Once upon a time while Lord Krishna and Balaräma were living peacefully in Their great city of Dvärakä, there was the rare occasion of a full solar eclipse, such as takes place at the end of every kalpa, or day of Brahmä. At the end of every kalpa the sun is covered by a great cloud, and incessant rain covers the lower planetary systems up to Svargaloka. By astronomical calculation, people were informed about this great eclipse prior to its taking place, and therefore everyone, both men and women, decided to assemble at the holy place in Kuruksetra known as Samanta-païcaka.

The Samanta-païcaka pilgrimage site is celebrated because Lord Paraçuräma performed great sacrifices there after having killed all the ksatriyas in the world twenty-one times. Lord Paraçuräma killed all the ksatriyas, and their accumulated blood flowed like a stream. Lord Paraçuräma dug five big lakes at Samanta-païcaka and filled them with this blood. Lord Paraçuräma is visnu-tattva. As stated in the Éçopanisad, visnu-tattva cannot be contaminated by any sinful activity. Yet although Lord Paraçuräma is fully powerful and uncontaminated, in order to exhibit ideal character He performed great sacrifices at Samanta-païcaka to atone for His so-called sinful killing of the ksatriyas. By His example, Lord Paraçuräma established that the killing art, although sometimes necessary, is not good. Lord Paraçuräma considered Himself culpable for the sinful killing of the ksatriyas; therefore, how much more culpable we are for such abominable unsanctioned acts. Thus, the killing of living entities is prohibited from time immemorial all over the world.

Taking advantage of the occasion of the solar eclipse, all important persons from all parts of Bhärata-varsa visited the holy place of pilgrimage. Some of the important personalities are mentioned as follows. Among the elderly persons were Akrüra, Vasudeva and Ugrasena, and among the younger generation were Gada, Pradyumna, Sämba and many other members of the Yadu dynasty who had come there with a view to atone for sinful activities accrued in the course of discharging their respective duties. Because almost all the members of the Yadu dynasty went to Kuruksetra, some important personalities, like Aniruddha, the son of Pradyumna, and Kåtavarmä, the commander in chief of the Yadu dynasty, along with Sucandra, Çuka and Särana, remained in Dvärakä to protect the city.

All the members of the Yadu dynasty were naturally very beautiful, yet on this occasion, when they appeared duly decorated with gold necklaces and flower garlands, dressed in valuable clothing and properly armed with their respective weapons, their natural beauty and personalities were a hundred times enhanced. The members of the Yadu dynasty came to Kuruksetra in their gorgeously decorated chariots resembling the airplanes of the demigods and pulled by big horses that moved like the waves of the ocean. Some of them rode on sturdy, stalwart elephants that moved like the clouds in the sky. Their wives were carried on beautiful palanquins by beautiful men whose features resembled those of the Vidyädharas. The entire assembly looked as beautiful as an assembly of the demigods of heaven.

After arriving in Kuruksetra, the members of the Yadu dynasty took their baths ceremoniously, with self-control, as enjoined in the çästras, and they observed fasting for the whole period of the eclipse in order to nullify the reactions of their sinful activities. Since it is a Vedic custom to give in charity as much as possible during the hours of the eclipse, the members of the Yadu dynasty distributed many hundreds of cows in charity to the brähmanas. All those cows were fully decorated with nice dress and ornaments. The special feature of these cows was that they had golden ankle bells and flower garlands on their necks.

After the eclipse, all the members of the Yadu dynasty again took their baths in the lakes created by Lord Paraçuräma. Then they sumptuously fed the brähmanas with first-class cooked food, all prepared in butter. According to the Vedic system, there are two classes of food. One is called raw food, and the other is called cooked food. Raw food does not include raw vegetables and raw grains but food boiled in water, whereas cooked food is made in ghee. Capätés, dhal, rice and ordinary vegetables are called raw foods, as are fruits and salads. But purés, kachoris, samosäs, sweet balls and so on are called cooked foods. All the brähmanas invited on that occasion by the members of the Yadu dynasty were fed sumptuously with cooked food.

The ceremonial functions performed by the members of the Yadu dynasty externally resembled the ritualistic ceremonies performed by the karmés. When a karmé performs some ritualistic ceremony, his ambition is sense gratification—good position, good wife, good house, good children or good wealth—but the ambition of the members of the Yadu dynasty was different. Their ambition was to offer perpetual faith and devotion to Krishna. All the members of the Yadu dynasty were great devotees. As such, after many births of accumulated pious activities, they were given the chance to associate with Lord Krishna. In going to take their baths in the place of pilgrimage at Kuruksetra, in observing the regulative principles during the solar eclipse, or in feeding the brähmanas—in all their activities—they simply thought of devotion to Krishna. Their ideal worshipable Lord was Krishna, and no one else.

After the brähmanas are fed, it is the custom for the host, with their permission, to accept prasädam. Thus, with the permission of the brähmanas, all the members of the Yadu dynasty took lunch. Then they selected resting places underneath big, shady trees, and when they had taken sufficient rest, they prepared to receive visitors, among whom were relatives and friends, as well as many subordinate kings and rulers. There were the rulers of the Matsya province, Uçénara province, Koçala province, Vidarbha province, Kuru province, Såïjaya province, Kämboja province, Kekaya province, Madras province, Kunté province, Änarta province, Kerala province and many other countries and provinces. Some of the rulers belonged to opposing parties, and some were friends. But above all, the visitors from Våndävana were most prominent. The residents of Våndävana, headed by Nanda Mahäräja, had been living in great anxiety because of separation from Krishna and Balaräma. Taking advantage of the solar eclipse, they all came to see their life and soul, Krishna and Balaräma.

The inhabitants of Våndävana were well-wishers and intimate friends of the Yadu dynasty. This meeting of the two parties after long separation was a very touching incident. All the Yadus and the residents of Våndävana felt such great pleasure in meeting and talking together that it was a unique scene. Meeting after long separation, they were all jubilant; their hearts throbbed, and their faces appeared like freshly bloomed lotus flowers. Drops of tears fell from their eyes, the hair on their bodies stood on end, and because of their extreme ecstasy, they were temporarily speechless. In other words, they dove into the ocean of happiness.

While the men were meeting in that way, the women also met one another in the same manner. They embraced one another in great friendship, smiling very mildly, and looked at one another with much affection. When they were embracing one another in their arms, the saffron and kuìkuma spread on their breasts was exchanged from one person to another, and they all felt heavenly ecstasy. Due to such heart-to-heart embracing, torrents of tears glided down their cheeks. The juniors were offering obeisances to the elders, and the elders were offering their blessings to the juniors. They thus welcomed one another and asked after one another’s welfare. Ultimately, however, all their talk was only of Krishna. All the neighbors and relatives were connected with Lord Krishna’s pastimes in this world, and as such Krishna was the center of all their activities. Whatever activities they performed—social, political, religious or conventional—were transcendental.

The real elevation of human life rests on knowledge and renunciation. As stated in the First Canto of Çrémad-Bhägavatam, devotional service rendered to Krishna automatically produces perfect knowledge and renunciation. The family members of the Yadu dynasty and the cowherds of Våndävana had their minds fixed on Krishna. That is the symptom of all knowledge. And because their minds were always engaged in Krishna, they were automatically freed from all material activities. This stage of life is called yukta-vairägya, as enunciated by Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé. Knowledge and renunciation, therefore, do not mean dry speculation and renunciation of activities. Rather, one must start speaking and acting only in relationship with Krishna.

In this meeting at Kuruksetra, Kuntédevé and Vasudeva, who were sister and brother, met after a long separation, along with their respective sons and daughters-in-law, children and other family members. By talking among themselves, they soon forgot all their past miseries. Kuntédevé especially addressed her brother Vasudeva as follows: “My dear brother, I am very unfortunate because not one of my desires has ever been fulfilled; otherwise how could it happen that although I have such a saintly brother as you, perfect in all respects, you did not inquire from me as to how I was passing my days in a distressed condition of life?” It appears that Kuntédevé was remembering the miserable days when she had been banished with her sons through the mischievous plans of Dhåtarästra and Duryodhana. She continued, “My dear brother, I can understand that when Providence goes against someone, even one’s nearest relatives also forget him. In such a condition, even one’s father, one’s mother or one’s own children will forget him. Therefore, my dear brother, I do not accuse you.”

Vasudeva replied to his sister, “My dear sister, do not be sorry, and do not blame me in that way. We should always remember that we are all only toys in the hands of Providence. Everyone is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is under His control only that all kinds of fruitive actions and their reactions take place. My dear sister, you know that we were very much harassed by King Kaàsa, and by his persecutions we were scattered here and there. We were always full of anxieties. Only in the last few days have we returned to our own places, by the grace of God.”

After this conversation, Vasudeva and Ugrasena received the kings who came to see them, and they sufficiently welcomed them all. Seeing Lord Krishna present on the spot, all the visitors felt transcendental pleasure and became very peaceful. Some of the prominent visitors were as follows: Bhésmadeva, Dronäcärya, Dhåtarästra, Duryodhana, and Gändhäré along with her sons; King Yudhisthira along with his wife, and the Pänòavas along with Kunté; Saïjaya, Vidura, Kåpäcärya, Kuntébhoja, Viräöa, Bhésmaka, King Nagnajit, Purujit, Drupada, Çalya, Dhåstaketu, the King of Käçé, Damaghosa, Viçäläksa, the King of Mithilä, the King of Madras (formerly known as Madra), the King of Kekaya, Yudhämanyu, Suçarmä, Bählika along with his sons, and many other rulers subordinate to King Yudhisthira.

When they saw Lord Krishna with His thousands of queens, they were fully satisfied at the sight of such beauty and transcendental opulence. All who were there personally visited Lord Balaräma and Krishna, and being properly welcomed by Them, they began to glorify the members of the Yadu dynasty, especially Krishna and Balaräma. Because Ugrasena was the King of the Bhojas, he was considered the chief Yadu, and therefore the visitors specifically addressed him: “Your Majesty Ugrasena, King of the Bhojas, factually the Yadus are the only persons within this world who are perfect in all respects. All glories unto you! All glories unto you! The specific condition of your perfection is that you always see Lord Krishna, who is sought by many mystic yogés undergoing severe austerities and penances for great numbers of years. All of you are in direct touch with Lord Krishna at every moment.

“All the Vedic hymns glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. The Ganges water is considered sanctified because of its being the water used to wash the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. The Vedic scriptures are nothing but the injunctions of Lord Krishna. The purpose of the study of all the Vedas is to know Krishna; therefore, the words of Krishna and the message of His pastimes are always purifying. By the influence of time and circumstances, all the opulences of this world were almost completely wiped out, but since Krishna has appeared on this planet, all auspicious features have again appeared due to the touch of His lotus feet. Because of His presence, all our ambitions and desires are gradually being fulfilled. Your Majesty, King of the Bhojas, you are related with the Yadu dynasty by matrimonial relationship, and by blood relationship also. As a result, you are constantly associating with Lord Krishna, and you have no difficulty in seeing Him or touching Him at any time. Lord Krishna moves with you, talks with you, sits with you, rests with you, and dines with you. The Yadus appear to be always engaged in worldly affairs, which are considered to be the royal road to hell, but due to the presence of Lord Krishna, the original Personality of Godhead in the Visnu category, who is omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent, all of you are factually relieved from all material contamination and are situated in the transcendental position of liberation and Brahman existence.”

When they had heard that Krishna would be present in Kuruksetra because of the solar eclipse, and that all the members of the Yadu dynasty would also be there, the residents of Våndävana, headed by Mahäräja Nanda, had immediately prepared to go there. King Nanda, accompanied by his cowherd men, had loaded all their necessary paraphernalia on bullock carts, and all of the Våndävana residents had come to Kuruksetra to see their beloved sons Lord Balaräma and Lord Krishna. When the cowherd men of Våndävana arrived in Kuruksetra, all the members of the Yadu dynasty were most pleased. As soon as they saw the residents of Våndävana, they stood up to welcome them and appeared to have regained their life. All the Yadus and Våndävana residents had been very eager to meet, and when they actually came forward and met, they embraced one another to their hearts’ satisfaction and remained in embrace for a considerable time.

As soon as Vasudeva saw Nanda Mahäräja, he jumped and ran over to him and embraced him very affectionately. Vasudeva began to narrate his past history—how he had been imprisoned by King Kaàsa, how his babies had been killed, how immediately after Krishna’s birth he had carried Krishna to the place of Nanda Mahäräja, and how Krishna and Balaräma had been raised by Nanda Mahäräja and his queen, Yaçodä, as their own children. Similarly, Lord Balaräma and Krishna also embraced King Nanda and mother Yaçodä and then offered Their respect unto their lotus feet by bowing down. Because of Their feeling affection for Nanda and Yaçodä, Lord Krishna and Balaräma became choked up, and for a few seconds They could not speak. The most fortunate King Nanda and mother Yaçodä placed their sons on their laps and began to embrace Them to their full satisfaction. Because of separation from Krishna and Balaräma, King Nanda and Yaçodä had been merged in great distress for a very long time. Now, after meeting Them and embracing Them, all their sufferings were mitigated.

After this, Krishna’s mother, Devaké, and Balaräma’s mother, Rohiné, both embraced mother Yaçodä. They said, “Dear Queen Yaçodädevé, you and Nanda Mahäräja have been great friends to us, and when we remember you we are immediately overwhelmed by the thought of your friendly activities. We are so indebted to you that even if we were to return your benediction by giving you the opulence of the King of heaven, it would not be enough to repay you for your friendly behavior. We shall never forget your kindly behavior toward us. When Krishna and Balaräma were born, before They even saw Their real father and mother, They were entrusted to your care, and you raised Them as your own children, fostering Them as birds take care of their offspring in the nest. You have nicely fed, nourished and loved Them and have performed many auspicious religious ceremonies for Their benefit.

“Actually They are not our sons; They belong to you. Nanda Mahäräja and you are the real father and mother of Krishna and Balaräma. As long as They were under your care They had not even a pinch of difficulty. Under your protection, They were completely out of the way of all kinds of fear. This most affectionate care which you have taken for Them is completely befitting your elevated position. The most noble personalities do not discriminate between their own sons and the sons of others, and there cannot be any personalities more noble than Nanda Mahäräja and you.”

As far as the gopés of Våndävana were concerned, from the very beginning of their lives they did not know anything beyond Krishna. Krishna and Balaräma were their life and soul. The gopés were so attached to Krishna that they could not even tolerate not seeing Him momentarily when their eyelids blinked and impeded their vision. They condemned Brahmä, the creator of the body, because he foolishly made eyelids which blinked and checked their seeing Krishna. Because they had been separated from Krishna for so many years, the gopés, having come along with Nanda Mahäräja and mother Yaçodä, felt intense ecstasy upon seeing Krishna. No one can even imagine how eager the gopés were to see Krishna again. As soon as Krishna became visible to them, they took Him inside their hearts through their eyes and embraced Him to their full satisfaction. Even though they were embracing Krishna only mentally, they became so ecstatic and overwhelmed with joy that for the time being they completely forgot themselves. The ecstatic trance they achieved simply by mentally embracing Krishna is impossible to achieve even for great yogés constantly engaged in meditation on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krishna could understand that the gopés were rapt in ecstasy by embracing Him in their minds, and therefore, since He is present in everyone’s heart, He reciprocated the embracing from within.

Krishna was sitting with mother Yaçodä and His other mothers, Devaké and Rohiné, but when the mothers engaged in talking, He took the opportunity and went to a secluded place to meet the gopés. As soon as He approached the gopés, the Lord smiled, and after embracing them and inquiring about their welfare, He began to encourage them, saying, “My dear friends, you know that Lord Balaräma and I left Våndävana just to please Our relatives and family members. Thus We were long engaged in fighting with Our enemies and were obliged to forget you, who were so much attached to Me in love and affection. I can understand that I have been ungrateful to you, but still I know that you are faithful to Me. May I inquire if you have been thinking of Us, although We had to leave you behind? My dear gopés, do you now dislike remembering Me, considering Me to have been ungrateful to you? Do you take My misbehavior with you very seriously?

“After all, you should know that it was not My intention to leave you; our separation was ordained by Providence, who after all is the supreme controller and does as He desires. He causes the intermingling of different persons, and again disperses them as He desires. Sometimes we see that a strong wind will mingle together clouds, atomic particles of dust or broken pieces of cotton, and after the strong wind subsides, all the clouds, particles of dust and pieces of cotton are again separated, scattered in different places. Similarly, the Supreme Lord is the creator of everything. The objects we see are different manifestations of His energy. By His supreme will we are sometimes united and sometimes separated. We can therefore conclude that ultimately we are absolutely dependent on His will.

“Fortunately, you have developed loving affection for Me, which is the only way to achieve the transcendental position of association with Me. Any living entity who develops such unalloyed devotional affection for Me certainly at the end goes back home, back to Godhead. In other words, unalloyed devotional service and affection for Me are the cause of supreme liberation.

“My dear gopé friends, you may know from Me that it is My energies only which are acting everywhere. Take, for example, an earthen pot. It is nothing but a combination of earth, water, air, fire and sky. It is always of the same physical composites, whether in its beginning, during its existence or after its annihilation. When it is created, the earthen pot is made of earth, water, fire, air and sky, while it remains it is the same in composition, and when it is broken and annihilated its different ingredients are conserved in different parts of the material energy. Similarly, at the creation of this cosmic manifestation, during its maintenance and after its dissolution, everything is but a different manifestation of My energy. And because the energy is not separate from Me, it is to be concluded that I am existing in everything.

“In the same way, the body of a living being is nothing but a composition of the five elements, and the living entity embodied in the material condition is also part and parcel of Me. The living entity is imprisoned in the material condition on account of his false conception of himself as the supreme enjoyer. This false ego of the living entity is the cause of his imprisonment in material existence. As the Supreme Absolute Truth, I am transcendental to the living entity, as well as to his material embodiment. The two energies, material and spiritual, both act under My supreme control. My dear gopés, I request that instead of being afflicted, you try to accept everything with a philosophical attitude. Then you will understand that you are always with Me and that there is no cause of lamentation in our being separated from one another.”

This important instruction by Lord Krishna to the gopés can be utilized by all devotees engaged in Krishna consciousness. The whole philosophy is considered on the basis of inconceivable, simultaneous oneness and difference. In the Bhagavad-gétä the Lord says that He is present everywhere in His impersonal feature. Everything exists in Him, but still He is not personally present everywhere. The cosmic manifestation is nothing but a display of Krishna’s energy, and because the energy is not different from the energetic, nothing is different from Krishna. When this absolute consciousness, Krishna consciousness, is absent, we are separated from Krishna; but, fortunately, if this Krishna consciousness is present, then we are not separated from Krishna. The process of devotional service is the revival of Krishna consciousness, and if the devotee is fortunate enough to understand that the material energy is not separate from Krishna, then he can utilize the material energy and its products in the service of the Lord. But in the absence of Krishna consciousness, the forgetful living entity, although part and parcel of Krishna, falsely puts himself in the position of enjoyer of the material world and, being thus implicated in material entanglement, is forced by the material energy to continue his material existence. This is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gétä. Although a living entity is forced to act by the material energy, he falsely thinks that he is the all-in-all and the supreme enjoyer.

If the devotee knows perfectly that the arcä-vigraha, or Deity form of Lord Krishna in the temple, is exactly the same sac-cid-änanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1] as Krishna Himself, then his service to the temple Deity becomes direct service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Similarly, the temple itself, the temple paraphernalia and the food offered to the Deity are also not separate from Krishna. One has to follow the rules and regulations prescribed by the äcäryas, and thus, under superior guidance, Krishna-realization is fully possible, even in this material existence.

The gopés, having been instructed by Krishna in this philosophy of simultaneous oneness and difference, remained always in Krishna consciousness and thus became liberated from all material contamination. The consciousness of the living entity who falsely presents himself as the enjoyer of the material world is called jéva-koça, which means imprisonment by the false ego. Not only the gopés but anyone who follows these instructions of Krishna is immediately freed from the jéva-koça imprisonment. A person in full Krishna consciousness is always liberated from false egoism; he utilizes everything for Krishna’s service and is not at any time separated from Krishna.

The gopés therefore prayed to Krishna, “Dear Krishna, from Your navel emanated the original lotus flower, which is the birthsite of Brahmä, the creator. No one can estimate Your glories or Your opulence, which therefore remain always a mystery even to the highest thoughtful men, the masters of all yogic power. The conditioned soul fallen in the dark well of this material existence can very easily, however, take shelter of Your lotus feet. Thus his deliverance is guaranteed.”

The gopés continued, “Dear Krishna, we are always busy in our family affairs. We therefore request that You remain within our hearts as the rising sun. That will be Your greatest benediction.” The gopés are always liberated souls because they are fully in Krishna consciousness. They only pretended to be entangled in household affairs in Våndävana. Because of their separation from Krishna, He might have asked them to return with Him to His capital city, Dvärakä. But the inhabitants of Våndävana, the gopés, were not interested in the idea of going with Krishna to Dvärakä. They wanted to remain busy in Våndävana and thus feel the presence of Krishna in every step of their lives. They immediately invited Krishna to come back to Våndävana. This transcendental emotional existence of the gopés is the basic principle of Lord Caitanya’s teaching. The Ratha-yäträ festival observed by Lord Caitanya is the emotional process of taking Krishna back to Våndävana. Çrématé Rädhäräné refused to go with Krishna to Dvärakä to enjoy His company in the atmosphere of royal opulence, for She wanted to enjoy His company in the original Våndävana atmosphere. Lord Krishna, being profoundly attached to the gopés, never goes away from Våndävana, and the gopés and other residents of Våndävana remain fully satisfied in Krishna consciousness.