29. The realm of Gokula is full of all glories and opulences. As we will describe later in this book following the descriptions in Srimad Bhagavatam, it is the place where the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is an ocean of mercy, after leaving His ocean abode, entered. This is Lord Krsna's own abode and the abode of His cowherd people. This is the place where, by entering and then leaving the waters of delightful Brahma Lake, and by revealing His Vaikuntha opulences to Akrura, and by accepting the prayers of the Vedas Personified, Lord Krsna revealed the truth of His human like pastimes in Vrndavana.
He thus filled His associates with wonder. And even now the wise devotees take shelter and directly see the Supreme Lord's pastimes, and where, according to Hari-vamsa's description of Govindabhiseka (Krsna's coronation), King Indra came to understand that Krsna is the all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead. And the Lord's entourage is including the forest of Vrndavana and the surrounding area, some say this is situated in the spiritual sky, far above the coverings of the material world, and is where devotees take shelter of the spiritual ground where Lord Krsna enjoys many pastimes.
And this is where Lord Krsna manifested His spiritual form, a form described in Brahma-samhita and many other scriptures. In this abode Lord Krsna enjoys many manifest and unmanifest pastimes, described in these scriptures. This abode of Gokula is also described in Brahma-samhita, which affirms (5.56, 2, 4, and 5)
30-31. I worship that seat known as Svetadvipa, where as loving consorts the Laksmis in their unalloyed spiritual essence practice the amorous service of the Supreme Lord Krsna as their only lover, where every tree is a transcendental purpose tree, where the soil is full of spiritual gems, all water is nectar, every word is a song, every gait is a dance, and the flute is the favorite attendant of the residents.
This abode is full of self-effulgence and transcendental bliss, and the supreme spiritual entities are all enjoyable by the Lord, where numberless milk cows always emit transcendental oceans of milk, where there is eternal existence of transcendental time, who is ever present and without past or future and hence is not subject to the quality of passing away even for the space of half a moment. That realm is known as Goloka to only a very few self realized souls in this world.
32. "The super excellent station of Krsna, which is known as Gokula, has thousands of petals and a corolla like that of a lotus sprouted from a part of His infinite aspect, the whorl of the leaves being the actual abode of Krsna."
"The whorl of that eternal realm of Goloka is the hexagonal abode of Krsna. Its petals are the abodes of gopis who are part and parcel of Krsna to whom they are most lovingly devoted and are similar in essence. The petals shine so beautifully like so many walls. The extended leaves of that lotus are the garden-like dhama, i.e. the spiritual abode of Sri Radhika, the most beloved of Krsna."
33 -36. "There is a mysterious quadrangular place named Svetadvipa surrounding the outskirts of Gokula. Svetadvipa is divided into four parts on all sides. The abodes of Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, and Aniruddha are separately located in each of these four parts. These four divided abodes are enveloped by the four fold human requirements such as piety, wealth, passion, and liberation, as also by the four Vedas, viz. Rg, Sama, Yajur, and Atharva, which deal with the mantra and which are the basis of achievements of the fourfold mundane requirements.
Ten tridents are fixed in the ten directions, including the zenith and nadir. The eight directions are decorated with the eight jewels of Mahapadma, Padma, Sankha, Makara, Kacchapa, Mukunda, Kunda, and Nila. There are ten protectors (dik — palas) of the ten directions in the form of mantra. The associates of the hues of blue, yellow, red, and white, and the extraordinary potencies bearing the names of Vimala etc., shine on all sides."
37. "I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor, who is tending the cows, yielding all desire, in abodes built in spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds of thousands of laksmis or gopis."
38. In the Vamana Purana it is said: "Studded with jewels and glorious with colorful mineral pigments, Govardhana Hill is glorious in Gokula. Its banks studded with jewels, the Yamuna, the best of rivers flows in Gokula."
39. The evidence of the scripture will be the resting place of this poem. That evidence will be like a board where I paint the picture that is this poem.
40. Because it is the home of the cows and cowherd people, Lord Krsna's abode is called by the name "Goloka" (the world of the cows), and because it is untouched by matter and therefore is supremely pure, it is also called by the name "Svetadvipa" (the white island). Some few wise souls in this world know that this is the supreme realm, the highest realm.
Therefore the transcendental Goloka and the transcendental Svetadvipa both mentioned in the Brahma-samhita verse quoted here in text 3 are the same place.
41. That is the proper, logical conclusion. The word "sriyah" means the blissful and independent gopis. In the other Vaikuntha realms there is only one Goddess Sri (Laksmi), but in Goloka there are many sriyahs. Therefore Goloka's glory is without limit. These many sris are the gopis, who are described in the great mantra "gopijana-vallabhaya svaha." Brahma-samhita verse quoted here in text 3 is in the nominative plural and refers to these associates.
42. Here we accept not only the customary meaning of the word "Sri" but Sukadeva Gosvami uses the general meaning of the word "Sri", which there means "Goddess Laksmi." In Brahma-samhita 5.29 (quoted here in text 37) Lord Brahma uses the word "Sri" in its special sense. There the word means "the gopis". The words "Sri" and "gopi" are like the words "kuru" and "pandava".
In one sense they are not different, but in another sense there is a distinction. The most exalted Sri is Goddess Radha rani. This is described in the Padma, Skanda, Varaha, Matsya, and other Puranas, and also in the Govinda-Vrndavana Tantra. What more need be said? It is said: this also has a special meaning, namely "gopi".
43. Of all women, the Laksmis are the best. Among the Laksmis, the gopis are the best. Among the gopis, Radha rani is the best. What girl is more beautiful and playful like Srimate Radha rani?
44. All the gopis share the same lover. His name is Govinda (Krsna), and He is the glory of Gokula. One by one, he enjoys pastimes with each of the beautiful gopis. He is the best of all lovers of beautiful girls.
45. Bewildered by Yogamaya, the gopis believe they are other's wives and are thus bewildered. The use here of the word "sri" (goddess of fortune) and "parama purusa" (the Supreme Personality of Godhead) prove that their idea is untrue. Quoting many passages from scripture, this I will explain later in this book. Krsna is their paramour.
46. The same truth applies also to Lord Balarama.
47. As explained in Brahma-samhita 5.56 (quoted here in text 3), because they have the power to fulfill all desires, all trees in Goloka are kalpa-vrksa trees (purpose trees). Not only are those trees glorious, but they are very extraordinary and rare. In their very nature kalpa-vrksa trees have very extraordinary qualities.
48. Furthermore, the land in Goloka is splendid to touch and splendid to see, splendid like a great mirror. It is a great monsoon of splendour. It is filled with cintamani jewels.
49. It is more beautiful and more glorious than any place in the fourteen worlds. Its palaces and buildings are all made of cintamini jewels. The great beauty of its trees and plants and flowers always takes birth in the devotee's heart.
50. It is said: That the sights and sounds of the different kinds of beautiful hills, birds, and beasts there fill the people of Goloka with wonder.
51. In Goloka all water is like nectar. What is the nectar of this world in comparison to that nectar? In Goloka all words are song, are like nectar poured into the ears. What are the songs of this world in comparison to those songs? In Goloka all walking is the most graceful dance. Those dances are very glorious and charming.
52. In Goloka Lord Krsna's flute sings very sweetly and playfully. That flute is Krsna's dear friend. No one is fortunate like that flute.
53. Goloka is full of transcendental bliss. By the power of the Lord's of the material world, are manifested in Goloka. By the Lord's potency are manifest there a sun, moon, and stars, and other things very beautiful and charming. Still, Goloka is not at all like the material world. In Goloka are none of the inevitable transformations that make the material worlds so temporal and horrible, instead there are unparalleled transcendental potencies and His infinite pastimes.
54. In the course of its description of the five tattvas, in the Haya sirsa pancaratra the things in Vaikuntha are described in these words: "In the spiritual world the flowers and everything else are fragrant and very pleasing to the senses. Everything there is full of nectar."
55. "There unpleasant things do not exist. Everything there is nectar. The fruits there have no skin, seed, hardness, or anything unpleasant. Please know that nothing there is made of matter."
56. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.14.37) it is said: "My dear Lord, Your Vrndavan pastimes are simply to enthuse Your devotees. If someone takes Your Vrndavana pastimes to be material, he will be misled." In these words the demigod Brahma says, "0 Lord, Your surrendered devotees participate in Your pastimes, eternal, spiritual pastimes that are like an imitation of the activities of the material world. I cannot participate in these eternal pastimes as they can."
57. In these words of the demigod Brahma the first sentence describes participating in the Lord's pastimes and the second sentence also describes participating in Lord's pastimes.
58. The first sentence refers to the transcendental potency that manifests pastimes according to the Lord's will. The second sentence also refers to the Lord's potency, the same potency that manifests all the Lord's pastimes.
59. When Lord Krsna plays the flute, the surabhi cows become completely enchanted. The cows then make many great rivers of fragrant milk flow from the great mountains of their udders, rivers that join to become an ocean, an ocean of milk like a great moat surrounding Goloka on all sides. These cows are kamadhenu cows, cows that fulfil all desires, for from them flows an ocean of milk.
60. The wise devotees know that many different rivers of many different kinds of nectar flow in Goloka.
61. Furthermore, Lord Krsna's parents, brother, friends, and other associates of different ages, some in kaisora (childhood), some in nava-yauvana (new youth), some in yauvana (youth), some in ardha-vardhakya (middle age), and some in other ages. They keep these ages eternally. They do not grow older.
62. In the middle of the face of Goloka is a jewel lotus of many thousands of petals. Lord Krsna affirms the world of Gokula is His very self. He says; "I am Vraja, the home of the cowherd people and their cows."
63. Here the ordinary meaning of the word "Gokula" (a multitude of cows) should be rejected. It is said: "A definition accepted by tradition and custom takes precedence over a definition based on mere etymology." The word "jalaja" may be taken as an example. The etymological definition is "anything born in water." However in tradition and custom this word is used to mean "lotus flower." In the same way "gokula" here refers not to a multitude of cows, but to a specific place.
64. Srila Sukadeva Gosvami uses the word "gokula" in this way when he says (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.10.39): "Sri Krsna is the master of Gokula." In this passage the "gokulesvara" is an example of the pratyaya varac. Another example of this usage is seen in these words from the Vedas: "Gokula is a forest in Vaikuntha."
65. In this way is gloriously manifest the abode of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who enjoys pastimes as Nanda's son. That abode is made of jewels and filled with glorious variety. Its limitless variety is manifested from Lord Ananta Sesa. It is said:
66. In the filament of the lotus flower of Goloka are the abodes where the kind gopas, gopas who think Krsna is their only treasure, reside.
67. In this verse the word "daya" means "treasure", and "dayadayah" means "they who think Krsna is their only treasure."
68. The word "dayadayah" is a bahuvrihi-samasa. As the word "bahuvrihi" means "a person who has a great store of rice," so the word "dayadayah" means "a person who has a great store of love for Lord Krsna." Such a person takes shelter of Lord Krsna.
69. The word "dayadayah" may also be interpreted to mean kinsmen. That many of the cowherd people were Krsna's kinsmen is explained by Sri Sukadeva Gosvami in these words (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.36.15): "Krsna was already the life and soul of the inhabitants of Vrndavana, and after killing this demon in the shape of a bull, He became the cynosure of all eyes. With Balarama He triumphantly entered Vrndavana village, and the inhabitants glorified Him and Balarama with great jubilation. When a person performs some wonderful feat, his kinsmen and relatives and friends naturally become jubilant."
70. The petals of the Goloka lotus are many forests where the gopis, who are all expansions of the goddess of fortune, enjoy pastimes. As it is said in Brahma-samhita (5.29): "In those abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded by millions of purpose trees, Lord Krsna enjoys pastimes."
71. Lord Krsna made Radha the queen of Goloka. That is described in the Puranas. There it is also said that Krsna has fallen under the spell of Radha's transcendental qualities. This I know.
72. The words "Sri" and "parama-purusa" in Brahma-samhita refer to Lord Krsna and the gopis. If they did not, then why would these verses describe the lotus-petal world of Vraja?
73. From the center of the lotus flower of Gokula came many raised and slightly jeweled petals connected by various paths. In the midst of these petals many cowherd towns and villages are gloriously manifested. In this way Gokula is known.
74. Seeing that the time has come to milk the cows, Krsna and the gopas bring the cows to the barns made of jewels, barns surrounded by lotus flowers and kalpa-vrksa trees.
75. Surrounding the lotus flower of Gokula is a quadrangular place. This splendid islands outside that place are called by the names Svetadvipa and Goloka. Beyond those islands is a great ocean. Beyond that ocean are lands that are a great variety of wonderful planets where suffering does not exist. On the petals of the Gokula lotus are many forests known by the name "Keli-Vrndavana" (Pastime Vrndavana). This is described in the following words from the Pancaratras: "In the great world of Vrndavan are many pastimes of Vrndavan forests." entire place is called by the name Vrndavana. The places that are like great
76. Streams of nectar flow everywhere from that lotus flower of Gokula. In the south and west are bumblebee mountains that sip the stream of nectar. The king of the mountains is jewel-summit delightful Mount Govardhana.
77. With many charming jewel boulders, the mountain named Govardhana offers a sitting place for Lord Krsna. With the cooing of many birds Govardhana offers Lord Krsna a welcome. With its swiftly flowing streams filled with lotus flowers, durva grass, and syamaka seeds, Govardhana offers padya. With limitless new shoots of darbha grass growing deer-hoofprint puddles, Govardhana offers arghya. With ponds where jati, lavanga and kakkola grow on the shores Govardhana offers acamaniya. With fresh, fresh, yoghurt, ghee, and honey Govardhana offers madhuparka. With water from a clear spring at its summit Govardhana offers bathing water. With golden tree bark, fine like silk, Govardhana offers garments.
With fragrant powders, sandal paste, and red and white minerals Govardhana offers fragrant ointment. With blooms of malati vines and other vines Govardhana offers pleasing flowers. With the dust raised by the surabhi cows hooves Govardhana offers incense. With the glistening of its many jewels Govardhana offers a glittering lamp even in the daytime. With charming gunja, peacock feathers, clusters of flowers, and many other pleasing objects, Govardhana offers ornaments.
With pleasing fruits and roots Govardhana offers delicious meals. With cool flower-scented water mixed with fragrant and pure tulasi leaves Govardhana offers water to rinse the mouth. With campaka flowers and other glorious blooming flowers moving in the gentle breeze Govardhana offers arati. With budding nakula flowers and other trees Govardhana offers a graceful parasol. With blooming branches moving in the breezes from the Malaya Hills, Govardhana offers the service of fanning Lord Krsna.
With the dancing of the cooing peacocks Govardhana offers a festival of dancing. When, attracted by Krsna's flute music carried by the breeze, a gopi comes, Govardhana prepares a soft couch of flowers. With the cuckoos cooing Govardhana makes sweet singing. Gazing at Lord Krsna and performing these services to please Him, Govardhana Hill confirms his reputation as the best of the Lord's servants.
78. Near Govardhana Hill is his companion, delightful Manasa-ganga, who melts with love for Lord Krsna. Manasa-ganga s name is explained in this verse:
79: With a slight touch from the feet of Lord Vamana, who is an amsa incarnation of Lord Krsna, the Ganga river, which washes away all sins, came to this world and was carried on Lord Siva's head. What then can be said of the peerless Ganga brought to this world by Lord Krsna Himself, Lord Krsna who always stays with the people of Vraja, people more exalted and glorious than Brahma, Siva, and Laksmi?
80. The Yamuna, which is also called by the name "Kalindi" (daughter of Mount Kalinda), enjoys pastimes in the northern and eastern terrace of the blissful land of Vraja. It is described in these words: When Krsna does not play His flute, the Yamuna flows with waters like melted sapphires. When Krsna does play His flute, the Yamuna, stunned in ecstasy, becomes like the land paved with sapphires. In these ways, as either water or land the Yamuna serves Lord Krsna.
81. The lotus flowers that grow in her waters are the eyes with which she gazes at Lord Krsna. Her whirlpools are the ears with which hears about Krsna. Her fish are the nose with which she smells the fragrance of Lord Krsna. Her waves are the arms with which she embraces Lord Krsna. Her swans and cranes are the mouth with which she glorifies Lord Krsna. Her waters are the servant with which she glorifies Lord Krsna. What kind of goddess is Yamuna-devi, that she serves Lord Krsna in these ways?
82. The sages make this guess about the Yamuna's waters: Staying always in the forests of Vraja, the Yamuna nourishes all the lakes. Look. With her waters the Yamuna fills all the lakes.
83. It is also said: In some places by the Yamuna's shores lotuses and water lilies grow by the water's edge, in other places are forests filled with many glorious flowers, in other places are the sweet sounds of peacocks, cuckoos, or bumblebees, and in other places are beautiful marks of rasa dances. All these places always delight the eyes, ears and nose.
84. It is also said: Its great branches extending from one side to the other, a banyan tree is like a bridge across the Yamuna. Playing on that bridge, again and again the cowherd boys cross from one side to the other.
85. It is also said: In one place it had a hollow like a palace. In another place it had a delightful branch like a couch. In another place was a vine-covered branch like a swing. What pastime-place did that banyan tree not provide for Lord Krsna7 86. North of that banyan tree is Rama-ghatta, where Krsna enjoys pastimes with Balarama.
87. In the sky above Goloka the most exalted demigods, the demigods worshiped by the rulers of the planets, fly in their airplanes. There the caturvyuha expansions headed by Lord Vasudeva stand guard with Their armies. Of what use are petty human goals in Goloka?
88. The place named Goloka is supremely glorious. How can anyone say it with glory. To the followers of religion it is wonderful religious deeds personified. To they who meditate on the Supreme it is the bliss of seeing the Supreme directly. To the devotees of the Lord it is ecstatic love for Him. Thus, according to the different conceptions, they all see Goloka in different ways, is it ordinary? To the demi-gods it is an ocean of nectar.
89. It is also said: "What glory is this? What wonders are these? What kind of dancing is this? What world is this? What kind of love is this, love standing before us like a person, love glorified by Sukadeva Gosvami?" The demi-gods ruling the planets question and guess in these ways. Day after day they feel bewilderment in awe about Lord Krsna's abode.
90. Lord Krsna's world of Goloka is beyond the material intelligence's power of understanding. Even so, that spiritual world forcibly enters the intelligence: I do not hanker after material sense objects, objects that sometime bring pleasure and sometimes bring no pleasure. I speak the truth. Krsna, Krsna's eternal world, and the souls who love Krsna have placed in me the hankering to see Them.
91. When they hear of Goloka's wonderful glories, the people in numberless millions of material universes and even in the Vaikuntha worlds yearn to go there. What to speak of them, even Goddess Laksmi yearns to go to Goloka. Accompanied by His friends and kinsmen, Lord Krsna eternally enjoys glorious pastimes in Goloka. Again and again plunged in Goloka's sweetness, my heart yearns to go there.
92. Ah! What am I doing? I have rashly begun a description of Goloka. I do not see how I will have the power to complete my description.
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