Chapter Two
1-2. Once, after they had passed the entire night with Him, the passionate girls of Vraja spoke to the cowherd boy Krishna, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He also spoke to them.
3. The gopis said: To what brahmana should charity be given?
4. Krishna said: Durvasa.
5. The gopis said: How will we cross the Yamuna’s waters and approach Him, from whom great blessings will come?
6. Krishna said: Say the words Krishna, the brahmacari, and the Yamuna will give you a path.
7. By remembering Me a shallow person becomes deep. By remembering Me an impure person becomes pure. By remembering Me an impious person becomes pious. By remembering Me one full of material desires becomes desireless. By remembering Me a fool becomes learned.
8. After hearing these words, they meditated on Durvasa, and with these words crossed the Yamuna. They went to the very sacred asrama and bowed down before Durvasa Muni, the best of sages. They gave to the brahmana delicious foods made with milk and ghee.
9. Pleased, he bathed, ate, blessed them, and gave them permission to go.
10. They said: How will we cross the Yamuna?
11. He said: Meditate on me as a sage that eats only durva grass, and the Yamuna will give you a path.
12. Gandharvi (Srimati Radharani), the best among them, reflected for a moment.
13. She said: How is Krishna a brahmacari? How is this sage a person that eats only durva grass?
14. Accepting Her as their leader, the other girls became silent.
15. Durvasa Muni replied: Sound is contained within the element of ether, although sound and ether are different. Sound is contained within ether. This ether does not know. I am spirit. How can I be a materialistic enjoyer.
16. Touch is contained within the element of air, although touch and air are different. Touch is contained within air. This air does not know. I am spirit. How can I be a materialistic enjoyer?
17. Form is contained within the element of fire, although form and fire are different. Form is contained within fire. This fire does not know. I am spirit. How can I be a materialistic enjoyer?
18. Taste is contained within the element of water, although taste and waste are different. Taste is contained within water. This water does not know. I am spirit. How can I be a materialistic enjoyer?
19. Aroma is contained within the element of earth, although aroma and earth are different. Aroma is contained within earth. This earth does not know. I am spirit. How can I be a materialistic enjoyer?
20. It is the mind that remains among the senses and accepts them.
21. When spirit is everything how does one think? Where does one go? I am spirit, how can I be a materialistic enjoyer?
22. Your beloved Krishna is the original creator of the two kinds of bodies.
23. On the tree of the body are two birds. One is an expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is a witness. The other is an enjoyer. They are an enjoyer and a non-enjoyer. The first enjoys, and the second is Krishna.
24. In Him we do not find material so-called knowledge and ignorance. This ignorance and real knowledge are different. How can Krishna, who is full of real knowledge, become a materialistic enjoyer?
25-26. He who lusts after pleasure is lusty. He who does not lust after pleasures is not lusty.
27. Krishna, who is free from birth and death, who is unchanging, who cannot be cut, who stays by the Yamuna, who stays among the surabhi cows, who protects the surabhi cows, who stays among the cowherd boys, who stays in all the Vedas, who is glorified by all the Vedas, who has entered all living entities, and who controls all living entities, is your husband.
28. Gandharvi (Radha) said: Why has the Supreme Personality of Godhead taken birth among us as a cowherd boy? O sage, how do you know this about Krishna? What is His mantra? What is His abode? Why has He taken birth in Devaki’s womb? Who is His elder brother Balarama? How is He worshipped? Why has the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is far above the world of matter, descended to this Earth?
29. He said: In the beginning only Lord Narayana existed. In Him the material worlds are woven as thread on a loom. From His lotus heart the demigod Brahma was born.
30. When Brahma performed severe austerities, Lord Narayana granted him a boon.
31. Brahma chose a question.
32. Lord Narayana granted his request.
33-34. Brahma said: Among Your many incarnations, which is the best, the one that makes humans and demigods happy, the one that, remembering Him, they become liberated from repeated birth and death? Why is this incarnation the best?
35. Lord Narayana said:
36. As on the summit of Mount Meru are seven cities that fulfil all desires, so on the Earth are seven cities that fulfil desires and grant liberation. Among them the city of Gopala Puri is directly the spiritual world.
37. In this city the desires of the demigods and all other creatures are all fulfilled and everyone attains liberation.
38. Protected by My cakra, this city if Mathura, or Gopala Puri, stands in this world as a lotus stands in a lake.
39. Gopala Puri contains these forests: 1. the great forest of Brhadvana, 2. Madhuvana, the former residence of the Madhu demon, 3. Talavana, full of palm trees, 4. delightful Kamyavana, 5. great Bahulavana, 6. Kumudavana, full of lotus flowers and water lilies, 7. Khadiravana, full of Khadira trees, 8. Bhadravana, the favourite spot of Lord Balarama, 9. Bhandiravana, the great forest of Banyan trees, 10. Srivana, the abode of the goddess of fortune, 11. Lohavana, the former residence of the demon Loha, and 12. Vrndavana, ruled by the goddess Vrnda-devi.
40. In these forests the demigods, human beings, Gandharvas, Nagas, and Kinnaras sing and dance.
41. The twelve Adityas, eleven Rudras, eight Vasus, seven sages, Brahma, Narada, five Vinayakas, Viresvara, Rudresvara, Ambikesvara, Ganesvara, Nilakanthesvara, Visvesvara, Gopalesvara, Bhadresvara, and 24 other lingas reside there.
42. These forests are divided into two groups: 1. Krishnavana, or Krishna’s forests, and 2.Bhadravana, or Balarama’s forests. Among these twelve forests some are sacred and others are most sacred.
43. There the demigods stay. There the perfect beings attained perfection.
44. In this place are a Deity of Rama, a Deity of Pradyumna, a Deity of Aniruddha, and a Deity of Krishna.
45. In this way there are twelve Deities in the forests of Mathura.
46. The Rudras worship the first Deity, Brahma worships the second, Brahma’s sons worship the third, The Maruts worship the fourth, the Vinayakas worship the fifth, the Vasus worship the sixth, the sages worship the seventh, the Gandharvas worship the eighth, the Apsaras worship the ninth, the tenth Deity is now invisible, the eleventh Deity has gone to His own planet, and the twelfth Deity is now on the Earth.
47. They who worship this Deity surpass death and attain liberation. They cross beyond the three-fold miseries of birth, old-age and death.
48. There are these verses: Lord Krishna, accompanied by His three potencies, and by Balarama, Aniruddha, Pradyumna, and Rukmini, stays in delightful Mathura Puri, which is worshipped by Brahma and the other demigods and protected by the conch, cakra, club, and sarnga bow. These four names are identical with the name Om.
49. One should think: I am spiritual, beyond material passion. One should think: I am Lord Gopaka’s. In this way one attains liberation. He realizes his spiritual nature. He becomes a knower of spirit.
50. Because since the beginning of creation He lovingly protects (alati) the conditioned souls (gopa), He is known as Gopala. Om tat sat. I am a spirit. I am a part-and-parcel of Krishna. My spiritual form is eternally full of bliss. Om.
51. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is therefore known as Gopala.
52. With all one’s heart one should think: I am Gopala’s.
53. Lord Gopala is unmanifest, limitless, and eternal.
54. Lord Narayana continued: O Brahma, decorated with a forest-flower garland, and holding a conch, disk, mace and lotus, I will reside eternally in Mathura.
55. O Brahma, he who with all his heart meditates on Me, whose form is the resting place of all forms, whose form is supremely powerful and splendid, whose form is wonderful, and who has no material form, goes to MY abode. Of this there is no doubt.
56. O Brahma, a resident of this earth planet who remains in the district of Mathura and worships Me as I appear in the form of the Deity, becomes very dear to Me.
57. You should always worship Me as Krishna in Mathura.
58. Four kinds of men worship Me.
59. Following the devotional process prescribed for the age, intelligent devotees in this world worship Lord Gopala, who is accompanied by His elder brother Balarama and queen Rukmini.
60. I am unborn, eternal Gopala. I am eternal Pradyumna. I am Rama. I am Aniruddha. He who is intelligent worships Me.
