Children begging for donations, dogs barking at each other, monkeys snatching food from vendors, rickshaw drivers trying to attract customers, and the incessant music from local shops drowning out the soothing kirtan from temples—these were the sights and sounds that greeted me as I strolled along the Yamuna River.
Amidst this vibrant chaos, I made a conscious effort to focus on my japa and remember the divine presence of Krishna. On my left, perched high atop a hill, stood the ancient Madan Mohan temple, and on my right, the worshipable Yamuna River flowed gently, its waters undisturbed by the surrounding commotion.
As I reached the riverbank, I sprinkled a few drops of water on my head and offered a prayer for blessings, seeking to glimpse the real Vrindavan, transcending the limitations of the material world. Amidst my prayers, a dog approached me, its tail wagging as it touched my shoulder and sniffed for food while I reached for the water to offer back to the Yamuna. The aroma of fried food and spices from the nearby shop filled the air, and the fog began to rise.
“I should probably head back home,” I thought to myself.
As I walked back, a friend noticed me and approached to inquire.
“How can we constantly remember and see Vrindavan?” he asked.
I paused for a moment, taking in my surroundings—the shops, tourists, incessant music, and opportunistic businesspeople.
“Perhaps the most effective way to remember and see Vrindavan,” I replied, “is to glorify this sacred place and share its glories with others.”
Bhagavat Gita 18.68: For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.
After our brief interaction, my friend kindly offered to take me back to the guesthouse in a rickshaw. However, I chose to walk instead.
“This is another way to remember Krishna,” I thought, “to create lasting impressions of this holy place. Touching the sacred ground with our feet, inhaling the air, feeling the gentle breeze of the Yamuna on our faces, and attentively listening to the melodic sounds of bells and kirtans from nearby temples.”
Behind the material covering, the real Vrindavan is still very much visible. By gradually developing a relationship with Vrindavan, we can witness its glories.
Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 22.160: The devotee should always think of Kṛṣṇa within himself and should choose a very dear devotee who is a servitor of Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana. One should constantly engage in topics about that servitor and his loving relationship with Kṛṣṇa, and one should live in Vṛndāvana. If one is physically unable to go to Vṛndāvana, he should mentally live there.’
Ananta Gopal Das
30.12.2024
Bhakti Wisdom 