Narada's Aphorisms on Devotion Sutra-21 Yatha Vrajagopikanam.(21) As the Shepherdess (cowherd) If we get stuck on these things, we will become fanatics and sectarians fighting each other. All religions, all sadhanas and all fantasies are wonderful, if they can uplift us to spiritual heights. Mahabharata is to give the historical documents of Krishna. Mahabharata has less myth and more history in it. It is a blasphemy to consider Mahabharata's historical Krishna as a playboy of romance, who in reality is a great philosopher of Dharma and a statesman, who sat the feet of Ghora Angirasa- a Vedic Seer to learn Brahmavidya according to chandogya Upanishad. Krishna belongs to the vedic tradition who cannot cross dharma at all. This is the history. But, Bhagavatam is more meant for bhava than the historicity of Krishna. If Bhagavatam narrates that Krishna played with boys of Gokulam and broke the pots, stealing the butter, we should not ask whether it is historical or not? As soon as we hear story, we should involve ourselves into it, considering ourselves as the shepherd (cowherd) boys who played with Krishna, breaking the pots. If we hear that the beings in Vrindavan are wonder-struck and merge into spiritual ecstasy, by hearing the flute played by Krishna, we should imagine ourselves as the beings of Vrindavan and enjoy the celestial song of Krishna. |