The Brahmanas' Wives Blessed

This chapter describes how the cowherd boys went to the brahmanas performing sacrifice to ask for food, how they were disrespected and how they went to the wives of the brahmanas and gained their affection. After this the brahmanas repented.

The sruti says: hunger is man’s worst enemy. If you can destroy our hunger now, then you will be successful in conquering this enemy. This is their logic.

Wives is in the singular form signifying a class. In order to give mercy (prasidan) to the wives of the brahmanas, he spoke. Some say that the singular is used to indicate one particular wife who would attain the tenth stage of prema. Krsna wanted to show her mercy and was lamenting on her behalf. Prasida has two meanings, giving mercy and lamenting.

To show the brahmanas that he does not give mercy to those who do not have bhakti even though they are endowed with austerity, knowledge and religious principles, and that he gives mercy to those have bhakti, their wives, even though they lack knowledge and austerity, Krsna sent the boys to the brahmanas.

You should ask for rice (yacata), calling out our names. Though they are supposed to be intelligent, they must be woken from deep slumber by calling out our names, calling out Baladeva’s name first. He is more elevated than I, since he is of ksatriya birth. The materialists will give to him out of respect. Even if they give a little, it is acceptable.

5.They approached with folded hands to show their humble attitude, and to obtain some grains. Though they fell on the ground, they appeared more effulgent than the brahmanas who were living the same Vraja.

We are following Krsna’s order. Because he is the son of King Nanda, he has more power than Balarama. We have been sent by Baladeva. We will give him the first rice that we receive.

“We are asking from you some rice.”

“But since Krsna and Balarama are not brahmanas, can we give before the brahmanas have eaten?”

“But they are hungry. There is a saying that those that are hungry should be given food.” Seeing the brahmanas unfavorably inclined and not saying anything, they said, “O brahmanas, if you have faith in Krsna and Balarama, then give, and if you do not, then say “no”, and we will go back. You are the knowers of the highest dharma (dharma vittamah), so what can we say about dharma and adharma to you. Because you remain silent on hearing that Krsna and Balarama are hungry and asking for food, when the whole universe melts with love on hearing their names, we can understand that you are twice born (dvija), just born from two parents.” Calling them best of knowers of dharma actually means they are completely ignorant of dharma.

Since the brahmanas may say that all the food in the sacrifice is inedible because of the scriptural rule that one should not eat food of those participating in sacrifice, the boys said, “From the beginning until the animal is killed this rule applies. But after that there is no fault in taking food.” It is understood from this that the animal was already killed. This applies to all sacrifices except the sautramani sacrifice, in which none of the food can be eaten.

Though the brahmanas were knowledgeable of scripture, why did they not respect Krsna and Balarama? This verse answers. They actually did not know scripture, rather they were ignorant in learning and imparting scripture, and therefore they are criticized with anger for two and half verses. Having only aspirations for insignificant heavenly planets they thought themselves learned ( vrddha), but actually they were only old (vrddha).

Why should one person give his acquired goods to another person, overlooking the rules outlined in scriptures for suitability of place, time and person? This verse answers. Because the brahmanas had material vision (martyatmanah) they thought of Krsna, the para Brahman, as an ordinary human, because he is beyond material senses (adhoksaja), but is visible by mercy. Time, place, the ingredients such as offerings cooked rice etc (prthak dravyam), the usage (tantra) of mantra, the priests , fires, devatas, sponsors, the sacrifice and religious principles were just manifestation of power of a part of part of himself.

The brahmanas did not say “yes”. “How can we give to the cowherds before the brahmanas have eaten?” The brahmanas did not say “No.” They did not refuse the proposal that after the brahamans had eaten they would give the remanants to the cowherd boys. Seeing that Pariksit Maharaj was becoming angry on hearing this, sukadeva said, “O subduer of enemies (parantapa), if you had been there, even though they were the best of brahamans, you would have punished them like enemies.”

Krsna laughed because it was not proper to show anger towards the ignorant brahmanas. He wanted to show that one who aspires for results should not become despondent, that one who begs should not give up. (laukikim gatim).

“Just tell the wives of the brahmanas that we are coming. You do not have to tell them that we are hungry, for if they hear that we are hungry, they will become miserably thinking that we are suffering.”

“But how will they give us food, if we do not tell them you are hungry?”

“Seeing that you are hungry, they will give for us.”

“But their husbands will prevent them.”

“They have great affection for me. They will not consider the obstructions of their husbands, for their minds dwell in me (mayi usita dhiya). They live in their husbands’ houses in body only.”

We have been sent by Krsna (isita).

Hearing Krsna’s name they began to faint in bliss. To bring them back to consciousness, the boys began to explain why they had come to their houses, beginning in a gentle way, and ending boldly. “Krsna and Balarama are not far off (aduram).” Seeing they had become alert on hearing this, the boys then thought of exciting them by mentioning that Krsna and Balarama wanted some food. “Krsna and his friends are suffering from hunger.”

The wives began criticizing their minds on hearing that Krsna was hungry. “ O you low mind, though you have heard that your beloved Krsna is suffering from hunger why did you not wake up from fainting?”

The four types of foods are those that are chewed, sucked, licked and drunk. The foods had been cooked skillfully with taste and fragrance (bahu guna). They went to meet Krsna (abhisasruh), playing the role of illicit lovers. In order to avoid censure for their conduct, they are described as rivers flowing down naturally towards the ocean, because they had heard for a long time about Krsna.

They saw Krsna wearing a yellow cloth (hiranya paridhih). He was decorated with a garland of forest flowers and leaves extending to his feet, with a peacock feather in his top knot, with tilaka and designs of colored clay, with new leaves tucked in his ear and belt. He looked like a theatrical artist. To make known to them his own intentions by his gestures, he is described as having his left arm on the shoulder of a friend and in his right hand he twirled a play lotus. By this he was telling them, with their love for him, that he had accepted their lotus hearts in his hand and would give them bliss. Or he was telling them, “Just see, my lotus heart is turning with bliss. You can conclude this by my actions.” He had water lilies over his ears, and curls of hair falling over his cheeks. He had a lotus smile on his face.

Their ears has become successful by hearing many times (prayah) about the excellent qualities of their beloved, and thus their minds became absorbed in him. Through the doors of their eyes they made him enter and lie upon the lotus bed of their hearts, and embracing him spontaneously (suciram), they decreased their suffering. By that embrace they fainted in bliss, and became one with him. They became relieved of the suffering that arose from absence of his touch, just as the functions of ego embrace the sleeping consciousness, become one with it and become free from all suffering.

Seeing them there in that state (tah tatha), standing stunned with the plates of food in their hands, the witness of all peoples’ intelligence (akhila drg drasta) began laughing and spoke.

Krsna addressed the wives of the brahmanas, who were endowed with the greatest prema, in a similar manner that he addressed the gopis who came for the rasa dance. “Your coming is all glorious (svagatam), because (yad) desiring to see me, and overcoming all obstacles, you have attained me ( or you came here). As I cannot repay you in any way, what can I do? I am simply your debtor. You are more fortunate than I am (mahabhaga). You should stay here for some time, in order to see me.”

Though the wives were full of the highest prema, fulfilling their desires now would not nourish the rasa, and without nourishment of the rasa the pastimes would not be attractive. Thus, though krsna was moved and controlled by their prema, when he began to respond to their love which arose when they saw him, there was a sudden appearance of his aisvarya (showing himself as God) by the agency of the lila sakti, which caused them to return to their homes. Though this aisivarya does not usually appear in the presence of those immersed in prema, it made its appearance for increasing their prema through separation and increasing longing in separation , for the perfection of the pastimes. Bringing the lord’s rati under control, it produced reasoning. Thus the Lord speaks in two verses, according to the mood of aisvarya. “Not only you have become attached to me, but other persons as well have developed affection for me. Who are they? --those who are clever (kusalah). Those who are clever look after their own welfare (svartha darsinah). They had devotion which was without personal motives (ahaituki), without any contaminating obstructions (avyavahita), just as the one has affection for ones own body and husband and other things.”

To let the intelligence operate he introduces the example. “But actually I, the paramatma, the inner seer, am more dear than body, sons, husband and family.” Using logic he sobers the brahmanas’ wives. “Because (yat) of relationship (samparkat) with the paramatma, prana, buddhi, mana, body (sva), and soul, wife, children and wealth become dear. What is more dear than the paramatma (tatah).”

“Because you have heard from Garga and other sages that paramatma is the same as myself, as paramatma I am continuously embracing your bodies. Therefore (tat) return to the sacrifical arena.”

“That may be but how can we return there, giving up you, who are directly the paramatma standing before us?”

“Your husbands need your assistance to complete the sacrifice. The sacrificial acts have been explained by me in the Vedas. Therefore go and perform those activities according to my order, the vedic injunctions. You will be able to see me directly there as well.”

The wives speak just as the gopis endowed with the greatest prema spoke to Krsna before the rasa dance. “You should not speak such harsh words (nrsamsam). The Vedas (nigama) say “na sa punar avartate” (he does not return, having attained your feet.). Make you own words true (mam eve ye prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham).”

“But it is not possible for you to give up your identity as wives of brahmanas.”

They answer, “But we have taken the foot dust of you, a cowherd, to become your servants. No one can say that we identify ourselves as brahmanas. You can prove our words. ”

Krsna said, “Those who are cowherd women are suitable to become my servants and lovers.”

“If you will be embarassed in front of friends with so many brahmani servants, then we will not go to your village, but will remain in the forest of vrndavana like forest devatas, satisfied with a touch of your association.” Therefore they say, “From far off, we take the tulasi leaves fallen from your feet or which, broken by the feet of your lovers embraced by you, fell under the bed, and were given mercifully by your servants. We bind them in our hair. We do not aspire for being your dear beloved servants, since that is very rare.”

“But will your friends not object?”

“If they do, we will surmount that, and come to you (atilanghya).”

“From our youth we have heard about the sweetness of your form and qualities from the women garland makers and betel nut sellers of Vrndavana. Having fallen in love with you, neglecting our household duties, our husbands, being doubtful, have dissociated themselves from us.” With this in mind they speak this verse. “After this, they will not accept us in the house.” Suta refers to their married sons. Anye refers to neighbours. Weeping they touched their heads to his feet and said with choked voices, “As we have no other shelter, you should do something. Oh killer of enemies (arindama), please vanquish the evil enemies which prevent us from attaining you.”

“Because you are in love with me, you should do what will please me. You should not do something which is not desired by me. Do not be stubborn, but return to your homes.”

But they would answer, “Oh best of the ignorant! Having disobeyed our husbands and treating them like grass, leaving the house, if we return, they will prevent us from entering. Angry, they will threaten to kill us.”

Krsna answers with this verse. “Your husbands will not find fault with you. There is no use in unfounded fears. What to speak of others, such as mothers and fathers. Why? They will not find fault even if you were to intimately associate with me (which you have not done now) , because they know that I am the Lord. Your husbands, seeing the devatas at the sacrifice, will ask them, and they will also approve. The wise men and devatas have also approved of me, the supreme Lord, in this matter.”

“Will our desires ever be fulfilled?” Asking this with tears in their glancing eyes, they then listened to his answer. “Direct contact with me in this world of men will not produce love or increase attraction for me. Longing in separation will create more intense attraction to me. Therefore (tat), absorb your minds in me and you will attain me soon.”

Hearing Krsna’s words, they understood his wish and they left. However the gopis of the rasa dance, though understanding his word and desire, remained with Krsna. From this it is understood that in prema, there is certainly never any loss.

At that sacrificial arena (tatra) there was one brahaman lady situated at the back, who was forcibly held by her husband. She gave up her body produced by material karma, not her body filled with prema. She embraced Krsna with a body filled with prema, attained by strong desire in separation. Unseen by others, she assumed her spiritual body and quickly left that place to meet Krsna. Having given up husband and other objects of attachment, is it surprising that someone also gives up the material body to meet Krsna? In order to show the strength of prema, the lord’s mercy made her give up the material body at the time of meeting Krsna and receive a spiritual body of prema.

Like a touchstone, this action transformed the other wives’ material bodies into spiritual bodies as well. Thus, from that day onward, they did not associate intimately with their husbands. What is not possible for Krsna’s krpa sakti? One cannot say whether the one brahmana lady was superior in her bhakti to the others or not, since there is no indication given in scripture. But in any case, all became perfected by the mercy of Krsna. That is clear. There is a saying: krpasiddha yajna panti vairocani sukadayah (The wives of the brahmanas, Bali maharaja, Sukadeva and others are all krpa siddha.)

As he is bhagavan, possessor of all powers, in front of him the brahmana woman gave up her material body. But as govinda, her senses (ga) attained him (vindati) for pleasure, unseen by others. That is the significance of the word “api” in this verse.

With that food, which was actually insufficient to feed the great number of boys (tena eva annena), he (prabhu--most wealthy and merciful) satisfied them all. The ka in gopakan indicates his merciful attitude towards them. Though he had no desire to eat, he also ate to show mercy to the cowherd boys. That is the significance of svayam ca (he also). He had no desire to eat because he was feeling remorse at having made the brahmanas’ wives break their vows.

In this way, Krsna did not directly enjoy with the wives of the brahmanaas, but he did enjoy with the wives of the cowherd men. This is the intention of this verse. Lila nara vapu means that Krsna had a human-like body for expressing his pastimes. It indicates that because of the predominance of the lila sakti over other saktis such as sayta sankalpa sakti (fulfillment of his desires), the pastime with the brahmanas’ wives did not culminate in direct enjoyment.

Having the cows, cowherd men and women follow him (anusilayan), by his form, words and actions, he increased their bliss, and enjoyed himself. Gopi here refers to the young gopis rather than those endowed with parental affection because of the time and context of the verse. The opinion that Krsna did not enjoy with anyone before the rasa dance is defeated in this verse. Sukadeva indicates: “Krsna performed many pastimes similar to the rasa dance with the women of Vraja, but these were unmentioned by me.”

The brahmanas remembered Krsna constantly and were repentant because of the auspicious presence of their wives. This verse speaks of their repentance. “Because (yat) we have ignored the request of the lord of the universe we are offenders.” What was type of lord? “He and Balarama were ones who bewildered us (nr vidambayoh) in begging food.”

Though the women were their wives, they regarded them as their gurus, and they criticized themselves since they had no devotion. The bhakti of their wives was impossible to see in ordinary society (alaukikam).

Our triple birth—from the womb, by gayatri and by initiation into the sacrifice—are all useless. Our vrata of celibacy is useless. Our expertise in daily and occasional duties (nitya and nimittika kriya) are all useless, because we have been inimical to Krsna (adhoksaja).

If the yogis who practice astanga yoga also become bewildered, what can be said of us, involved in so much karma? Although we give instructions to others (guravah), we have been bewildered by maya concerning the real goal of our lives.

“Though we are husbands or fathers-in-law and act as guru, the women have become successful and we have fallen in the blind well.” That is expressed in this verse. “They possess a love for Krsna which is impossible for us to understand (duranta bhavam). Just see their prema directed towards Krsna (pasyata).” Ha indicates that the the women had symptoms of choked voice, shivering hairs standing on end and change of color.

“But it is improper for women to show love to those other than their husbands.”

“Though the women should regard their husbands as guru, what can one say when the guru of the universe appears directly before them? This love for the guru of the universe immediately cut the bondange of death, attachment to husbands, sons and house. As we no longer see those attachments in them, they are our gurus.” In this way the husbands began thinking of their wives as gurus, not as their wives.

“We cannot understand the reason for the extraordinary development of love for Krsna seen in our wives.” That is the intention of this verse. “They did not perform upanayana samskara, living as brahmacari in the guru’s asrama, perform austerities, meditate on the soul, or perform auspicious rites. But Krsna alone, who is the lord of the best yogis, knows and causes this”.

The cause of their bhakti was hearing about the form, qualities and activities of Krsna from the mouths of the garland makers and other women of Vraja. But because the brahmanas did not know this, they did not mention it. This is Sukadeva’s intention here.

“What mercy the Lord shows, and what selfishness we have.” That is what they express in this verse.

“As he is full in his desires, ever satisfied what need does he have of us? It cannot be anything else except causless mercy (anyatha). The lord begging for food is demeaning for him. It is a criticism of our material activities (vidambanam).”

46.”Krsna begged rice because he was hungry, not to show mercy. And you should not say that he is ever satisfied, because he performs activities like herding cows for some purpose.” This verse answers these objections. “The goddess of wealth constantly (asakrt) worships him, giving up her natural tendency of fickleness (satma dosasya apavargena), but still he asks for food. That is bewildering to people like us. We think he is not the Lord because of such actions.”

The bewilderment is further explained in this verse.

They pay their respects to Krsna feeling pained by the offense they committed towards him.

Feeling very low, the brahamans asked forgiveness from the Lord.

Why did the brahmanas not surrender to Krsna just then, by going to the forest of asoka trees, or later, by going to Vraja. This verse answers. At that moment, they were bewildered by grief and guilt and they were not in common agreement. Thus they did not go to the asoka grove. After some time passed, in the evening, when they agreed that they would go to Vraja, they could not go. The word “ca” indicates they made movements to go, but could not. Suddenly it occurred to all of them at the same time that Kamsa was present. They were afraid that Kamsa, hearing through messengers that they were going to Vraja, would kill them. However, fear of being killed did not create an obstacle for the wives to see Krsna. The reason was their prema. It should be understood that the shadow of fear in the brahmana’s minds that prevented them from meeting Krsna was caused by Krsna’s potency of maya.