Worshipping Govardhana Hill

In the twenty fourth chapter, Krsna discusses with his father, and, stopping the sacrifice to Indra, introduces the worship of Govardhana.

Nanda and his brothers, arriving at the cow pastures, began engaging other cowherd men in the preparations for a sacrifice to Indra. Krsna arrived there and observed the men busy in the preparations.

2.Because he had seen the sacrifices many times in the past he knew all about them. Though as paramatma (arvatma) he inspired others to perform the sacrifice, he began asking about it for the interest of pastimes. He is called sarva darsana because he could see in the future the breaking of Indra’s pride and pastimes with his devotees for seven nights in the future.

If the answer is given, “We are about to perform a sacrifice. We are busy preparing for this.” Then he would ask, “What is the purpose of this sacrifice? Who is the devata to be worshipped through this sacrifice ? who will perform, and with what materials?”

“What is the purpose of the questions of a boy like you?”

“I have a great desire to know (mahakama).” Or the meaning can be “As you are showing great expectations, therefore please tell me because I want to hear.”

Someone may say, “As this is a secret affair, we should not tell a small boy with little intelligence.” Thus Krsna utters statements which reveal that he is very learned. “Those who are of good character see all other people on the same level as themselves. They do not see in terms of distinctions of self and others, including friends, enemies and neutrals. Such persons do not hide any actions from me.”

“But we are grhasthas, and cannot follow such standards.”

To answer that objection he says, “One should give up those who are apathetic as if they were enemies.” Ujvalanilamani defines the tatastha or neutral person as “the friends of the opposing group.” The neutral person is not an enemy or a friend, and should not be avoided nor accepted. Therefore he is included among those to be avoided.

“But one should have faith in the friend as ones very self. I am more than a friend; I am an intimate.”

One should do ones activities by first understanding thoroughly, taking the advice and intelligence of ones intimate associates, rather than do things by imitation or custom. Activities refers to the worship and sacrifices that the farmers should perform, as well the the present and future results.

If someone says, “We are performing this after considering very carefully with knowledge,” he replies in this verse with another question. “Has the future result (kriya yoga) been considered according to scripture, or according to local custom?”

This is a local custom. In this verse Nanda maharaja gives the logic for the worship. Indra showers down rain which is pleasing and giving life to entities such as grass.

Tata is an address to his son with affection. The hint is: “Through the mercy of devatas like Indra, I have attained a qualified son like you. Therefore you should not oppose this action. ” In this sacrifice, there should be not false pride. This sacrifice is accomplished through materials created by Indra’s rain, just as worship of the Ganga is performed using Ganga water.

People sustain their lives by the remnants of food from the sacrifice. Their lives are not meant for enjoying, but for attaining the goals of dharma, artha and kama. From rain comes grains, from grains comes sustenance of life, from sustenance of life comes dharma, from dharma comes effort and action. Because the clouds are the root of the artha, dharma and kama, we should worship the lord of the clouds, Indra.

This verse speaks of the fault of not worshiping Indra. If one gives up dharma out of personal desire, out of greed of personal profit or from fear of others, or hatred of the devatas, it will not be beneficial now or in the future.

The aim of inciting Indra’s anger was to break his pride, to start the annual festival of Govardhana worship, and to live together with his dear devotees for seven days. These are successive reasons for Krsna’s words.

In order to show pastimes as a human being Krsna used logic to stop the sacrifice to Indra. He took shelter of karma vada (condemned by the devotees) and excluded worship of the devatas.

But how can inanimate karma alone give results? There must be a dispenser of the results of action, a lord. This verse answers this objection. If such a lord exists, he must give results to those who perform actions. Then he makes his logic stronger by negation. That lord cannot give results to a person who does not do action.

The devatas have no function at all; they are like the nipples on the neck of a goat. Thus, he says that there is no need to worship Indra because people are simply reaping their inevitable karma. There may be an objection,”Action can not take place unless the supersoul instigates it. Thus, how can you say that the devatas have no function?”

“The supersoul inspires the soul in order to perform actions dictated by his previous impressions (svabhava), and for no other purpose. As it is impossible to do anything except those actions decitated by previous impressions, what can worship of Indra do? It can have no effect.”

This verse elaborates the idea presented in verse 15. The living entities are dependent on their previous impressions. Actions of this life are undertaken according to those impressions (svabhava). There is no necessity of supersoul giving results.

Action, based on previous impressions, gives all results. Therefore it is worshippable. That is the intention of this and half the next verse.

Karma should be respected (sampujayet). Though karma in general should be respected, karma as the cause is also proved through scripture. Those situated in their varna such as brahmanas, perform actions according to that varna (svakarmakam).

“But how can there be success of a sacrifice where ingredients are offered to the devatas without accepting the devatas?”

“The devatas are only karmanga, secondary assistants to the karma itself, according to the philosophy of hetuvad (causality). In this way the devatas are reconciled. Karma, by which we live happily, is our deity.”

In this verse he speaks of the effects of not doing as he advises.

“The means by which we maintain our lives is our devata.” To give examples he speaks of others. “For the brahmanas the vedic scriptures are the devata. For the ksatriya the earth is the deavata. For the vaisya agriculture, trade, and other occupations are the devatas. For the sudras the higher castes are the devatas.”

Because Nanda and the others were vaisyas, though he mentioned vaisyas in the previous verse, he describes the vaisya in more detail in this verse. “The occupations of the vaisya are four: agriculture, trade, raising cows and lending money. Among those occupations we are raising cows continuously. Even during times of hardship we have not resorted to the alternative occupations. Thus for us cows are the devatas.”

Someone may object that even raising cows is dependent on Indra. In two verses, this is defeated using atheistic sankhya arguments. By the mode of passion the universe is created, and men and women unite to produce offspring.

As the clouds by the influence of the mode of passion disperse water everywhere-on the ocean, rocks, and desert—the dispersal is not dependent on anything else.

The meaning of govardhana is “that which nourishes the cows.” Since govardhana nourishes the cows, the cowherds occupation is dependent on it. Therefore it is worshippable. This is explained in two verses. Our house is not in the city or village. Because we move around herding cows our house is the forest and mountains.

The blessings of the brahmanas give directly perceivable results to us, therefore we should worship them as well the cows and govardhana. Having convinced Nanda and others, Krsna speaks this verse. “Let us perform this sacrifice using the ingredients meant for Indra (sambhara).”

Paka refers to rice and vegetables which are cooked. Supantah refers to hot soups and payasadayah refers to cool items. Samyavah refers to sweets made of wheat flour. Sarva doha refers to the products of the cow such as milk and yoghurt that all the vrajavasis possessed.

Krsna speaks this verse in order to make the sacrifice splendid and to produce faith in everyone. “Have the brahmanas perform sacrifices and offer them food and cows along with money.”

In order to make everyone in Vraja down to the lowest castes favorable to his proposal he speaks this verse. “Feed everyone from the brahaman vaisnavas to the dogs and candalas. Cows should be worship by feeding grass, and Govardhana should be woshipped through offering sandalwood and flowers etc .(bali).”

This sacrifice will be dear to me (mahyam).

Bhagavan, addressed as kalatma (the force of destruction), indicates that he would destroy the sacrifice to Indra. Hearing the words of the lord, kalatma, who desired to destroy the pride of Indra, Nanda and the cowherd men accepted his proposal.

The cowherd men, made diligent by Krsna (adrta), offered to the brahmanas and govardhana (giridvijan) the items meant for the worship of Indra (balin). They offered grass to the cows (gavam). Putting the cows before them, the circumambulated Govardhana.

Yoking bulls on the oxcarts and getting in the carts, the cowherd men and women went around the hill. While the brahmanas intoned blessings, they also sang the glories of Krsna.

In order to show the superiority of the sacrifice instituted by himself, and increase the faith of all those present, Krsna assumed the form of the deity of the hill. He assumed a form with all senses (rupam) which was like a second mountain resting on top of govardhana (anyatama). By this act, the cowherd men had faith that Krsna was identical to govardhama (gopa visrambhanam). “I am the lord of this place. Being pleased with your devotion, I have appeared. Please ask for anything you desire.” Saying this he then accepted the offerings (bali), whether from far or near, offered by the inhabitants living in Nanda gram indirectly through meditation, or by those present at Govardhana directly, from as far off as hundred of thousands of meters away, using long hands. Giving bliss to all present, he ate the food.

Krsna then paid obeisances to the hill who was himself, along with the inhabitants of Vraja. Then he made a statement in one and half verses. “See how this hill has been merciful to us. He, taking any form he wishes (such as snakes), will kill those who disrespect this sacrifice. Therefore (hi) we should offer respects to him.”

Krsna cited atheistic, mimansa and sankhya philosophy in order to stop the sacrifice to Indra. These are not the philosophies of the devotee. Sridhara Swami says, “Ideas presenting karma as the ultimate cause; the cause of action as previous impressions; the gunas as the cause of action; sacrifice and worship of devatas as secondary; occupation as most worshippable, are for the purpose of stopping the sacrifice of Indra. Krsna has not intention of establishing those ideas as truth.”