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

GOVARDHAN REFLECTION

While doing parikrama around Govardhan Hill, I was reflecting back on all the times I have performed Govardhan parikrama in the last so many years. I reflected that each time I have performed it, it was always with different devotees at different phases in my life. My companions during the parikrama and my situation during the parikrama were all different. The only similar factor in all these parikramas was Govardhan Himself. Being an eternal form of the Lord, He is always the same. The more we realize Krishna and His various forms to be the only constant factor in this changing world, we can seek our refuge in the Lord and experience shelter and stability in a changing world.   Srila Prabhupada, one time was sharing with the devotees life lessons connected to his visits to Jagannath Puri. He explained that, he came to Jagannath Puri for the first time as a small child along with his father. He then came as a young college student. Then as a young married man. N
Post a Comment
Read more

THE PARALLEL OF LEAVING "THE WHATSAPP WORLD"

A few weeks ago, I exited from the WhatsApp platform after using it for years. Here are few parallels I drew between the experience of leaving "the WhatsApp world" and the experience one has of leaving this world. I WILL ALWAYS EXIST After leaving the WhatsApp world, I still exist similarly after leaving this world, one will still exist because as spirit soul, we are all eternal. Lord Krishna explains in Bhagvat-gita 2.12 na tv evāhaṁ jātu nāsaṁ na tvaṁ neme janādhipāḥ na caiva na bhaviṣyāmaḥ sarve vayam ataḥ param "Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be." "N" NUMBER OF WORLDS The WhatsApp world is not the all in all similarly, this life of ours is not the all in all. Exiting from WhatsApp is just texting from one platform. There are so many other platforms to operate from. There are "n" number of little worlds that exist pa
1 comment
Read more

MAKE IT A POINT TO MAKE THE POINT

A few days ago, as I was traveling on the ferry that takes us to our ISKCON Center at Chodan island, a relatively young man approached me and started to talk to me. My Vaishnava (devotee) attire probably attracted him to me. He was asking me if I was a preist in a temple. To which I said "Yes". I asked him where he stays and what he does. He told me that he stays in Panjim and runs a chicken shop in Porvorim. I asked him his name and as I guessed, he happened to be a Muslim. I could see marks of dried up blood stains in different places in his shirt. I at once told him to try to switch his profession to one which involves less violence. I suggested to him to start a vegetable or a grocery shop.  He seemed to be taken a little aback by what might have appeared to him to be a stange suggestion by a stranger. I told him that killing innocent animals is not right. They too have life and feelings like us. He was hearing me out. He then asked me, if one can eat chicken
Post a Comment
Read more