Beauty on the Beach

Sand sculptures by artist Sudarshan Pattnaik, on the beaches of Puri...

And the piece de resisitance...

Krsna-Rama!

As He takes care of the cows, Krishna jokes and plays with His friends. When He calls, the cows come. I pray that playful Krishna will enter my memory and make me tremble with love for Him.
When will Krishna and Balarama, holding hands, laughing, and joking, make my heart tremble with love?
“Rama! Krishna! Krishna-Rama! Krishna! Krishna! Krishna!” Here and there on the pathways of Goloka one may hear the people chanting these names as they come and go.
~ Gopala Champu

Srimati Radhika's beauty and the envious moon

Her glorious complexion fair, Her garments red, and Her new youthfulness effulgent, Sri Radha, delighting Her friends, and graceful like a crescent moon in its second night, shone with great splendor.

Sri Radha's limbs glistened like lightning. Sri Radha's hair was like a dark monsoon cloud with lightning. Sri Radha's neck and other limbs are like the winding tendrils of a golden sura-lata vine. Sri Radha's face graced with many black and curly locks of hair is like a lotus encircled by black bees. Sri Radha's forehead is like a half-moon. Sri Radha's eyes are like two stars. Sri Radha's eyebrows are like two archer's bows. Sri Radha's nose is like a graceful arrow. Sri Radha's ears are like the tips of the tendrils of two golden vines. Sri Radha's cheeks are like two round fruits borne by that vine. Sri Radha's mouth is like a golden cup with rubies around its circle top. Sri Radha's teeth are like pearls fallen from a cloud. Sri Radha's gentle smile is like the sweet fragrance of vine that bears flowers of poetic words. Shri Radha's lips are like flower petals.

Sri Radha's abdomen is like an ashvattha leaf. The line of hairs on Shri Radha's body is like a graceful line drawn upon it. Sri Radha's waist is like an altar built by Vishvakarma, the demigods' architect. Sri Radha's navel is like a deep and holy pilgrimage lake. Sri Radha's two legs, anointed with various colors, and graceful like the most graceful elephant's trunk, are clothed in wonderful and colorful garments that reach to Her glorious feet. Sri Radha's feet glorious with the effulgence of Her toenails are like two glorious blossoming flowers anointed with cooling drops of mist. Sri Radha's arms are like two soft golden-lotus stems. Sri Radha's hands are like two lotus flowers. In this way Sri Radha's form is splendid and beautiful.

Sri Radha's hair is curly and graceful. Sri Radha's hair is gracefully dishevelled. Shri Radha's tilaka is perfect, unbroken, graceful, and glorious with various colors. Sri Radha's earrings are reflected in the two blue lotus flowers of Her eyes. Sri Radha's smile is reflected in the pearl-ring on Her nose. A whispering belt of jangling bells glistens over Sri Radha's garments. Sri Radha's neck, arms, and other limbs are decorated with tilaka and with many glorious ornaments. What more can I say? Sri Radha's graceful head is the ultimate ornament, the ornament that decorates all the other parts of Her body.

The gopi-maidservants decorating Sri Radha were stunned with wonder. Quickly and expertly they decorated Her.

Seeing Sri Radha sublime splendor, the moon burned with envy. Those flames of envy in the moon's heart must have left marks now visible on the moon's surface. This I think.

~ Gopala Champu by Jiva Goswami

Dear Krishna...

Little Raj came into the kitchen where his mother was making dinner. His birthday was coming up and he thought this was a good time to tell his mother what he wanted. "Mom, I want a bike for my birthday."

Little Raj was a bit of a troublemaker. He had gotten into trouble at school and at home. Raj's mother asked him if he thought he deserved to get a bike for his birthday. Little Raj, of course, thought he did. Raj's mother wanted Raj to reflect on his behaviour over the last year. "Go to your room, Raj, and think about how you have behaved this year. Then write a letter to Krishna and tell him why you deserve a bike for your birthday."

Little Raj stomped up the steps to his room and sat down to write Krishna a letter.

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Letter 1: Dear Krishna, I have been a very good boy this year and I would like a bike for my birthday. I want a red one. Your friend, Raj

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Raj knew that this wasn't true. He had not been a very good boy this year, So he tore up the letter and started over.

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Letter 2: Dear Krishna, This is your friend Raj. I have been a good boy this year and I would like a red bike for my birthday. Thank you. Your friend, Raj

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Raj knew that this wasn't true either. So, he tore up the letter and started again.

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Letter 3: Dear Krishna, I have been an OK boy this year. I still would really like a bike for my birthday. Raj

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Raj knew he could not send this letter to krishna either. So, Raj wrote a fourth letter.

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Letter 4: Krishna, I know I haven't been a good boy this year. I am very sorry. I will be a good boy if you just send me a bike for my birthday please! Thank you, Raj

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Raj knew, even if it was true, this letter was not going to get him a bike. Now, Raj was very upset. He went downstairs and told his mom that he wanted to go to temple. Raj's mother thought her plan had worked, as Raj looked very sad. "Just be home in time for dinner", Raj's mother told him. Raj walked down the street to the temple on the corner. Little Raj went into the temple and up to the altar. He looked around to see if anyone was there. Raj bent down and picked up a statue of the Radha. He slipped the statue under his shirt and ran out of the temple, down the street, into the house, and up to his room.

He shut the door to his room and sat down with a piece of paper and a pen. Raj began to write his letter to Krishna.

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Letter 5: Krishna, I'VE KIDNAPPED YOUR GIRLFRIEND. IF YOU WANT TO SEE HER AGAIN, SEND THE BIKE!!!!!!

(Just for laughs...OBVIOUSLY!!)

It's Dauji's birthday!!

May Lord Balarama the master of Goloka the supreme controller of all controllers who is always glorified by pure kirtan, protect me. May Lord Balarama appearing as Ananta Sesa, who on His hand holds the earth as if it were a single mustard seed, protect me on the earth.

May Lord Balarama protect me when I am surrounded by many armies. May Lord Balarama, who holds a plow, always protect me in the battle. May Lord Balarama, who holds a club, always protect me in the fortress. O Sankarsana please protect me in the forest.

May Lord Balaram, who wears blue garments and who stopped the Yamuna always protect me in water. May Lord Balarama protect me in the wind. May Lord Balarama protect me inthe sky. May Lord Balarama who is Lord Ananta Himself, always protect me inthe great ocean.

May Lord Balarama, who is Vasudeva's son, protect me in the mountains. May Lord Balarama, who has a thousand hands, protect me in times of war. May Lord Balarama, Rohininandana, protect me from desires. May Lord Balarama,kamapala, who fulfils desires, protect me from catastrophes.

May Lord Balarama, Dhenukari, who killed the demon Dhenukasura, always protect me from lust. May Lord Balarama, who killed Dvivida, always protect me from anger. May Lord Balarama, who is the enemy of the Balvala, always protect me from greed. May Lord Balarama, Magadharrh, the enemy of Jarasandha, always protect me from illusion.

May Lord Balarama, Vrsni-Dhurya, best of the Vrsnis, always protect me at sunrise (6-8:30am). May Lord Balarama, Mathura-purandarah, the king of Mathura city, kindly protect me in the morning. May Lord Balarama,Gopa-sakha, the friends of the Gopas, always protect me at midday. May Lord Balarama, who is completely independent, always protect me in the afternoon.

May Lord Balarama, Phanindro, the king of serpents, always protect me at sunset. May Lord Balarama, who is greater then the greatest, always protect me in the evening. May Lord Balarama, whose power is invinsible,always protect me in the midnight. May Lord Balarama, always protect me at every sunrise.

May Lord Balarama, Revati pati, the husband of Revati, protect me from the four intermediate directions (NE,NW,SE,SW). May Lord Balarama, Pralambari,the enemy of the Pralamba, protect me from the four directions(N,S,E,W). MayLord Balarama, the best of the Yadavas, protect me from below, May Lord Balabhadra always protect me from above. May Lord Baladeva, protect me here and every where.

May Lord Balarama, Purusottama the Supreme Personality of Godhead, always protect me from within, may the supremely powerful Lord Balarama, Nagendra,who enjoys pastimes as the king of serpents, protect me from without. May Lord Balarama Lord Hari the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supersoul residing in the everyone's heart always protect me.

Please know that the kavaca of Lord Balarama destroys the fears of the demigods and demons. It is a blazing fire that burns up a host of sins. It spells death to a host of obstacles. It is the adobe of spiritual perfection and spiritual strength.

~ Balabhadra Stotra Kavaca

The importance of hearing from a pure devotee

(Photo from caitanya.org)

"My dear Lord, You are glorified by the selected verses uttered by great personalities. Such glorification of Your lotus feet is just like saffron particles. When the transcendental vibrations from the mouths of great devotees carries the aroma of the saffron dust of Your lotus feet, the forgetful living entity gradually remembers his eternal relationship with You. Devotees thus gradually come to the right conclusion about the value of life. My dear Lord, I therefore do not need any other benediction but the opportunity to hear from the mouth of Your pure devotee."

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.20.25

Early morning darshan

With Your sweet, sweet smile

The tilt of Your hips

Your kind lotus eyes

The bamboo flute at your lips

Early in the morning

Without Your mukut in Your hair

Free of Your ornaments and all the fanfare

...

Just a sweet, simple cowherd boy

That is how I love you best