Daily chores performed in the company of Shrikrushna (Part 2)

1. Holding Shrikrushna’s pitambar tightly and falling asleep on His shoulder

A. Explanation of the picture

With the feeling that Shrikrushna is her mother, father, friend and everything, the lady seeker is holding him tightly by His pitambar (Small single cloth worn loosely over the shoulders). With complete surrender to Shrikrushna and the unequivocal faith that He is my protector, the lady seeker has fallen asleep on His shoulder.

2. Shrikrushna embellishing the child-seeker like a balgopi (A child gopi)

A. Explanation of the picture

1. Praying to Shrikrushna while listing the aspects of personality defects and ego, and getting spiritual experience that He is transforming me into a balgopi (Bal – Young, Gopi – Milkmaid devotees of Bhagawan Shrikrushna)

Yesterday I became completely introverted and began to list different aspects of my personality defects and ego. While working on this, I had to think a lot and as a result I was feeling bored. Hence, I prayed to Shrikrushna to give me the spiritual experience of balakbhav (childlike emotion) and make me energetic. Shrikrushna instantly gave me the spiritual experience that He is transforming me into a balgopi. He also gave me a small earthen pot filled with butter. After this spiritual experience, I began to list the aspects of my personality defects and ego with renewed vigour.

B. Implied meaning of the picture

1. A lady-seeker who is eager to become a balgopi is embellished by Shrikrushna Himself

Bhagawan Shrikrushna tells me about Sanatan’s gopis (Note) everyday. Hence, I have become very eager to become a balgopi myself. Bhagawan Shrikrushna is embellishing me with a dress to transform me into a balgopi. After my make-up, He puts a dot of soot on my chin to prevent me from getting affected with the evil-eye. – Mrs Uma Ravichandran, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. (6.11.2012)

Note – Sanatan’s lady-seekers have the same devotion and bhav unto Shrikrushna as that of the gopis in Dwaparyug. Hence, these lady-seekers are termed ‘gopis’. – Compiler

C. Distinctive feature of the picture

The purest madhurabhakti (Devotion arising from bhav of sincerity) created from the balakbhav manifests as balgopi’. When the waves of bhav of innocent and unconditional love emanating from a pure heart unite with the madhurabhakti, its purity reaches a peak and an ordinary devotee is transformed into a superior devotee. Among all devotees, the superior devotee is most dear to God, and he alone can completely merge with God. Only when one is fully engrossed in devotion and dives deep into the ocean of pure devotion, the essence of devotion seeps deep into the internal mind in the true sense. In this state, there is a fine blend of Anand of devotion, purity of bhav and internal awareness of ignorance, and then arises unique devotion unto God, which is full of intense and unconditional love.

This devotion has the essence of the love of a lover. Shrikrushna’s heart is filled with the sorrow of separation from His lady-love. Since the individual is intensely waiting to meet Shrikrushna, the flame of yearning burns continuously in its internal mind; at the same time, the internal mind is drenched with the Anand of devotion in anticipation of the meeting with Shrikrushna. Such unique devotion is known as madhurabhakti. In the devotion that is bathed in the sea of pure, unvarying, innocent and unconditional love lies the real sweetness of unconditional love. Shrikrushna is beautifying the balgopi with His supreme beauty, the balgopi who is filled with sweetness of love, embellished with the essence of love, possessing pure madhurabhakti expressive of the eagerness to meet Shrikrushna.

– Ms Madhura Bhosale(11.7.2013, 10.50 p.m.)

3. Sitting on Shrikrushna’s lap and swinging

A. State of bhav experienced by the lady-seeker while drawing the picture

1. This is the first picture depicting balakbhav. After having bhav that I am a 3-year-old child and am relaxed since Shrikrushna cares for me, I could actually experience it.
2. Sitting on the swing and swinging means being at ease and relaxed (worriless).
3. Sitting on the swing with a butterfly that flies in Vrundavan (A forest on the outskirts of Mathura) and swinging means being worriless to a greater extent.
4. Sitting on the lap of Shrikrushna and swinging is the highest state of bhav.

– Mrs Uma Ravichandran, Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

B. Distinctive feature of the picture –
The butterfly denotes the lightness that the lady-seeker is experiencing

The lightness of wind that we get when the swing is soaring is depicted by the butterfly near the swing. The lady-seeker depicting balakbhav obtains the same lightness while swinging with Shrikrushna, akin to the flight of a butterfly, meaning the lightness that the butterfly has. – Mrs Anjali Gadgil, Sanatan Ashram, Goa. (12.9.2012)

Reference : Sanatan’s Holy Text ‘Pictures depicting Balakbhav (Part 1) (Pictures that bestow Anand of devotion unto Shrikrushna)’