Ananda Vrindavan Champu

The Glorious Flute of Krsna

While ambling along the pathway, Krsna left the wonderful marks of a goad, lotus, conch, thunderbolt, and the other symbols of His lotus feet on the breast of mother earth. Holding the flute to His leaf-like lips, Krsna played a slow raga known as mallavasri just fit for the autumn season. Krsna's lips, red as bimbo, fruits, drank the nectar of His flute as His fin­gers danced deftly over its holes. The abundant flow of nectar emanating from the belly of the flute spread throughout the atmosphere. Besides the intended raga of mallavasri, the flute seemed to produce a variety of personified tunes.

Krsna's face looked very attractive brightened by His beautiful white teeth shining within His fresh leaf-like lips. Receiving a kiss from Krsna's dazzling smiling face, the flute enjoyed the same fortune as His charming lovers. Indeed the murali is devoid of defects, even though full of holes. It is astonishing that this hard flute softens the hearts of heartless people, and silences the deer, birds, and other forest animals. Though derived from bamboo (vamsa) or a good family (vamsa) like the Candra vamsa dynasty, it infects all chaste women with intense attachment to Madhupati.

Aho! Just see this murali of Murari! Although hollow, it holds a stream of ragas. It is formed from one section (parva) of a tree, but it initiates hundreds of festivals (parvani). The sweet sound of the murali simulta­neously stuns the whole universe and fills everyone with joy. Murari's sweet flute melodies engage the three worlds in marvelous pastimes. En­tering within the ears, the vibration of Murari's flute agitates one's body, mind, and senses.

By nature Krsna's flute is simple and sweet, but according to the mood of the listener it manifests as nectar to some and poison to others. It causes river water to freeze solid and hard mountains to melt into rivers of ecstasy. Dead trees spring to life with fresh green leaves. Sages fixed in Brahman become restless and agitated. Among relishable objects, the best thing is the sound of Krsna's flute, which completely maddens one in bliss. It removes the anxieties of all people and stops the movements of birds and animals. Thus the sound of Krsna's flute is a treasure house of wonders. All glories to the superexcellent vibration of Krsna's flute!

Although there were unlimited groups of gorgeous gopis, they all had the great fortune of achieving the highest stage of love for Krsna. The gopis had peaceful natures and the same object of meditation, namely the desire to attain Krsna. These splendid beauties of Vrndavana prayed only for Krsna supreme friendship. With great yearning they looked in the direction of the flute and embraced each other due to the sudden de­rangement of their minds. Overwhelmed with ecstasy, they uttered some sweet words to describe the transcendental qualities of Krsna. In this way, the Vraja gopis passed the day glorifying their beloved with poetic com­positions.

The leaders of each group of gopis spoke two verses of praise. But they felt apprehensive about revealing their inner moods before the common people. To avoid explicitly explaining their intimate pastimes with Krsna, they spoke in a hidden but humorous way.

One gopi said, "How can I properly describe the fortune of one having eyes. To see Krsna's pastimes in Vrndavana is the ultimate limit of vision. Wandering in Vrndavana, Krsna pierces the hearts of everyone with His restless sidelong glances. Those who see Krsna like this feel their bliss rise to the zenith. The sound of His flute makes the whole world impa­tient. Those who have seen the inexhaustible beauty of Krsna and Balarama tending Their cows are the most fortunate people in the world. But alas! We have been deprived of this good fortune.

"Beautiful peacock feathers caress Their crowns and garlands swing from Their necks to ornament Their elegant forms. Radiant tilaka made from various colored mineral powders graces Their foreheads. Bouquets of small creepers and flowers ornament Their bodies. Thus Krsna and Balarama please the eyes of everyone with their charming beauty as They enter Vrndavana just like dramatic actors walking onto a stage."

A second sakhi said, "A person is considered fortunate even if he can see Krsna's lotus face from a distance. One is even more fortunate if he can kiss Him with the comers of his eyes. Hey sakhi with a sweet face! That person, however, who drinks the nectar of His lips after He plays the flute is very fortunate. Hey murali! I am not lying. You hold a special position. When Syamasundara kisses you, you become overwhelmed and beautified by the touch of His teeth, glimmering white like the rays of the moon. You echo the pleasant sounds of His young lovers at the time of union and thus drive the world mad. Krsna's brightly shining teeth are so beautiful that they look like ripe pomegranate seeds sitting in the middle of a lotus flower or precious rubies embedded in the full moon. Of course, theses things are impossible, therefore, nothing can compare with the beauty of Krsna's teeth."

Another sakhi said, "The murali is acting very boldly because he is tast­ing the lips of Krsna, which are dear to His paramours and meant only for thegopis' enjoyment. But the murali must be very fortunate, because even without endeavoring he has easily obtained this rarest jewel. Before His evening bath Krsna kisses His flute and imbibes a sweet rasa. The union of Krsna and His flute produces a nectar that makes the Yamuna ecstatic, turn solid, and burst forth with blossoming lotuses. Feeling proud of their son the flute, the bamboo trees along her bank shed tears of love in the form of honey dripping down their trunks."

Another gopi, desiring eternal association with Krsna yet fearing im­pending separation, said, "The fortunate earth holds a position higher than Brahmaloka. She is supremely worshipable because Krsna marks her with His splendid footprints like an independent lover drawing de­signs on the breasts of His beloved. The endless flow of nectar from Krsna's flute has transformed the heart of mother earth. As one in ecstasy experi­ences erect bodily hairs and thrill-bumps, similarly, the grasses covering the earth stand straight up in shoots. The glories of Vrndavana are far beyond the comprehension of a person like me. Here the peacocks, feel­ing joyful at heart, begin gently dancing when they hear the sweet sound of Murari's murali. Stunned by that sound, the soft leaves of the creepers blowing in the wind become motionless."

Another gopi group leader, longing to see Krsna, said, "0 sakhi! The deer and doe must have performed severe penances and austerities in order to always hear Krsna's melodious flute and see His gorgeous face with their large innocent eyes. Now we can appreciate the extent of their fortune. Hey sakhi! Aho, look! Even the female parrots are more fortu­nate than we are. Without any fear or inhibition they enjoy the lotus face of Krsna, which sends forth the nectarean sound of His flute, along with their husbands. Hence they have achieved the highest perfection of the eyes.

"The wives of the demigods and their husbands, who are deeply at­tached to them, are very fortunate because they have already developed love for Krsna. Therefore, they are always attracted to the captivating form of Krsna, and feel extremely impatient upon hearing His enchant­ing flute. Losing all composure, the demigoddesses become unsteady. And even while flying in the sky their hair braids loosen and the knots of their waistcloths slacken. In this agitated condition of love, they forget to drop soothing flowers, and shower Krsna with tears of love instead.

"When the cows hear Krsna's flute they cock their ears in rapt attention and close their eyes in bliss. The sound of Krsna's flute enters their ears like a constant flow of nectar. In such a state the cows appear like statues painted on a canvas. As the cows become inert from the captivating sound their teeth look very beautiful with the half-chewed sprouts hanging out of their mouths. While holding their mothers' udders the calves neither suck milk, nor let go, or swallow the milk already in their mouths. The pleasing sound of Krsna's flute steals the minds of the cows and fills them with satisfaction. At that time mother earth happily drinks the milk auto­matically streaming from the cow's udders."

"Hey sakhi! Abandoning their usual flighty nature, the birds of Vrndavana listen attentively to the sweet sound of Krsna's flute while relishing the beauty of His transcendental form. With their eyes closed in meditation on the music, they look just like sages steeped in bliss. Hey sakhi! They have stopped flying, singing, and eating. Becoming fully ab­sorbed in tasting the pleasant sound of Krsna's flute, the birds have fluffed out their feathers due to ecstatic feelings of devotion.

"Listening to the sweet sound of the murali, the Yamuna and other riv­ers are intensely agitated and spinning in whirlpools. It seems they have been struck by Cupid's arrows and affected by a type of epilepsy. The swans and cakravakas rolling in the waves of the river look like the disar­rayed clothing of the river. The sandy banks look like the unclothed hips of the river. The bubbles on the surface seem like foam forming on the mouth of the river.

"Hey sakhi! The rivers, shivered in ecstasy from hearing Krsna's flute, are holding lotus flowers in the hands of their waves to offer Himpuspanjali. In the mood of His lovers, the rivers respectfully offer cool water to hap­pily bathe Krsna's feet, and remove the heat of walking on the burning earth of summer. The clouds, acting like friendly sakhis, cool down the hot air by pouring tiny drops of water upon His head.

Observing that every living entity was nicely serving Krsna except her­self, one sad gopi said, "Even the cloud, which is an unconscious entity, can show his affection by moving here and there to act as an umbrella shielding Krsna from the scorching rays of the sun. When Krsna plays His flute, the clouds remove the fatigue of cow herding by pouring tiny streams of water from all directions, which seem like a shower of camphor dust. Just see, only we have been cheated from tasting the sweetness of serving Krsna, which is being relished by everyone in the universe."

Then the best of the gopis, thinking like this and feeling an arousal of enchanting love at the same time, said, "Just see the fortune of the Pulindas (aborigine women). They thoroughly enjoy smearing their faces and breasts with the kunkuma fallen onto the grass from Krsna's feet that once adorned the breasts of His dearest sakhi. To relish Krsna's sweetness is the object of everyone's desire. Though the Pulindas are mere aborigines, we can­not say that they do not deserve such fortune. It is quite proper that the 'ulinda women have genuine attachment to Krsna. Such signs of greed indicate the extent of one's real attachment to Krsna. Though one feels totally unqualified for such attainment, the greed for Krsna remains."

While speaking of the Pulindas, that gopi remembered the fortune of Govardhana Hill, and revealed to a friend Her intense desire to meet Krsna. She said, "This Govardhana Hill enhances Madhava's pastimes by supplying roots, fruits, water, mineral colors, and caves to hide in. In this way Govardhana is the best servitor of the Lord. It is known that by serv­ing a great devotee one can attain Visnu. By his selfless service Govardhana has brought Krsna under his control."

Then that chief among the gopis indicated Her desire to meet Krsna by speaking to a friend. "0 sakhi! It is our opinion that Krsna fulfills the desires and relieves the thirst of those who take shelter of Govardhana Hill. This fact is also supported by sastric evidence."

The unmarried gopis headed by Dhanya-sakhi showed their great for­tune by manifesting their ongoing strong attachment to Krsna. The as­tonishing power of their yearning for Krsna revealed itself in newer and newer ways. But this secret longing for Krsna created a sense of bewilder­ment in their minds. Even experts in loving affairs cannot understand the intensity of the gopis' desire. Just hearing the flute song of Krsna para­lyzed their senses, hands, and feet. The unpredictable nature of prema put them in this embarrassing position.

Overwhelmed in love for Krsna, they embraced each other and spoke as follows, "0 sakhi! The sound of Krsna's flute is a powerful yogi trans­forming the nature of reality with his mantra. It makes the conscious be­come unconscious and gives life to the lifeless. 0 sakhi! Look! All the aquatics, birds, and deer remain stunned like statues. The trees, earth, and mountains melt into liquid and the hairs on their bodies stand erect."

Seeing the flute's ability to drastically alter the state of other moving and nonmoving entities, the gopis worried about upholding their vows.

The gopis said, "Can any young woman possibly stop the low sound of that resonating flute which the enemy of Kaliya started playing upon at­taining youth? It is so terrible that it brings about a state of death like that induced by drinking poison. Rather than stopping it, we simply be­come play things in the hands of that flute. That flute sound is the blem­ish on our family. But if we cannot hear it, then we die in the pain of separation.

"Agonized by this painful separation, we absorb our minds in remem­bering the prince of Vrndavana, the Lord of our hearts. His fickle mind is always agitated by lust. So everyday He proudly displays the attracting power of His flute song and enjoys a festival beneath the trees ot Vrndavana. But still the residents of Vrndavana always offer Him the greatest respect. With the sweetness of His bodily effulgence He pleases all living entities and satisfies the world

"When will we smell Krsna's sweet lotus face framed by the thick, glossy locks of His dark blue hair? His eyebrows dance on His broad forehead and His nose is beautifully raised. When an object falls into an ocean of sweetness, it also manifests sweetness. Similarly, the yellow rope draped attractively on His turban, which Murari uses for tying cows, has become joyful by contacting His blissful form.

"Moreover, the young gopis, who worship the tambula scented lips of Krsna that are bordered by His cheeks, are supremely fortunate. His danc­ing makara kundala (earrings), studded with jewels and flowers, cast re­flections on His cheeks like sparkling bubbles of water. What woman does not desire to embrace the broad chest of Krsna, which is adorned with a forest garland, the marks of Laksmi and Srivatsa, and brilliant jewels and pearl necklaces?

"Whose lake of the heart would not become agitated by His two arms, which hang at His sides like the trunks of a pair of intoxicated baby el­ephants, desiring to snatch the nectar beauty of His knees? Within our hearts we hold His waist which is surrounded by three graceful folds of skin. Although measuring only the size of a fist, Krsna's thin waist is ex­ceedingly powerful and makes us very weak.

"The line of hairs extending from His navel to His broad chest resembles a row of beautiful kalpa-taru trees. They look like the fine hairs on the back of a bumblebee, or a black snake that bites our chest when we tightly embrace Him. His elegant feet, marked with a lotus, goad, and thunder­bolt defeat the beauty of red lotus flowers. His toes sparkle from the effulgence of His jeweled inlaid anklets. When will those feet be the or­nament on our breasts?"

Thus, Dhanya-sakhi and other beautiful young gopis disclosed their in­tense craving to meet Krsna. Since maha-prema had arisen within them, they manifested so much longing that their throats choked up from the life airs rushing out of their bodies. Tossed by the insurmountable waves of desire to meet Krsna, they spent the days of autumn in great difficulty. In this way, the winter season quickly arrived and the gopis began to wor­ship Katyayani.

Dhanya-sakhi and other Vraja kumaris (virgins) came to the banks of the Yamuna to worship Goddess Uma (Katyayani) during the first month of the winter season known as Margasirsa. At this time, the ripened rice paddy in the fields displayed a mixed color of red and brown. Bent in humility, the rice paddy expressed its desire to drink the water made fra­grant from the white lilies blooming nearby. The newly sprouted barley spread a red and brown color across the fields. The growth of anise and inches of coriander sweetened the earth. Spinach bloomed in household gardens. Fields abundant with sugar cane spread in all directions.

The first month of winter displayed immense splendor with its wealth of agricultural products. The Vraja kumaris like Dhanya-sakhi, who pos­sessed unlimited affection for Krsna, played the part of sadhakas seeking to perfect the purity of their love for Krsna. Taking the vow, "May the virtuous son of Nanda Maharaja become our husband," they secretly wor­shiped goddess Katyayani in order to attain Krsna.