The Rainy Season and Autumn in Vrindavana

In the twentieth chapter Sukadeva , describing the beauty of the monsoon and autumn seasons, shows the excellent qualities of the sky, rivers and forests through various analogies.

The inhabitants thought of Krsna and Balarama as the best of the devas. Hearing of their extraordinary strength, they were still not aware that they were God because of their strong bond of love. Their exploits nourished the sweet relationship even more. Nowhere is it stated that the parent’s love decreased. This would have happened had they been aware of Krsna and Balarama as god.

When summer finally passed, with the rains, new plants and other entities took birth. Everything which had dried up became renewed with life. Pravrt means rain. Paridhih (circumference) refers to the disks of the sun and moon. They became especially bright (vidyutman). The sky began to rumble (visphurjitam).

When the sky became covered with dense clouds mixed with thunder and lightning during the rains, it was like Brahman covered by the material gunas. Brahma here indicates the soul of the whole universe (ksirodasayi). The clouds with thunder and lightning are compared to the three gunas-sattva, raja and tama. In its natural state the sky is without contamination, uncovered, in which the clouds become situated. Thus the sky is like the Lord. This Brahman is suitable for the yogis as their worshippable object.

The sun (parijanya) by is rays (svagobhih) draws water from the earth for eight months. When the time (kale) arrives, the sun returns the water. The sun is the king of the earth; the water is the tax. Drawing up the water is taking the taxes. The rain of the clouds is the king’s gift back to the citizens. The sun is compared to a king because it takes and gives water just like the king takes taxes and gives benefits.

The clouds agitated by the winds(svasana) released water (jivanam-life) on the earth. The clouds are compared to merciful benefactors (karuna). As clouds are agitated (vepitah) by the wind, the merciful person is moved by the suffering of the people. Seeing the suffering of others, those merciful persons such as Rantideva give up (mumucuh) their life (jivanam), or the water that keeps them alive and give it others. This is how the merciful person is compared with the cloud.

In this verse the body is compared to the earth. The earth is dried up by the sun. The tapasvi becomes rewarded (mida) by the devas. The earth becomes sprinkled (mida) with water (showers of rain), as the body of tapasvi becomes nourished (varsiyasi) by devas. The earth swells up. As the body of a person desiring material results becomes nourished on attaining his desires,, so the earth becomes nourished by the rains. This example is repugnant to the devotee striving for the ultimate goal.

In this verse pasanda means pasanda sastra. The fire flies replace the sparkling planets and stars, as atheistic scriptures become prominent in kali yuga. This verse also uses a negative example.

The cranes begin calling out on hearing the thunder, just as the pupils, on hearing the call of the teacher, begin reciting their lessons. This is a positive example.

Though the rivers in summer have little water, in the rainy season they become difficult to cross, and cause disturbance to others. For one who does not follow the rules of scripture (sva tantrasya), the assets of the body-youth, ability knowledge –and the material assets like control of fifty villages--become a cause of disturbance for others. This is a negative example.

The earth appeared green from the fresh sprouts of green (haribhi) grass (saspaih). In some places it appeared reddish because of the small red insects. The white mushrooms were like umbrellas. The earth then appeared like the wealth of a king displayed as his troops dressed in various colors with parasols. This is a positive comparison.

The proud man says ,”Farming is a low job which I cannot do.” But when the fields yield their wealth in crops he regrets, “If I had done some farming I would get wealth during the rainy season.” In this way the fields give joy to the farmer, and pain to the lazy man, because such a person does not understand that his suffering is under the law of karma. Similarly, seeing the man on nivrtti marga attain liberation, the man performing pravrtti marga laments. This example is not attractive to the devotee.

13.Abibhran means to take on . Just as all people become suddenly beautiful on performing devotional service to the Lord, since it is the supreme dharma and gives the highest results, so in the rainy season, the forms of animals and plants become attractive.

This is a positive example.

The Sindhu river mixing with the smaller rivers becomes disturbed with turbulent waves. The use of masculine gender for sindhu instead of feminine is traditional usage. The desires in the yogi’s heart (kamasktam) are compared to the waves. The desires arise from the contact with the material objects (guna yuk), just as the waves arise from the merging of the smaller rivers.

Though struck by torrents of water, the mountain does not shake, but rather becomes beautiful, being washed of dirt. The devotee afflicted by pains caused by body, mind or other entities is not disturbed because his mind is absorbed in the Lord (adhoksaja citta). Bhagavatam says: material pains cannot disturb the devotee absorbed in me 3.25.23.

Rather, that devotee remains free of pride envy and other bad qualities because of his humble attitude. Such difficulties are welcomed by the devotee.

Not studying the scriptures is compared to the unclean paths. Scriptures being lost due to time is compared to the paths overgrown with grass. The scriptures and the path are both defiled. This is unfavorable for the brahmanas.

Though a man may have good qualities such as intelligence, he cannot hold a prostitute’s attention for long. Similarly the lightening does not remain for long with the cloud. This is a negative analogy.

Just as the Lord, though without material gunas (agunavan) appears in the material world to perform pastimes, so the rainbow without a string (nirguna) appears in the akasa, which has the quality of sound (gunini). (This is a play on words.)

The moon does not shine, being covered by the mist which is itself illuminated by the moon, just as the Lord (purusa) is not visible, being hidden by his avidya sakti , which arises from himself. This is a good example for the jnanis.

20.Happy to see the approaching clouds, hearing the rumbling of thunder, the peacocks begin to call loudly This is just like the vaisnava grhastha who after hearing the songs of the vaisnavas begins to sing and dance in bliss. This example is suitable for devotees.

As the trees become filled with various forms such as sprouts, leaves, and flowers during the rainy season, so the tapasvi, by enjoying material objects, nourishes him body. This of course is unfavorable for those practicing detachment.

The cranes dwell intently on the lake shores, though littered with mud, thorns and weeds. This is similar to the materialistic person dwelling in the house in spite of so many disturbances there. This example is unfavorable.

Indra, thinking himself the Lord, pours down excessive rain and causes disturbance, as by the influence of Kali, the materialists destroy dharma. . Kali is compared to Indra, the activities of the materialists to the rains, and the destruction of vedic dharma to the destruction of dikes. This is an unfavorable example.

Just as a king or head merchant (vitpatayah) inspired by purohits (dvijeritah ) fulfils everyones desires (asisah), so the clouds, incited (nunna) by the winds, release rain. The analogy with the king is positive.

The description of the rainy season having been completed, now a description of Krsnas pastimes in the monsoon forests is described in seven verses. Krsna entered the forest of Vrnda which was flourishing (varsistham) with ripe date and jambu trees.

The milk flowed from the udders of the cows (snuta stanih) out of extreme motherly (vasalya) affection for Krsna.

In the monsoon forests Krsna saw the joyful pulinda women. He saw honey flowing from the trees, waterfalls flowing from the mountains, and far off caves, which appeared to be close from the echoing sound.

When it rained all around (abhi varsati) Krsna would run and enter the hollow of a tree or a cave and amuse himself by eating radish. There are two types of radish: round ones and long ones.

People from his house brought food to a place called “Chak” . Krsna sat on a stone slab near the water. Even today people can see that eating place on the bank of a kunda.

Here begins the description of the autumn season in eight verses. In the autumn season the water became clear, the wind became peaceful.

Because of the autumn season, during which the lotuses bloomed, the waters became clear, just like by practice of bhakti seva the heart becomes purified and the lord appears. The autumn season is compared to the bhakti seva, the lake to the heart, and the appearance of Krsna is compared to the lotus. This is a positive example.

The autumn season removed the clouds in the sky, the crowded living conditions, the mud from the earth and the cloudy water. This is like bhakti, arising through devotional association, removing the suffering arising in the performance of duties of the four asramas. By becoming qualified for bhakti, the person is not obligated to perform the asrama duties.

As bhakti removes the suffering of the brahmacari in serving a karmi guru by herding cows and other servcie, so the autumn season removed the clouds in the sky. As bhakti removes the suffering of the grhastha when he ahs to associate with family members on occasion of sraddha rites, so the autumn season removes the suffering of living together in close quarters because of rain, and everyone is free to go where he pleases. As bhakti removes the suffering of the vana prastha who keeps dirt on his body, the autumn season removes the mud from the earth. As bhakti removes the suffering of the sannyasi who struggles to meditate on the Brahman (kleso’dhikaratas tesam avyaka sakta cetasam), so the autumn season removes dirty from the water. This is a positive series of analogies.

The munis who give up desires for sons, wealth and followers (tyaktaisanah) develop a pure heart. Similarly the clouds, expelling all their rain, assume a pure white color. This is a positive analogy.

Jnanamrtam here refers to teachings about the Supreme Lord. Jnaninah are such devotees as Narada, Jada Bharata and Prahlada. They gave knowledge to the hunter, Rahugana, and the children of the demons, and not to others. They give to those fortunate souls who have desire to know. In a similar way only in some canals in the autumn season is there clear water from the mountains.

As a foolish man attached to his famiiy does not realize that his lifespan is decreasing at every moment, fish play in the shallow water, not realizing that it is decreasing at every moment. This is a negative analogy.

As one who has to support a large family suffers poverty, so the fish in scarce water must endure suffering of the sun’s heat. In the previous verse a wealthy family man was described whereas here the negative effects of a poor family man are described. Or this verse can be taken to describe the suffering of the attached family man described in the previous verse.

As the intelligent person gives up everything unrelated to the soul, paramatma and Krsna (anatmasu), that is everything related to the body, false ego and possessiveness, and tries to develop attachment to Krsna, so the fields water bodies give up a dirty state and plants give up their unripe state.

As the muni with motionless mind stops chanting the Vedas (vy uparata agama). with the coming of autumn, the ocean becomes motionless and stops roaring. This refers to a place called Satovasa, west of Mathura. This is a positive comparison.

??Satovasa has connection with ocean??

The farmers preserves the water flowing from the fields with dykes, as the yogi preserves his consciousness from flowing away due to distraction of the senses, but stopping up the senses. This is a positive comparison.

As knowledge takes away suffering due to bodily identification, as Mukunda takes away the suffering of the women of Vraja, so the moon takes away the heat of the sun.

As the heart endowed with knowledge (darsanam) from the conclusion of the Vedas (sabda brahmartham), endowed with excellence (sattva yuktam) shines brightly, so the moon in the sky with the stars , free from clouds, shines bright. The sky is compared to the heart, the freedom from clouds is compared to excellence. The autumn season is compared to the Vedas. The stars are compared to niskama karma, jnana and tapayoga. The moon, the chief of the stars, is compared to bhakti. This is a positive comparison.

The full moon (akhanda mandala ) is compared to svayam bhagavan , lord of the Yadus. He is surrounded by the vrsnis (vrsn cakra) such as Nanda, Upananda, Vasudeva and Akrura. Theses are compared to the stars in the sky. This is a favorable comparison for meditation.

The wind of the autumn season is not too hot and not too cold (sama sitosna). By embracing this wind, everyone was relieved of heat, except the gopis, because they were suffering due to separation from Krsna. Instead of decreasing their suffering, it increased it. In order to preserve the sequence of analogies in this verse some explain the verse as follows. Just like the gopis , whose hearts had been stolen by Krsna, embraced him to get back their hearts, but could not, so the other people embraced the wind and got relief from the heat.

The cows, does and female birds, though unwilling, were forcibly engaged in copulation by their mates (sva vrsaih) and became pregnant. This is compared to the worship of the Lord (isakriya), which, though performed without desire for results, yields many material advantages, like happiness and enjoyment.

Kumut means kumuda, the night blooming lotus. These lotuses are compared to the thieves (dasyu), and this is suggest by the sound ku (low class), mut (joy) , joyful among the fallen. Just as all except the thieves are happy when the king sits on the throne, when the sun rises up, all lotuses except the night blooming lotus open up.

Agrayana refers to a vedic sacrifice of offering up the new grains. The smrti scriptures say: navanna should not be performed on the nanda tithi, not while Visnu is sleeping (caturmasya period), not during the waning phase of the moon, or during the months or kartika or pausa. Therefore, actually this ceremony does not occur during kartika month but rather in agrahayana month after the utthana ekadasi. However, because it takes place right next to the autumn season it is said to take place during the autumn. Aindriyaih refers to sacrifices for Indra to satisfy the senses. This description took place before the year in which Krsna stopped Indra worship. The earth (bhuh ) is a sakti (kala) of Hari. Just as, by the mercy of Krsna and Balarama (abhyam) the earth, a sakti of the lord, became resplendent, so the earth became resplendent with the festivals of navanna and worship of Indra in the villages.

Hari also means the moon. Harer kalabhyam means by the phases of the moon. Just as the earth became splendid with the festivals held by the king celebrating the phases of the moon on the first and second tithis of the waxing moon as it rose in the evening, so the earth became resplendent with the many festivals held by the villages.

The merchants, sages ,kings, and students who were confined to their rooms by the rain, went out of their rooms when the rain stopped (varsa ruddha) and attained respectively their goals (arthan)-- money, independence, power and knowledge, just as the perfect beings, when the life span is finished, at the time of death (kale), attain the body of an associate (pindan) of the Lord (sva ).