Sharanagati

There is a very good example, when Gopa Kumar returns home, back to Godhead. And then what happens? Krishna and the gopas are doing their daily activities. Krishna is a little tired. He could not sleep that night. He had some insomnia. Due to some reasons. And not even the best psychologists could understand what is the reason for the small little boy not to sleep during the night. So He is a little dizzy in the mornings. And He is late. Because, you know, the calves need proper timing. They are very hungry in the morning, they want to go out to the field and if you are late, then you have to rush, right? Did it happen to you, that you are late for your job? Then you have to rush, right? No time for anything. No morning bath, no mantras, no puja, nothing – just rush. Not even breakfast – that is a real case! If you give up your morning puja, this is normal; if you give up your morning breakfast – wow, this is a real case! Then you are really in a hurry!

So, sometimes Krishna is late. He is in a hurry. And all of a sudden He, like a very obedient boy, is running after His duties. But He has a caring father. And the caring father says: “Ah, my dear boy, where do You run?” Krishna says: “Ah, I have to tend the cows and the calves.” “All right, all right, this is very nice, but have You had your breakfast today?” “No, no, no, I am just running!” And then what the father say? “Come here! I will give You something.” So this is the super-breakfast. The formality is there plus some extra feeling is there.

So, they run out to the fields. And you know, the hundreds and millions of small gopals know each other very well. But all of a sudden a stranger appears. A new face in Vrindavana! What happened? All the gopals are a little astonished. And Krishna is inspired! And He starts to pay extra attention to this newcomer.

Usually how the small boys spend their breakfast when they go out? Krishna is sitting in the middle and all of them are sitting around and facing, looking at Him. So there is a little distance. But when this newcomer appeared, Krishna all of a sudden runs to him. And not only running to him, but also embracing. Very unusual! Especially an outsider, a newcomer. And then a natural feeling of envy and jealousy appears in the hearts of all the gopals. “My dear Krishna, I am here for ten years and You don’t embrace me! And here is this newcomer and You embrace him! What is this? Is this a nice behaviour? What kind of friend You are?” Krishna is not only approaching, running to the newcomer, not only embracing, but glorifying! So painful! “He is not glorifying me, He is glorifying somebody else!” He said: “I know how much trouble you have taken in order to come to Me. After a long trip you are back. I am so happy to meet you! I know how much trouble you have taken. Welcome!”

This is not prostituting the highest principles.

But here we have to examine one touchy question. What is that sensitive question? Envy in Goloka Vrindavana? How come? Is that possible? How much real was the feeling of the gopals, their jealousy for this newcomer? Is that real? Antagonistic feelings don’t fit into Vrindavana. So, if these feelings are not in harmony with Krishna’s inner feelings, it cannot happen.

But actually this story is a proof for this special taste of Krishna. He likes newcomers. Poor old guys! He likes the newcomers.

Fortunate enough, we are all newcomers. So you have all the chances to be embraced and to achieve all the attention of the Supreme.