Simply you love Krsna

Govinda dasi: Could you describe Krsna’s pastimes as cowboy whenever He goes out in the morning with the cowherds boys?

Prabhupada: You have no experience here in your country. Have you got any experience? But in India we have got experience how in the morning the cowboy takes some food from the mother and with the cows he goes to the field. The cows are let loose on the grazing ground. They are enjoying, and this cowboy is sometimes singing. The flute, Krsna’s flute is because He is cowboy. The cowboys still play in that flute. In India you’ll find. Because the cows are let… They are doing their own work, and what this boy will do?

They are playing. There are many cowherds boys, they are playing. Sometimes playing on flutes, sometimes sporting, sometimes eating. So Krsna was exactly doing like that. All the cowboy friend went with Him. Krsna was, of course, a very rich man’s son. His father was very rich. So He used to take with Him very nice foodstuff, lugdoo, kacauri. And other, His poor friends, they were taking capatis, dry capatis. (laughs) So they were enjoying, dividing, “Your food, my food, his food.” And some-times there was some trouble in the forest because Kamsa was after Krsna to kill Him. He was sending his assistants. So some asura would come, Bakasura, Aghasura, and Krsna would kill. And the boys would return and narrate the story to their mother. “Oh, my dear mother! Such and such thing happened and Krsna killed it! Very…” (laughter) The mother will, “Oh, yes, our Krsna is very wonderful!” (laughter) So Krsna was their enjoyment. That’s all. The mother is speaking of Krsna, the boy is speaking of Krsna. So therefore they did not know anything but Krsna. Krsna. Whenever there is some trouble, “Oh Krsna.” When there is fire, “Oh, Krsna.” That is the beauty of Vrndavana. Their mind is absorbed in Krsna. Not through philosophy. Not through understanding, but natural love. “Krsna is our village boy, our relative, our friend, our lover, our master.” Some way or other, Krsna. That is the beauty. Therefore Sukadeva Gosvami is describing the playing of the boys.

ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya dasyam gatanam para-daivatena mayasritanam nara-darakena sakam vijahruh krta-punya-punjah [Bhag. 10.12.11]

“Oh, these boys playing with Krsna, they have attained this position, oh, after, I mean to say, accumulating many, many births pious activities.” Krta-punya punjah. Just like a man collects dollar, dollar, dollar, dollar, dollar, and one time he amasses money, say, millions of dollars. Similarly, Sukadeva Gosvami is describing that these boys who are playing with Krsna, they have amassed their pious activities for millions and billions of births. Because with whom they are playing? They’re playing, ittham brahma-sukhanubhutya… Satam. The stalwart philosophers who are after brahma-sukha, brahmananda. So that brahmananda is here, Krsna. And dasyam gatanam para daivatena. And for the devotees, He is the Supreme Lord. And mayasritanam nara-darakena. Those who are covered in maya, for them He is ordinary human boy. And with Him these boys are playing. They have amassed pious activities of many, many millions of births. Otherwise it was not possible. So they do not know Krsna is God. They do not know. But their affection for Krsna is so great and nice that it is inexplicable. They were playing, Krsna is defeated. Oh, Krsna has to take the friend on His shoulder. Yes, because He was defeated. So Krsna is accepting, “Yes, come on My shoulder.” So this Krsna-lila, that also one who tries to understand and understands, they are also like those boys who have amassed pious activities of many, many births. It is not ordinary thing. Yes. And mayasritanam nara darakena. Those who are under the clutches of maya, they will think these Krsna’s pastimes, “What is this? What is this? Krsna conscious persons, they are enjoying about Krsna’s going to the field with some cows?” Yes. Just like one of our students, that Ranacora. He asked me, “Swamiji, how is that God has become a cowherd boy?” Yes. Because ordinary people, they are thinking God must be so great, so great, great, that they cannot conceive. And that great personality, how He becomes a cowherd boy playing with cowherd boys? Yes. Brahma also became astonished, and therefore he came to check “Whether He is my Lord or not?” (laughter) Yes. Bewildered. Muhyanti yatra surayah. The Bhagavata says therefore, even the great personalities like Brahma, they are also bewildered to understand the personality. He, Brahma also heard that at Vrndavana Krsna has appeared and He is acting as a cowherd boy. He was also astonished. “Oh, my Lord? He has become a cowherd boy?” So he came to check. He, I mean to say, took away all the cowherd boys and cows and everything. And after a few seconds he came, he said Krsna is playing in the same way. And although the, I mean, stolen cowherd boys and cows they, by the, I mean to say, energy of maya, by influence of Brahma, they were kept in a secret cave. They were sleeping. But Krsna is playing. That means He has manifested again with the cowherd boys and cows. Then he was convinced, “Yes, He is my Lord.” Then Brahma-stava is there. Ananda cinmaya rasa pratibhavitabhis tabhirya eva nija-rupataya kalabhih. So Krsna can expand in many, many thousand times. What Brahma will do by stealing His… No, that is not possible. So Brahma was also convinced. These things you’ll find in the Srimad-Bhagavatam. Brahma-vimohana. Even Brahma is bewildered, what to speak of ordinary men like us. So Krsna-lila, to understand… There is no need of understanding. Simply you love Krsna, then the whole business finished. Just like if you touch fire, if you understand it or not understand it, the warmness is there. Similarly, either you understand Krsna or do not understand Krsna, it doesn’t matter. Simply if you love Krsna, then your life is perfect. That’s all.

Room Conversation
with His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
April 11, 1969, New York