English

YAWNING It is said that when the full moon rises, the lotus petals become expanded. Similarly, when Kṛṣṇa used to appear before Rādhārāṇī, Her face, which is compared to the lotus flower, would expand by Her … Read More

CRYING LOUDLY A gopī once said to Kṛṣṇa, “My dear son of Nanda Mahārāja, by the sound of Your flute Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī has become full of lamentation and fear, and thus, with a faltering voice, She … Read More

STRETCHING THE BODY It is said that sometimes when Nārada, the carrier of the vīṇā, remembers his Lord Kṛṣṇa in great ecstasy, he begins to stretch his body so vigorously that his sacred thread gives way.

SINGING LOUDLY One gopī informed Kṛṣṇa that when Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was singing about His glories, She enchanted all of Her friends in such a way that they became stonelike and dull. At the same time, the … Read More

ROLLING ON THE GROUND In the Third Canto, first chapter, verse 32 of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vidura inquires from Uddhava, “My dear friend, is Akrūra in an auspicious condition? Not only is he a learned scholar and sinless, … Read More

DANCING While watching the rāsa dance performed by Lord Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, Lord Śiva beheld the beautiful face of Kṛṣṇa and immediately began to dance and beat upon his small diṇḍima drum. While Lord Śiva … Read More

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN Symptoms of Ecstatic Love The bodily symptoms manifested by a devotee in expressing ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa are called anubhāva. Practical examples of anubhāva are as follows: dancing, rolling on the ground, singing very … Read More

SPECIAL DAYS FOR REMEMBERING KṚṢṆA There are many statements about the festive days in connection with Kṛṣṇa’s different activities. One of these festive days is Janmāṣṭamī, the day of Kṛṣṇa’s birth. This Janmāṣṭamī day is the … Read More

KṚṢṆA’S DEVOTEES One may sometimes become overwhelmed with joy by seeing a devotee of the Lord. When Dhruva Mahārāja saw two associates of Nārāyaṇa approaching him, he immediately stood up out of sincere respect and devotion … Read More

KṚṢṆA’S FAVORITE PLANT: TULASĪ Lord Kṛṣṇa is very fond of tulasī leaves and buds. Because tulasī buds are usually offered up to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, a devotee once prayed to the tulasī buds to … Read More

आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत् । तद्वत्कामा यं प्रविशन्ति सर्वे स शान्तिमाप्‍नोति न कामकामी ॥ ७० ॥ āpūryamāṇam acala-pratiṣṭhaṁ samudram āpaḥ praviśanti yadvat tadvat kāmā yaṁ praviśanti sarve sa śāntim āpnoti na kāma-kāmī   Synonyms āpūryamāṇam — … Read More

KṚṢṆA’S PLACES OF PASTIMES One devotee has exclaimed, “Oh, I have not as yet visited the wonderful places where the pastimes of the Lord were performed. But simply by hearing the name of Mathurā I have … Read More

KṚṢṆA’S FOOTPRINTS It is stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam that when Akrūra, who drove Kṛṣṇa from Vṛndāvana to Mathurā, saw the footprints of Kṛṣṇa on the land of Vṛndāvana, his ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa increased so much that … Read More

KṚṢṆA’S CONCH SHELL Kṛṣṇa’s conch shell is known as Pāñcajanya. This Pāñcajanya conch is also mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa sounded it before the Battle of Kurukṣetra. It is said that when Lord Kṛṣṇa blows on … Read More

THE ATTRACTION OF KṚṢṆA’S LEG BELLS A certain gopī once stated to her friend, “My dear friend, when I heard the sound of the leg bells of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, I immediately started to go out of … Read More

KṚṢṆA’S BUFFALO HORN Kṛṣṇa used a buffalo horn as a bugling instrument. This instrument was always highly polished and circled with gold bands, and on the middle there was a hole. Regarding these instruments, there is … Read More

KṚṢṆA’S FLUTE As far as His flute is concerned, it is said that the vibration of this wonderful instrument was able to break the meditation of the greatest sages. Kṛṣṇa was thus challenging Cupid by advertising … Read More

KṚṢṆA’S TRANSCENDENTAL QUALITIES, HIS UNCOMMON ACTIVITIES AND HIS SMILE As far as Kṛṣṇa’s transcendental qualities are concerned, they can be divided into three groups: qualities pertaining to His transcendental body, qualities pertaining to His transcendental speech … Read More

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX Stimulation for Ecstatic Love Some things that give impetus or stimulation to ecstatic love of Kṛṣṇa are His transcendental qualities, His uncommon activities, His smiling features, His apparel and garlands, His flute, His buffalo … Read More