Govardhan hill leela

Shyamsundar Prabhuji - 11/15

Yesterday was the most important day of this month - Govardhan puja. Govardhan leela today -

damodar leela was on deepavali and then govardhan puja is the age old tradition started by his lord Krishna itself. It is explained in our shastras that Govardhan was born by the combined ecstacy of Krishna and Radha. Radha was praying to Krsna and she was sharing her desires to Krsna that I want a place where I can share my pasttimes with you and Krsna with his deep love and meditation came out as Govardan hill. When it was time for Krsna to come to this world he doesn't come alone he asked Radharani to come along but radha said I want 2 personalities to come wih me - yamuna and Govardhan hill. Krsna said, I already have giri raj and yamuna in the material world. Many many stories are there but tonight this one we shall discuss.

Giriraj govardhan is a key devotee in the past times of Radha and Krsna. He is known as Haridas hariya - the greaest devotee of Krsna. Because he employed every existence in the service of Krsna. Fresh green high quality grass - cows of Krsna, grass was so soft that when Krsna, the gopis, gopas walked they had a comfy feeling like they are walking on carpet.He had many many trees and earlier he was much bigger, taller than today and many trees which would give shade, fruits, flowers to Krsna and all his associates so they can take rest. He has many kundas (streams of water) - so cows and calves could quench their thirst, Krsna and all the gopas played and drank the water. Had many caves - in summer they would be cold and in winter they would be hot for Krsna and the devotees. Because of this mood of service he is know as the haridas wariyar.

Same way in Hanumanji when he went to vindyachal mountain, it withdrew those herbs so hanunam couldn't taqke it back to Ramji. Same way we are trying to protect everything like - money, house, car etc and not engage that in the service of Krsna. By nature we want to give pleasure to our senses and not employ that in the service of Krns. Just like Vindyachal parvat. Instead we should be like Giri govardhan so we can give everything in the service to the Lord. Everything that belongs to me, nothing belongs to me and I want to offer everything to you lord, everything for your service, don't want to hold back anything. Hence become like Giri govardhan and Krsna wanted to show to the world how great Govardhan parvat was and the gopis and the Lord had unlimited pasttimes there. Example - Srila Prabhupada was such a great devotee that Krsna made all the arrangements to glorify him. That is Krsna's favorite pasttime - do everything to glorify his devotees - like giri govardhan. Hence, in one shot he can do many things.

Just when I want to glorify Giri Govardhan same way I can curb the pride of Lord Indra. One day all the brajavasis were preparing for puja of Indra. Krsna went to Nanda maharaj and he asked what is this. Nanda maharaj said this is an age old tradition of us serving to the demigods so demigods can take care of us. But then Krsna says according to Karma philosphoy if you work then you can get everything. If you follow your karma properly then you will get everything. But actually, it is Govardhan who is taking care of everything. Ex - govardhan is allowing our cows to graze, so many water sheds etc - so it is Govardhan who is doing everything. He was so mesmerized by Krsna's talk that he couldn't say no to his sweet talk. Actually the brajavasis are always in the mood of pleasing Krsna. That is how a pure devotee should be - do everything and anything to please Krsna - in pure devotional service to Krsna. One must be brave enough that anything you do is favorable in the service to Krsna and always give up anything not favorable to Krsna. So nandamaharaj immediately just stopped his age old tradition to just please Krsna. He stopped Indra puja and then just to do Govardhan puja.

So how should we do this puja. Go home and prepare savories, kachoris, dhoklas rice and unlimited bhoga and we shall offer all these unlimited bhogas to Krsna. So after they offered all these they asked what shall we do now? Krsna then personally took the form of Govardhan and ate all of the bhoga and said I want more I want more - so then they made more and said I want more - Then they gave him tulsi - as krsna assumed the form of govardhan hill - he was non different from him and gave back everything to the brajavasis for remanants of prasad and then he said you should do govardhan parikrama so following in the footsteps of this leela so many devotees go to Govardhan and do parikrama and think about the leelas of Radha rani, krsna, gopis, and the govardhan leela. So we all can meditate on the glories of Govardhan hill.

The diety of Sri Nathji was made by gopal and when aurengzeb came he was hideen and then Mahavendrapuri found then and they went to Dvarika and there its being worshiped.

Govardhanji was born as meru parvat in himalyas and then pulatsya muni was passing by and because Govardhanji had this immense attitude of serving Krsna and Radha. So Pulatsya muni asked his father that I want to take your son because he looks so good. But one condition, you can't put me down and if you do you can't carry me. So when he was flying through Vrindavan he became very heavy and then he put him down and then couldn't take him after that. Pulatsya muni was angry and gave him curse that by passing time your size will keep decreasing by the mustard seed and hence he isn;t as big as he was.

Hare Krsna.