Posted: 20 Mar 2012 06:09 PM PDT

“My dear friends, just see how Śrī Kṛṣṇa is enjoying the season of spring! With the gopīs embracing each of His limbs, He is like amorous love personified. With His transcendental pastimes, He enlivens all the gopīs and the entire creation. With His soft bluish-black arms and legs, which resemble blue lotus flowers, He has created a festival for Cupid.”

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta – 1975 Edition
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Adi-lila 4.224

The Confidential Reasons for Lord Caitanya’s Appearance

viśveṣām anurañjanena janayann ānandam indīvara-
śreṇī-śyāmala-komalair upanayann aṅgair anaṅgotsavam
svacchandaṁ vraja-sundarībhir abhitaḥ praty-aṅgam āliṅgitaḥ
śṛṅgāraḥ sakhi mūrtimān iva madhau mugdho hariḥ krīḍati

viśveṣām—of all the gopīs; anurañjanena—by the act of pleasing; janayan—producing; ānandam—the bliss; indīvara-śreṇī—like a row of blue lotuses; śyāmala—bluish black; komalaiḥ—and soft; upanayan—bringing; aṅgaiḥ—with His limbs; anaṅga-utsavam—a festival for Cupid; svacchandam—without restriction; vraja-sundarībhiḥ—by the young women of Vraja; abhitaḥ—on both sides; prati-aṅgam—each limb; āliṅgitaḥ—embraced; śṛṅgāraḥ—amorous love; śakhi—O friend; mūrtimān—embodied; iva—like; madhau—in the springtime; mugdhaḥ—perplexed; hariḥ—Lord Hari; krīḍati—plays.

This is a verse from Jayadeva Gosvāmī’s Gīta-govinda (1.11).

Text Pasted from; Prabhupada Books

And of Seasons… I Am Flower Bearing Spring

Posted: 20 Mar 2012 05:55 PM PDT

…Of course spring is a season universally liked because it is neither too hot nor too cold, and the flowers and trees blossom and flourish. In spring there are also many ceremonies commemorating Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes; therefore this is considered to be the most joyful of all seasons, and it is the representative of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is – Macmillan 1972 Edition
By His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Chapter 10, Text 35

The Opulence of the Absolute

bṛhat-sāma tathā sāmnāṁ
gāyatrī chandasām aham
māsānāṁ mārga-śīrṣo ‘ham
ṛtūnāṁ kusumākaraḥ

bṛhat-sāma—the Bṛhat-sāma; tathā—also; sāmnām—of the Sāma-veda song; gāyatrī—the Gāyatrī hymns; chandasām—of all poetry; aham—I am; māsānām—of months; mārga-śīrṣo ‘ham—the month of November-December; aham—I am; ṛtūnām—of all seasons; kusumākaraḥ—spring.

Of hymns I am the Bṛhat-sāma sung to the Lord Indra, and of poetry I am the Gāyatrī verse, sung daily by brāhmaṇas. Of months I am November and December, and of seasons I am flower-bearing spring.

Purport
It has already been explained by the Lord that amongst all the Vedas, the Sāma-veda is rich with beautiful songs played by the various demigods.
One of these songs is the Bṛhat-sāma, which has an exquisite melody and is sung at midnight.

In Sanskrit, there are definite rules that regulate poetry; rhyme and meter are not written whimsically, as in much modern poetry. Amongst the regulated poetry, the Gāyatrī mantra, which is chanted by the duly qualified brāhmaṇas, is the most prominent. The Gāyatrī mantra is mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Because the Gāyatrī mantra is especially meant for God realization, it represents the Supreme Lord. This mantra is meant for spiritually advanced people, and when one attains success in chanting it, he can enter into the transcendental position of the Lord. One must first acquire the qualities of the perfectly situated person, the qualities of goodness according to the laws of material nature, in order to chant the Gāyatrī mantra. The Gāyatrī mantra is very important in Vedic civilization and is considered to be the sound incarnation of Brahman. Brahmā is its initiator, and it is passed down from him in disciplic succession.

The months of November and December are considered the best of all months because in India grains are collected from the fields at this time, and the people become very happy. Of course spring is a season universally liked because it is neither too hot nor too cold, and the flowers and trees blossom and flourish. In spring there are also many ceremonies commemorating Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes; therefore this is considered to be the most joyful of all seasons, and it is the representative of the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Worship God with Love and Affection

Posted: 19 Mar 2012 03:35 PM PDT

"Kṛṣṇa, You have come to me to take some fruit in exchange for grains. All the grains have fallen, but still You may take whatever You like." Thus she filled Kṛṣṇa's palms with whatever fruits He could carry. In exchange, Kṛṣṇa filled her whole basket with jewels and gold.

Srimad Bhagavatam
By His Divine Grace. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Canto Ten, Chapter 11, Text 11

phala-vikrayiṇī tasya
cyuta-dhānya-kara-dvayam
phalair apūrayad ratnaiḥ
phala-bhāṇḍam apūri ca

While Kṛṣṇa was going to the fruit vendor very hastily, most of the grains He was holding fell. Nonetheless, the fruit vendor filled Kṛṣṇa's hands with fruits, and her fruit basket was immediately filled with jewels and gold.

In Bhagavad-gītā (9.26) Kṛṣṇa says:

patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ
yo me bhaktyā prayacchati
tad ahaṁ bhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmi prayatātmanaḥ

Kṛṣṇa is so kind that if anyone offers Him a leaf, a fruit, a flower or some water, He will immediately accept it. The only condition is that these things should be offered with bhakti (yo me bhaktyā prayacchati). Otherwise, if one is puffed up with false prestige, thinking, "I have so much opulence, and I am giving something to Kṛṣṇa," one's offering will not be accepted by Kṛṣṇa. The fruit vendor, although a woman belonging to the poor aborigine class, dealt with Kṛṣṇa with great affection, saying, "Kṛṣṇa, You have come to me to take some fruit in exchange for grains. All the grains have fallen, but still You may take whatever You like." Thus she filled Kṛṣṇa's palms with whatever fruits He could carry. In exchange, Kṛṣṇa filled her whole basket with jewels and gold.

From this incident one should learn that for anything offered to Kṛṣṇa with love and affection, Kṛṣṇa can reciprocate many millions of times over, both materially and spiritually. The basic principle involved is an exchange of love. Therefore Kṛṣṇa teaches in Bhagavad-gītā (9.27):

yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi
yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam

"O son of Kuntī, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me."

With love and affection, one should try to give something to Kṛṣṇa from one's source of income. Then one's life will be successful. Kṛṣṇa is full in all opulences; He does not need anything from anyone. But if one is prepared to give something to Kṛṣṇa, that is for one's own benefit. The example given in this connection is that when one's real face is decorated, the reflection of one's face is automatically decorated. Similarly, if we try to serve Kṛṣṇa with all our opulences, we, as parts and parcels or reflections of Kṛṣṇa, will become happy in exchange. Kṛṣṇa is always happy, for He is ātmārāma, fully satisfied with His own opulence.

Another example of service in affection can be found in the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Madhya-lila 10.139 where Srila Prabhupada states in the purport;

“Lord Kṛṣṇa’s mercy is dependent only on affection. Being obliged only by affection, Lord Kṛṣṇa acts very independently.

Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is merciful, but His mercy does not depend on mundane rules and regulations. He is dependent only on affection and nothing else. Service to Lord Kṛṣṇa can be rendered in two ways. One can serve the Lord in affection or in veneration. When service is rendered in affection, it is the Lord’s special mercy. When service is rendered in veneration, it is doubtful whether Kṛṣṇa’s mercy is actually involved. (Cc. Madhya-lila 10.39)