Sharanagati

India without devotees, without Krishna is a heavy place, being materialized very much, very much polluted… sometimes very bad experience we had. But we were searching for something divine, something spiritual.

Once we visited Govardhan. Sadhu Maharaj was so gentle, that he took us there. And we had exceptional company, because there was Muni Maharaj from Vienna, there was Sadhu Maharaj from Vraja Vrindavana, then our friends from Sofia Yatra, then from Hungary some more devotees… And you know, at that time I was really sick, I could not move even, but they were so much insisting, that somehow I did not wanted to miss the opportunity to visit Govardhan also. Because I am an order-fulfilling servant of my disciples. And one of my disciples told me that “O, my only ambition is to understand something about the mystery of Giriraj Govardhan.” And what can you do if somebody has only this desire?! Definitely I went with the devotees, fulfilling this nice invitation.

First we stopped in the village Govardhan, it’s a small village. Of course then Sadhu Maharaj started to buy some foodstuffs for the devotees, because we did not take breakfast. With Muni Maharaj they were running to all the different shops to buy the best sweets and the salty and this and that… so we were fed like anything!

And then we were just entering the parikram-marga around the Govardhan. There you could see the pilgrims coming -some like us by jeep, others by barefoot, or by cars… some were measuring the way by dandavats, giving dandavats all around. And then finally we turned off a little bit and came closer to the Hill. And then I asked Sadhu Maharaj: “You know, one my disciple has this desire to understand something about the mysteries of Govardhan. Can you please give me some Govardhan-shilas…” because this is the way; it’s not that you go and collect, but a vrajavasi should give. So we started to collect and pick this and that and “look at this! That is very nice! O… that is more nice!…” –  we were collecting little pieces of Govardhan. But then all of a sudden some cows appeared. Cows were grazing freely, going up the Hill and moving here and there… And then an old gopa was also coming with them. He was checking that we were picking some pieces of stone. Immediately he was very upset and said: “What are you doing? Why you disturb our Govardhan?” He was really upset! But then again Sadhu Maharaj as a harmonizer came and said: “It’s all right!” And then he was pacified and gone on with the cows.

Then we also started to enter the jeep again. And some devotee had a very serious headache. Immediately Sadhu Maharaj was picking some dust from the earth and putting on the head: “O, it will help you very quickly!:” And we were almost ready to go. But then Prananath remembered something: “O! The heart!” he said. What heart, Prana!? He explained that there was some devotee who has bought some heart-shaped semi-precious stone and said: “When you go to Giriraj Govardhan just throw my heart!” So Prana almost forgot this duty, but before starting the engine he said: “O, the heart! I have to give the heart.” And he jumped out of the car and put the heart of our devotee at the feet of Govardhan.

But then after returning that devotee started to complain to me: “I have some problem here…” And actually she had to go to a hospital, there was a problem with the heart. And then she concluded: “O, may be this is because I had left my heart at Govardhan?!”

So please, be careful!

And when I met this other devotee, who told me that his only desire was to understand something more about the mystery of Giriraj Govardhan, I told him that “Prabhu, I had brought something for you.” And I reminded him that “You mentioned something about Giriraj worship” Then he started to explain: “Yes! Giriraj that is standing on the altar captured my heart so much, I just want to enter that mood…” and like this. Then I told him: “I have an enhanced version. Just keep Giriraj always with you!” And since that time Giriraj is always hanging on his neck – a small piece. It’s very much similar to that, who has the impression of Mahaprabhu’s finger in Lokanath das Gosvami’s temple.

But that was not India. That was Vrindavana. It’s different. You don’t obtain the visa in the embassy. Indian visa you get in the embassy. Vrindavana visa you get in a different place.