Saturday, November 17, 2018

GOPASHTAMI - THE AUSPICIOUS DAY LORD SHRI KRISHNA TOOK RESPONSIBILITY OF COWS FOR THE FIRST TIME








JAY SHRI BHAGWAN KRISHNA JI

Let Him in your life. Good things will come.


On Earth cows represent high energy and are endowed with the elements of strength and energetic exertion. There are also elements of great wisdom in cows and they are bestowers of great happiness upon all creatures.

“There is no wealth equal to cows. To talk about cows, to hear others speak about cows, to offer gifts of cows to worthy people and to see cows are all auspicious activities. There is never any inauspiciousness in cows. Anushasana parva of Mahabharatha. 

That country or nation where cows are protected and live without fear of slaughter becomes exalted and the sins of that country are evaporated. 
-Anusasana Parva, Mahabharata




Brahma says in Garga Samhita 
ghosheshu vasinam esham
bhutvaham tvat-padambujam
yada bhajeyam su-gatis
tada bhuyan na canyatha
Oh Krishna, When I take birth as cowherd and when I worship Your lotus feet, then I will attain auspiciousness. Nothing else will be auspicious for me. 




In ancient times the earth, overcome with a burden of many daityas, danavas, and human kings, assumed the form of a cow and, helplessly crying, trembling, and describing her troubles, took shelter of the demigod Brahma.



Mother Yashoda and Rohini, along with the other elderly gopis, waved about the switch of a Cow to give full protection to the child Sri Krishna. 

Gopashtami was the day Nanda Maharaja sent his children Krishna and Balarama to herd the cows for the first time. It was a celebration!. untill then Krishna was taking and tending the cows!.


vrishabhanuh sa ukto yo
dasha-laksha-gavam patih
gavam kotir grihe yasya
nanda-rajah sa eva hi
Garga Samhita -      They say that Vrishabhanu is the master of a million cows and at King Nanda's home are ten million cows.

nandah proktah sa-gopalair
nava-laksha-gavam patih
upanandash ca kathitah
panca-laksha-gavam patih
Krishna says-The gopas say that Nanda is the master of 900,000 cows and Upananda is the master of 500,000 cows


tato gavam gopikanam
mudam kartum sa lilaya
sarvam tu vishva-kric cakre
hy atmanam ubhayayitam
to please the cows and gopis, Lord Krishna, who is the creator of the universes, made Himself into (the calves and boys)
Garga Samhita.


what is gopasatmi? On Gopashtami day, Pujniye Nanda Maharaja performed a ceremony for the cows and Krishna (and His friends) in Vrindavan, as He reached the pauganda age.



Gopashtami is stated in the  Padma Purāṇa “The 8th lunar day of the bright fortnight of the month of ipasi is known by authorities as Gopāṣṭamī. From that day, Lord Vāsudeva served as a cowherd, whereas previously He had tended the calves.


( go-sadhu-devata-vipra
 vedanam rakshanaya vai
tanum dhatte harih sakshad
bhagavan atma-lilaya
" To protect the cows, devotees, demigods, and Vedas, Lord Hari, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, placed His own transcendental form and pastimes in this world"-Garga samhita )


From Gopashtami  onwards, Given charge of the cows, Krishna and Balarama traversed Vrindavan, purifying the land with Their lotus footprints.”

( By protecting cows from fear, one becomes fearless. One should treat cows with great respect.
--Vishnu-dharmottara-purana Part 3, Chapter 291 )

 

“Thus Sri Krishna, along with His elder brother Balarama, passed the childhood age known as kaumara and stepped into the age of pauganda, from the sixth year up to the tenth. At that time,all the cowherd men conferred and agreed to give those boys charge of the cows 

( If 1 delivers a cow from a dangerous situation from being stuck inthe mud or from being attacked by a tiger, 1 obtains the result of performing a horse sacrifice. If 1 treats a sick cow with medicine, 1 becomes cured of his own disease.
Part 3,Chapter.291 of vishnu dharmothara purana )


Krishna tells the gopis "0 mothers,what can I do The cows do not know what to do. Without Me they will not even eat a mouthful of grass."
this is the attachement of Krishna with cows.

There are hundreds of thousands of cows at the palace of Nanda Maharaja (Lord Krishna’s father), and each cow has her own name. Whenever Lord Krishna plays His flute and calls the cows by name, the cows, intelligent and affectionate, come running toward Him.


pashavyam gopa-gopinam
gavam sevyam manoharam
lata-kunjavritam tad vai
vanam vrindavanam smritam Garga Samhita Kanda  
Beautiful Vrindavana forest is known to be an ideal place for the cows, gopas, and gopis, a place filled with vines and groves.


It is said in the scriptures that all the devatas reside in the body of the cow. This  is what makes the Hindus look at it with adoration. 

Sri KrIshna tells Uddhava,“I can be worshiped within the cows by offerings of grass and other suitable grains and paraphernalia for the pleasure and health of the cows...” 

Cows are innocent and harmless Protect themWorship of the cow is accomplished by gently scratching, offering green grass and by circumambulating. By pleasing
the cow, Sri Gopal is also pleased-Gautamiya Tantra



Gopashtami a celebration meant only for men and boys. As gopis wanted to enjoy the fun, they put on his dhoti and garments and joined Krishna. it was a very happy celeberation!. 



Two of Krishna’s principal names are Gopal and Govinda. Gopal means “one who protects the cows”; and Govinda means” one who gives pleasure to the cows”. These names indicate the Lord’s nature and activity.


veda me vacanam vipra
mukham gavas tanur mama
angani devata yuyam
 sadhavo hy asavo hridi
The Vedas are My words. The vedic scholars are My mouth. The cows are My body. devatas are My limbs. My devotees are the life-breath in My heart.
- Krishna says in Garga Samhita


kotishah kotisho gavo
dvari dvari manoharah
shveta-parvata-sankasha
divya-bhushana-bhushitah
where at door after door there were millions of millions of beautiful cows glorious as white mountains, decorated with glittering ornaments, . 

Garga Samhita 

The body of the cow hosts all holy rivers and sacred places. The cow is the source of all nourishment and religious principles. Mahalakshmi resides in the dung of the cow. By offering respect to cows, one captures the four objectives of life (dharma, artha, kama and moksha). 


Lord Krishna said at that time that the cows are worshiped even by the gods, and He practically demonstrated how to protect the cows. At least people who are devotees of Krishna and Shiva should follow in His footsteps and give all protection to the cows and bulls 


shri-bhagavan uvaca
gah palayanti ghosheshu
sada go-vrittayo 'nisham
te gopala maya proktas
tesham tvam lakshanam shrinu
Krishna says in Garga Samhita - They are cowherd people. Day and night they protect the cows in the villages of cowherds. Listen and I will describe them.


Shri Krishna, also celebrated as Govinda, the one who gives pleasure to the cows, and Gopal, the one who takes care of the cows, ever engages Himself in herding and taking care of the cows and bulls in the most magnificent holy land of Bharatavarsha!. 


The word padaiḥ indicates that Lord Krishna blessed the earth by walking on her surface with His lotus feet.Hewore no shoes or other footgear but walked barefoot in the forest,giving great anxiety to the gopis, who feared that His soft lotus feet would be injured.


 It was on Gopashtami, this day that the Lord went out for the very first time with his cowherd boyfriends and taking his innumerous cows he entered the beautiful forests of Vraja filled with fragrant fruits and flowers and honey dripping from beehives. 


Bhagavan Krishna says in Bhagavatam “One cannot appreciate or understand Me without pleasing Me, but one who has seen or pleased Me has nothing more for which to lament for his own satisfaction. (S.B.7.9.53). and the easiest way to please Krishna is to please his cows!
Did You Know?
Sri Krishna's pet bull is named Padmagandha which means
"Lotus Fragrance". Bulls of Dakshin Vrindavan today also emanate a sweet
fragrance from the centre of their foreheads, which smells just
like sugar candy.


Bhgavat says "The cows especially, being much aggrieved from the heavy rain, bowed down their heads, and taking their calves underneath their bodies,they approached Krishna to take shelter of His lotus feet. At that time all the inhabitants of Vrindavan began to pray to Lord Krishna.

The Puranas call Lord Krishna by the name Gokulesvara (the master of Gokula).
Krishna spend his childhood days here before moving to vrindavan. Gokula is Lord Krishna's abode. Gokula is also the abode of cows. Govardhana Hill is the shelter of cows.


Interestingly enough during the govardhan leela,the cowherds pleaded for Krishna to save the cows before they requested Him to save themselves.This demonstrates an important symptom of the cowherds,they put the welfare of the cows before all else, including their own lives.


No one pleases cows as well as Govardhana Hill and thus Krishna declares Himself to be non-different than Him because He manifests the same nature and activity

The gopis of Vrindavan,declare that Govardhan is the best of Krishna’s devotees. They reach this conclusion by noticing that Govardhan is most expert in pleasing the cows as He provides them fresh grass, cool water and shade,and a most wonderful stage for them to rest and cavort .


Entering a great room the size of Mount Meru, Krishna and Balarama cast
glances like showers of nectar.Thirsting to see Their cows,They said,"0 gopa
men,someone should protect the cows as they walk to the right and left of the
pathways."excerpt from bhagvatam.




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