The ecstatic love for Krishna possessed by the residents of Vrindavan far excels that found in any other place. When Krishna suddenly departed for Mathura He plunged the vrajavasis into an ocean of sorrow. What was Krishna's purpose in leaving? What happened when His messenger Uddhava arrived in Vraja with a message of love? And, most of all, how is it that Krishna never leaves Vrindavan?
Mathura Meets Vrindavan attempts to recreate something of the mood of reading an ancient palm leaf manuscript by illustrating the pages in the traditional Orissan style of art known as pata-citra. Sri Srimad Gour Govind Swami liked pata-citra art, and as a boy he grew up reading from palm leaf books. To illustrate his lectures included in this volume, the editors have commissioned more than one hundred original pata-citra painting.
Radha could not understand that the real Krishna was there. Thinking it was a deity, and praising the skill of Viswakarma, She said, "He has made such a lifelike deity. And the deity is speaking with such a sweet voice." At the same time Radha is feeling pangs of separation from Krishna. Although She was in the presence of Her beloved, still separation was there. This is known as prema-vaicittya in Vrajbhumi.
List of Illustrations | viii |
Mangalacarana | ix |
Pata-citra Art | xiii |
Srimad Bhagavatam 10.3.31 | xv |
Preface | xvii |
Introduction | 1 |
Part One Vrindavan-sambhoga | |
Chapter One Krishna Appearance | 10 |
Chapter Two The Pure Devotion of Vraja | 22 |
Chapter Three The form of Krisna | 32 |
Chapter Four Bound by love | 42 |
Chapter Five Sweet Vrindavan Pastimes | 60 |
Chapter Six When Love Becomes More Condensed | 68 |
Chapter Seven The Supreme Chief | 80 |
Chapter Eight Expansions of Radha | 86 |
Chapter Nine The Heart of Radharani | 100 |
Part Two Mathura-viraha | |
Chapter Ten Distant Mathura | 118 |
Chapter Eleven Message of Love | 124 |
Chapter Twelve Uddhava Meets Nanda Maharaja | 136 |
Chapter Thirteen Crushing Uddhava's Pride | 152 |
Chapter Fourteen The Faults of Krishna | 172 |
Chapter Fifteen The Sulky Eye of Radharani | 190 |
Chapter Sixteen Fire of Separation | 210 |
Chapter Seventeen Krishna Never Leaves Vrindavan | 216 |
Questions and Answers | 232 |
Notes | 238 |
Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami | 240 |
The Artists | 244 |
Glossary | 245 |
Index to Verses and Songs | 250 |
General Index | 255 |
Bibliography | 292 |
Sources of Materials | 293 |
The ecstatic love for Krishna possessed by the residents of Vrindavan far excels that found in any other place. When Krishna suddenly departed for Mathura He plunged the vrajavasis into an ocean of sorrow. What was Krishna's purpose in leaving? What happened when His messenger Uddhava arrived in Vraja with a message of love? And, most of all, how is it that Krishna never leaves Vrindavan?
Mathura Meets Vrindavan attempts to recreate something of the mood of reading an ancient palm leaf manuscript by illustrating the pages in the traditional Orissan style of art known as pata-citra. Sri Srimad Gour Govind Swami liked pata-citra art, and as a boy he grew up reading from palm leaf books. To illustrate his lectures included in this volume, the editors have commissioned more than one hundred original pata-citra painting.
Radha could not understand that the real Krishna was there. Thinking it was a deity, and praising the skill of Viswakarma, She said, "He has made such a lifelike deity. And the deity is speaking with such a sweet voice." At the same time Radha is feeling pangs of separation from Krishna. Although She was in the presence of Her beloved, still separation was there. This is known as prema-vaicittya in Vrajbhumi.
List of Illustrations | viii |
Mangalacarana | ix |
Pata-citra Art | xiii |
Srimad Bhagavatam 10.3.31 | xv |
Preface | xvii |
Introduction | 1 |
Part One Vrindavan-sambhoga | |
Chapter One Krishna Appearance | 10 |
Chapter Two The Pure Devotion of Vraja | 22 |
Chapter Three The form of Krisna | 32 |
Chapter Four Bound by love | 42 |
Chapter Five Sweet Vrindavan Pastimes | 60 |
Chapter Six When Love Becomes More Condensed | 68 |
Chapter Seven The Supreme Chief | 80 |
Chapter Eight Expansions of Radha | 86 |
Chapter Nine The Heart of Radharani | 100 |
Part Two Mathura-viraha | |
Chapter Ten Distant Mathura | 118 |
Chapter Eleven Message of Love | 124 |
Chapter Twelve Uddhava Meets Nanda Maharaja | 136 |
Chapter Thirteen Crushing Uddhava's Pride | 152 |
Chapter Fourteen The Faults of Krishna | 172 |
Chapter Fifteen The Sulky Eye of Radharani | 190 |
Chapter Sixteen Fire of Separation | 210 |
Chapter Seventeen Krishna Never Leaves Vrindavan | 216 |
Questions and Answers | 232 |
Notes | 238 |
Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami | 240 |
The Artists | 244 |
Glossary | 245 |
Index to Verses and Songs | 250 |
General Index | 255 |
Bibliography | 292 |
Sources of Materials | 293 |