Krishna Nectar Lila 45 – “Gau Vatsa Prema”

As usual, the cowherd boys (now expansions of Krishna) danced gleefully to the captivating sound of Krishna’s flute. Their frolicking steps enriched Mother Earth with the quality of bliss. Whistling on their panpipes, they called their beloved calves and returned to Vrndavana. When they arrived home their mothers showered the same affection on them that they had previously shown to Krishna.

Overflowing with parental love, each mother felt unlimited joy upon seeing her son, who was none other than Krishna. Previously, the Vrajavasis had more affection for Krishna than for their own children. But now for one year they displayed ever-increasing affection toward their sons, the expanded forms of Krishna.

The cowherd boy expansions of Subala, Sridama, and others pleased their mothers with their usual activities of bathing, eating, and dressing. Unlike other days, however, on that day the boys did not describe the pastimes they had enjoyed with Krishna. The calves ran to their respective mothers who affectionately licked their bodies again and again merging in an unlimited ocean of bliss. Overwhelmed with parental love, the cows bellowed with deep loving voices and then slept with their calves.

When Krishna returned home, Nanda picked Him up, embraced Him, and placed Him on his lap. Nanda feared that his beard might scratch Krishna’s delicate face, which is softer than a lotus. Lifting up Krishna’s turban, Nanda Maharaja smelled His head and then affectionately kissed Him. Although enjoying the highest pleasure just by smelling his son’s head, Nanda cried when Krishna jumped off his lap to run to mother Yasoda, the perfect form of parental love. Yasoda lovingly fondled her son, massaged Him with fragrant oil, and bathed Him to remove the dust from grazing the calves. Then she dressed Krishna in fresh clothing and fed Him sumptuously. After satisfying her invincible son, who is the embodiment of eternity, Yasoda put Him to rest on a comfortable bed covered with a mattress as white as the foam of milk.

At sunrise the next day, Yasoda and the other mothers prepared their sons for going to the forest by carefully decorating them with different ornaments. After taking breakfast all the boys met Krishna in the courtyard of His house. Since He could not proceed to the forest without first pleasing His parents, Krishna allowed Nanda and Yasoda to caress Him to their heart’s content. Even then they insisted on accompanying Him to the edge of the forest. Collecting all His intimate friends and their calves, His own expansions, Krishna walked toward the forest.

Krishna took the cowherd boys and the calves to pasture near Govardhana Hill. When the cows that were already grazing on Govardhana Hill saw Krishna, they ran down the hill so fast that they appeared to be flying. Leaving their own calves and newborns behind, the cows displayed intense parental love toward Krishna and the calves accompanying Him. In reality, Krishna had expanded as all these calves.

Though trying, the cowherd men could not stop the cows with their sticks. Impelled by strong motherly affection, the cows mooed lovingly while smelling and licking these calves. They neither moved nor eat any grass. On the other hand, the boys could not restrain their calves. Neither the boys nor the cowherd men could separate the cows from those calves.

The cowherd men felt pain in their legs from running after the calves. Upon seeing their sons, however, the expanded forms of Krishna, they forgot all pains and immersed in an ocean of parental love. The cowherd men felt supremely blissful from embracing their tender sons, smelling their heads, and kissing them.

Placing them on their laps, they cried affectionately out of great joy and drenched their chests from the tears pouring from their eyes. Then with great difficulty and reluctance they gradually stopped embracing their sons and allowed them to return to Krishna.