Hamsaduta (Part 1)
Hari-katha inspired by the Guru-varga
Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhu wrote this Hamsaduta. Duta mean messenger. This is the story of a messenger that got sent to Krsna, while He was staying in Mathura Puri. Krsna was separated from the Vrajavasis and stayed together with all the great warriors and aristocrats of the Yadu-dynasty. When Krsna is in Vraja-bhumi, He has a certain mood and a certain way to relate with the Vrajavasis, but when He left to Mathura, He changed completely. There He was Narayana-tattva. In Vraja, He is Gopala – a cowherd boy. Everywhere else He is regarded as the creator and maintainer, but for the Vrajavasis He is Gopala, a simple boy without knowledge. Sometimes He reveals or says something about His Godhood, but the Vrajavasis do not give value to this and think that He is just an ignorant child.
Krsna is no longer in Vraja-dhama; He went to Mathura. Akrura is not akrura (not cruel); he is krura (cruel). He took Krsna away from the Vrajavasis and brought Him to Mathura. Srimati Radharani, Lalita sakhi, and the other sakhis had to tolerate His absence. They went to the bank of the Yamuna to cease their pain of separation from Krsna. But when they looked at the water of the Yamuna and saw all the kunjas of Vrndavana, they remembered Krsna and their separation increased more and more. They tried to cool Srimati Radharani from the heat of Her separation by applying sandalwood paste all over Her body. Then they made a beautiful bed out of lotus petals. Srimati Radharani lied down on this bed and fell unconscious. Lalita-devi and the other sakhis and manjaris saw a young white swan at the riverbank. The swan saw Srimati Radharani’s distressful condition and remembered his own sorrow. He said, “From my early childhood I was neglected and I grew up alone.”
Srimati Radharani looked at the swan. He was weak and only cried. Srimati Radharani stroked him and said, “Don’t lament. In Vraja-dhama nobody should be sad. I will help you and take care of you.” She mixed cow milk and honey and fed it to the swan. Drinking this, the swan’s body became big and strong. Before he had hardly any feathers, but now he was covered in white feathers.
The swan then lived near Vrsabhanu-kunda. The nature of swans is to play and swim in water. Staying at the place of Srimati Radharani, his mind and senses became healthy. He did not eat rubbish and worms. He maintained himself by eating fruits, lotus honey, milk, and lotus stems, and he was always engaged in chanting ‘Radhe Radhe.’ He never forgot the grace of Srimati Radharani. All the Vrajavasis knew him to be Srimati Radharani’s swan. During the day, he would go to the Yamuna to drink her water. He was grown up now and he started to fly. Because he was always chanting the names of Radharani, Krsna was also very pleased with him.
Srimati Radharani also has a parrot and a deer. Everything in Vraja-mandala belongs to Her, but some animals are very close to Her and understand Her language. These animals are called duti, or messengers. Sometimes, Srimati Radharani sends Her parrot to deliver a message, and sometimes She sends Her peacock, swan, pigeon, monkey, or other animals.
Srimati Radharani was lying on Her bed of lotus petals in a very precarious state. She would usually never go out, but on this day She went outside and saw all the empty kunja-kutiras and pastime places, such as the kadamba trees, tamala trees, and the Yamuna. Seeing this She became immersed in separation from Krsna and this also made the sakhis and manjaris suffer. Srimati Radharani’s body was burning in the fire of this separation and the sakhis tried to cool Her body down by applying sandalwood paste, but the paste dried out immediately. They sprinkled Yamuna water on Radharani, but She remained senseless. Suddenly, Srimati Radharani’s breath came back. The swan was watching the scene from a distance and started crying. All the peacocks, parrots, cuckoos, and other birds of Vraja-mandala came flying and seeing Srimati Radharani, they were silenced and shed tears. Lalita-devi is usually very grave, but she also could not tolerate seeing Srimati Radharani in this state and cried. All the tears of the Vraja-devis and animals that assembled at the riverbank streamed into the Yamuna whose water heated up so much that it was steaming.
Lalita-devi had the idea to send the swan to Mathura and request Krsna to come back. She spoke to the swan, “Akrura took Krsna away from Vraja-mandala and brought Him to Mathura. Please deliver a message there. From here you follow the Yamuna, passing Tapavana, Cira-ghata, Kadamba-khandi, Rasa-sthali, Giri Govardhana, Bandhiravana, and Kaliya-hrada, until you reach Mathura. The city of Mathura is very beautiful and its ladies are bold and dress in beautiful garments. To make Krsna forget Vraja-mandala they ornament themselves with jewelry and take on deceptive poses to attract Him. They sometimes put on the dress of a milk-maid and place butter pots on their heads.”
People act artificially to deceive others, but those who have real love naturally serve without displaying it before others. A mother never makes a show of her love for her child. Similarly, if someone has love for God, he does not have to announce it. Such announcing is artificial and deceptive. God is present within the hearts of all living entities in the form of Paramatma. If someone has love for Paramatma, he automatically gets guided and inspired from within. How did all the sages assemble in the forest of Naimisaranya when Sukadeva Gosvami started his narration of the Srimad Bhagavatam? At that time, there were no mobile phones or internet. Sukadeva Gosvami came inside the heart of those who were surrendered to Paramatma and called them to the bank of the Ganga.
Similarly, the hearts of the Vrajavasis are connected without satellite or any other modern technology. They have an eternal connection. Therefore, the sakhis knew that the Mathuravasis were hypocritical and deceptive in their relation to Krsna. Lalita-devi sent the swan there to tell Krsna about the unbearable pain in Srimati Radharani’s heart that is causing Her life-airs to depart.
Text 1
dukulam bibhrano dalita-haritala-dyuti-bharam
java-pushpa-sreni-ruci-rucira-padambuja-talah
tamala-syamango dara-hasita-lilancita-mukhah
paranandabhogah sphuratu hridi me ko ‘pi purushah
At the beginning of his book, Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhu remembers Krsna. He is alone in Mathura while the sakhis and manjaris are in Vraja. In Vraja-mandala Krsna is Natavara Nanda-kisora, wearing peacock feather and pitambara and holding a flute, but after He left to Mathura His attire changed and He gave up His flute. He was wearing a golden crown, sword, armor, bow and arrows, and the attire of a prince. In Vraja-dhama everything is in its natural and original state, but when Krsna left Vraja-dhama He accepted an unnatural appearance because people would approach Him in a challenging mood.
Rupa Gosvami Prabhu describes Krsna’s svarupa in Vraja. Krsna is wearing yellow silk garments; the soles of Krsna feet have the color of red lotuses; His complexion is dark like a tamala tree; and He is smiling gently. Srila Rupa Gosvami is meditating on this svarupa of Krsna in Vraja. There is no need to think of Krsna in the form of Visvarupa, Dvarkadisa, or Mathuradisa. We only meditate on Krsna’s vraja-svarupa. This is Rupa Gosvami’s teaching in his mangalacarana. If you think of another form of Krsna, you will not attain vraja-bhakti. You will then leave Vraja-dhama. We should remember Krsna in Vraja-dhama and His pastimes and relations with all the Vrajavasis.
Text 2
yada yato gopi-hridaya-madano nanda-sadanan
mukundo gandinyas tanayam anuvindan madhu-purim
tadamankshic cinta-sariti ghana-ghurna paricayair
agadhayam badha-maya-payasi radha virahini
The Vraja-devis always endeavor for the happiness of Krsna. They distribute madhura-rasa; not aisvarya-rasa, dasya-rasa, or santa-rasa. They feed Krsna this sweetest and tastiest rasa and serve Him. Therefore, Krsna is very happy while staying in Vraja-dhama.
Krsna was present in Nanda Maharaja’s house when Akrura came. King Kamsa previously called his uncle Akrura and requested him, “Please go to Nandagrama. I heard that the two young sons of Devaki are living there. I will hold a big celebration and arrange for a Rajasuya-yajna and the distribution of gifts. I will also arrange a wrestling match and I want to call princes from all the different countries and provinces to compete each other in my arena. Whoever wins will become my successor. Therefore, I will arrange this wrestling tournament to determine who is qualified to be a ruler. Go and bring the two sons of Vasudeva who live in Nanda Maharaja’s house. I heard that they are very powerful and eligible for this post. I would like to give them a gift.”
Akrura thought, “If I do not follow Kamsa’s order, Kamsa might change his favorable mood towards me and execute me with his sword. He might not only kill me but also Surasena, Ugrasena, Vasudeva, Devaki, and all the Yadavas and Vrsnis. On the other hand, how can I go there and bring Krsna and Baladeva here? Yasoda and Nanda love their sons more than the pupils of their eyes. The two brothers are also very happy to stay with the Vrajavasis.” Akrura was confused about what the right thing to do was. He was praying to Narada Rsi, Brahma, and Siva, “Kamsa ordered me to bring Krsna to Mathura. If He does not come, Kamsa will disturb all the Vrajavasis and also the Mathuravasis. He has no compassion.”
At the time of Lord Ramacandra, Ravana called Marica and told him, “Go to Sita and Rama and deceive them so that Rama leaves Sita behind and I will then go and kidnap unprotected Sita. Rama will be powerless without His sakti and unable to defend his life in combat with me. Sita will be mine.”
Kamsa planned in a similar way to take Krsna away from Vraja. He thought, “I cannot go to Vraja-dhama myself and all the demons I sent there to defeat Krsna were killed. I will bring Krsna to Mathura and in front of Vasudeva, Devaki and all the Mathuravasis I will cut Him into pieces. In this way the dynasties of the Yaduvamsa and Nandavamsa will come to an end. Whoever will protest against my dominion will be burnt alive and thrown into the Yamuna.”
Such was the plan of the wicked King Kamsa. He arranged white elephants and arranged a Rajasuya-yajna. Canura, Mustika, and many other demonic personalities were assembled at Rangasthali. Kamsa’s father-in-law, Jarasandha, sent a vast army consisting of many soldiers, horses, chariots, and elephants. Many mystics and black magicians also came and they were ready to defeat Krsna. They knew that once Krsna will be grown up, He will become very powerful and take over the rulership of the country. Therefore, they wanted to get rid of Him while He is still a child.
An honest and righteous person will automatically have God’s love and strength. Out of envy, ordinary people cannot tolerate seeing this and try to defeat such a person by any means. This situation occurred in the lives of both Acarya Ramanuja and Acarya Madhva. The school teacher of Acarya Ramanuja tried to kill him. Such envy and hatred is directed to many acaryas throughout history.
From the time Krsna was born, Kamsa desired to kill Him. His advisors suggested to him, “While Krsna is in Vraja He has power, but if He comes to Mathura, He will be lacking power and supporters. Everybody is ready to defeat the two brothers, and therefore we should bring Them here. Who might be a good candidate to bring Them?”
Kamsa thought, “Akrura is fit for this task. He is on our side. I will send him with a big golden chariot. These villagers have never seen opulent golden chariots before and will become greedy. They will look at the chariot and consider it as bright and valuable as the rising sun. Then Krsna will board the chariot and Akrura has to drive back to Mathura. He can only stop the chariot once he has reached my palace.”
Kamsa told Akrura, “On the way there you should drive slowly as to show the opulence of Mathura to everybody, and on the way back you should be so fast that you take one breath in Nandagrama and the next breath in Mathura. You are my uncle and therefore I request you to help me in this regard.”
Akrura arrived at Nandagrama at dusk. When he saw the footprints of Krsna, he got down from the chariot, offered obeisance to them, and rolled in the dust that touched Krsna’s feet. He thought, “Hopefully Krsna will accept me and talk to me.” Nanda Maharaja saw that Akrura came. They were related in the sense that they shared the same grandfather who had two wives. One wife was a ksatriyani and the other a vaisyani. From the first wife the dynasty of the Yadavas derived and the descendants of the second wife became gopas in Vraja-mandala. Nanda Maharaja therefore had some respect and love for his cousin and welcomed him appropriately by offering him sweet rice and many other preparations. Akrura and Nanda Baba dined together and then Akrura told Nanda Baba, “I have to speak to Krsna for a moment.”
Nanda Maharaja said, “He is resting now.”
Akrura insisted and said that he will only take a short time. But when he started talking to Krsna, he instilled politically motivated ideas into Krsna. He said, “Vasudeva and Devaki are your real parents. Nanda Baba is taking care of You, but he is not your real father.”
Krsna said, “Yes I know. Vasudeva is the father of Baladeva.”
“Yes, yes, he is Baladeva’s father, but you are also Baladeva’s brother.” Akrura did not say everything directly from the beginning. He was like a spy that slowly tried to poison Krsna. He continued, “Devaki and Vasudeva are threatened by King Kamsa. They are imprisoned since twenty years. Kamsa beats them and killed almost all their offspring. Also Ugrasena, Surasena, and other members of the Yadus are imprisoned. They are hardly given any water or food and already look like skeletons. They might leave their bodies at any time. You are the only one who can help them.”
Hearing this, Krsna became overwhelmed with compassion. He asked, “Kamsa is my uncle, isn’t he?”
“No, he is not actually your uncle. He is the son of a demon named Drumila who defiled the wife of Ugrasena.”
The entire night Akrura chanted mystic mantras and contacted spirits as to control Krsna. He offered all politics to Krsna and Baladeva, but They did not listen and said, “Uncle, tell Us what your concern is.”
“Kamsa announced in the royal assembly that if You will not be in Mathura by tomorrow, he will cut Devaki, Vasudeva, Ugrasena, and all the other Yadus in pieces and just like a goat bring their flesh to the kitchen to cook.”
Krsna jumped up and said, “I will surely go.”
Akrura lightened up when he heard that his task will be accomplished. He then said to Krsna and Baladeva, “You should take some rest. Tomorrow is a big day.”
Krsna and Baladeva said, “No, you should take rest.” They massaged Akrura who was thinking that their relationship is not firm and that his deceit was successful.
That night the news of Akrura coming to get Krsna and Baladeva spread throughout the whole of Vraja-mandala. As long as Krsna and Baladeva are with Akrura, they are outside rasa-mandala. Everybody in Vraja-dhama knew that Akrura wanted to take the two brothers to Mathura. They knew that the Mathuravasis are hypocrites who apparently speak sweetly and friendly but only try to deceive others. Outside they wear nice dresses and turbans, tilaka, mala, and choti, but once Krsna and Baladeva arrived there, the Mathuravasis expressed their contempt by calling Them low-class cowherds. The Mathuravasis’ performance of yajnas was only for show. The hearts of the inhabitants of Vraja-mandala are very different from those of the Mathuravasis.
When Krsna and Baladeva left for Mathura, the pain of the Vrajavasis was unbearable. The nature of love is very strange. Once someone feels a little love, he will have to suffer in the fire of separation. The gopis did not know how to keep themselves alive while feeling pangs of separation. From their childhood they were friends and very close to Krsna. Krsna was everything to them. How was it possible for them to continue their lives without Him?
Akrura’s mother is named Gandhini. She was born in Kasi as the daughter of the local king. When Akrura was in her womb, he did not take birth until he was twelve years old. The father asked him, “My dear son, why don’t you want to come out?”
Akrura said, “I don’t want to come out because I see that you never give in charity. If you give charity to the cows for one year, I will take birth, otherwise not.”
The father was a great miser. He did not want to give one coin or even one grain to anybody. However, he gave in charity to one cow every day and after one year Akrura took birth. Everybody called him the son of Gandhini. The Visnu Purana and other puranas state that if the son is connected to the dynasty of the father, then he will be happy and famous and he will make everybody around him happy. Contrary, those who go to the dynasty of the mother and take on her name are fallen and wretched. Akrura was called the son of Gandhini, and nobody connected him to his father. The father collected some pious merits due to giving charity to a cow for one year, but he was of a very cruel and hypocritical nature. However because of his giving in charity to the cows, he became eligible for the darsana of Krsna and Krsna’s lilas.
Text 3
kadacit khedagnim vighatayitum antargatam asu
sahalibhir lebhe taralita-mana yamuna-tatim
cirad asyas cittam paricita-kutiravalokanad
avastha tastara sphutam atha sushupteh priya-sakhi
One day, when Srimati Radharani’s heart was burning excessively in the fire of separation from Krsna, the sakhis brought Her to the bank of the Yamuna in Vrndavana to make Her heart cool, and to make Her regain Her health. When Krsna was present, the sakhis were making many beautiful kunjas, like Nikunjavana and Seva-kunja, and enjoyed loving pastimes with Him there. In front of Her seniors Srimati Radharani is very shy and never displays Her feelings for Krsna, but when She entered the forest on this day and saw all the pastime places, intense dizziness overcame Her and the life-airs left Her. It seemed as if She was about to leave Her body.
Text 4
tada nishpandangi kalita-nalini-pallava-kulaih
parinahat premnam akusala-satasanki-hridayaih
drig-ambho-gambhiri-krita-mihira-putri-laharibhih
vilina dhulinam upari parivavre parijanaih
While Srimati Radharani was unconscious, Her body was motionless. The sakhis were fanning Her with lotus petals. They thought that Srimati Radharani gave up Her life, and thus streams of tears came from their eyes and flooded the Yamuna. Yamuna-devi never saw such intense separation and could not tolerate it. Previously, Yamuna-devi did not feel so much separation because she was still present with all the sakhis, manjaris, and other Vrajavasis, but when she had darsana of Srimati Radharani and the sakhis and when their tears that carried their feelings of their separation, touched her, she became restless.
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