Krsna came to Bandhirvan. The Yamuna was flowing there. He sat under a banyan tree that was called Bandhirvat. All the cowherd boys kept Krsna in the center, making one, two, three circles—so many circles. Those who were far away from Krsna, those who were behind Krsna, those who were at the sides, here and there, they all felt that, ‘Krsna is sitting in front of me, joking with me and giving me something and taking something.’ All those who were sitting there were thinking like that.
Then the cows saw that very beautiful grass and more beautiful grass was ahead. Leaving Krsna behind, they began to go towards that grass. When they reached that place, they saw that more green was ahead of them. In this way they went on, far away from Krsna, leaving Him behind. At last they reached a place where there was no green grass, anything. There was only sand. And in that sand were so many tall, dry grasses. That is called munjavati. And they were all tired, it was summer. Those grasses were so high, that many elephants can go [inside] and would not be able to come out.
When the cows entered that forest of big, big grasses, they went in, but they were not finding any way to come out of that forest. They forgot their way. At that time it was a hot and dry summer day. The cows began to cry, they could not bear so much heat. They became so very thirsty, as if they will die. They wanted to come out of these dense grasses. But they found no way.
The cowherd boys were making so many jolly things, taking each other, playing something. One boy said, “Where are all our cows? They are our wealth. Where are they?”
They could not find them. They began to run here and there to search, but they did not seek any advice from Krsna. They had left Krsna behind. They went to search. They followed the cows by seeing the grass, that had come from their mouth. The cows took the grass. By this, understand?
Audience: Footprint.
By this sign, not footprint. The cows were eating grass and by this made a trail.
The cowherd boys entered and they also became like
the cows. So thirsty, and it was so heat, from upper side, from lower, everywhere. All the senses were burning. They began to cry.
In the mean time some demons of Kamsa saw that all cows and cowherd friends were together and Krsna and Baladeva were not here. They thought, “We should give fire and they will all die. And then Krsna and Baladeva, they themselves will die, without extra cause.”
Then they made fire in that forest. And in a moment, the friend of fire came in his chariot. Which means, the wind came and took the flames from here to there and everywhere was fire, fire. And it was dry grass. The fire began to go so high and in a moment all the friends and cows were surrounded by this dangerous fire. They saw that, “There is no way, now we are dead.”
So they shut their eyes and called, “Oh Krsna, oh Baladeva, you are so powerful. We have no way to survive in this big fire. We cannot. We are taking your shelter. We know that you are equal to Narayana, so you have so many powers. Save us please.”
At once Krsna came, “Don’t worry, don’t worry. Why were you not telling me before all these things? Why were you leaving me and also the cows leaving me? Don’t worry, close your eyes.”
They closed their eyes, all [of them]. And they saw that when they opened their eyes, that all the cows were under the shade of Bhandirvat. It was so smooth, so sweet, so cool there. And they were somewhat like sleeping. Very easy. And the boys are like that, they have come under the shade of that tree and Krsna is there.
“We are giving something to him.”
As before they were doing. No trace of anything, no suffering, nothing.
Here you should know that cows are like indriyas [senses]. Go, cow, means senses. This, this, this [Srila Gurudeva gesturing], stomach, all. Jnanendriya and karmendriya—five working senses and five knowledge acquiring senses. These are like cows. All the senses are like cows. What is the grass? What we require. Worldly requirements. Our house, wife, husband, children. To make them happy, to be happy. To take, acquire, something for this, to see very beautiful things. All attachments. These are like green, green grass.
We are thinking this grass is not good, this wife is not so good. We should try to be with a new, new, new wife. And the girls are thinking, “My friend is not okay. This person must be very generous and very kind to me and we will be very good friends.”
But then again they think, “This is a very dangerous person, dangerous girl.”
So many problems come. So all these worldly attachments are like the grass and the indriya are like cows. Keeping from Krsna’s service, all the cows or indriyas are not serving Krsna, but serving our requirements. Always busy collecting all these things. They are going forward, forward, forward. Not looking backwards, toward Krsna. The cows are leaving and after that the masters, wife or boy. Our souls are like that, leaving Krsna behind.
First the senses went and after that followed the master of the senses, that is the soul. That also left Krsna behind and began to go forward, forward, forward. To where? Into the sea of destruction. [Which is like a] very big fire, with no end. No way to save oneself. At that we may sometimes take poison or commit suicide. If we called at that time, surrendering in every way to the lotus feet of Krsna and Baladeva, certainly They would come. They will surely come, They must come. They will say, “Close your eyes.”
Why did Krsna say that to them? Krsna knew they were My friends, “Once upon a time I took some earth in My mouth and they complained to My mother. My mother came and chastised Me so much. If they will see that I am taking fire in My mouth, they will give up their lives and if they don’t give up their lives, then they will complain to Yashoda Maya. And then mother will come and give a good lesson to Me and they will be happy and clap.”
So He said, “You should not see [this]. You should close your eyes.”
They thought that Krsna knows some mantra, magic. Mantra or magic is not recited in front of anyone. Like this. Secretly. So He wanted to do something secretly. That’s why they thought that He wanted them to close their eyes. They closed their eyes and then Krsna said, “Look where we are,” and they opened their eyes. At once they saw, they were so happy there, so easy there. They were playing among each other and the cows were sitting there and chewing and being very happy there.
So, if we neglect Krsna, who is always with us here, like the cowherd boys and cows are always with Krsna—Krsna is always with us here, He does not leave us for a moment. But if we neglect and give Him up, then we will suffer.
We think, “We are the monarch of all, we can do everything. There is no god. Nothing. We will rely on our powers, and we will give up Krsna.”
But if you will be like Arjuna, surrendered solely to His feet, then He will take care of you and then you will be so happy. There is so much good grass, sweet grass with Krsna. What is that grass? We can engage our senses to taste Krsna’s beauty, Krsna’s remnants, Krsna’s pastimes, everything there. But all this is aprakrta, transcendental. Here it seems everything is so beautiful, so tasteful, but all of this is more than poison. We should believe these words of Srimad Bhagavatam. It has been told in Srimad Bhagavatam, this history. So we should try to read Srimad Bhagavatam or Caitanya Caritamrta. But try to take the essence of all these things and try to follow from this moment. Don’t try to do it starting tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow. No. What we want to do, that we should do tomorrow?
Audience: Today.
Srila Gurudeva: Not today, but immediately.
“I will serve my Gurudeva starting tomorrow. I will adopt all your teachings and I will try to follow. I’ll try to follow from tomorrow. Give me some time. In a week, in a month or in a year perhaps I will be strong enough to follow you.”
And if you are dead, what will be then? So from this moment.
“But how can I do this, because I served them for long time? Like ganja, bad association and everything. If I am not taking that, then I will become ill, upset. I cannot do anything. Too much headache. Pain here.”
No. Krsna will give His strength if we decide from this moment, at once I will do. It is not very hard to do any task to complete a temple, but is very hard to complete THIS temple here [Srila Gurudeva indicates the heart]. We should all try to make this temple very solid and strong. Lakhs and lakhs of temple will be there. We have to give up this temple and we have to go there. Then who will look after [the temple]?
We think that, “If I am doing this, it will make a very good facility for me, helping me. If you are completing [the temple], still no facility. “Oh, if I build this temple.”
You may build lakhs and lakhs of temples, but you are trying to put yourself, your mind, to be in control. If your mind is not in controlled, your senses are not controlled. No need of [so many temples]. They will not help. We see that in Australia, Bhavananda Prabhu made a Mayapur that is more than heaven. He spent more than lakhs of dollars. He brought elephants, he brought deers, he did so many things. It’s a beautiful temple. But where is he to serve that temple? Is he serving? Than what is the use of making so many temples? Why are you not trying to make THIS temple [of the heart]? I can help so much with this. But I am poor, I cannot give so many dollars [Srila Gurudeva smiles], but you can collect in my name if you want, no harm.
Audience member: No cheating. No cheating should be done in your name to collect money.
Srila Gurudeva:
Swamiji did not want that his name should be used to cheat. But all are cheating. What to do? What will we do? We will see it and sometimes laugh and weep. “I wanted to take them into Krsna consciousness, but they went towards sense consciousness.”
So we should try to do it. Don’t engage in so many worldly things. They [the Acaryas], have come for this. I think that in one year, two years, not more than five years, I am going to leave here. I will have to go. Anyhow, you have all together served me and you are serving so much that I am here. Otherwise I would have gone to the lotus feet of my Gurudeva and Swamiji, to where they are now serving Krsna. So, we should try to be very strong in Krsna consciousness, not by body, but by atma, soul. Always serving the divine couple. If you are doing this, then lakhs and lakhs of temples are right there.
We have seen [that], where is the temple and birthplace of Krsna in Mathura?
In Dvaraka he built so many royal palaces, nothing like this is ever to be found in the whole world. But where are they? Where is Ayodhya? Where is that Navadvipa? At that time it was scattered over so many miles and nine islands. Lakhs and lakhs. There were tutors. We cannot count the number of students. It has been told that in Dvaraka only the Sanskrit teachers were five kotis [million], more than that. So how many Yaduvamsa children and how many Yaduvamsa were there? Parijat flower was there, Sudharma Sobha was there, Krsna was there, all were there. But where are they now?
Don’t loose your most valuable time, collecting all these things. Try to develop Krsna consciousness. If we develop, so many temples will be there. If you want, within one year it will be there. But try also to do this. If we cannot give up our anger and lust, then how will we be pure? It will be then also like everything in that temple. If there are no bona fide devotees, it will be a place of making merry and all these things. Gaura Premanande!