We shall approach Him remembering that He is still living. It is not a stereotyped thing. We should not expect only what was done once before. If we expect the same thing, it will only reassure us by its repetition that He is not a living thing, that Divinity is under historical law. Should we think that in the past He showed Himself in a particular way, so He is compelled to show Himself in that way always? Is He not living today? Can He not show anything new?
At every moment, every second, He can show everything in quite a new way. So, our heart should open wide when we approach the highest authority of the absolute plane of play. That means surrender must be increased to no limit. Surrender is limitless, and His play or lila is also limitless. With that sort of deep vision, we shall try to read His lila. So, although Brahma and the other gods and gurus and the givers of many sastras may have given some description of His Pastimes, we shall have to realise that Krishna’s Pastimes are not bound by their descriptions. Krishna is not confined within a cage.
So, for this reason, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu did not hesitate to give a description of the bewilderment of Brahma (Brahma-vimohana-lila). Brahma was bewildered in Krishna-lila in Vrndavan, and again when Brahma went to have an interview with Krishna in Dvaraka, we find the same condition. The boundary of the sweet will of the Infinite is such that anything can be accommodated there, and even Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, can be perplexed by Krishna.
All these Pastimes are like so many lighthouses showing us which way to go. Brahma is our Guru, but he was bewildered by Krishna. And Vedavyas, the universal Guru, was also chastised by Narad. Narad was put to the test many times. All these examples are showing us the way; they are pointing out the direction. It is said, srutibhir vimrgyam: the authentic books about the revealed truth are only showing the way. They say, «Go in this direction. Where? We do not exactly know, but you may go in this direction.» They are only showing the direction. All the srutis, the guidance given by the scholars of revealed truth, give some direction: «Go this way, in this direction, and perhaps you may find it.»
Krishna says, «Vedais cha sarvair Aham eva vedyo: all the Vedas are intended to reveal Me, the Infinite.» They mean to show how the Infinite is moving. If I analyse one atom within my fist, I can analyse it again and again and reanalyse it to no end. It is already within my fist, and yet it is infinite. So, it has been said that we may get the maximum benefit by surrendering. Krishna says, «Give up all your prejudices and the limitations drawn from the limited world and be open. Then it will be easy for the Infinite to cast different shades of light on your soul and your knowing faculty. And then it will be easy for you also to cleanse your plane of understanding, cleanse your glass, the mirror of your heart.»
In connection with the Infinite you will find that everywhere there is centre, nowhere circumference. But to realise this, you must try to live in eternity, in Vaikuntha. Kuntha means «measurement». Vaikuntha means «no crookedness, no limit, no measure». That is Vaikuntha.
When Krishna opened His mouth, Yasoda was astonished to find the entire universal creation. Yasoda was nonplused. «What do I see? The whole universe? The infinite in the finite?» At that moment she almost fainted, but then her cat cried aloud. And Krishna, as if He was very much afraid of the sound of the cat, caught hold of His mother out of fear. Then at once, Yasoda’s apprehension disappeared. She thought, «Oh, no … He is my son! There is no representation of the infinite within Him; He is my son.» And she embraced Him.
When Brahma took away the cowherd boys and calves, he thought that he had created some want in the lila, but he came to find it flowing just as it had been. Not even the least part of it had been disturbed. Krishna had expanded Himself to become the calves and the cowherd boys. When Krishna Himself took the form of all the calves and cowherd boys, then the mothers felt an infinite type of affection, so much so that they could not understand, but were rather entranced, thinking, «How beautiful these boys are!» And the cows were also mad to show their affection to those calves. Then, Brahma thought, «Have those cowherd boys and calves that I have stolen come here stealthily to join Him?» Again he went to see where he had hidden them. He saw, «No, the boys and calves are where I kept them in the caves of the mountain. They are there!» Again he returned to where Krishna was and saw everything continuing as it had been. At that time, Brahma surrendered and was reassured. He spoke the following prayer:
naumidya te ‘bhra-vapuse tadid-ambaraya
gunjavatamsa-paripichchha-lasan-mukhaya
vanya-sraje kavala-vetra-visana-venu-
laksma-sriye mrdu-pade pasupangajaya
«I offer my prayers unto You, O praiseworthy Lord, who is the child of the cowherd Nanda. Your complexion is the dark blue colour of a thundercloud, and You are clad in silk garments that shine like lightning. Your charming face is adorned with gunja-mala ornaments, and Your hair is decorated with a peacock feather. You look beautiful wearing a garland of forest flowers, and that beauty is enhanced by the morsel of food in Your left hand. You carry a buffalo horn and a stick for herding cows tucked beneath Your left arm. You hold a flute and other emblems, and Your feet are as soft as a lotus.» That is the general meaning of this verse. The internal meaning of this verse, however, is this: «O venerable one, we submit our prayers to You. Who are You? You are un-seeable, un-feelable, unknown, and unknowable. Your complexion is the colour of a black cloud, and therefore You are very difficult to see, but You can be seen because of Your yellow garb.» Yellow is Radharani’s colour. So, only by the help of Krishna’s potency can it be ascertained who He is. Tadit means lightning. By the help of lightning we can see a black cloud at night. So, although Krishna is unknown and unknowable, His potency can reveal Him to us. Brahma says, «You are the venerable entity I have come to know. Now I bow down to You. Your body is like that of a black cloud, and that is some mystic representation. Black generally cannot be detected. But Your dress of yellow colour helps us to know what You are. It is carrying some similarity to the yellow dress of Narayan. Your black body and yellow dress hint towards the personification of Narayan. You are unknown and unknowable Yourself. But Your yellow dress — Your potency — makes You known to us.
«And You come down to our level as if You were one in our position. You are dressed as a cowherd boy, playing in the jungle with a lump of foodstuffs in Your hand. That deceives us in ascertaining who You are. And You adore ordinary things. Even the garland that You wear is collected from ordinary jungle flowers. Your taste appears to be for lower things.
«And all these signs are misleading us. You take a morsel of food in Your hand and run after cows. That is a sign of being low-class. The higher-caste people like brahmans and ksatriyas cannot move like this or behave in such a way with their food. The instrument you carry — a bamboo flute — is also unsophisticated. And Your stride is short. All this is misleading us to have a lower conception of You. You are hiding Yourself, so how can we understand You? What fault is there on our part, then, for not recognising Your supremacy? It is difficult to accept that You, Krishna, are the master of everything.
«You have so many plain ornaments. We don’t find anything that is gorgeous or filled with splendor here in Vrndavan. We are accustomed to find those things in Vaikuntha. But this is new. You have come here to show Your playful Pastimes. Here in Vrndavan we have come across a new conception. And it is wonderful, plain, and charming. Plain, yet most attractive.
«With simple ordinary things You have decorated Yourself, but You are so extraordinarily charming. It is impossible to understand and to describe. Generally in this world, the position of cowherd boys is of no real significance. They represent the lower section of society. But here in Vrndavan, such a position is so wonderful and charming that we find You all-attractive — hypnotising us.
«And Your movement is very slow but sure. Your movement is such that You don’t care for anything else in this world. Though You are in a lower position, Your posture is such that apparently You don’t care for anything in this world. In You we find the highest conception garbed in a very plain way — but a very wonderful way. In connection with You, things of ordinary value become charming. Although I am the creator and have created everything, I fail to understand this sort of creation. I am proud that I have created so many things in the world, but I am overwhelmed to see the beauty of the environment here in Vrndavan. Here Your movement is slow, but sure and beautiful. You may be the son of that human being who keeps the cows — this is not a very high status in society or in the scriptures — but it is the nature of Your personality that whatever You do, You make it hold the highest position. What is this! Whoever You may be, my vanity is defeated. I take refuge at Your holy feet — I surrender. Please help me to understand what You really are.» In this way, Brahma surrendered. And so, Krishna is beyond the understanding even of the creator of the universe. He is infinite. And He is infinite not only in the consideration of space, but also in the consideration of time. He is infinite in every sort of consideration. Infinite. His infinite potency is represented in consciousness, in existence, and then in dealings of love.