and is responsible for the well-being of our cows. So we worship Him" Krishna said, "Indra may give rains, but it is because of Govardhana Giri we have greenery all around us. Why not worship it?" Thereafter gopalakas worshipped Govardhana Giri.

After some time, Krishna asked His mother, "Mother, why do you worship Govardhana Giri?" She asked Him, "What else should we worship?" Krishna replied to His mother, "Govardhana Giri is responsible for the green trees and grass. But it is the cows, which feed on them and give us milk and butter. Why not worship the cows?" The gopalakas started worshipping cows.

Krishna, after some time asked His Mother, "Why do you worship the cows?" She replied, "You told us to do so." Krishna said, "Then, why not worship Me?" The Gopis worshipped only Krishna and none else. Their husbands and mother-in-law were against their total devotion to Krishna and harassed them. But the Gopis endured all the problems by chanting the name of Krishna. Their despair when Krishna left with Akrura to Mathura cannot be described in words. Some of them slept in front of the chariot. Some held the reins of the horses. Some tied their hair to the wheels of the chariot. Some of them tried to stop the wheels of the chariot from turning. Akrura saw how these Gopis were crying and pleading Krishna not to leave. He could not bear to see their sorrow and stopped the chariot. Krishna got down from the chariot and consoled them. They were badly hurt and were bleeding due to their efforts to stop the chariot. They were too tired even to speak to Krishna. Only after Krishna promised that He would come back to them, they allowed Him to leave. After Krishna left, the entire Gokula became desolate and the residents were in tears and crestfallen. Krishna did not return to Gokula since then.

Once Krishna came to Gokula with Rukmani and Satyabhama to attend the worshipping of Govardhana Giri. Radha had a sister called Chandravalli. They were poles apart in their approach to life.

Sai Krishna 2

Extract from the Book, "SRI SATHYA SAI ANANDADAAYI

Chandravalli hated Krishna. She believed that Krishna, the mischief monger, created problems for Gopikas. Having stolen their hearts and making their thoughts involve around Him, she thought that He was driving a wedge between them and their husbands and other relatives. As she did not want to succumb to Krishna’s charms, she stayed back in her husband’s house. Her mother, however, was not happy about this and persuaded hr son-in-law to send his wife to attend the function. Reluctantly, he agreed to send her only for three days. Chandravalli came to her mother’s house and shut herself in, as her hatred for Krishna was very intense. Radha somehow wanted to take Chandravalli to the function. She came, knocked on the door and called her. While doing so, she called "Krishna" instead of "Chandra". This infuriated Chandravalli further. Somehow Radha consoled her and took her to the riverside to fetch water telling that there was no danger of Krishna meeting her there as He was busy attending the function at Govardhana Gir. After they walked a little distance, Chandravalli saw Krishna coming towards them. For a moment, the pot she was holding, the dress she was wearing, the trees, the creepers, the flowers, the sky above, the earth beneath and Radha, who was accompanying her, everything appeared as Krishna. Blinded by fury, she slapped Krishna on the cheek. Radha was shocked at this. She turned around and began to scold Chandravalli. Pointing to the three welts on His cheek, Krishna smiling said, "No, don’t scold her. She has shown that all the three of us are one and the same", and left the scene.

When Krishna came home, Sathyabhama saw the welts on the cheeks of Krishna and told Rukhmani, "Sister, see the cheeks of Krishna. Someone has slapped Him." Rukhmani, being a person with "Sathvaguna", did not notice them. Krishna consoled Sathyabhama and went towards the house of Chandravalli.

When Chandravalli was relaxing at her house, Krishna assuming the form of Radha went to her house and said, "Do you know that when I think of Krishna, I take His form!". Believing it, Chandravalli spent three days in Krishna’s company. Occasionally, Krishna showed His true form, but Chandravalli thought it was Radha in that form and kept silent. When she was about to go back to her husband’s house, Krishna took the form of her husband and came to her. He confirmed from her that neither did she go to see Krishna nor talked to Him. On the way, riding her in the cart, Krishna told her, " Look, Krishna might even come in the form of your husband. Don’t believe Him."

At the very moment, her husband was coming in search of Chandravalli. With hatred for Krishna ranging in her, she got down from the cart, rushed over and started beating him. The husband infuriated over his wife’s behavior cursed her and went away. The villagers, unaware of Krishna’s pranks, were alarmed at these developments. To prevent any further woman going astray, they built a pyre and made Radha and Chandravalli sit on it. They wanted this to be lesson to all those who were running after Krishna. When the pyre was lit to burn them alive, Radha saw Krishna standing just in front of the pyre. She told Krishna, "Let the disaster fall on us, we do not care. Keep looking at us like this. We will not feel any of the torture."

When the fire started to rage, Radha and Chandravalli suddenly disappeared from the pyre. Even Krishna was not seen. In the sky above, the villagers saw Lord Vishnu riding on Garuda with Bhudevi and Sridevi, on either side of Him. They were astonished at this marvel. This incident opened the eyes of villagers and they understood that Krishna was none other than Lord Vishnu. They conveyed the meaning of what they saw to others. They understood the Krishna Thatva – the all knowing, all pervading Lord does not leave even those who hate Him in a lurch. That being the case, how easy it is to obtain salvation through Bhakthi.

People view this sacred, unsullied love of gopikas for Krishna in a wrong sense. You are aware of the feelings, which are only concerned with the body. You project these feelings on to all sacred things. God has no physical relationship. The transparent love of the gopikas can only be understood by a clean mind and God can be reached only with pure feelings. God can never be attracted to impure feelings. Such transparent and sacred feelings were present only in gopikas. No one can match their transparent love and singular devotion. We canhave them as your ideals. You may ask, "What is the greatness of gopikas?" Was not the devotion of Ramadasa. Kabir, Surdas and others equal to that of gopikas" Devotion of all others is a shade lower than that of Gopikas. God is pure and so have pure feelings towards Him and attain Him.

(Swami concluded the discourse with the message to the devotees present there that one could attain Him through pure thoughts and ANANYA BHAKTHI!.

Sai Krishna 3

Today I am presenting two Chinna Kathas (small stories) of Lord Sri Krishna as told by Bhagavan. Source: From the Book, Sri Sathya Sai ANANDADAAYI.

VIRAAT SWAROOPA:

In order to prove that Viraat Swaroopa is the presiding deity of all Yagnas, Krishna related this story to Arjuna. "One day I had taken the cows for grazing. After a long time, I felt hungry. I could hear the chanting of vedas from a distant place, where a Yagna was being performed. I sent Gopalakas to that place to get food. They went and asked the Brahmins, who were performing the yagna, for food. The Brahmins told that as they had not yet offered the food to Yagna Devatha, they could not give it.

The Gopalakas came and told this to Me. Then, I said, "The men would not know the pangs of hunger. Go and ask the ladies." They went back to the place again. This time they went through the back door, unnoticed by the men. They told the women there, "Gopala wants food". As soon as they heard the name of Gopala, they took the food with them, and came running in search of Me. The Brahmins tried to stop them telling that the food had to be offered to Yagna Devatha first. The women ignored them and came in search of Me. As soon as Viraat Swaroopa ate the food brought by them, the presiding deities of Yagnaas were satisfied. Arjuna, know that I am "Yagna Swaroopa".

THE PRIEST AND THE THIEF:

A Brahman, whose profession was singing the glories of the Lord, was once reciting Bhagavatha in the house of a patron. A thief broke into the house where the recital was going on and hid himself in the attic. Perforce, he had to listen to Bhagavatha.

The singer was describing the 0rnaments worn by Krishna. He described the various ornaments Yasodha put on Krishna before sending Him out with the cows. The thief thought that he should kill that lad, Krishna and rob all the ornaments at one stroke instead of struggling every day with petty stealing. He waited till the Brahmin finished the story and left the place.

The thief wanted to know where this boy was. He, therefore, followed the Brahmin and waylaid him. The Brahmin was frightened and feared that he would lose even the small amount collected as dakshina and told the thief, "I do not have anything with me". The thief told, "I do not want any material from you. I want only some information. You were telling that one lady Yasodha adorned a boy Krishna with ornaments before she sent him for grazing the cows. I want to know where I can find him." The Brahmin was in a fix. Cleverly he told the thief, "There is a book in my house where I keep all these particulars. Come with me."

He took the thief to his house, and looked in some book and told, "In Brindavana, on the banks of Yamuna, in a green meadow, two boys will come in the morning. One dark like the cloud with a flute, and the other fair clad in white silk. The dark one will have all the ornaments I had described." The thief believed the story and set out to Brindavana immediately. He located the place, climbed up a tree and waited for the boys. The sun rose. Faint melody of the flute wafted along the morning breeze. The enchanting music could then be heard closer and the thief spotted two boys coming.

He got down from the tree and went near them. The moment he saw them, he forgot himself for a moment, folded his hands and shed tears of joy. He wondered which wretched mother had sent these radiant boys, vigrahas chiseled to perfection, loaded with ornaments to the riverbank. Since the thief had carefully listened to the story of Krishna as told by the Brahmin, he noticed that Krishna was not wearing one particular piece of ornament described by the Brahmin. He even wanted to adorn Krishna with the missing ornament, which he wanted to get even by stealing, and enjoy the sight to his heart’s content. Just as the clouds cover the bright sun, wicked thoughts developed in his mind again. He approached the boys to kill them.

Shouting, "Stop," he held Krishna’s hand. The moment he touched Krishna all his previous karma was wiped clean and he inquired lovingly, "Who are you?" Krishna told him, "Leave My hands. I am frightened by your looks." The thief told Krishna, "It is my evil mind which is reflected in my face. If you are frightened I shall go away." Krishna then told the thief, "Have you forgotten the purpose for which you have come? Here, take my ornaments." Confused the thief said, "Will not your mother scold you, if you gift away all your ornaments to me?" Krishna smiled and said, "Do not worry about that. I have plenty of them. I am a bigger thief than you. But there is a difference between you and me – however much I steal, the owners do not complain. I am lovingly called "Chitha Chora". Though you are not aware of it, you have a previous ornament in your possession, the "Chitha". I shall steal it now and take the same with Me." So saying both the boys vanished.

The thief found to his surprise a bag full of ornaments on his shoulder. He brought it to the Brahmin’s house and told him what had happened. The Brahmin was frightened, took the thief inside and opened the bag. To his utteramazement he saw all the ornaments described as being worn by Krishna in the Bhagavatha, in the thief’s bag. Shedding tears of joy, the Brahmin asked the thief to take him to the place where he saw the dark boy.

The thief obliged and both of them waited in the same place where the thief accosted the boy the previous day. Suddenly the thief exclaimed, "Look, here they come!" However, the Brahmin could not see any one. Stricken with remorse, he said, "Swami, when You give Darshan to a thief, why not me? If you do not give Darshan to me, I shall end my life."

Krishna then told him, "You are reading Bhagavatha just as another story. The thief on the other hand, believed what you had told him. I manifest only for those who surrender to Me."

Sincere belief takes one nearer to God.

Sai Krishna 4

(Significance of birth, name, leelas and Life story. - Words as uttered by Bhagavan)

Krishna was born on 20th of July, 3228 years before the advent of Christ. It was the year Srimuka, the month of Sravana, the fortnight named Bahyla, and the day of Ashtami. The Star was Rohini and the time was 5 A.M. If we count backwards from today, the day on which Krishna gave up His mortal body will work out to be 5078 years. The time when Krishna gave up His body is the day when Kali age commenced. This day is also called Yugadi.

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Since Krishna was born on Ashtami (the eighth day of the lunar month), right from the moment of His birth, He was subjected to troubles. On the other hand, whoever cherishes the name of the Lord is set free from bondage.

Krishna’s advent signifies the dispelling of darkness, the removal of troubles, banishing of ignorance and teaching mankind supreme wisdom. Krishna is said to have been in Mathura. He grew up in Brindavan, and He had established His home finally at Dwaraka. The significance of this to the Sadhaka is "Let Krishna be born in the Gokula of your mind; Let Him grow and play pranks in the Brindavan of your Heart; Let Him then be fixed in the Chitha of Mathura; and finally, let Him rule over the agitationless consciousness as the Lord and Master of Dwaraka."

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Krishna, whose advent is celebrated, is not the cowherd boy who charmed the village folk with His flute. Krishna is indefinable, inscrutable Divine Principle that is born in the navel of the body (Mathura) as the product of Divine energy (Devaki), which is then transported to the mouth (Gokula) and fostered by the tongue (Yashoda), as the source of sweetness. Krishna is the visualization of the Atma that the repetition of the Name grants; the vision that was gained by Yashoda. You must foster that Krishna on your tongue; and when He dances on it, the poison of the tongue will be rejected without harming any one, as it had happened when, as a child, He danced on the hoods of the serpent Kaliya.


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Krishna is the symbols of idealism. Krishna is able to give a lead and set an example in all spheres of activity. Krishna is not a mere individual. He is to be regarded as an ideal for the whole world. In order to comprehend the ideal aspect of Krishna, we have to concentrate on the Divine aspects of His life and work. To understand the human aspects of Krishna, we have to go back to the times in which He lived. Humility and Obedience were two characteristic features of Him. In this century, people may get doubts regarding the personality of Krishna. The reason is that the depiction of Krishna in the movies today and the description of Krishna we read in texts of today differ very much from the facts, and hence the doubts. When we see these things, we visualize a Krishna was always fighting with kings and removing them from their thrones. We also think that his devotees blindly worshipped Him. Looking carefully at the contents of the Mahabharatha written by Vyasa, we get the unmistakable feeling that humility and obedience were present in Krishna in a large measure.

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Among all Avatars, Krishna’s is the most attractive incarnation. The very word Krishna means "one who attracts". "Krishyathi iti Krishnaha" is another derivation for the name. Krishna is the one who cultivates. This means that Krishna is the Lord who cultivates the heart of the devotees by weeding out the bad qualities, sowing the seeds of good qualities and growing the crops of love. Krishna thus means one who cultivates our hearts and raises in them the crop of bliss.

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The individual who can satisfy your yearning pertaining to the Divine can be called Krishna. "Karshate iti Krishna, Krushite iti Krishna, Krushate iti Krishna" are three different aspects of Krishna. These are the three different forms of Sat, Chit and Ananda. These are present in all the yugas. Kunthi addresses Krishna as Madhava. ‘Ma"- means Lakshmi and it also means Maya (Illusion). Te word Dhava means master. In this sense, Krishna is the Master of Nature, Lakshmi and Maya.

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Everything is the Universe is governed by certain laws. Certain laws and regulations control the five elements constituting earth and the vast ocean. Since man’s life is part of the world, it has to be regulated. Whether it is for love or for hatred or anger, some regulation is necessary. Krishna has showed such regulation to us as an example in His lifetime.

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When Krishna was three years old, he saw an old lady carrying a basket of fruits from the jungle. Krishna told her that He would like to have some fruits. The old woman said that He would get them only if He paid the price. Krishna innocently asked the meaning of the word ‘Price’. The woman said that something should be given in return for the fruit. Krishna went in and brought as palm-full of rice. The woman placed the rice in her basket and gave Krishna some fruits. She was charmed by the beauty of the child. As she was returning to her cottage, she felt that the basket was getting heavier. When she placed it down in her hut, she was amazed to find that all the rice grains had turned into precious gems! She realized that the child must be Divine.

Sai Krishna 5

Once when baby Krishna clamoured for milk, Yashoda said that it was too early an hour and that she would feed him only at nightfall. Krishna closed His eyes and said that night had fallen. The mother said that darkness of night was different. It could not happen when one person closed his eyes. But Krishna argued that light contains darkness and darkness contains light in it.

Krishna was pleading with Yashoda that He should be allowed to go to the forest with other cowherd boys. Thinking that if He were put to sleep, he would forget His desire to the forest, Yashoda gave Him milk. Krishna was no ordinary child. While drinking the milk, He pretended as if He was sleeping. He made pretense of yawning to indicate His drowsiness. In that wide-open mouth of Krishna, Yashoda saw all kinds of things –all the world in motion and many deities. She could not make out what it meant. "Is it a dream or Vishnu’s Maaya? Alternatively, is it some fantasy of mine? Or, is it real? Am I Yashoda?." These thoughts racked her mind.

One should take care to protect Truth and Honesty. This was the ideal taught and demonstrated by Krishna. He was the one who had eternal youth. By saying that He was eternally young, we should not imply that He had a young and youthful body forever. This should convey to us the meaning that He had no anxiety and that He always had a smiling disposition. This kind of bliss and happiness also gives happiness to one’s body and bodily health.

Once it so happened that Krishna, Balarama, and Satyaki, who were little boys at that time, were stranded in a thick jungle. Krishna frightened them with his description of ghosts, ghouls and demons roaming in search of human prey. He proposed that two of them should sleep for three hours at a stretch while the other one kept watch. It was Krishna’s duty to keep awake and be on the lookout from 7 p.m. to 10.pm. Satyaki was to be vigilant from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Balarama was to start his part of duty at 1 a.m. and keep till 4 a.m. Satyaki got up at 10 p.m. Balarama and Krishna laid themselves on beds of dried leaves and slept soundly. Meanwhile, a demon did actually present himself before the little Satyaki. He fell upon the boy, who resisted heroically, dealing and in turn receiving hammer of strokes with fists, with a good number of clawing and biting in between. Satyaki was badly mauled, but was happy at the end that two brothers were still sound asleep; they had not been disturbed in the least by the noise of the encounter.

Satyaki had met blow with blow’ and dealt injury for injury. At 1 a.m., he awakened Balarama and stretched his body on the heap of leaves, as if nothing had happened. The demon invited Balarama too for a compact and had to retreat humiliated, because Balarama was too strong, and his blows were even more terrible than Satyaki’s. Balarama curled himself into the bed at 4 a.m., after waking up Krishna who was to keep watch in the Brahma-Muhurtha.

The infuriated demon came roaring like a wounded tiger and advanced ferociously at the little Divine boy. Krishna turned His sweet charming face at him, and rewarded him with a lovely smile. The smile disarmed the demon. The longer he came under its influence, the weaker became his vengeance and venom. At last, the demon became docile as a lamb; when the other two woke up, they were surprised at he victory that Krishna had won by the weapon of love. You cannot destroy anger by anger, cruelty by cruelty, hatred by hatred. Anger can be subdued only by forbearance; cruelty can be overcome only by non-violence; hatred yields only to charity and compassion.

Fill your mind with Leelas of the Lord (Krishna) and His glory. Once He and His comrades stole into a house and brought down the vessel of curds. When the mistress of the house came in and asked, "Why did you come in?" Krishna replied, "My mother had a stick in her hand; so I ran in here out of fear." "Who are these boys?" she asked. "I brought them to bear witness to what I say." Said KRISHNA. "Why have you placed that vessel between your legs? She asked. "So that these fellows may not get hold of the butter", was the answer.

"Why do you go from house to house and eat the butter from their stores?" asked Yashoda. "I like things that I select and choose; I do not like to be fed." Replied Krishna. Krishna could not be confined to one house or one routine. He is Sarva-Vyaapi (Omnipresent). He is Bhaktha Vatsala. Make your heart the seat of the Lord. Then it will have value.

"Krishna was only a few weeks old when a certain ascetic came into the house of Nanda. Yashoda was having the baby in her lap. Of course, this is an incident not found in any book. I have myself to tell you this. The maids ran in, for they were afraid the child might start weeping at the sight of the uncouth individual. He walked in nevertheless, and Yashoda found that when he was sent away, the baby raised a cry but not when he approaching! The Muni (ascetic) also announced himself as having come to see Krishna-Paramaathma – a name that was new to the entire family. No wonder, the baby cried when that distinguished visitor was asked to go! Devaki had been given the vision of Krishna being the Lord Himself, but this Muni (ascetic) discovered the arrival of the Avatar, by the grace of the Almighty. It was the Baby who had invited the Muni (ascetic) for His Darshan," said Swami.

When Krishna danced on he head of Kalinga, the poison was vomited and the serpent was subdued. When God is revered, the world and all its poisonous fumes recede, and you are restored to original health. Make the name and the form of the Lord dance on the hood of your heart. Krishna had no vishaya-vaasana (attachment to worldly things) and so He could plunge into the pool, call out to Kalinga, jump on to its hood, trample on it, and squeeze the poison out. Krishna never parted in those days from Balarama; but He came alone on this day. He was wearing a necklace of green beads; a nose ring of pearl, and in His right ear, a ring of pearls. He wore no shirt or coat; just yellow silk round His waist and a kerchief wound around the head, or rather thrown carelessly round the head, one end this way and another end that way. (Bhagavan showed, the way, Krishna used to tie the turban)! The peacock feather that is described by poets and sages was not always worn. It was stuck into the turban occasionally. Of course, peacocks abounded in Brindavana then, and are in plenty even today. On His bare chest, there was a mole that could be clearly seen, an inevitable mark of all Avatar, including Sai’s. Krishna saw the carcass of animals that had died when they inhaled the poisoned air near the pool; birds had fallen dead on the ground. Nothing green could survive in the neighborhood. As soon as Krishna jumped into the pool to save the region from the serpent’s havoc, His companions ran home to bring His parents so that they could intercede and stop the foolish pranks of their mischievous son. They were in great panic. Only Radha was calm and collected. She knew that for Him, it was a minute’s fun, a moment’s Sankalpa (Divine Will). He had no Vishaya (attachment), so Visha (poison) could not affect Him.

Gopikas are cowherdesses only in physical form. In the human head, there is Lotus with thousand petals. Each of these petals has sixteen Kalas (aspects) As the Lord of Sahasrara (thousand-petalled Lotus), He presides over the 16000 Kalas, which are present in Lotus.

The Lord is described s the embodiment of 16 Kalas . The Kundalini Shakthi (Serpent Power) which starts at the bottom of spinal column (Mooladhara) rises and merges with the 16000 entities in the Sahasrara. Thus, it is stated that Krishna was wedded to16000 gopikas.

Yashoda, despite many occasions in which Krishna demonstrated His Divinity, continued to regard Him as human and frequently thanked the Lord for saving her child from many dangers. Once, Yashoda appealingly asked Krishna as to why He was going to the Gopikas’ houses to steal butter, when there was so much in their own house. The child Krishna replied, "Mother, I am not stealing the butter, but the hearts of the gopis. Their hearts are pure and full of devotion. Their butter is filled with the devotion with which they churn the buttermilk. Their bangles keep time as they sing Krishna’s name while churning. The butter that emerges contains the essence of Vedas.". In this manner, every word of Krishna was replete with spiritual significance.

Sai Krishna 6

Balarama and Krishna were in the habit of taking the cowherd boys with their cows for grazing in the forest near Gokulam. Once, the gopalas were engaged in merry making, dancing and singing, quite unconcerned about the time while the cows were grazing. Suddenly they found that the cows had disappeared. They went in different directions to search for them. They found the cows grazing at a distant place and saw a fire blazing al around. The cowherd boys could not approach the cows. They cried in desperation, "Krishna, Krishna". When Krishna called the cows by their names, they responded, running towards Him, crying "Amba.." The cows could always recognize Krishna’s call and understand His call. The cowherd lads were terribly shaken by the sight of the advancing fire. Balarama and Krishna told them, "Why fear when we are here?" Krishna asked them to close their eyes and not to open until He gave the order. They always implicitly obeyed the command of Krishna, in whom they had total faith. When Krishna asked them to open their eyes they did so and found themselves in the same place where they had been dancing, and it was cool around. The fire had disappeared. Immediately they fell at the feet off Krishna and hailed Him as supreme Lord. When such miracles were performed they used to hold Him as God, but after some time, they would revert to their old habit of calling Him their friend.

Even today, people consider the Avatar as God only when miracles happen, but at other times they consider Him as ordinary being.

Krishna wanted to teach the Gopalas about Atma. It was a rainy season, and dark clouds were hovering over the sky. There was lightening followed by thunder. Krishna said, "The dark clouds represent the Tamasik quality in man, thunder the Rajassic quality and the lightning the Sathwic. Because of Thamoguna, you are

The cow transforms grass and gruel into sweet strengthening milk and gives it away in plenty to its master. Develop that quality, that power to transform food you consume with sweet thoughts, words and deeds of sympathy for all. The child Krishna wept for permission to go along with the cows to the fields of pasture. Yashoda said, "Dear child! Your tiny silken feet can’t walk along those pebble-filled tracks. I shall get nice little sandals for you. You can go, after the sandals are ready.". But Krishna prattled back, "The cows whom we serve are not shod. Why should we, who re their servants, avoid the thorns and stones which they can’t avoid."? No wonder, cows and calves of Gokula were immobilized and wept when Krishna left for Mathura.

Krishna propagated the view that cow gives prosperity. He regarded the cow as wealth, and this wealth was equally distributed among the people. The requirements of humanity are two kinds. One is milk and related products and the other is the agricultural harvest. The task related to these two, were distributed between two brothers. Gopala (Krishna) looked after the cows and milk and Balarama symbolized by plough, looked after the agriculture. These requirements do not drop from the sky. They must come through the cattle and land.

The gopies, simple sincere cowherd maids of Gokula, sought Krishna within or behind every bush, for He fascinated them, but ever keeping Himself away! This is only another way of describing the search of God that we know to be within us, who eludes our efforts to sink into that sweetness. Krishna is hiding in the recesses of your heart; you have to trace Him there and hold fast. He runs away, but leaves footprints marked by the split of the milk on which He has trodden, in a hurry to be beyond our search. Yes, the lesson is, "Recognize His foot prints in everything of beauty, in every act of goodness, in every tear of gratitude, in every sign of compassion, and discover Him in the bower of your own heart, filled with the fragrance of Love and Light of virtue."

Once a Gopika went to a well to bring two pitchers of water. After placing one pitcher on her head, she wanted someone to place the other water-filled pitcher on the first one. Krishna refused to do so. Soon another Gopika came along and helped the first Gopika. The Gopika carrying the two pitchers reached her home. Krishna followed her to the house, without even waiting to be asked, took the top pitcher from the Gopika’s head and placed it down. She was surprised at Krishna’s strange behavior. She asked him, "Krishna, at the well, you refused to place the pitcher on my head, when I appealed to you to help me. Now you take it down from the head without my asking. What is the inner meaning of this action?" Krishna replied, "Oh Gopika: I am wont to remove the burden borne by the people and not to add to them."
 

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