Chapter summary
गोकुलमाहात्म्यम् Gokula Māhātmyam
The Glory of Gokula
**Śrī Sadguru said:**
Indeed, Gokula is a blessed abode, more auspicious even than Vaikuṇṭha, for it is here that Bhagavān Viṣṇu was lovingly cherished by Nanda and Yaśodā. Oh, the boundless fortune of Nanda Gopa and all the dwellers of Vraja, whose intimate friend was none other than the Supreme Bliss, the complete, eternal Brahman Himself! (v.1-2)
During the joyous festival of Kṛṣṇa's birth, the Gopas, overcome with love, drench one another with waters of curd, milk, and ghee, dancing in ecstatic celebration. In every home, a jeweled cradle holds the infant Mādhava, and upon every tongue resonates the sacred name of Kṛṣṇa—such is the defining characteristic of Gokula. In the homes of its residents, whose hearts overflow with parental affection and love, the enchanting childhood pastimes of Kṛṣṇa unfold in every house. (v.3-5)
Blessed indeed is the house of Nanda, revered even by Brahmā and other celestial gods, for within its precincts, the Supreme Brahman Himself crawls upon His knees. (v.6)
It was here that Nanda's infant, absorbed in wondrous playful sports, drank the very life-breaths of Pūtanā along with her dreadful poison, and out of profound compassion, bestowed upon her that supreme state ever sought by all yogis. Here too, Mukunda struck with His tender foot the demon who had assumed the form of a cart—those very lotus feet which sages, having controlled their minds, constantly yearn to touch in secluded meditation. It was in this sacred land that Kṛṣṇa, delighting in the playful sports of His childhood, slew the demon in the form of a whirlwind, casting him down from the sky to the surface of the earth, His face then lovingly kissed by the women of the Gopas. And here, the sage Garga bestowed the sweet names upon the wondrous child and also upon Rāma, names whose blissful chanting devotees find so satisfying that they desire not even the realm of Vaikuṇṭha. (v.7-10)
Within these very homes, Nanda's son, accompanied by groups of boys, playfully committed thefts of butter, milk, and ghee, knocking over pots after respectfully climbing upon a stool and a mortar. It was also here that Nanda's wife, Yaśodā, having constantly heard the captivating pastimes of Kṛṣṇa flowing from the lotus-mouths of the beautiful ladies of Vraja, bound her own child to a mortar, whereupon He brought about the release from the curse for the two sons of Kubera. (v.11-12)
Here itself, Mukunda, the sole cause of the universe, while playing with His companions, ate mud. And to the angered Yaśodā, He revealed the entire universe within His own belly by opening His divine mouth. (v.13)
It is here that the Gopa women, by drinking the nectar of the infant Nanda's playful sports, attain infinite bliss. That glorious Gokula, marked by the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is indeed an ornament for the entire world. (v.14)
O devotee of Kṛṣṇa! In Gokula, within the region of Vraja, the formless Brahman plays in the form of a child. While the three worlds are scorched by the various sorrows of worldly existence, the abode of Gokula alone remains cool, refreshed by the enchanting pastimes of Kṛṣṇa. O Vaiṣṇavas, you who are pained by the fatigue of wandering in the desert of worldly existence, take refuge in Gokula and live in eternal happiness! (v.15-17)
The abode of Gokula is a refuge for those who possess parental affection and love for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Soul, and never for others. Auspicious is this abode of Gokula, enchanting to the Vaiṣṇavas, and for those absorbed in meditation on Mādhava, it is a sweet haven within the region of Mathurā. (v.18-19)
Thus ends the eighteenth chapter, titled "The Glory of Gokula," in the First Part of the "Divyadeśavaibhavam" composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
