suddhabhakti: 08/17/21

Tuesday, 17 August 2021

LALITA AND KRSNA IN A SWING FESTIVAL

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Narada Muni, being a great devotee of the Lord, was visiting Srimati Rādhārāṇi regularly. Krsna noticed these frequent visits and warned Radhārāṇi that She should be careful about associating too closely with Narada Muni, as he was expert at instigating disputes between people. Krsna's apprehension was that Narada might also create some misunderstanding between Srimati Rādhārāṇī and Himself, and thus create quarrel.

But Radhārāṇi did not take Krsna's words seriously. She was thinking that Her love for Krsna was so strong that no one could create any kind of dispute between Her and Krsna. Krsna said, "Obviously You do not care for My warning, but one day You will see the result of Your association with Narada Muni!"

Once, Narada Muni visited Vraja-bhumi, playing on his viņa. Pleased with Narada's beautiful music, Krsna wanted to give him a boon. Narada Muni said, "Now I do not have any wish to be fulfilled. Please keep Your offer for the future. Whenever I am in need of Your favor, I will ask You for it."

One day all the sakhis arranged a swing festival for Radha and Krsna near Lalita-kunda. A swing was prepared and decorated gorgeously, and all the sakhis, along with Krsna, were ready. Srimati Rādhārāṇī, however, had not yet arrived. Everyone was waiting for Her: without Her, the festival could not begin.

At this time Narada Muni happened to reach there. The Muni asked, "What arrange ments are these? What is the occasion?"

The sakhis replied, "We have prepared a swing festival for Radha and Krsna. Every thing is ready, but Rädhärāṇi has not come. We are all awaiting Her arrival."

Then Narada Muni went to Sri Krsna and told Him, "My dear Lord! Do You remember one day You granted me a wish and I told You that I will ask for it when I need it! TodayI have a special desire. If You will kindly oblige me I will be very grateful."

Krsna said, "Of course, Naradji! I remember My promise, and so today I will grant you your wish. Please tell Me: what is your desire?"

Närada Muni said, "I long to see the pastime of You and Lalită swinging together." Krsna said, "Oh, but that is easily arranged. Sri Radha is delayed; in the meantime Lalita and I can swing together.

" Lalită, however, did not wish to swing with Krsna: she wanted only to see her beloved. sakhi Sri Rädhä swinging with Krsna.

Krsna, seeing Lalita's hesitation, pulled her hand and by force made her sit next to Him on the swing, and the sakhis swung them both. Narada Muni and the gopis were happy to observe Lalită and Krsna swinging together.

Narada Muni suddenly left that place and went to the home of Srimati Rādharani. Free to wander anywhere he pleases, he went straight to Radha's room, where She was dressing in preparation for the swing festival. Narada said to Rädhäräni, "What are You doing here?" Radharani replied, "I am preparing for the swing festival with Sri Krsna. My sakhis have arranged it near Lalitä-kunda."

Narada said, "You are preparing for the swing festival? Don't You know what is hap pening there? Krsna is already engaged in a swing festival with Lalită."

Rädhärăni could not believe that Lalità would enjoy a swing festival with Krsna. But Narada said, "So, then, You go and see for Yourself what is happening there."

Rädhärāni immediately went to Lalita-kunda and from a distance She saw Lalita and

Krsna swinging together. Rädhäräņi became very angry and ran away from the kunda.

Meanwhile, Krsna and all the sakhis were waiting for Rädhārāṇī, but still She did not arrive. Krsna understood that there must be some problem that had caused Her delay. He thought to ask Närada Muni, but, looking around the kunda, He noticed that Närada had disappeared. Then Krsna knew that Närada must have done something, and so He went in search of Radharani Himself.

After some time, He found Sri Radhã sitting in a kuñja in angry mood, crying. He went to Her and tried to pacify Her, but She would not hear anything He had to say. Krsna said, "Rādhārāṇi! What are You doing here? We have been waiting for You for so long. All the sakhis are awaiting Your arrival. Why are You sitting alone here crying?"

Radhārāṇī, being very angry, said, "Why do You need Me? You are swinging with Lal ită. Be happy swinging with her! You do not need Me there."

Krsna asked Rādha, "How do You know that I am swinging with Lalitä?"

Radhārāṇi said, "I heard it from Närada Muni."

Then Krsna realized that Närada Muni had created this situation. He told Radhārāṇī, "Just see how Närada has fooled You! I had granted Närada one wish. Today he came and requested Me to fulfill his desire of seeing Lalita and I swing together. Since Your arrival was delayed, to make Närada happy Lalita and I swung together. Lalità did not want to swing with Me at all, but I forced her, just to make Närada happy. But after putting us on the swing, he has come here and informed You of this, causing You to become upset. I had warned You before to be careful with Narada and not associate with him too closely. He is very expert in making people quarrel with each other."

Krsna warned Rādhārāṇī not to trust Närada in future. Rādhārāṇī smiled to hear this explanation from Kṛṣṇa, and together They went to Lalitā-kuṇḍa to swing.

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Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

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Hare Krishna 🙏

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Pavitropana Ekadashi

Shri Yudhisthira Maharaja said, "Oh Madhusudana, Oh killer of the Madhu demon, please be merciful to me and describe to me the Ekadasi that occurs during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana (July-August)."

The Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, replied, "Yes, Oh king, I shall happily narrate its glories to you, for just by hearing about this sacred Ekadasi one attains the merit of performing a horse sacrifice.

"At the dawn of Dvarpara-yuga there lived a king by the name of Mahijita, who ruled the kingdom of Mahismati-puri. Because he had no son, his entire kingdom seemed utterly cheerless to him. A married man who has no son gains no happiness in this life or the next.

The Sanskrit word for 'son' is putra. Pu is the name of a particular hell, and tra means 'to deliver.' Thus the word putra means 'a person who delivers one from the hell named Pu.' Therefore every married man should produce at least one son and train him properly; then the father will be delivered from a hellish condition of life. But this injunction does not apply to the serious devotees of Lord Vishnu or Krishna, for the Lord becomes their son, father, and mother.

Furthermore, Chanakya Pandita says,

satyam mata pita jnanam
dharmo bhrata daya sakha
santih patni ksama putrah
sadete mama vandhavah

"Truth is my mother, knowledge is my father, my occupational duty is my brother, kindness is my friend, tranquility is my wife, and forgiveness is my son.

These six are my family members."

Among the twenty-six leading qualities of a devotee of the Lord, forgiveness is the topmost.

Therefore devotees should make an extra endeavor to develop this quality.

Here Chanakya says "forgiveness is my son," and thus a devotee of the Lord, even though he may be on the path of renunciation, may observe this Ekadasi and pray to attain this kind of "son."

For a long time this king tried very hard to obtain an heir, but to no avail. Seeing his years advancing ever onwards, King Mahijita became increasingly anxious.

One day he told an assembly of his advisers: 'I have committed no sin in this life, and there is no ill-gotten wealth in my treasury.

I have never usurped the offerings to the demigods or brahmanas.

When I waged war and conquered kingdoms, I followed the rules and regulations of the military art, and I have protected my subjects as if they were my own children.

I punished even my own relatives if they broke the law, and if my enemy was gentle and religious I welcomed him.

Oh twice-born souls, although I am a religious and faithful follower of the Vedic standards, still my home is without a son. Kindly tell me the reason for this.'

"Hearing this, the king's brahmana advisers discussed the subject among themselves, and with the aim of benefiting the king they visited the various ashrams of the great sages.

At last they came upon a sage who was austere, pure, and self-satisfied, and who was strictly observing a vow of fasting.

His senses were completely under control, he had conquered his anger, and he was expert at performing his occupational duty.

Indeed, this great sage was expert in all the conclusions of the Vedas, and he had extended his life span to that of Lord Brahma himself.

His name was Lomasa Rishi, and he knew part, present, and future. After each kalpa passed, one hair would fall out of his body (One kalpa, or twelve hours of Lord Brahma, equals 4,320,000,000 years). All the king's brahmana advisers very happily approached him one by one to offer their humble respects.

"Captivated by this great soul, King Mahijita's advisers offered obeisances to him and said very respectfully, 'Only because of our great good fortune, Oh sage, have we been allowed to see you.'

"Lomasa Rishi saw them bowing down to him and replied, 'Kindly let me know why you have come here. Why are you praising me?

I must do all I can to solve your problems, for sages like me have only one interest: to help others. Do not doubt this.'

Lomasa Rishi had all good qualities because he was a devotee of the Lord.

As stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (5:18:12),

yasyāsti bhaktir bhagavaty akiñcanā

sarvair guṇais tatra samāsate surāḥ
harāv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guṇā
manorathenāsati dhāvato bahiḥ

"All the demigods and their exalted qualities, such as religion, knowledge and renunciation, become manifest in the body of one who has developed unalloyed devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. On the other hand, a person devoid of devotional service and engaged in material activities has no good qualities. Even if he is adept at the practice of mystic yoga or the honest endeavor of maintaining his family and relatives, he must be driven by his own mental speculations and must engage in the service of the Lord’s external energy. How can there be any good qualities in such a man?"

"The king's representatives said, 'We have come to you, Oh exalted sage, to ask for your help in solving a very serious problem.

Oh sage, you are like Lord Brahma. Indeed, there is no better sage in the entire world.

Our king, Mahijita, is without a son, though he has sustained and protected us as if we were his sons.

Seeing him so unhappy on account of being sonless, we have become very sad, Oh sage, and therefore we have entered the forest to perform severe austerities. By our good fortune we happened upon you.

Everyone's desires and activities become successful just by your darshan. Thus we humbly ask that you tell us how our kind king can obtain a son.'

"Hearing their sincere plea, Lomasa Rishi absorbed himself in deep meditation for a moment and at once understood the king's previous life.

Then he said, 'Your ruler was a merchant in his past life, and feeling his wealth insufficient, he committed sinful deeds.

He traveled to many villages to trade his goods.

Once, at noon on the day after the Ekadasi that comes during the light fortnight of the month of Jyeshtha (Trivikrama - May-June), he became thirsty while traveling from place to place.

He came upon a beautiful pond on the outskirts of a village, but just as he was about to drink at the pond a cow arrived there with her new-born calf.

These two creatures were also very thirsty because of the heat, but when the cow and calf started to drink, the merchant rudely shoved them aside and selfishly slaked his own thirst.

This offense against a cow and her calf has resulted in your king's being without a son now.

But the good deeds he performed in his previous life have given him rulership over an undisturbed kingdom.'

"Hearing this, the king's advisers replied, 'Oh renowned rishi, we have heard that the Vedas say one can nullify the effects of one's past sins by acquiring merit. Be so kind as to give us some instruction by which our king's sins can be destroyed; please give him your mercy so that a prince will take birth in his family.'

"Lomasa Rishi said, 'There is an Ekadasi called Putrada, which comes during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana.

On this day all of you, including your king, should fast and stay awake all night, strictly following the rules and regulations. Then you should give the king whatever merit you gain by this fast. If you follow these instructions of mine, he will surely be blessed with a fine son.'

"All the king's advisers became very pleased to hear these words from Lomasa Rishi, and they all offered him their grateful obeisances. Then, their eyes bright with happiness, they returned home.

"When the month of Shravana arrived, the king's advisers remembered the advice of Lomasa Rishi, and under their direction all the citizens of Mahismati-puri, as well as the king, fasted on Ekadasi. And on the next day, Dvadasi, the citizens dutifully offered their accrued merit to him. By the strength of all this merit, the queen became pregnant and eventually gave birth to a most beautiful son.

"O Yudhisthira," Lord Krishna concluded, "the Ekadasi that comes during the light fortnight of the month of Shravana has thus rightfully become famous as Putrada ["bestower of a son"]. Whoever desires happiness in this world and the next should certainly fast from all grains and legumes on this holy day.

Indeed, whoever simply hears the glories of Putrada Ekadasi becomes completely free of all sins, is blessed with a good son, and surely ascends to heaven after death."

Thus ends the narration of the glories of Shravana-sukla Ekadasi, or Putrada Ekadasi, from the Bhavishya Purana.