Sharanagati

Once we were discussing what is the best pronunciation of the holly name of Krishna. And we came to the conclusion that the best pronunciation of the name “Krishna” is “Govinda” – Who gives happiness, who gives pleasure. We are not satisfied with Krishna simply! Because Krishna has many aspects – like Vasudev Krishna and Dvarakadesh Krishna – this Krishna and that Krishna. But Govinda has no other name – Govinda is Govinda, He is our beloved cowherd boy. Govinda is for the pleasure of the devotees. So if you worship THAT aspect of Krishna, who provides happiness to everybody – not only to the cows, not only to the bramins, not only to the earth, but also to your cows, to your “go”, to your senses, to your heart; who is the protector of the cows – then full happiness will come to us.

Yoga controls with the big stick. If you want to control yourself with Yoga – that is a danda, stick of punishment. But Krishna has His flute for control. What is the most famous opera of Mozart – “The Magic Flute”. Where did he get the idea?! So everything is coming from divine source. And the magic flute of Krishna is tending the cows. The cows are similar to our senses. The senses are very difficult to control with the stick! But as the cows are ready to run after Krishna’s flute, in the same way the senses can be controlled easily by the sweetness of Krishna. Krishna is running in front, playing the flute, and all the cows are just marching behind Him. In the same way devotees are also running after Krishna. And this is beauty; Krishna controls with His beauty. Not with His power, not with His magnificent aspect, but with His beauty and charm.

Absolute beauty we can find in this divine platform. And this absolute beauty is manifest in the community affairs. Not only an empty creation, magnificent creation – but empty. But it manifests in contact. So therefore our beautiful vision about the spiritual sky is not only full of God, but full of partners of God, the devotees.

So we can find beauty in love, ultimately. Beauty and love are inseparable. Ultimate Beauty is Krishna, ultimate Love is Radha. Somehow they are very, very close to each-other – beauty and love. And the beauty of Krishna is not a convention, it’s not a question of agreement. This is ABSOLUTELY beautiful.

Is there any higher beauty than Krishna’s? Radha’s. Is there any higher beauty than Radha’s? Prema. Who is Prema? Connection. Who is the connection? Give a name? When the beauty of Krishna and the beauty of Radha are combined – that is Chaitanya, the Golden Avatar. That is EXTRAORDINARY beauty. Therefore we are SO fortunate! We can have the combined beauty of Radha and Krishna. Beauty Himself and Love Herself combined in one form! This is extra-blessings!

Radha and Krishna are so close to each-other, that they are united; They are searching each-other so intensively that They come very, very close. And in order to increase that intensity sometimes They are separated, manifested in two persons. So then there is ek pran do deh – sometimes they are one life in two forms. And when they come very close, this is do pran ek deh, two souls in one body. What is that? That is Chaitanya, the Golden Lord. Two prana, two atman are united in one person, in one body. This is love! Deep love, deep spiritual love means we are so much united that although we are two, we become one. And the even higher platform is that although we are one, we separate.