Çré Putrada Ekädaçé Issue no: 227 20th Jan 2024

Akrura's Cruelty - Part Three

The Prayers of Akrura
Srila Sukadeva Goswami

There Is No Guarantee
His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Akrura’s Cruelty
Srila Jiva Goswami
 Issue no 227, Page — 2 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä

pansion; the mind; the senses; the sense objects;

The Prayers of Akrura and the senses’ presiding deitiesall these causes
Srila Sukadeva Goswami of the cosmic manifestation are born from Your
tran-scendental body. The total material nature
Sri Akrura said: I bow down to You, the cause of and these other elements of creation certainly
all causes, the original and inexhaustible Supreme cannot know You as You are, for they are mani-
Person, Narayana. From the whorl of the lotus fested in the realm of dull matter. Since You are
born from Your navel, Brahma appeared, and by beyond the modes of nature, even Lord Brahma,
his agency this uni-verse has come into being. who is bound up in these modes, does not know
Earth; water; fire; air; ether and its source, false Your true identity. Pure yogis worship You, the
ego; the mahat tattva; the total material nature Supreme Personality of Godhead, by conceiving
and her source, the Supreme Lord’s puruña ex- of You in the threefold form comprising the living

Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.ibmedu.org

 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 227, Page—3
entities, the material elements that constitute the You, the inexhaustible Supreme Personality of
living entities’ bodies, and the controlling deities Godhead. These worlds travel within You, the
of those elements. Brähmaëas who follow the reg- basis of the mind and senses, just as aquatics
ulations concerning the three sacred fires worship swim in the sea or tiny insects burrow within
You by chanting mantras from the three Vedas and an udumbara fruit. To enjoy Your pastimes You
performing elaborate fire sacrifices for the various manifest Yourself in various forms in this material
demigods, who have many forms and names. world, and these incarnations cleanse away all the
In pursuit of spiritual knowledge, some persons unhappiness of those who joyfully chant Your
renounce all material activities and, having thus glories. I offer my obeisances to You, the cause of
become peaceful, perform the sacrifice of philo- the creation, Lord Matsya, who swam about in the
sophic investigation to worship You, the original ocean of dissolution, to Lord Hayagriva, the killer
form of all knowledge. And yet others those whose of Madhu and Kaitabha, to the immense tortoise
intelligence is pure follow the injunctions of Vaish- [Lord Kurma], who supported Man-dara Moun-
nava scriptures promulgated by You. Absorbing tain, and to the boar incarnation [Lord Varaha],
their minds in thought of You, they worship You who enjoyed lifting the earth. Obeisances to You,
as the one Supreme Lord manifesting in multiple the amazing lion [Lord Narsimha], who remove
forms. There are still others, who worship You, Your saintly devotees’ fear, and to the dwarf Vama-
the Supreme Lord, in the form of Lord Shiva. They na, who stepped over the three worlds. Obeisances
follow the path described by him and interpreted to You, Lord of the Bhrgus, who cut down the
in various ways by many teachers. But all these forest of the conceited royal order, and to Lord
people, my Lord, even those who have turned Rama, the best of the Raghu dynasty, who put an
their attention away from You and are worshiping end to the demon Ravana. Obeisances to You, Lord
other deities, are actually worshiping You alone,
O embodiment of all the demigods. As rivers born of the Satvatas, and to Your forms of Vasudeva,
from the mountains and filled by the rain flow Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. Obei-
from all sides into the sea, so do all these paths in sances to Your form as the faultless Lord Buddha,
the end reach You, O master. who will bewilder the Daityas and Danavas, and
Goodness, passion and ignorance, the qualities to Lord Kalki, the annihilator of the meat-eaters
of Your material nature, entangle all conditioned posing as kings.
living beings, from Brahma down to the nonmov- O Supreme Lord, the living entities in this world
ing creatures. I offer My obeisances to You, who as are bewildered by Your illusory energy. Becoming
the Supreme Soul of all beings witness everyone’s involved in the false concepts of “I” and “my,” they
consciousness with unbiased vision. The current are forced to wander along the paths of fruitive
of Your material modes, produced by the force of work. I too am deluded in this way, O almighty
ignorance, flows strongly among the living beings Lord, foolishly thinking my body, children, home,
who assume identities as demigods, humans and wife, money and fol-lowers to be real, though they
animals. Fire is said to be Your face, the earth Your are actually as unreal as a dream.
feet, the sun Your eye, and the sky Your navel. Thus mistaking the temporary for the eternal,
The directions are Your sense of hearing, the chief my body for my self, and sources of misery for
demigods Your arms, and the oceans Your abdo- sources of happiness, I have tried to take plea-
men. Heaven is thought to be Your head, and the sure in material dualities. Covered in this way by
wind Your vital air and physical strength. The trees ignorance, I could not recognize You as the real
and plants are the hairs on Your body, the clouds object of my love. Just as a fool overlooks a body of
the hair on Your head, and the mountains the water covered by the vegetation growing in it and
bones and nails of You, the Supreme. The passage chases a mirage, so I have turned away from You.
of day and night is the blinking of Your eyes, the My intelligence is so crippled that I cannot find
progenitor of mankind Your genitals, and the rain the strength to curb my mind, which is disturbed
Your semen. All the worlds, with their presiding by material desires and activities and constantly
demigods and teeming populations, originate in dragged here and there by my obstinate senses.

www.ibmedu.org Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya

 Issue no 227, Page — 4 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
Top left 4
Being thus fallen, I am approaching Your feet for success depends on the strength of their worship.”
shelter, O Lord, because although the impure can According to the Vedic principles, when a wor-
never attain Your feet, I think it is nevertheless shiper worships a particular demigod, he also
possible by Your mercy. Only when one’s material conducts some ritual for Narayana, Yajneshvara,
life has ceased, O lotus naveled Lord, can one de- for, as it is mentioned in the Bhagavad-gétä,
velop consciousness of You by serving Your pure the demigods cannot fulfill the desires of their
devotees. Obeisances to the Supreme Absolute worshipers without the sanction of Narayana,
Truth, the possessor of unlimited energies. He is or Krishna. The exact words used in the Bhaga-
the embodiment of pure, transcendental knowl- vad-gétä are mayaiva vihitän hi tän, which mean
edge, the source of all kinds of awareness, and that the demigods can award some benediction
the predominator of the forces of nature that rule after being authorized by the Supreme Lord.
over the living being. When a demigod worshiper comes to his sens-
O son of Vasudeva, obeisances to You, within es, he can reason as follows: ”The demigods can
whom all living beings reside. O Lord of the mind offer benedictions only after being empowered
and senses, again I offer You my obeisances. O by the Supreme Lord, so why not worship the
master, please protect me, who am surrendered Supreme Lord directly?” Such a worshiper of the
unto You. demigods may come to the Supreme Personality
— Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 10: The Summum of Godhead, but others, who take the demigods
Bonum » Chapter 40 » Verses 1–30 » Translations by Disciples of His Divine
as all in all, cannot reach the ultimate goal.
Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
— Çrémad-Bhägavatam (Bhägavata Puräëa) » Canto 10: The Summum
Bonum » Kåñëa, The Supreme Personality of Godhead» By His Divine Grace A.
C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

There Is No Guarantee
His Divine Grace
Akrura’s Cruelty
Srila Jiva Goswami
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
As Vraja’s monarchs, Nanda and Yashoda, were
It is stated in the Bhagavad-gétä that worship worrying about finding an auspicious moment for
of demigods is also indirectly worship of the the departure to Mathura, the gatekeeper announced
Supreme Lord. But such worship is not or- the arrival of some learned astrologers and some
thodox, because the worshipable Lord is the sages expert at understanding good and bad omens.
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana. Within the palace, Nanda and Yashoda explained
Demigods such as Brahma and Shiva are in- the situation, gave gifts to their guests, and, asking
carnations of the material qualities, which are them to keep all they would say a secret, said to the
also emanations from the body of Narayaëa. soothsayers: “What do you, who directly know
Actually, there was no one existing before the everything, think of this journey to Mathura?”
creation except Narayaëa, the Supreme Person- The soothsayers said: “Why, while staying in this
ality of Godhead. The worship of a demigod is secret place, do you ask of these very joyful events?
not on the same level as worship of Narayaëa. You should ask of them in the presence of everyone.
Akrura said, ”Although the minds of those who “Don’t be afraid, O king and queen of Vraja. Your
are devotees of the demigods are fixed on a par- son will kill Kamsa and then become the master of
ticular demigod, because You are the Supersoul all the wealth in the three worlds. His glories always
of all living entities, including the demigods, dancing on their tongues, the eternally-manifest-
worship of the demigods indirectly goes to You. in-all-the-three-worlds four Vedas, accompanied
Sometimes, after flowing down from the moun- by the fifth Veda and the sacred Tantras, all
tains during the rainy season, small rivers fail to bear witness to your son’s wonderful glories.
reach the sea; some reach the sea and some do not. As, after giving away many gifts to their guests,
Similarly, the worshipers of the demigods may or Nanda and Yashoda, feeling great joy in their
may not reach You. There is no guarantee. Their

Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.ibmedu.org

 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 227, Page—5
hearts, took shelter of Lord Narayana and became father, and all the people of Gokula are sighing in the
rapt in meditation on His feet, Sri Krishnaand Sri same way a bellows sighs, sighing overcome with
Balarama, who both fill the demons with fear, great love for You. You always stay in our hearts.
having already completed Their morning du- Without You, what is the use of the homes, wealth,
ties, entered, accompanied by Their friends and and life’s breath of us, the people of Gokula?”
kinsmen, the assembly. Krishna and Balarama After speaking these words, the people of Gokula
approached, bowed down before the lotus feet of were stunned. Tears filled their eyes. Then lotus
Yashoda and Rohiëé, were hugged by them, and eyed Sri Krishna said to them: “You are all more
both wept, for a long time tears sliding from Their dear to Me than My own life. For your sake I drank
eyes, then, coming singly or in pairs, more than a up a forest-fire as if it were a nectar-drink and I lift-
hundred intimate associates of Krishna and Balara- ed Govardhana Hill as if it were a toy-ball. It is not
ma quickly entered that room within the palace. right for Me to express all this in words. Still, seeing
As Krishna and Balarama, Their eyes filled with tears how you all are suffering, I speak now in this way.
and Their faces like fully-bloomed lotus flowers, “My father, who is to My mother like her very life,
and as everyone else stood, stunned, around Them, and My dear friends the cowherd boys, who to their
from outside cruel Akrura again and again called, parents are like their very life, will now depart with
“Now is the auspicious moment! Why do You not Me. By taking care of the cows, the cowherd ladies,
begin the journey now, at the auspicious moment?” the mothers of the cowherd boys, ladies who must
Then Krishna and Balarama, who are the first of stay now in Vraja, will ensure that I will remain alive.
chivalrous heroes, and who thirst to kill Kamsa, “My father’s two elder brothers will now stay in Vra-
bowed down before the feet of Their parents and ja and take care of things as My father’s representa-
other elders, who were all stunned and motionless tives. My father’s two younger brothers, who are like
like a great painted picture, and then, speaking two limbs of My father’s body, will accompany us.”
many words in voices choked with emotion, Sri Krishna carefully asked from His mother,
pushed aside everyone’s worries and begged for aunts, and cousins, permission to depart. What
permission to begin the journey. When They began need is there for an elaborate description of these
to move Their lotus feet there was a joyful tumult activities?” Because Sri Krishna could not soon
of music with splendid sounds of dundubhi drums return to Vraja after He had killed Kamsa, the
and other musical instruments. people of Vraja were all very sorrowful at heart.
Sri Krishna was then praised with the follow- Then concluding his narration, Snigdhakaëöha
ing: When, in order to kill Kaàsa, Sri Krishna said: Please remember, O King Nanda, that
departed from His home, the demigods sounded this is a narration of past events. Your son
hundreds of dundubhi drums. Even though they Krishna, who kills all the demons, at this mo-
were withered with worries, Sri Krishnas father ment hugs You, pressing you to His chest.
and mother felt at that moment the joy that is the Hearing these very pleasing words, Vraja’s
root from which the tree of auspicious bliss grows. King Nanda hugged Sri Krishna. Father and
When, accompanied by the chanting of aus- son anointed each other with tears that flowed
picious Vedic mantras, Krishna and Balarama from Their eyes. After seeing all this, the people
stood on the chariot, all the people of Gokula of Vraja very joyfully returned to their homes.
became overwhelmed. One by one, Vraja’s King Calling Him into her room, Vraja’s Queen
Nanda and all the cowherd men and women Yashoda hugged Sri Krishna, hugged Him as
gathered around Krishna and Balarama. When if she had just then regained His association.
lotus-eyed Krishna folded His hands and re- Later, at the beginning of the nighttime narration
quested permission to depart on His journey, of pastimes, Snigdhakantha said to Sri Sri Rad-
all the people of Vraja said to Him: “Because we ha-Krishna: O girl eternally devoted to Sri Krishna,
are always rapt in thinking of You, we feel that O girl whose khanjana-bird eyes dance when they
we will now all accompany You as You depart. see Sri Krishna’s effulgent handsomeness, O best of
“O Krishna, O killer of Bakäsura, Your mother, Your all girls, O Sri Radha, now please place my descrip-

www.ibmedu.org Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya

 Issue no 227, Page — 6 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä
tion of past events upon Your ears. What Sri Krish- attempt is like a great blow struck to my life’s
nas gopi beloveds felt as Vraja’s Prince Krishna and breath. “Alas! Alas! Alas! Where have the eternal
His companions departed, traveling on the chari- räsa-lélä pastimes gone, pastimes filled with the
ot-pathway, is beyond the power of my intelligence bliss of newer-and-newer meetings of Sri Krishna
to know. How can I have the power to describe it? and the gopis? Alas! A host of cowherd men, all
“Look! By using a person named Akrura as its of them initiated in the art of cheating by the king
tool, destiny has given us folly, loss of intelli- of cheaters, a king who bears the name Akrura,
gence, cruelty, mercilessness, and inauspicious have now destroyed all those räsa-lélä pastimes.”
omens, and has now taken Sri Krishna away Hearing the gopis bitterly lament in this way makes
from us.” Speaking these words, the always wise, me burst into flames of sorrow.
saintly, and peaceful people of Vraja are now be- “Alas! Those playful and graceful räsa-lélä pas-
wildered and distraught. Their sufferings make times have now come to an end! Ah! Where do
me again and again burn with sufferings also. these cowherd men now quickly take Krishna,
“We should not blame our destiny. Nor should we moonlike Krishna, who, accompanied by His elder
blame the person named Akrura. We should only brother, Balarama, and by His cowherd friends,
blame Nanda’s son, Krishna, who is the master enjoyed pastimes of herding the cows from morn-
of our every breath, and who is now arranging ing to night, Krishna whose sublime and glorious
His separation from us.” The memory of these handsomeness filled our eyes?” These words of
words spoken by the delicate and gentle girls of the gopis are like a great blow that strikes me now.
Vraja, words like glistening flames that lick those Although Radha had fainted, the sight of Sri
girls’ hearts, makes great flames now torment my Krishna standing on the chariot was mani-
thoughts at every step. fest before Her in Her heart. When Sri Krish-
When I think of the gentle girls of Vraja, who na cast a glance at Her, She did not see Him,
thought, “The girls of Mathura, who soon will for She already saw Him within Her heart.
gaze on Sri Krishna, are very fortunate. Ah! We The gopis cried out, “O Govinda! O Damoda-
yearn to be able to go to Mathura and there gaze ra! O Madhava!” Even now, when I remember
on Sri Krishna also”, and who, in private plac- their words I become filled with grief and no
es felt great embarrassment when they looked longer do I wish to carefully protect my life.
at the limbs of their own bodies, I tremble. Following the path by the Yamuna River, the
At first the gopis did not believe that Sri Krishna cruel-hearted charioteer Akrura took Krishna
would go away to Mathura City. Then, when away. In this way Akrura struck a violent blow
they heard talk that Sri Krishna would soon step against the beautiful gopis. He caused them great
onto the chariot, that talk was like a multitude pain. First the gopis saw Sri Krishna. Then, as the
of thunderbolts falling on their heads. Then the sight of Him and the cowherd men receded into
gopis spoke many bitter words denouncing King the distance, the gopis could not see the group of
Nanda and the cowherd-elders in his assem- cowherd men as a whole. After some moments
bly. The sorrow the gopis felt then now makes the gopis could see only their chariot-flags in the
my heart feel also overwhelmed with sorrow. distance, and then at the end they could see only
“O life-friends, there are many millions of us. Let the dust raised by the moving chariots. With un-
us all together bring back Sri Krishna, the master blinking eyes the gopis watched. It was only the
of our lives. What will our elders do to stop us?” hope that Sri Krishna would return that prevented
Speaking these words, the gopis ran to the place the gopis from ending their lives. Even if Krishna
where Sri Krishna was about to depart. Although did not return immediately, the gopis had faith
they were very gentle by nature, now the gopis that Krishnas promise to return, expressed in a
had become very hard and harsh. The thought letter He wrote to them, would prove to be true.
of the gopis so filled with distress in this way and Although he well knew there would be a delay in
then running to try to forcibly stop Sri Krishna His return to Vraja, a delay already predicted by
from departing and then abjectly failing in that Devarñi Närada, and although he deeply yearned

Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.ibmedu.org

 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 227, Page—7
to return as soon as possible, Sri Krishna did not Våndävana forest, please Me.” The gopis wrote
say anything about the delay in His return. Sri to Sri Krishna: “In the past our eyes were rapt in
Krishna and the gopis exchanged letters, letters gazing at the handsomeness of Your body, our
carried back and forth by Madhumaìgala, letters ears were rapt in hearing the music of Your flute,
the gopis wrote using ink that was red kuìkuma and our bodies attained the glorious wealth that
mixed with their perspiration and black kajjala is Your touch. Now our eyes see that You are far
mixed with their tears. Sri Krishna wrote to away, and our ears hear the horrible news that You
the gopis: “When I have killed Mathuras King have departed from us and our bodies are now far
Kaàsa I will quickly return. After all, how far away from You. Alas! Alas! Wretched is our life!
is Mathura City from the land of Vraja, where Fate has now become our tormentor!”
I killed Vatsäsura and a host of demons? Why Sri Krishna wrote to the gopis: “My eyes have
are you all so unhappy? Please clearly saw what dragged Me away from the chance to gaze at your
you desire. You are all queens and the realm you beauty. My ears have dragged Me away from the
rule is My life’s breath. What do you think of all chance to hear your words. My body has dragged
this? Please tell Me.” Me away from the chance to touch your bodies.
The gopis wrote to Sri Krishna: “O beloved, My senses are not submissive to My wishes. Alas!
now You are departing. After You have killed Alas! O gopé-friends dear as life to Me, How can
Kaàsa and You have accepted a kingship, I tolerate the actions of these rebellious senses?”
why would You return to Vraja? Therefore The gopis wrote to Sri Krishna: “Akrura was
we now place this request before You: In the cruel to us. fate was unkind. Our friends acted like
glorious-in-many-ways holy city of Mathura, a enemies. What more shall we say? Our lives are
city that grants all kinds of benedictions, please now about to enter the realm of death. O master,
offer, in our memory, three palmfulls of water. even after waiting for a kalpa we will not obtain a
Sri Krishna wrote to the gopis: “I do not desire a medicine to cure our disease.”
kingdom. I speak the truth. When I have killed Sri Krishna wrote to the gopis: “Soon I will
Kaàsa and I have pleased the Yädavas, I will return. In My heart I do not think anything to
certainly yearn to return to Vraja. If a black stag contradict these words. Whatever fate brings, I
is tied up, honored like a king, and kept away will never abandon You humble and glorious girls.
from the forest and from his doe-beloveds, will When from time to time You see Me again even
he be happy?” The gopis wrote to Sri Krishna: now, please do not think these are mere dreams,
“In Mathura City are a great variety of pas- as before, when We only seemed to be separated,
time-gardens. There many glorious and fortu- you thought the visions you had of Me were only
nate princesses will, attracted by Your glories, dreams.” In this way the gopis exchanged letters
become Your beloveds. Why would Your heart, with Sri Krishna. In this exchange Sri Radha was
after attaining all this good fortune, wish to stay silent. She wrote no letter. The gopis were now
again amongst us gopé-girls? Will a person who, peaceful. They accepted that Krishna would cer-
after performing many austerities, attains very tainly return. They became rapt in thinking of hun-
wonderful pleasures, wish to place his body dreds of Sri Krishnas pastimes. Again and again
again within the forest?” they sang songs glorifying them. To Radha and
Sri Krishna wrote to the gopis: “It is true that the gopis in the assembly, who were all sorrowful
in Mathura City many pastime-gardens grant all because of the words the narrator Snigdhakaëöha
that could be desired. It is also true that many had just spoken, Snigdhakaëöha said to sorrowful
supremely virtuous and praiseworthy prin- lotus-eyed Radha: O beautiful-eyed Radha, please
cesses gloriously stay in Mathura City. I speak do not take seriously the narration that has just en-
the truth when I say that all the three worlds tered Your ears. Please understand that this a narra-
and all the beautiful goddesses residing in the tion of past events. These events are not happening
three worlds do not please Me as much as the now. Hearing these words, gazing at Sri Krishnas
forest of Våndävana pleases Me and as much as charming and delightful face, and Her sufferings
you gopis, who are the goddesses that reside in now subsided, lotus-eyed Sri Radha washed, for a

www.ibmedu.org Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya

 Issue no 227, Page — 8 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä

long time, with the cool tears flowing from is manifested in Vraja! When I remember
Her eyes, Sri Krishnas lotus-flower feet. After that glory and good fortune, my throat be-
thus celebrating a great festival of blisses, comes again and again choked with tears.
the people of Vraja all returned to their own When, after a long time, Akrura’s chariot, car-
homes. Then Sri Sri Radha-Krishna entered rying Krishna and Balarama, appeared on the
Their enchanting palace. pathway of their eyes, glorious Nanda and the
As Vraja’s King Nanda and the other other cowherd men all became filled with bliss.
cowherd men were preparing their carts, After sitting down together, talking, and af-
Akrura quickly drove his chariot along the firming that providence had always helped
Yamunas northern bank until he reached them, the cowherd men continued on their
a specific holy place by the Yamuna. By journey. Who had the power to describe the
traveling on this path he cheated the people good fortune attained by the travelers that
of Vraja if the opportunity to see him. Not somehow or other saw Krishna and Balara-
understanding this crooked diplomatic ma and the cowherd men As they proceeded
maneuver, the righteous and upright peo- on that journey?
ple of Vraja traveled on the southern part Coming again and again on the paths con-
when they departed for Mathura City. verging on Mathura City, the travelers that
When he stopped to perform his midday somehow or other with their own eyes saw
religious rituals, Akrura had a vision of Lord Krishnas lotus like face became filled
Lord Krishnas wonderful spiritual glories. with wonder and stunned with bliss. They
Overcome by that experience, he could no forgot their own bodies. Krishna and His
longer proceed very swiftly on his journey. entourage entered Mathura City from the
Meanwhile, worried and agitated, and think- south at the place named Devékhara, which
ing, “What happened to them?”, the people was so named because it had once been the
of Vraja waited on the path (for Krishna, residence of many asses. In that place Krish-
Balarama, and Akrura). Please hear from na and the cowherd men stayed.
my mouth a brief description of what hap- Even today all who do parikrama of
pened when Akrura entered the water and Mathura pass by that place in the south.
Krishna and Balarama stayed on the chariot. Touching that place, they all feel wonderful
What glory of the city of Vaikuëöha was bliss. Seeing a beautiful garden there, a gar-
shown then to Akrura! What good fortune den that delighted everyone, Lord Krishna

Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya www.ibmedu.org

 nityaà bhägavata-sevayä Issue no 227, Page—9

personally descended from His chariot. Leaving cakra crossroads and houses seemed to be filled
their carts, the cowherd men again approached with bliss and splendor by the people’s always gaz-
Akrura. Akrura, who is like a jewel among all who ing on Lord Krishna. The made-of-celestial-jewels
know what is their own true self-interest, invited roofs of the houses were like wonderful ornaments
Krishna to stay at his home. Krishna said to him: adorning that city. The charming cooing of the
“At another time I will certainly visit your home.” peacocks and doves was like the pleasing jingling
Krishna then sent Akrura back to his home. Then, of gracefully-moving ankle-bells. Built of a variety
accompanied by His cowherd friends, and placing of building materials, the fences and the walls of
Balarama in front, Lord Krishna, who is- Always the houses, which filled the creator Brahmä with
intent on protecting His saintly devotees, as eve- wonder, were like a great variety of exquisite gar-
ning approached, entered the wonderful city of ments. Made of many effulgent colors, the walls
Mathura, which was filled with celestial music. of the houses glistened like silk garments. The
Then Lord Krishna saw the gates of Mathura City effulgent gardens placed everywhere were like
before Him, gates set with crystal that seemed to a great host of glistening bracelets and armlets.
form a great smile. Above the gates were 100,000 Those gardens always seemed to be offering great
great windows that seemed top be a host of eyes, hosts of fruits and flowers to please Lord Krishna.
unblinking eyes wide with wonder. Above the Lined with many beletnut trees, fruit-filled banana
windows was a great jewel-mosaic roof that trees, and auspicious fill waterpots, every road
seemed to be a forehead above the eyes. The seemed to be filled with ecstasy, the hairs of its
graceful and large topmost portion of the roof body now standing erect.
was like a great crown, a crown that was a festival — Çré Gopäla-Campü of Srila Jiva Gosvami » Translation by Kushakratha
of bliss for the eyes. The 100 arches that formed Dasa.
the gateway were like a series of gracefully raised
eyebrows. A gentle breeze made everything !! Sri Sri Nitai Gaurchandra Jayati !!
tremble. It was as if, by seeing Lord Krishna, ISKCON
everything was trembling in the ecstasy of pure Bhägavata Mahävidyalaya
is a branch of
love for Him. The very splendid, beautiful, and International Society for Krishna Consciousness
artistically-fashioned-by-the architect golden Founder-Acarya: His Divine Grace
A.C. BhaktiVedanta Swami Prabhupada
doors in those gates were like a graceful row of
teeth. When the doors opened, it seemed that Quotations from the books, letters, and lectures of
opened so that the gate’s mouth could recite many His Divine Grace
prayers glorifying Lord Krishnas handsomeness. A.C. Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupada
The decorated-with-gold-and-sapphires cross- ©Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International.
roads and houses past the gates were like many
heart-cakras all splendid with the handsome and ©All the paintings are copyrights of their respective
effulgent presence of Lord Krishna. Those heart- artists.

www.ibmedu.org Bhāgavata Mahāvidyālaya