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Bhagavata Saptah, Day 1
by Ekanath das

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

On 13th Jan 2002, HH Lokanath Swami started seven days of Bhagavatam readings in Noida, UP, India. These Saptah Bhagavats are very popular in India as, amongst the Hindus, they are seen as a means of freeing oneself from sinful reactions and accruing pious credits. Several ISKCON sannyasis have seen this as an excellent means of promoting regular hearing and chanting of Srimad Bhagavatam: "Nityam Bhagavata-sevaya."

For the next seven days he will be speaking in two daily sessions, morning and evening. The morning sessions will be meant more for the ISKCON temple devotees in Noida and Delhi (Canto 10, Chapters 29-33), and the evening sessions directed toward the general public (Canto 10 Chapters 1-11).

Day 1. Morning.
(Summary translated by HG Hari Kirtan Dasa).

HH Lokanath Swami:

In the morning we will be discussing five chapters of Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 10– Chapters 29-33. The 10th Canto is the heart of the Lord, and these five Chapters are His life airs. In the evening we will discuss the Lord’s Gokul Lila in 10th Canto– Chapters 1-11.

These topics are not easy for conditioned souls like us to understand. Thus, taking shelter of our previous acaryas, beginning with Srila Prabhupada, we will simply repeat what they have said and try and throw some light on the matter. In order to understand the topics of these five chapters in the right light, it is necessary to first hear something which is said in the last verse in the last of these five chapters. If we keep this in mind throughout the hearing, we can better understand the purpose behind these verses:

SB 10-33-39 "Anyone who faithfully hears or describes the Lord’s playful affairs with the younger gopis of Vrndavan will attain the Lord’s pure devotional service. Thus he will quickly become sober and conquer lust, the disease of the heart."

This is the result of hearing these five chapters. But there is one obstacle in attaining this Prema. It is lust. By hearing this Srimad Bhagavatam this disease of the heart, lust, will be driven away. So, with this desire, to get rid of this lust, we have all assembled here.

These five chapters describe one night of the Lord, the night before the start of the Kartik month. It is on this full moon night that Krsna summons the gopis. Previously, the gopis were doing Katyayani vrata to attain Krsna as their husband. Early in the morning in the month of December they were taking bath in the Yamuna and Krsna came to that place. He stole their garments and promised them that in the future they would meet and perform loving pastimes.

The following year, on this full moon night just before Kartika, Krsna fulfilled His promise. This night is being described in Srimad Bhagavatam in the 10th Canto, Chapter 29 in Verse 1. Sukadeva Goswami begins by explaining that the Lord turned His mind toward fulfilling this promise He had made. He instructed His yoga maya to make arrangements. Simply by seeing that autumn night, He desired, and just by His desire everything was arranged. Just by seeing.

The moon was throwing its reddish rays of cooling light on the scene. The lotuses, which normally blossom in the day, were now blooming under the night sky. The air was full of pleasant-smelling flowers. In such an environment, the Lord played His flute. The gopis had been waiting for so long for this night because when Krsna had stolen their clothes, He had also stolen their minds forever. They were simply waiting for Him. Now, He sent His invitation by flute. The sound of that flute spread all over Vraja Mandal but was heard only by the young gopis. When the Lord sends the miraculous sound of His flute, He sends it with the instruction to enter the ears of only the chosen few. Krsna can speak, communicate, call the name of someone with the sound of Murli.

When the gopis heard the invite they immediately left all their duties and started running in the direction of the sound. Some were milking their cows, some feeding their families and some giving breast milk to their babies. Regardless, they dropped everything. They were ready and waiting for this call. They didn’t even finish decorating their faces. Some ran with only one earring and with faces half decorated. These are the gopis, the topmost devotees. Hearing these five chapters, we should try and develop a desire to become like the gopis, to have love of the gopis. Unmotivated, unrestricted, unstoppable love and attraction for Krsna. We should make this kind of love our goal.

Most of the gopis got away from their homes. Some, though, were caught by their family members and locked in rooms to prevent them from running. Locked up in that way, they burnt with the fire of being separated from Krsna. In that fire of separation, the Lord came and embraced them. So, in effect, these gopis felt the embrace of the Lord before those who were running to meet Him.

At this point, Pariksit Maharaja asked Sukadeva Goswami, How is it that the actions of the gopis were above the three modes of material nature? They were running to the Supreme Lord as a lover, not understanding that He is the Supreme Absolute Truth. Pariksit had seen that in the assembly of sages there were some who might find fault so he thought it best to clarify.

Sukadev Goswami explained, "We have already discussed this point." Previously, Sukadeva had described Sisupala’s hate for Krsna. Yet, despite his seeming disqualification, because his hate and fear were directed towards the Lord, he attained perfection. What to speak of the gopis who loved Krsna more than anything.

SB 10.29.15/16 "Persons who constantly direct their lust, anger, fear, protective affection, feeling of impersonal oneness or friendship toward Lord Hari are sure to become absorbed in thought of Him...It is He who liberates the world."

Those who somehow or other become attached to Krsna rise to the spiritual platform.

Meanwhile, the gopis reached Krsna. Three hundred crore of gopis [three thousand million gopis]. The Lord straight away teases them by asking, "Why have you come here? This is a dangerous place for women. Better you go home, quickly."

We will continue tomorrow morning.

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HH Lokanth Swami:

In these evening sessions we will remember the pastimes of the Lord as a child, Bal Lila. Some acharyas say that His childhood pastimes are most sweet. As far as the question of lila and its sweetness is concerned, of all the incarnations, the pastimes of Lord Krsna are the sweetest.

This evening, we will be hearing from the first chapter of the 10th Canto. Here, the preparation for the transcendental birth of Lord Krsna is beautifully described by Sukadeva Goswami. Previously, he was describing the dynasties of the Moon and Sun. So, now Pariksit asked Sukadeva Goswami to explain elaborately the pastimes of the Lord, who appeared in the Yadu dynasty. He asked very detailed questions because his time for leaving his body was nearing and he was keen to hear as much as possible about Krsna. Although he was fasting from food and water, he was being nourished by hearing the topics of Lord Krsna.

Sukadeva Goswami thanked Pariksit Maharaja for asking such beautiful questions, and he spoke extensively on Krsna’s pastimes in order to satiate Pariksit’s thirst. Srimad Bhagavatam contains 335 chapters, and the 10th Canto, alone consists of 90 of those chapters.

These topics concerning Krsna are the remedy for all suffering in this age of kali. Today, there are so many problems between India and Pakistan. This is why we are doing this katha. This is the simple formula for overcoming all the difficulties of this life. If we do not hear Srimad Bhagavatam all these situations will get worse. Sukadeva Goswami explains:

SB 10-1-16 ."...When one asks questions about the pastimes and characteristics of Lord Vasudeva, Krsna, three varieties of men are purified: the speaker, he who inquires, and the people in general who listen."

Sukadeva begins by giving some background to the advent of Krsna. At one time Mother Earth, in the form of a cow, tearfully approached Lord Brahma and told him of her suffering. Hearing this, Brahma thought that she had big problems, for which he did not have the solutions. So, he and all the other demigods went to Lord Visnu for help. When the Lord hears of someone’s distress, immediately He wants to help. He is so merciful. The Lord said that He Himself would descend to relieve the earth of her burden and that all the demigods should also take birth there.

This Katha of the Lord is Katha Svarup, the form of the Lord. It brings us closer to Him.

Later, here on the Earth planet, Devaki was getting married to Vasudeva. While driving the chariot of his sister, Devaki, Kamsa heard a voice form the sky that declared that the eighth son of Devaki would kill him. Immediately, he grabbed her by her hair and prepared to kill her. Vasudeva, however, managed to pacify him using words of diplomacy and logic. Vasudeva said, "The cause of death will be her son. So I promise to give them to you as they are born."

Thereafter, each year, Devaki gave birth to a child. With great pain, Vasudeva, keeping his word, delivered each child to Kamsa, who killed them one after another.

Tomorrow evening we will hear about the Birth of Lord Krsna.

(The talks are interspersed with bhajans and kirtans)

Your servant,
Ekanath dasa

© CHAKRA 14 January 2002