Skip to main content

VRINDAVAN YATRA AFTERTHOUGHTS

Sharing a few afterthoughts of the recently concluded Vrindavan Yatra. Feeling extremely grateful for all the places of the pastimes of the Lord that I got to see this time in Vrindavan. There were a lot more places to be seen but Vrindavan is unlimited like the Lord so, the places of Lord's pastimes are also unlimited. Therefore to expect to see all the holy places in a few days is unrealistic. But, one can try to relish the few places one gets to see and genuinely feel grateful that at least one got the opportunity to have darshan of these supremely holy places. What is our qualification to be given entry into these intimate places of Lord's pastimes? Our only qualification is that we have received the association of sincere devotees of the Lord who have prayed for us and are praying for us.
 

I was blessed to come to this Yatra with a group of wonderful and simple hearted devotees from Goa. I have learnt so much from them. Apparently, I came to speak on the spirit and mood of Vrindavan to them but I am going back learning the spirit and mood of Vrindavan from them. I am realising how much Bhakti these relatively new devotees have for the Lord. I am going back feeling smaller in Bhakti than when I came to Vrindavan. Vrindavan after all, is a land that humbles one because Krishna knows that only in a humble state of mind can one truly relish Bhakti to Him. Uddhava, the most intimate cousin and devotee of Krishna came to Vrindavan to teach Bhakti to the Vrajvasis but went back realising that he didn't have any Bhakti. This is the land where everyone is humbled. Whether it was Uddhava or Brahma or Lakshmi or Indra or for that matter Kaliya, everyone who comes in Vrindavan goes back feeling grateful to be humbled by the dust of this holy land and the dust of the feet of the devotees. 

My prayer is that I can take the lessons and the inspiration I was blessed with, during this Yatra to Vrindavan - this supremely merciful and holy abode, store it deep in heart and try to become more sincere in the practice of my Bhakti so that the next time I am blessed with the chance to come to this holyabode I can come in a better state of heart to absorb more deeper aspects of this Chintamani Dham in my life. I am physically leaving Vrindavan but I pray that my heart never leaves Vrindavan and in separation from this abode, my love towards it keeps increasing manifold. May the sights, sounds and experiences I have had in Vrindavan be everfresh in my heart. This abode has the power to touch the innermost core of one's heart and bring about sustainable transformation. Eternally grateful to Srimati Radharani, the Mistress of Vrindavan to give me a tiny glimpse of Her abode. 

Sri Vrindavan Dham ki jai!
Srimati Radharani ki jai!

- Achyut Gopal Das

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

GIVING UP PETTINESS to EXPERIENCE PRETTINESS

"The process of Krishna consciousness will empower us when we empower it." The other day as I was taking a bath, the plastic bucket I was using, slipped and cracked. A piece from the rim of the bucket broke off and cut my finger. As I was waiting for the bucket to refill with water, I noticed that even after a long time the bucket wasn't filling up. It's at that time, I noticed a "not so apparent" crack at the bottom of the bucket which was causing all the water to leak out. I drew a lesson from this incident which is applicable to my spiritual life. SEALING THE LEAKS The process of spiritual life or Krishna consciousness which includes the nine fold limbs beginning with Shravanam (hearing) and Kirtanam (chanting) is like filling the container - the vessel of our hearts. For the vessel of our hearts to fill up, it should be leak free. If the container is faulty and contains many holes, the best of content, in the best of quantity will not help it fill. Ana...
Post a Comment
Read more

THE MOTHERLY TOUCH (Dedicated to all mothers)

" It may be possible to gild pure gold but who can make his mother more beautiful " - Mahatma Gandhi We all exist because of our mothers. We owe our entire existence to them. But the scriptures explain that we have not one but a couple of them. Being connected to them is the way we can fill our life with love, nourishment and a sense of security.  MOTHER OF BIRTH A few days ago, while I was traveling in the train from Mathura to Delhi, I saw a young mother with her little baby. I could witness the natural love a mother has for her child. Whenever another train would cross our train, she would jump to close the ears of the sleeping baby, so that he is not disturbed in his sleep. When Sun started to shine on the child's face, she at once closed the shutter of the window. I started to think of all the inconveniences my mother must have taken for me - the sleepless nights she must have spent in taking care of me as a child, the commitment and consistency to cook f...
Post a Comment
Read more

THE POWER OF QUESTIONS

The quality of answers in our life depends on quality of questions we ask. Special prerogative of the human mind is that it can think and ask questions. Given a problem, we have the ability to find solutions. The ability for making inquiries is in-built in us. That's why one of the most important medium of knowledge comes through questions and answers. It's not astonishing then to understand why both the most important Vedic scriptures - the Bhagvat-Gita and the Srimad-Bhagvatam are in a question-answer format. But not everyone is interested to ask questions and find solutions to problems that they face. Most people prefer to embrace a life of unthinking - "of playing dead", they prefer to run away from problems rather than find solutions to them. Why? For the simple fact that the answers - the truth may not always be palatable and the more difficult part is that, it may be demanding of us. We may have to leave our comfort zone and tread an unknown path. The e...
Post a Comment
Read more