Gopasthami.
(This lecture was given by H. G. Visvadhika Dasi, disciple of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, on Gopasthami 2016 at Mayapur Goshala).
Today is Gopasthami. Gopasthami is the coming of age party for Krsna and Balarama. Nanda and the other elder cowherd men, after consulting with famous astrologers, chose Krsna’s graduation ceremony to be on the 8th day of the bright fortnight of Karttika. What was the nature of this “graduation”? Before this day they were vatsa palas (calf herders). On Gopasthami day they became old enough to become Gopalas. They both had just entered their Pauganda age. Srila Jiva Gosvami writes this was a 3-day festival…. I am sure Dayal Mukunda Prabhu is very pleased that he did no have to organize a 3-day festival this year…Maybe next year.
On this day :
· Krsna and Balarama dressed in new clothes, cowherd clothes
· Brahmanas blessed the boys
· Cows were worshipped with foot wash and arghya, fed sweet chick peas
· Krsna and Balarama offered obeisances to the cows and circumambulated them
· Offered obeisances to the priests and brahmanas
Then
· Nanda offered Krsna jeweled cowherd boy stick
· Mother Yashoda put Tilaka on Krsna’s forehead…. And instructed Balarama and cowherd boys to protect Krsna
Every day, when Krsna and Balarama left with all the cows for the forest and pastures, the residents of Vraja were merged in feelings of deep separation being bereft of the sight of the 2 transcendental brothers. This wonderful exchange would take place every morning.
Krsna das Kaviraja tells us: Nanda and Yasoda wanted Krsna to wear shoes and carry an umbrella when they left for the pasture. Gopala would refuse: “How can I wear shoes if the cows have no shoes…Mata I will wear shoes if you make shoes for all my cows” So if you quickly do the math that means: 900,000 cows x 4 = 3,600, 000 shoes. Even for Mother Yasoda that was too many shoes to make so she said to her Son: “AT least you must take an umbrella…” Same reply! But cows can’t hold umbrellas so it would take 900,000 cowherd men to hold umbrellas over their heads.
Knowing that Krsna would not wear shoes because they had none the cows reciprocated by resolving to trample the pebbles and stones to dust for Their soft feet. Such is the love between Krsna and his cows.
We think of Krsna, we think of cows.
· Govinda
cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa- lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhir abhipālayantam lakṣmī-sahasra-śata-sambhrama-sevyamānaḿ govindam ādi- puruṣaḿ tam ahaḿ bhajāmi
I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of lakṣmīs or gopīs.
Sri Brahma Samhita 5.29
· Gopis and Gopalas
· Goloka Vrndavana
So in Goloka Vrndavana, there may or may not be computer analysts needed, or rickshaw drivers, secretaries to the Temple president, guest reception personnel…. But there will openings for these positions…Gopalas and Gopis.
So it is good we are all here today to begin our training…
And what are we in training to do?
To become Gopalas and Gopis who give protection to the cows.
Yes, even our respected GBC and sannyasis must be so trained, and temple presidents, and the bhaktas who clean the Prasadam room, and mothers who change diapers and worry about their children. We are all destined to eventually be Gopalas or Gopis, or serving Gopalas and Gopis, or the servants of the servants of Gopalas and Gopis…because ultimately Our final destination is Goloka Vrndavana, the Loka of Cows.
Srila Prabhupada tells us in SB 10.8.16 in the purport
“His pastimes in Gokula are always favorable to the brahmanas and the cows. HIS FIRST BUSINESS is to give all protection to the cows and the brahmanas. In fact, COMFORTS FOR THE BRAHMANAS ARE SECONDARY and comfort of the cows is His first concern.”
For this Gopasthami celebration, Dayal Mukunda Prabhu was telling me of special arrangements for the comfort of the disciples of Srila Prabhupada…. But his real business is to every day make special arrangements for the comfort of Krsna’s cows.
If cows keep healthy and happy, men and women shall also keep disease free and prosperous. May the cow eat green grass and pure water. May they not be killed and bring prosperity to us.
That must be the priority of our whole Mayapur community, to make special arrangements for Krsna’s cows. Not just because we want to go to Goloka and enjoy with Krsna and his cows. That is our enjoying propensity rearing its ugly head again. Protection of Krsna’s cows must be our priority because:
1. Srila Prabhupada has told us to make it a priority….along with all the other priorities. On the Spiritual platform one priority does not exclude another. They complement each other.
2. Every morning we chant “Govindam adi purusham tam aham bhajami” We worship the Supreme Lord who tends cows.
3. This is an important part of our preaching mission for a world that is drowning in the confusion of not knowing what is to be done what is not to be done. Srila Prabhupada knows what is going on in this crazy world we live in and he knows what needs to be done to “make it right again.”
“Unfortunately because people in the Kali Yuga are mandah-all bad, and sumanda-matayah, misled by false conceptions of life, they are killing the cows in the thousands. Therefore, they are unfortunate in spiritual consciousness, and nature disturbs them in so many ways, especially through incurable diseases like cancer and through frequent war among the nations. As long as human society continues to allow cows to be killed in slaughterhouses, there cannot be any question of peace and prosperity.” Srimad Bhagavatam Purport 8.8.11
Protecting the cows and making them comfortable is part of our preaching mission. How wonderful is that! We can bring peace and prosperity to our community and to the whole world just by taking care of our cows at Mayapur Goshala.
It is indeed a basic religious principle of Varnasrama Dharma to care for Krsna’s cows. Again Srimad Bhagavatam and Srila Prabhupada’s purport
Although the cow is beneficial because one can draw religious principles from her, she was now rendered poor and calf less. Her legs were being beaten by a sudra. There were tears in her eyes, and she was distressed and weak. She was hankering after some grass in the field.
Purport: The next symptom of the age of kali is the distressed condition of the cow. For a sanathanist (follower of Vedic principles) it is the duty of every householder to have cows and bulls and other household paraphernalia, not only for drinking milk, but also for deriving religious principles. The calf is not only beautiful to look at, but she also gives satisfaction to the cow, and she delivers as much milk as possible. But in the Kali yuga, the calves are separated from the cow as early as possible. The cow stands with tears in her eyes, The sudra milkman draws milk from the cow artificially, and when there is no milk then the cow is sent to be slaughtered. These greatly sinful acts are responsible for all troubles in present society.
In this purport Srila Prabhupada again points us to our duty,
It is the duty of every householder to have cows and bulls and other household paraphernalia, not only for drinking milk, but also for deriving religious principles.
We are very fortunate in Mayapur, along with our “other household paraphernalia” …. Sometimes we have too much!….. We have Mayapur Goshala. We have cows and bulls, over 310 of them. Never too many cows and bulls. Each one cared for with affection brings auspiciousness to our whole community.
Mayapur Goshala is not a just a department of ISKCON Mayapur, it is our Community Goshala. These are our cows:
Nirmala, Sridama, Kausalya, Tundi, Visnu priya, Vidura, Radhe Syam, Sudama, Purnamasi, Gopal, Jagannath priya, Champakalata, Visakha, Jatila, Savitri, Kamadhenu, Visvapujita, Sarasvati, Vamsi priya, Gaura, Nrsnga, Narayani, Krishna, Gopali, Bhima, Kanai, Amrta keli, Patita pavana, Banumati, Kalindi, Jalangi, Natharaja, Varsana, Govardhana, Sita Thakurani, Gauri priya, Ganesh
And our new born calves: Mallika, Vamanadeva, Narayana, Dvaraka pati
Our small or big contribution to Mayapur Goshala makes us eligible to share in the “auspiciousness” of Cow Protection. One person can contribute 3,000 rupees a month, another more. Another devotee may be struggling and only able to contribute 100 to 300 rupees a month. I saw one little 3-year-old gopi a few months ago contributing her share by dragging bundles of grass bigger than herself to eager cows and bulls. The quantity of the giving does not matter. What matters is that together as a community we provide and care for Krsna’s cows
If cows keep healthy and happy, men and women shall also keep disease free and prosperous. May the cow eat green grass and pure water. May they not be killed and bring prosperity to us.