Meditations on Transcendence

  The Fragrance of Govardhan Is it the musk of a deer that perfumes the air of Govardhan? Or is it the scent of the Lord Himself, Prabhuḥ svayam , who plays there again and again? Or perhaps it is the natural aroma, naisargika-svīya-śīla-sugandhaḥ , born from the virtue of the hill itself? No one can say — ūham , only a sacred wonder arises. Whatever it may be, one truth remains — there is fragrance. A sweetness that does not belong to the world. Life brings its challenges, storms, and strange turns. At such times, Vāsudeva alone is the shelter. Let Him carry this journey; what else can we really do? The world is strange; life is uncertain; padam padam vipadaḥ bhayam hi bhayam — danger at every step. And yet, the Name remains — Śrī Hari, Śrī Hari, Śrīman Nārāyaṇa . When one stands upon Govardhan, all the senses awaken — that is why it is called Go-vardhana , “the nourisher of the senses.” The eyes ( rūpa ) behold divine forms — the very shapes of the Divine Couple hidden in ...

  The Great Secret of Facing Saṁsāra Miseries — From Govardhana Verse: sva-preṣṭha-hastāmbuja-saukumārya-sukhānubhūter ati-bhūmi-vṛtteḥ mahendra-vajrāhatim apy ajānan govardhano me diśatām abhīṣṭam (May Govardhana — who, absorbed in the supreme bliss of the softness of his beloved Kṛṣṇa’s lotus hand, did not even notice the blows of Indra’s thunderbolt — bestow upon me my desired perfection.) Govardhana teaches the great secret of spiritual life. When Indra’s thunderbolts struck with all their fury, the hill did not tremble. He remained absorbed in the sweetness of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus hand resting upon him. In that touch of divine tenderness, even the fiercest pain became powerless. This is the same mystery that protects a sādhaka amidst the storms of saṁsāra . The miseries of the world may not cease, but through contact with Śrī Nāma and seva , their impact fades into nothingness. The thunderbolts of destiny may strike, yet the heart absorbed in divine remembrance feels only ān...