Second Yam – Sadhu Sange Anartha Nivritti

Second Period of Devotional Practice (2nd Yama Sadhana)

Morning Bhajan—Association of devotee-sadhus, taking shelter of a pure devotee—bona fide Guru (Spiritual Guide), devotional practice as per direction of Guru and removal of ulterior desires

nāmnām akāri bahudhā nija-sarva-śaktis
tatrārpitā niyamitaḥ smaraṇe na kālaḥ
etādṛśi tava kṛpā bhagavan mamāpi
durdaivam īdṛśam ihājani nānurāgaḥ

(2rd Verse of Sri Shikshastaka)

“O Supreme Lord! Your Holy Name can bestow all kinds of eternal welfare to the conditioned souls. You have Your Principal Names like Krishna, Govinda, Gopinath, etc. You manifest in this world by Your Name and invest all the powers in Your Names. To remember the Names and chant the Names no restrictions have been imposed, no rules and regulations are been imposed. One can chant Your Name any time, in any circumstance and any place. O Lord! You are so merciful to the conditioned souls i.e. out of compassion you have made easy for the conditioned souls to remember and chant Holy Names, but due to my tenfold offenses and my greatest misfortune I have got no liking for Holy Name which has been made so easily obtainable.”

Our Param Gurudeva, Srila Prabhupad, through one sub-servitor gave teaching. He served Srila Prabhupad very nicely, in Chaitanya Math. Though he was a Brahmachari, all would address him Sajjanananda Maharaj. After serving for ten years, he placed a question before Srila Prabhupad, “Guruji, I did service to you for ten years, but I have got nothing.” We also have such questions within us but we do not have that courage to ask them to Gurudev. We feel shy to put such questions. Everyone wished to hear the answer, as it was the question of all of us which he has placed. Everyone’s ears got sharpened and they came to listen to the answer. In reply, his Gurudeva, our Param Gurudeva, Bhakti Siddhant Saraswati Goswami Thakur asked, “Have you got Harinama?”

Sajjanananda Maharaj, “Yes, I Have.”

“Then what is left to get? Name is Named, the Lord.”

This knowledge is absent. Lord’s Name, Form and Deity form are one and the same, there is no difference. Name, form, qualities, pastimes, associates, all are one. Supreme Lord first manifests as Name, and when Name is practiced without any kind of offenses then form, qualities, pastimes, they manifest in that sequence, they are not different. You have chanted the Name and you did not get the association of Lord, it is not like that. Is there any hindrance? To give an example, there is a glass-bottle with honey inside and is corked. Seeing the honey inside, if one lick it, will it taste sweet?

“I have tasted honey; it is not sweet.

“Is it bitter?”

“No, it is not bitter.” “Is it sour?” “No, it does not have any taste.” What will be the taste of glass? Similarly, we try to fulfill our ulterior motives by performing Harinam. The real connection with Lord’s Name does not get established. Even by slightest of connection with the Name, by the glow of the Holy Name (Namabhas), Ajamila got liberated, not only all his sins got destroyed; Namabhas also gave him liberation. It was Sanket Namabhas, inferior Namabhas (nimnakoti). There complete Harinam did not occur. Offences to Holy Name (Nama-aparadha) bestow material fruits. Severe offences to the Holy Name like blaspheming Vishnu, Vaishnavas and Guru will lead to hell and there will be no benefit. Ordinary offences to Holy Name can give material fruits.

aneka-lokera vāñchā — aneka-prakāra
kṛpāte karila aneka-nāmera pracāra
khāite śuīte yathā tathā nāma laya,
deśa-kāla-niyama nāhi sarvasiddhi haya,
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya 20.17-18)

One should chant the Holy Name all the time even while eating and resting. One who chants like this will attain all the perfections. We have got the association of sadhus and the birth in this special Kaliyuga of 7th Manavantara—the opportunity to easily get the Transcendental Divine Love (Prem). If we do not utilize it properly then we will lose this opportunity. Is such a person intelligent? No, He is foolish indeed.

sarvaśakti nāme dila kariyā vibhāga,
āmāra durdaiva nāme nāhi anurāga
(Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita Antya 20.19)

We have to remember whatever Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur has said. We should go through the whole Bhajana Rahasya.

ekānta bhaktera mātra kīrtan-smaraṇa,
anya parve ruchi nāhi haya pravartana,
bhāvera sahita haya śrīkṛṣṇa-sevana,
svārasikī-bhāva krame haya uddīpana,

A Pure devotee who has got one-pointed devotion to Lord has got liking only to perform devotion of chanting and remembering Sri Krishna. By Kirtan all other limbs of devotion are performed, no process of devotion remains left out. But if one understands Kirtan as an ordinary material sound then it will not work. In the commentary of the first verse of Sri Chaitanya Charitamrta, at the beginning on the top, our Srila Prabhupada did not write ‘All Glories to Sri Sri Guru Gauranga’, instead, he wrote ‘Sri Krishna Kirtanaya Namah.’ Can one offer obeisance to Kirtan? We can understand, ‘Sri Krishnaya Namah, Sri Ramaya Namah’ where obeisance is offered to a Personality. But Srila Prabhupad wrote, ‘Sri Krishna Kirtanaya Namah’ i.e. obeisance to Sri Krishna Kirtan. Sri Krishna Kirtan and Sri Krishna both are one, to give this teaching. First, he wrote ‘Sri Krishna Kirtanaya Namah’. Who can perform Sri Krishna Kirtan? The person who has the realization that the Name and the Named are non-different can only perform Krishna Kirtan. All Glories to Sri Gurudev who can perform Sri Krishna Kirtan!! I cannot do, my Gurudeva can do. An ignorant person like me, how can I do?

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Sri Krishna Sankirtana Vigraha (the personified form of Sri Krishna Sankirtan). We give glories to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Srila Prabhupad did not write ‘Sri Sri Guru Gaurang Jayata’. In the commentary of the first verse ‘ceto darpana marjanam…’, Srila Prabhupad wrote about the nine forms of devotion mentioned by Prahlad Maharaj. There are infinite number of devotional practices out of which 64 limbs of devotion are mentioned in Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu. Ah!! How can one understand the infinite number of devotional practices? The permutation and combination of 64 kinds of devotional forms make an infinite types of devotional forms. Among these infinite kinds of devotional practices, Sri Krishna Kirtan is the topmost, Supreme-most, not just Supreme, Supreme-most, not superlative, double superlative. Kirtan leads to remembrance (Smaran) and also hearing (sravan). So, by Kirtan, all other devotional practices are automatically done.

A Pure devotee who has got one-pointed devotion to Lord has got liking only to perform devotion of chanting and remembering Sri Krishna. One who is not fully fixed in devotion, he may get some temporary feelings for some time. These temporary feelings do not represent the state of advanced stage of devotion (bhava). When these feelings become permanent then that state is called sthayi-bhava—the advanced stage with fixed attachment. When one will be fixed in that permanent mood then one will do all services from the core of the heart with great attachment. At present we are not in that state, we have not realized our relation with Sri Krishna. We may feel devotional practices as compulsion, have to do types. We may feel, “Today body is not well so service is not possible, will see later.” We are caught up in the activities of the body. But one who is established in bhajan, even while he is resting he will think only about that. Thinking about the body all the time if one dies, he will get another body, what else will happen? This is not intelligence.

Bhaktivinoda Thakur has written,

svārasikī-bhāva krame haya uddīpana,
ekānta bhakatera kriyā mudrā rāgodita,

According to their delightful relation, there is inspiration of gradual development of love. Devoted devotee’s all actions are inspired by pure love originating from delightful relation.

How to know a pure devotee? He will perform activities inspired by pure love originating from the heart, from delightful relation (ragodita). There is no need of any persuasion. He thinks, “Now I have to fan Them, I should offer Them a glass of water, I should be giving Them rest”. All time his attention is on service and so no mistakes occur. Even if the master does not ask for the service, understanding his internal mood he serves him. Many a times, out of affection and love, he serves even going against the instructions of the master. Not following someone is considered as an offense, but for service he is ready to accept the offenses also. For instance, crossing over someone or even crossing over shadow of someone is considered as an offence, but Govinda served Mahaprabhu by crossing over His transcendental body. While he was serving, Mahaprabhu asked, “You are still here? You have not gone for Prasadam? Why?”

Govinda, “How shall I go?”

Mahaprabhu, “How did you come?”

Govinda, “I came to serve you but now I cannot cross You for myself (to eat).”

Bhaktivinoda Thakur further says,

sarva tyāga karile o chārā sukaṭhina,
pratiṣṭhāśātyāge yatna payibe praviṇa,

We can give up everything but to give up the desire for prestige, name and fame is very difficult. The wise votary who wants development of pure devotion must be very careful in regard to this.

Till this desire of name and fame is given up, devotion is not possible. The desire for name and fame is compared to pig’s stool, why? Because there is false pride in it which results in the possibility of committing offences to Vaishnavas and Guru. If one has lusty desires, like interest in women, he thinks, “I performed abominable act”. There will be a feeling of humility in his heart but for a person who has the desire for name and fame does not have humility, there is false pride because of which he may commit offenses to Vishnu, Vaishnavas and Guru. Therefore, it is called pig’s stool. Once in our Kolkata Math, Srila Sridhar Deva Goswami Maharaj spoke like this. One listener felt pained to hear this, he came to Srila Maharaj and told, “Your instruction about giving up desire for gold, women, name and fame (kanaka-kamini-pratistha) is good, but you used such a bad word as ‘pig’s stool’ for the desire for name and fame. Pig feeds on stool, and you said ‘pig’s stool’ which means ‘stool’s stool’. Why have you used such a bad word?”

Srila Maharaj replied, “I did not find any word worse than this, so I used that word. If there was any word more badly than this then I would have used that”. Ha Ha!!

prabhate gabhīra rātre madhyāhne sandhyāye,
anartha chāriyā lao nāmera āśraya,
ei rūpe kīrtana smaraṇa jei kare,
kṛṣṇa-kṛpā haya śigrha, anāyāse tare

The votary who wants spontaneous loving devotion (Raga-bhakti) should do Harinam giving up all ulterior desires in the morning, midnight, mid-day and in the evening, i.e.— always. With this devoutness when the said votary performs ‘Kirtan’ and ‘Smaran’, he will get the grace of Krishna soon and will be able to get the highest objective by which he will be actually emancipated from all attachments.

śraddhā kari’ sādhu sange kṛṣṇa-nāma laye,
anartha sakala jāye niṣṭhā upajaye,
prātaḥakāle nityalīlā karibe cintana,
cintite cintite bhāvera haibe sadhana

The aspirant should utter the Name of Krishna in the company of bona fide sadhus with firm faith, then all ulterior desires will be removed and he will get permanent fixation of the mind to the object of worship. We are to think about the second period of eternal pastimes of RadhaKrishna in the morning. By thinking, only by thinking, we can get development of pure divine love.

Whatever devotional practices we do, we should do them by praying for the grace of Guru, Vaishnava and Bhagavan. Vaishnavas pray for grace before and after Kirtan and Harikatha. Somebody might say, “Why to give so much time?” It is not a waste of time, without their grace no service is possible. Service is not possible by speaking something by own capability. So, here too, for remembering the pastimes of Sri Sri RadhaKrishna, we have to pray for the grace of Guru, Vaishnavas and Sri Sri Radha Krishna.

Morning pastimes of RadhaKrishna

rādhāṁ snāta-vibhūṣitāṁ vrajapayāhūtāṁ sakhībhiḥ prage
tad-gehe vihitānna-pāka-racanāṁ kṛṣṇāvaśeṣanām
kṛṣṇaṁ buddham avāpta-ḍhenu-sadanaṁ nirvyūḍha-go-dohanaṁ
susnātaṁ kṛta-bhojanaṁ saha-caraistaṁ cātha tāṁ cāśrye

(Govinda-lila-amritam)

In the morning, Radharani after taking bath dresses Herself in beautiful clothes for Krishna’s happiness and wearing Krishna’s favorite ornaments goes to the house of Nanda Maharaj (Nandgram) from Javat. He does everything for Krishna’s pleasure; this is detachment. As much attachment one has to Krishna that much detachment he has from the world. Radharani has the topmost renunciation (vairagya) because She has topmost attachment (sarvottam-asakti) to Krishna. She does everything for Krishna’s pleasure. So, by Her grace or the grace of Her expansions—the gopis, we can get that mood, not by our own efforts.

In this special Kaliyuga, we have got the good fortune to take shelter of Srila Prabhupad’s preceptorial channel. In this lineage we are bestowed the opportunity to serve in most sublime and radiant mellow of conjugal love. Those who have taken Sanyas, in their mantras (Sanyas-mantra), there are prayers for getting the conjugal love (Gopi-bhav) but it has to be accepted fully. If it is not accepted, not paid attention to, then it is our misfortune.

Yashoda Mata calls Radharani to come and cook thinking if Krishna eats the food prepared by Radharani, He will have a long life. She considers Krishna as her child, does not consider Him as Supreme Lord, and Krishna likes this. He wants such love; Krishna is the object of all love. The love of Vraja-vasi is not confined to any rules and regulations (vidhi). Yashoda Devi can cook herself, but still she calls Radharani. She thinks, “By eating the food prepared by Radharani, my child’s life will increase”. We may go to Yashoda Mata and tell her, “Yashoda Devi, you have less (or no) intelligence. Krishna is Supreme Lord Himself, Lord of Infinite Universes, Vaikunthas. You wish to increase His life?”

If you do such a foolish act then you will not get Vraja-prema and will remain in this material world bound by the rules and regulations only (vidhi marg bhakti). Yashoda Devi is in Vraja-bhava—mood of Vraja, how sweet it is! Radharani comes with Her sakhis. Radharani has Her attention to all. Radharani is just like Krishna, if Krishna has His attention on all, She also has Her attention on all. Radharani is even more magnanimous. Radharani thinks of the eternal welfare of all. When She sees some sakhi’s eagerness in service, She will call her and give her service. But eagerness for service should be there inside. After cooking and offering, She accepts the remnants of Krishna lovingly and the gopis also accept. This is the pastime of Radharani.

Through this pastime, it is shown that cooking for our object of worship with relation is also service. We may say, “Did we come to cook? Do you know from which family I have come to? Asking me to cook? Asking me to wash vessels?” These are Lord’s vessels, cooking is for the Supreme Lord. If you have no desire to cook for the Lord, how devotion is possible? What is the meaning of Devotion? All senses and sense objects have to be engaged in the service of the Lord, naturally, they will be engaged.

Once in our Sarbhoga Gaudiya Math such an instance had happened. I went there. One devotee approached me. I asked, “What is the matter?” There were some 4-5 devotees in Math. Not many outside devotees come to Math. That devotee said, “All the time I go for collections. I have become dead because of my continuous engagement in the collection. You people do not see.”

I replied, “Is it?”

Devotee, “Yes. And this man is performing worship of deities day in and day out and he is dead because of his continuous engagement there. This man is dead because of his continuous engagement in cooking and this man is dead because of washing vessels all the time. This is small math, you do not notice. We have to hire someone to help, a person for collecting donations, another person for cooking, another for cleaning vessels, yet another for performing worship of deities.”

What will we do? We will be free all the time so we will eat and sleep and spoil our whole life. What is this? Is this life? Actually, one person can do the service of five persons, if he desires. Will anybody die because of performing service? Why will he die? Instead, one will be saved by doing more service.

So here we have to see the ideal of Radharani, like this. Just reading will not do.

Does Krishna sleep like an ordinary person? There everything is pastimes. We may think, “Oh! Krishna also sleeps like us”. It is not so. There is no existence of sleep there like what we have here. It is the pastime to give service to the devotees. He wants to give service to His friends, to Yashoda Mata, Paurnamasi and others. There it is not like ours where after getting engaged in materialist activities all the time we fall asleep while listening to Harikatha.

Krishna wakes up in the morning, Nanda Maharaj and Yashoda Maiyya are happy. They have pure parental affection; Krishna is very pleased with that. They consider Him as their friend, son, Lord of their heart. He then goes for milking the cows. Why milk the cows? Just by the sight of Krishna milk flows from their breasts, no need of force. Krishna touches the cows and the cows are pleased. Then He takes bath with friends and then sits for breakfast together with friends; Yashoda Mata serves them. We may think that it is good to become sakha (friend of Krishna) because we can freely roam around with Krishna. Yashoda Mata and others will cook and we will eat without doing anything. We may think that the mood of friendship is good! Is it not so?

प्रातः लीला भजन— साधुसंग, शुद्ध भक्त—सद्गुरु का आश्रय—गुरु के निर्देशानुसार भजन साधन और अनर्थ निवृत्तिश्री शिक्षाष्टक का द्वितीय श्लोक

नाम्नामकारि बहुधा निजसर्वशक्ति-
स्तत्रार्पिता नियमितः स्मरणे न कालः ।
एतादृशी तव कृपा भगवन्! ममाऽपि
दुर्दैवमीदृशमिहाजनि नाऽनुरागः।।

[नाम ग्रहण में विधि-निषेध का विचार नहीं है, कोई भी स्थान पर एवं किसी भी समय—शुभाशुभ समय—पर भगवान के नाम का उच्चारण/ग्रहण कर सकते हैं। नाम में समस्त शक्तियाँ समन्वित रहती है। भक्ति के सभी अंगो में हरिनाम संकीर्तन सर्वोत्तम है।]

हे भगवन्! आपके नाम जीवों के लिए सर्व-मंगलप्रद हैं, अतएव आपके कृष्ण, गोविन्द, गोपीनाथ इत्यादि बहुविध मुख्य अप्राकृत (प्रत्यक्ष और परोक्ष रूप से जड़ जगत से अलिप्त)नाम इस जगत में प्रकट/अवतरित हुए। आपने उन नामों में अपनी समस्त शक्तियाँ अर्पित की है, और नाम ग्रहण करने के विषय में किसी प्रकार का कोई नियम बंधन भी नहीं रखा है। आपने नाम ग्रहण एवं स्मरण में देश, काल, शुद्धाशुद्धि आदि का कोई विचार नहीं रखा है। हे प्रभो! जीवों के प्रति आपकी अहैतुकी कृपा के कारण आपने अपने नाम को जीवों के लिए इतना सुलभ कर दिया, तथापि दश प्रकार के नामापराध व महादुर्देव के कारण आपके नाम में मेरा अनुराग नहीं हुआ।

अनेक लोकेर वान्छा अनेक प्रकार।
कृपाते करिल अनेक नामेर प्रचार॥
खाइते -शुइते यथा तथा नाम लय।
देश-काल नियम नाहि, सर्वसिद्धि हय॥
सर्वशक्ति नामे दिला करिया विभाग।
आमार दुर्दैव, नामे नाहि अनुराग॥
(चैतन्य चरितामृत आ. 20.17-19)

अनेक लोगों की अनेक अलग-अलग कामनाएँ होती हैं—शांत,दास्य, सख्य, वात्सल्य,माधुर्य आदि अलग-अलग रस में कृष्ण की सेवा करने की anek अलग-अलग इच्छाऐं। अलग-अलग प्रकार के मधुर रसों में कृष्ण की सेवा करने की भक्तों की नाना प्रकार की कामनाएँ पूर्ण करने के लिए अलग-अलग नामों के रूप में कृष्ण इस जगत में अवतीर्ण हुए। खाते-पीते-सोते, कोई भी स्थान पर और किसी भी समय भगवान का नाम ले सकते हैं। नाम ग्रहण के विषय में देश, काल, नियम आदि का कोई विचार नहीं रखा है। भगवान का नाम सर्वसिद्धि प्रदान करनेवाला है। इस जगत में अवतीर्ण भगवान् के विभिन्न नामों में समस्त शक्तियाँ अर्पण की गई हैं, किन्तु यह मेरा अतिशय दुर्भाग्य है कि नाम ग्रहण में मेरी कोई रूचि उत्पन्न नहीं हुई है।

श्री शिक्षाष्टक कीर्तन 2

तुहुँ दयासागर तारयिते प्राणी,
नाम अनेक तुया शिखाओलि आनि॥1॥
सकल शकति देइ नामे तोहारा,
ग्रहणे राखलि नाहि काल विचारा ॥ 2 ॥
श्रीनामचिन्तामणि तोहारि समाना,
विश्वे बिलाओलि करुणा-निदाना॥3॥
तुया दया ऐछन परम उदारा।
अतिशय मन्द, नाथ! भाग हमारा ॥ 4॥
नाहि जनमल नामे अनुराग मोर।
भकतिविनोद-चित्त-दुःखे विभोर।॥ 5 ॥

एकान्त भक्तेर मात्र कीर्तन-स्मरण
अन्य पर्वे रुचि नाहि हय प्रवर्तन
भावेर सहित हय श्री-कृष्ण-सेवन
स्वारसिकी-भाव क्रमे हय उद्दीपन
एकान्त भक्तेर क्रिया-मुद्रा-रागोदित
तथापि से सब नहे विधि-विपरीत
सर्व-त्याग करिलेओ छाडा सुकठिन
प्रतिष्ठाशा त्यागे यत्न पाइबे प्रवीण
प्रभाते गभीर रात्रे मध्याह्ने सन्ध्याय
अनर्थ छाडिया लओ नामेर आश्रय
एइ-रूपे कीर्तन स्मरण येइ करे
कृष्ण-कृपा हय शीघ्र, अनायासे तरे
श्रद्धा करि साधु-सङ्गे कृष्ण-नाम लय
अनर्थ सकल याय निष्ठा उपजय
प्रातः-काले नित्य-लीला करिबे चिन्तन
चिन्तिते चिन्तिते भावेर हैबे साधन

एकांतिक भक्त की स्मरण और कीर्तन छोड़कर अन्य किसी पर्व में रूचि नहीं होती। वे मधुर प्रीति-सम्बन्ध/ भाव के साथ कृष्ण की सेवा करते हैं। उन सम्बन्ध/भाव के अनुसार, कृष्ण के प्रति प्रेम क्रमशः उद्दीपन होता है। शरणागत भक्त की समस्त क्रियाएँ रागोदित होती हैं, इसलिए ऐसे भक्तों की क्रियाएँ विधि-भक्ति के विरुद्ध प्रतीत हो सकती है, किन्तु राग-भक्ति में सेव्य की संतुष्टि ही एकमात्र उदेश्य होता है। शुद्ध भक्त द्वारा भाव के साथ की गई प्रत्येक क्रिया सेव्य को संतुष्टि प्रदान करती है, इसलिए वह कभी भी भक्ति के उद्देश्य से विपरीत नहीं हो सकती। हम सब कुछ त्याग कर सकते हैं, किन्तु प्रतिष्ठा की कामना को त्याग कर पाना अत्यंत कठिन है। जो शुद्ध भक्ति प्राप्त करना चाहते हैं, ऐसे बुद्धिमान साधक को इस विषय में अत्यंत सावधान रहना चाइए। राग-भक्ति के इच्छुक भक्तों को सभी प्रकार की सांसारिक कामनाओं को त्यागकर प्रातः, मध्यरात्रि,मध्याह्न एवं संध्या अर्थात् सब समय हरिनाम करना चाहिए। उपरोक्त साधक यदि इस प्रकार निष्ठा के साथ ‘कीर्तन ‘और ‘स्मरण’ करता है तो अतिशीघ्र ही कृष्ण उस पर कृपा करेंगे और वह चरम मंगल को प्राप्त करेगा, जिससे वह वास्तव में समस्त जागतिक बंधनों से मुक्त हो जायेगा। साधक को सर्वदा सच्चे साधु के संग में रहकर निष्ठा के साथ कृष्ण-नाम करना चाहिए। तब उसकी समस्त जागतिक कामनाएँ दूर हो जाएगी और उसका मन सर्वदा के लिए/ नित्यकाल के लिए कृष्ण के चरणों में स्थित हो जाएगा।

श्री राधा-कृष्ण की प्रातः कालिय लीला

हमें राधा-कृष्ण की प्रातः कालिय नित्यलीला का चिंतन करना चाहिए, चिंतन मात्र से ही अप्राकृत कृष्ण-प्रेम की प्राप्ति होगी।

राधां स्नातविभूषितां ब्रजपयाहूतां सखीभि: प्रगे,
तद्गेहे विहितान्नपाकरचनां कृष्णाऽवशेषाऽशनाम्।
कृष्णं बुद्धमवाप्तधेनुसदनं निर्व्यूढगोदोहनं,
सुस्नातं कृतभोजनं सहचरैस्तां चाथ तं चाश्रये ॥ 2 ॥
(गोविन्दलीलामृत में 2/1)

मैं उन श्रीमति राधारानी के चरण कमलों का आश्रय लेता हूँ, जो जावट में प्रातःकालीन स्नान के बाद श्रीकृष्ण को प्रिय लगनेवाले सुंदर पोशाक और विभिन्न आभूषणों के अलंकृत हुई है, एवं यशोदा देवी के द्वारा बुलाये जाने पर कृष्ण के लिए विभिन्न प्रकार के भोजन पकाने के लिए अपनी सखियों के साथ मिलकर नन्द महाराज के घर, नन्द भवन की ओर जिन्होंने प्रस्थान किया है। कृष्ण के भोजन ग्रहण करने के बाद, वे बड़ी संतुष्टि के साथ कृष्ण का प्रसाद ग्रहण करती हैं। यहाँ हमें इस बात पर ध्यान देना चाहिए कि क्यों, यशोदा देवी कृष्ण के लिए स्वयं रसोई नहीं पकाती और रसोई पकाने के लिए राधारानी को बुलाती है? क्योंकि वे जानती हैं कि यदि मेरा प्रिय पुत्र राधारानी द्वारा तैयार किया गया भोजन ग्रहण करता है, तो उसकी आयु बढ़ेगी क्योंकि राधारानी को दुर्वासा से ऐसा वरदान मिला है। नंद महाराज और यशोदा देवी कभी भी यह नहीं मानते कि कृष्ण ‘भगवान, सभी ईश्वरों के ईश्वर, परमेश्वर’ हैं, बल्कि वे सर्वदा कृष्ण को अपने प्यारे छोटे बच्चे के रूप में ही देखते हैं। यही व्रज में नन्द-यशोदा के शुद्ध प्रेम की विशेषता है। श्रीकृष्ण अपने माता-पिता नन्द महाराज और यशोदा देवी की संतुष्टि के लिए प्रातः काल में निंद्रा से उठने की लीला करते हैं। नंदमहाराज और यशोदा देवी रात में क्या हुआ था इस विषय में अनभिज्ञ हैं। वे अपने पुत्र को शैय्या से उठते हुए देख अत्यंत प्रसन्न होते हैं। कृष्ण गाय, सखा एवं अपने अन्य सभी पार्षदों को संतुष्ट करने के लिए सर्वदा तत्पर रहते हैं। माता-पिता की आज्ञा के अनुसार प्रतिदिन की भांति कृष्ण गोदोहन के लिए गौशाला में जाते हैं, और इसप्रकार वे अपने स्पर्श से गैयों को संतुष्टि देते हैं। गौशाला से लौटने के बाद, वे अपने सभी सखाओं बुलाते हैं, जो कन्हैया के साथ स्नान करने के लिए सदैव आतुर रहते हैं। स्नान करने के बाद, कन्हैया अन्य सभी सखाओं के साथ राधारानी के द्वारा तैयार किया हुआ भोजन ग्रहण करने के लिए बैठते हैं और यशोदा देवी अत्यंत प्रीति के साथ उन्हें भोजन परोसती हैं। इन लीलाओं के बिच में राधा-कृष्ण का मिलन भी होता है। मैं उन श्री कृष्ण का भी आश्रय ग्रहण करता हूँ।

इस प्रकार के व्रज-प्रेम पाने के इच्छुक साधकों को प्रातःकाल में शुद्ध भक्तों के संग में हरिनाम करते हुए राधा-कृष्ण की इन दिव्य-लीलाओं का चिंतन करना चाहिए। इन लीलाओं को चिंतन करते हुए संकीर्तन करने से अतिशीध्र ही अप्राकृत भाव का उद्दीपन होगा।

राधा स्नात-विभूषित, श्रीयशोदा समाहूत,
सखीसंगे तद्गृहे गमन।
तथा पाक विरचन, श्रीकृष्णावशेषाशन,
मध्ये मध्ये दुँहार मिलन॥
कृष्ण निद्रा परिहरि, गोष्ठे गोदोहन करि,
स्नानाशन सहचर संगे।
एइ लीला चिन्ता कर, नामप्रेमे गरगर,
प्राते भक्तजन संगे रंगे॥
एइ लीला चिन्त आर, कर संकीर्तन।
अचिरे पाइबे तुमि भाव उद्दीपन॥