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The climb up the Holy hillock began around 5.15 a.m. It was neither fully dark as the night nor lit up as the day. A think streak of light was seen just behind the mountain that lies beyond the Holy hillock. This was just enough to tread across the grassy stretch in front of the Holy hillock and begin the climb.
Sri Swamiji, surrounded by devotees, took easy, relaxed steps across the grassy stretch.
The Hero of the Brahmotsav Premika Varadan along with His Consort Mãdhuri Sakhi was carried in His Royal Palanquin by four sturdy young devotees. Divine Names of the Lord filled the air as all the devotees followed Sri Swamiji and His puja murti Premika Varadan-Mãdhuri Sakhi.
Atop the Holy hillock Sri Swamiji sat on a rock for a while as everything was being set for the grand Pattabhishek. A warm smile from Sri Swamiji soothed the tired limbs of a 70-year old lady devotee who had made it up the Holy hillock!
Innumerable devotees - young and old, male and female - carrying the articles required for ‘Govinda Pattãbhishekh’ - had made the climb spiritedly. Everything was set on the ‘ever accommodative Hillock’ and Sri Swamiji began to perform ‘Tirumanjanam’ to Premika Varadan-Mãdhuri Sakhi. Vedic Brahmins and Bhãgavathãls added colour to the circle of devotees on top of the Holy Hill. Curious Varuna Bhagavãn pushed back Surya Bhagavãn and ‘dropped’ down lightly to join hands with the circle of devotees present on the Holy hillock to enjoy the ‘Tirumanjanam’ followed by ‘archana’ to Premika Varadan-Mãdhuri Sakhi.
‘GOVINDA! GOVINDA! GOVINDA! GOVINDA! GOVINDA! GOVINDA!
GOVINDA! GOVINDA! GOVINDA! GOVINDA! GOVINDA! GOVINDA!
GOVINDA! GOVINDA! GOVINDA! GOVINDA! GOVINDA! GOVINDA!
GOVINDA! GOVINDA! GOVINDA! GOVINDA! GOVINDA! GOVINDA!’
filled the air as Sri Swamiji performed archana.
Prior to archana, Sri Srikant Sarma read out ‘Govinda Pattãbhishekh’ from Srimad Bhãgavatam and discoursed on it. Highlighting the Love of the Gopis, Sri Srikant Sarma explained, “Tasmãnmatcharanam ghoshtam mannãtham matparigraham
Gopãyo swãtmayogena so-ayam me vrata ãhitah!” (Srimad Bhãgavatam 10:25:18)
--- ‘matcharanam ghoshtam’ refers to all the cows; ‘mannãtham’ refers to the Gopãs (Krishna’s playmates) and ‘matparigraham’ (my property) refers to the Gopis! Krishna considered the Gopis as his property! AND, The Lord guarded all that were HIS under the umbrella of the Govardhana Hill held by His little finger for seven long days as the teased, angry Indra poured down rains sending the clouds of ‘pralaya kãla’ (Great Destruction).
Used as he was with the annual thanksgiving festival whence Nanda and his men offered innumerable things to Indra in return for the rains sent by him, it spurned him to find this brought to an end by a little cowherd (Krishna). The Lord did this just to puncture the ego of Indra. Waging an unsuccessful battle, Indra fell at the Lord’s Feet at the end of seven days. Krishna affectionately advised him, ‘Drunk with power you had lost your goodness. Desiring your welfare I stopped the gopalas from performing the ‘Indra festival.’ One who has been blinded by the dazzle of gold does not see me. When I wish to help him and make him my Bhakta I strip him of all his wealth. Only in adversity does he realize the greatness of the bigger power.’
Kamadhenu (the Divine cow) who had accompanied Indra said to the Lord, ‘It is only our good fortune that you have come down as a cowherd in Vrindavan. You are the protector of my children (the cows on the earth) and they face no sorrow as you are tending them. You are only our Indra - King. I have acquired the permission of Lord Brahma to crown you as our Lord. Our salutations to you.’
Kamadhenu then poured the waters brought from the heavens as also her own milk. She bathed Krishna with these for the Coronation. Ordering Airavata to bring down the water from the Ganga that flows in the heavens, Indra gave the Coronation bath to Krishna and offered the title of ‘GOVINDA!’ on Krishna. Indra said to Krishna that since He (Krishna) protected the cows and the entire world, He was verily GOVINDA!
Thus, Krishna came to be known as GOVINDA!
Various kinds of dishes had been prepared for offering to the Holy hillock of Mãhanyam. After offering them to the Holy hillock, the ‘prasad’ was distributed amongst the little village children who had come up and were loudly chanting
‘HARE RAMA HARE RAMA RAMA RAMA HARE HARE!
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE!’
Sri Swamiji then sat on a big rock and blessed all the devotees with ‘teerta prasad’.
Standing atop the Holy hillock beside Guru Maharãj everything seemed very tiny and trivial!
Devotees followed Sri Swamiji and ‘GOVINDA’ (Coronated Premika Varadan, the Hero of the Brahmotsav) and His Consort Mãdhuri Sakhi down the Holy hillock to the Ashram.
‘Ãrati’ was taken to the Divine couple at the Ashram gates.
To Govinda Pattabishekam Photos
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