(God is bound to love. God incarnates himself upon the earth to give devotional pleasure to his devotees. The Gopis of Vraj have love for Shree Krishna.)
It is really great to love God. Why does God incarnate himself upon the earth? What is aim of his incarnation? God incarnates himself to free his devotees from the torments of the world. God fulfills the wishes of his devotees.
(God incarnates himself age after age, on the earth, to relieve his saintly souls and to destroy demons. He installs ethical duties through his manifestation.)
God manifests himself on the earth to exchange love with his saints and devotees. God incarnates himself to give devotional pleasure to his devotees.
Shreeji Maharaj says: ‘God incarnates himself upon the earth to enforce the ethical duties of single-minded devotees.’
Manki (the mare) Loves Shree Hari
Shreeji Maharaj and Kathi horse riders were on a religious tour of the region. Shreeji Maharaj was riding his Manki. Manki’s young was also following her mother. Shreeji Maharaj said, “Sura Khachar! Manki loves me more, than her young.”
Sura Khachar said, “Maharaj! That is impossible. Animals love their young more than anything else. A mother’s love for her child is greater than her love for others. Though engaged physically in domestic chores, her mind dwells constantly in her child. A mother’s heart is full of love for his child. It is a wonderful creation of God. Motherly love for a child is a natural phenomenon.”
Shreeji Maharaj said, “Sura Khachar! Do you want to test this?”
Sura Khachar said, “Maharaj! If you wish.”
Shreeji Maharaj said, “Sura Khachar! Hold the rein of Manki and do not leave it until I instruct you to do so.” Shreeji Maharaj alighted from the back of the mare and left Manki’s young at a distance of one step from the mother. He himself stood at a distance of four steps from the mare. Manki’s young began to call for her mother and right at that moment, they released Manki to go to either of the two - her young or Shreeji Maharaj. Manki ignored the screams of her young and ran swiftly to Shree Hari. The mare came to Shreeji Maharaj and licked the sacred feet of Shree Hari. Shreeji Maharaj said, “Look at her love for me. She loves me even more than her young!”
Manki had selfless love for Shree Hari. The mare stopped having grass and water when she learned of Shree Hari’s departure from this earth. She fought hunger for eleven days without anything in her stomach and finally ascended to Akshardham to meet and serve Shree Hari. Manki is believed to be the incarnation of deity Garuda – the heavenly eagle.
Manki’s memorial at Lakshmiwadi in Vadtal, is a source of devotional inspiration for all devotees.
The Gopis forget their domestic chores in their love for God. Lord Balkrishna’s love was not limited to the Gopis. Bal Krishna loveed his mother Yashoda and conveyed his tender feelings in his child-like ways. Mother Yashoda kept Balkrishna busy in playful ways by giving him toys and other games to keep him indoors during her domestic engagements. But Bal Krishna was an active child. He liked change. Balkrishna left the corridor of the house and walks away to enjoy the shade of a cow. Mother Yashoda, though busy in her domestic works, had her eyes constantly on Shree Krishna. She ran in fear when she realised Balkrishna was missing from his place. She searched here and there for him but found him nowhere.
When she peeped into the Gaushala, she found Shree Krishna holding with both his hands the horns of a grazing cow. She took him away and hugged him impatiently fearing the cow had hurt him. But the cow lamented painfully on separation of Shree Krishna from her. Mother Yashoda ran impatiently, hugging her darling and came happily to the house, seeing him safe and uninjured. Mother Yashoda had also merged herself in the divine love of Bal Krishna.
The Gopis thought constantly about Balkrishna. Their world ended in the divine ways of Balkrishna. They used excuses to visit the house of Yashodaji. They would say such things as, “He is a thief.” But to steal was in his nature. The Sanskrit word “Hari” literally means stealing or taking away. One who steals is Hari. But what does he steal?
(The name Narayan is famed or synonymous with a thief. He steals the accumulated sins of a person when he pronounces the name Narayana.)
Lord Shree Hari steals the sins of man if he remembers the name of Shree Hari. He attracts the mind of the Gopis to absorb them in his divine form. Japa of “Hari, Hari” purifies our mind and soul. Shreeji Maharaj says, “one consigns himself to the eternal brahmic state by his 24 guna-free devotion and love for Shree Hari. (Gadhada Vachanamrit M- 43)
(The Gopis lost their sense of eating and attires. They wore ornaments clumsily and lost consciousness whilst in love with Balkrishna.)
What kind of oneness did the Gopis have with Shree Balkrishna? They forgot to have meals and water. They had lost all knowledge of wearing ornaments properly and wore anklets on arms and armlets on their feet. They had lost normal state of sensible mind. They were merged in the blissful memories of Shree Krishna.
The Gopis were not able to tend to domestic duties properly. A Gopi cooked sweet dishes while singing Kirtans of Balkrishna. She thought of Balkrishna and how blessed a visit of his to her house would be. She thought to offer him butter and sugar whilst having a pleasant dialogue with him. Her mind dwelled in Shree Krishna whilst her body remained in the kitchen, to cook the sweet dishes. In the spur of devotional emotion whilst cooking, she forgot to put sugar and put instead salt into the sweet dish of shira. But her father and mother-in-law found the dish most tasty when they came to have their meals. Her father-in-law admired her culinary skills and said, “Dear daughter! Your meals taste like nectar, therefore, we could not resist and ate more than the required quantity. I pray to God to give my sons a wife like you in all his future births.”
The Gopi was very happy to receive such admiration. She served the dish to herself when all had had their meals. As she took the first morsel of the sweet, she found it extremely salty. She realised that there was salt in place of sugar and felt very sorry for her mistake. But God had saved her by instilling a relishing sweet taste in the meal. This showed the love that Krishna had for her faithful Gopis. God dwells in every molecule of the Gopis.
It was actually God himself who cooked the meals, through the Gopi. Poison becomes nectar in the presence of God. Nothing is impossible with the grace of God.
Japa is majestic
Rana gave poison to Mirabai. Mirabai took it whilst chanting the names of God. God transformed the poison into nectar and saved the life of Mirabai!
Deadly poison surfaced on the sea when gods and demons churned the sea. Lord Shiva drank it while chanting the names of God. Deadly poison became nectar through the chants of God’s name!
Some jealous souls added deadly poison into the meals of Muktanand Swami. Shreeji Maharaj transformed it into nectar, when Swami began his lunch with the name of Shreeji Maharaj! God’s name wields divine power.
God acts with love at the will of his faithful devotees. God removes the pains, worries and torments of every kind and extends eternal bliss to his devotees. The name of Shree Hari holds majesty and divinity and benedicts mankind if they chant the names with or even without knowledge.
Sneh Geeta helps the aspirants to attach himself to the divine image of God. Lord Shree Hari is the eternal seat of supreme pleasure - divine pleasure. Those who have received Shree Hari in their heart are most fortunate and the happiest. Our heart soaks in the colour of affection when we remember the blissful name of Shree Hari.
Shreeji Maharaj says, “One who is detached from others, cultivates within himself attachment for God. Such attachment and love for God helps one’s mind to repose in God without interruption. Such state is a state of great spiritual enlightenment.” (Gadhada Vachanamrit M-36) The Gopis’ repose in God was like this, without any interruption. Their mind and thoughts are merged in the thoughts of God:
(While churning curd, they await impatiently for Shree Balkrishna. The Gopis are expecting a call from Balkrishna.)
A Gopi carried a pot of butter to sell it to villagers. Instead of “Makkhan” (butter) she was selling it as “Madhava”, and announced sweetly “please buy sweet Madhava...please hurry and buy it.” Bhagwan Balkrishna came to her and asked, “O Gopi! What are you doing? Why are you selling me (Madhava), instead of butter? What are you saying? Please check your pot.” The Gopi brought down her pot to inspect the Makkhan contained in the pot. She found there Madhava in place of Makkhan!
God said, “I am Madhava. Give me Makkhan to eat.”
She said to tease him, “Go away from here. I am not giving it to you. It is to be sold at Mathura.”
Saying this she walked ahead abruptly to leave Kanaiya puzzled. As she turned her side from him, Balkrishna grabed the end of her chunari to stop her. The Gopi turned at him and said, “Krishna! Don’t be mischievious. My mother-in-law will scold me if she learns about this.”
She pushed him away by freeing her chunari and walks ahead. But in her mind she thought about Balkrishna and looked back to have sight of him. She found him stood sulking there. She went back to him and said, “Kanaiya! Have this butter. This is for you!” Balkrishna refused to have it. The Gopi carried back her butter container and walked away from him. Balkrishna took a small pebble and broke the earthen pot of butter and forced her to bathe in the butter which was pouring on her body:
She ran to Yashoda Maiya to lodge a complaint: (He broke our earthen pot and spilled the milk products. He hid himself in the shade of a cow and freed the calves from their pegs.)