GANGA

New York Lo Angele Bombay

FOREWORD
FROM THE PUBLJ HERS
'"T .he book you are holding is a very
1 pecial one. In it you will find
tht: he t work of the di "Ciple of A. C.
Bhakrivcdanta wami Prabhupada, who
br\)ught the Vedic culture of ancicnr
India to the West in 1965. Although
mo't of thee arti ts had little tmining
or hackground in painting, they made
the eff ort by order of their spiritual
master, with astnunding rcsulr-.
The tradition of Indian religiou
painting i many centuries old. ln rhi
book, however, you will find a unique
synthesisof clas ical Wester technique
and Ea ter theology. Srila Prabhupada
liked t say that the west could be "con,
quercd l y theculrure"of lndia. Indeed,
we have seen a resurgence of avid inter,
e t in this culrurc during the Ia t two
de adc . It ha the ability to inspire us,
even in an age when artistic expres ion
is often shallow and mundane.
We hope that you will nor only en,
joy the stunning visual fea t of thi
houk, hut also the deep theology behind
it, and the simple devotion within it.
Hare Kr.ra!
ALFRED B. FoRD
MARY 0RWG
PEFACE
'a is the original source of everything and the sum total
of everything. He appears as the supreme youth, and His
whole boy is composed of spiritual bliss. He is the shelter and
master of everyone. "Ka, who is known as Govinda, is the
supreme contoller. He has an eteral blissfl, spiritual body, He is
the origin of all, He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause
of all causes. The original Supreme Personality of Gohead is
KQa. His original name is Govinda. He is full of all opulences and
His eteral abode is known as Goloka Vrdavana."
People with less intelligence consider the Supreme Truth to be
impersonal, but He is a transcendental person, and this is con,
firmed in all Vedic literatures. As we are all individual living beings
and have our individuality, the Supreme Absolute Truth is also, in
the ultimate issue, a person, and a realization of the Personality of
Gohead is realization of all of the tendental features of His
complete form. The complete whole is not formless. If He is
formless, or i He is less than any other thing, then He cannot be
the complete whole. The complete whole must have everything
within our experience and beyond our experience, otherwise it
cannot be complete.
Since the ultimate purpose of all Vedic Knowledge is to
acknowledge Sri a, this implies understanding His diferent
manifestations or incations also. Lord Ka is always relating
with His eteral associates or pure devotees, and with the demigods
who are also devotees of the Lord engaged in managerial afairs.
The illustrations in the first section of la Ar depict diferent
direct pastimes of the Lord and His devotees, as well as the pastimes
among the demigos. One should not mistake the forms of the
demigods for the forms of the Lord. The demigods are highly
elevated living entities in charge of cosmic administrative afairs,
but they are still conditioned in the material, or phenomenal
world. Though they are above the ordinary living entities, and they
reside in more elevated planetary systems, the demigods are of the
same nature as the human beings a the rest of living entities in
this mortal world. Lord Siva, who belongs to a superior nature than
the living entities, is regarded as the most exalted demigo and
devotee of Sri Kra.
The middle section of the book illustrates a's incarations
and His diferent manifestations as Lord NarayaQa and Lord
Ramacandra. The Lord is the all,pervading "Supersoul of all
existence," and yet He appears in the form of a boar amongst the
animals, in the form of a human being as Rama, KQ.a, etc., in the
form of a !ilike Nara,Naraya, and in the form of an aquatic like
a fish. Yet it is said that He is unbor, and He has nothing to do.
In the srti,mant it is said that the Supreme Brahman has nothing
to do. No one is equal to or greater than Him. He h manifold
energies, and everthing is performed by Him perfectly by automatic .
knowledge, strength, and activity. All these statements prove
unquestionably that the Lord's activities, forms, and deeds are all
inconceivable to our limited thinking power, and because He is
inconceivably powerfl, everthing is possible in Him. Therefore,
no one can calculate Him exactly; ever action of the Lord is
bewildering to the common m. He cannot be understood by the
Vedic knowledge, lut He can be easily understood by the pure
devotees because they are .intimately related with Him. The
devotees, therefore know that although He appears amongst the
animals, He is not an animal. He is not a man, not a fi, nor a fish.
He is eterally the Supreme Lord, in all circumstances.
Lord Kra has many pastimes, of which His pastimes as a
human being are the best. His form as a human being is the supreme
transcendental form. In this form He is a cowherd boy. He carries
a flute in His hand and He is youthfl. He is also an expert dancer.
All this is just suitable for His pastimes as a human being. In the
final portion of the book the reader wUl behold the Lord's pastimes
with the gopi in Vrdavana and His pastimes as the most munifi,
cent incaration as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
The Bhagavacam 's ontological presentation discloses the indi,
vidual identity of Godhead, and it is displayed in the utmost
revelation of the Absolute Truth as the Divine Couple-Radha
and Ka. If God is truly complete and absolute, He must also have
a female manifestation. Sri Radha is the female counterpart to the
Male Personality of Gohead, Sri Kra. It would be an error to
project our limited conceptions upon Them, since They are
completely transcendental. They are spiritual lovers, thus enjoying
each other's association in a truly tcendental way. In the most
complete exposition of the nature of the Absolute Truth, Sri Radha
and Sri KQa both are eteral expressions of that same Absolute
Truth. Radharai is the predominated Moiety whereas Ka is the
predominating Moiety. Sages of bygone eras have declared that
only through purified senses may one charm the Lord's attention.
Thus, He can only be reached by the devotees through the path of
bhakti,yoga (B.G.,18.55). Sri Radha is the perfect worshiper of
a. Her devotional example inspires all devotees, especially
those who are attracted to the most exalted and confidential of
the relationships towards the Lord, i.e., the transcendental
mellowness of conjugal devotional service.
Although Radha and Ka are the ultimate expression of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, They Themselves descend on
earth to bestow upon Their pure devotees the bon of devotional
service. The Supreme Absolute Truth descends sometimes as Lord
Ka as He is, and sometimes as Lord Caitanya, who is the same
Ka and Radha combined. Lord Caitanya is Ka imbued with
the golden complexion and mood of Sri Radha. "The Ka
conception of divinity is so irresistible that even Kra Himself
becomes overhelmed by His own potency and is madly engaged
in tasting His own sweetness, dancing in ecstasy and thereby
distributing that sweetness to everybody. Devotion to Kra is
automatic, natural, happy, and spontaneous." Thus, in His incar,
nation as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Ka appeared to fulfUl
His confidential desires and consequently to disseminate the
special significance of chanting the maha,mantr Hare a,
Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama,
.. . .. . . ..
Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
The Lord is situated in all universes in diferent forms just to
please His devotees. Thus, the Lord destroys irreligious principles
and establishes dara, religiosity. The Ved prescribe that one
must not diferentiate between the forms of the Lord, since they are
all manifestations of the same tendental source. The Lord
appears out of His own will, He is not forced by the conditions of
material nature. He is therefore described as the vibhi, or the aJ,
mighty, for He is never conditioned by the laws of material nature.
DEDICATED To
HIS DIVINE GRACE A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA
1896-1977
Founder,acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness,
the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust and the ISKCON School of Art.
T
he artists of the Hare KrDa movement comprise a singular
school of art. This school encompasses not just painting but
sculpture, architecture, drama, music, dance, photography, and
various other arts. Some have called this school the Vedic or Neo,
Vedic school of art because it goal is the search for Vedic Truth as
defined by the spiritual master of the movement, A.C.
BhaktivedantaSwami Prabhupada. lt has been called the VaiDava
International School, because art glorifying- KrDa has never been
so widely disseminated. It has been called the ISKCON School
becau e it was the art that developed along with ISKCON, the
Interational Society for Krishna Consciousness.
The beginnings of this art are synonomous with the beginning
of the Hare KrDa movement in America. A.C. Bhaktivedanta
Swami, or Srila Prabhupada, as his disciples later came to call him,
was a firm believer in the power of art. His mission, as imparted to
him by his own spiritual teacher, was to publish books in English
to the Wester world. Sri Ia Prabhupada wanted to pub! ish authentic
annotated translations of the VaiDava classics and he wanted
them beautifully illustrated. The illustrations were to be not only
a further explication of the text, but also instruments of devotion
or worship. The primary inspiration for the painters was the chance
to have one of their paintings published in Srila Prabhupada's
books. Although these artists were quite diferent they had a
common spiritual goal: To serve God by painting.
Srila Prabhupada explained that on the spiritual platform both
the painting of a person and the person himself are real, whereas on
the material platform both the person and the painting are illusory.
For Absolute beauty to be properly conveyed, one must actually be
in touch with the source of this beauty: KrDa, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Ultimately, He is the original artist. Srila
Prabhupada elaborates on KrDa's unique position as the premier
artist: "Suppose you are an artist. To paint a picture of a very nice
rose, you have to take your brush, mix your colors on the palate, and
tax your brain to make the picture beautiful. But in a garden you can
see not only one rose but many thousands of roses blooming. They
have been very artistically painted by nature .... Anyone who per,
forms his work for the satisfaction of KrDa, who knows his
relationship with KrDa, is a true artist, and he can depict genuine,
absolute beauty as it exist in the spiritual world. For he is seeing the
Truth."
Srila Prabhupada labored incessantly to guide his disciples on
the path back to Godhead by rigorously, bur lovingly, fostering in
them a deep appreciation for the themes and personalities depicted
in the Vedic literature, ancient India's vast storehouse of scriptural
wisdom. The disciples of Srila Prabhupada, who have rendered the
paintings throughout this book, rake as a fact of life KrDa's divine
artistry. Their momenr,to,moment meditations and personal
lifestyles serve to enhance their love for the subject matter and
their inner awareness of its absolute content. By Srila Prabhupada's
grace, they were allowed a glimpse into eternity, and this is
reflected on every beautiful page of this volume.
More importantly, mental speculation does not enter into the
transcendental artist's mode of creative expression. Spiritual truth
is passed down in disciplic succession, and by this method, adherents
avoid the unsavory crime of idolatry, or the depiction of concocted
"gods" created by fertile bur limited imaginations. Since the
Supreme Ab olure Truth-the subject of these paintings-origi,
nares before rime itself, it must be revealed by a representative of
that truth who, likewise, transcends time. Srila Prabhupada is such
a representative, for he is the twenty,third teacher in the Brahma,
Madhva,Gauiya sampradaya, an esoteric chain of perfected masters
who have preserved and transmitted the original Absolute Reality
as illustrated in the following pages. This fidelity to an unchanging
tradition ensures that no imaginary, anthropomorphic conceptions
will play a role in the execution of the pieces seen throughout this
work. They are bona,fide and totally authentic. This fact is self,
evident, for the unique spirituality of these paintings can be
perceived even by those without spiritual training. Experts and
laymen alike can sense the great devotion and spiritual underpin ings
of the art you are about to behold. It has been called history in the
making. The painting speak for themselves.
"So the greatest art," Srila Prabhupada explained, "is to un,
derstand KrDa. That is the greatest art. If we actually want to be
an arti t, we should try to understand, or t to be intimately
associated with, the greate t artist, KrDa. For this purpose we have
established the Interational Society for Krishna Consciousness.
The members of this society are trained t see in everything the
display of KrDa's artistic sense. That is KrDa consciousness-to
see the arri tic hand of KrDa everywhere."
INTRODUCION
According to Indian saintJy,philosophers Vedic literature's
f history dates back 5,000 years. The Vedas were com,
piled in Sanskrit, the oldest language on earth, and they establish
the guidelines for a perfect human civilization. Among them the
sage Vyasadeva compiled the world famous Mahabharata, which
contains one hundred thousand verses. It is the largest epic poem
in the history of mankind, and it is also known as the history of
Bharata,vaa. The Vedas are the most extensive and comprehen,
sive anthology of divine thoughts given to humanity, and the
Bhagvad,gita is acknowledged as the key book in understanding
its conclusions. It is the most revealing chapter ( Bhima,parva) of
the Mahabharata, composed of seven hundred verses and spoken
by Sri Krl!a to his friend Arjuna on the historical battlefield of
Kuruetra. Sri Krl!a is revered by Arjuna as the Supreme Person,
ality of Godhead, and He manifested Himself as such at Kuruetra
to substantiate their historical conversation. What Sri Kl)a
exposes there is appraised by world renown Vedic scholars-and
apprised by saintly authorities-as the most revealing description
of the reasons for the conditioned state in the human form of life.
Thus, on a progressive path of elaborate explanations, He estab
lishes the diferent practices of yoga to reconcile the human being's
most precious demand-ne's ultimate spiritual identity.
When Srila Vyasadeva, as a literary incaration of Godhead,
finished the compUation of the Vedas, he felt unsatisfied. He had
described in the Mahabharata the essence of the ideal civilization,
but still he felt an uneasiness in his heart. Although he described
the historical qualifiations of the most elevated class of people on
Earth, the Aryans, he considered his work to be incomplete. Thus,
he was inspired to compile a book addressing the most essential goal
in human civilization-devotional service, or the practical
principle of love for the personal Godhead. This treatise came to
be known as the Srimad,Bhagavatam, or the narrations of "the
transcendental sweetness of the pastimes of the Supreme Person
ality of Godhead, Sri Krl)a." Such descriptions are based on the
diferent activities of the Supreme Lord, which also include His
most confidential pastimes.
In the Bhagavad-gita Sri Krl!a explains His identity in three
diferent aspects: as Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. Brahman,
being His all,pervading energetic characteristic; Paramatma, be
ing His multiple, personal and omniscient aspect, localized in the
center of every atom and in the heart of all living entities as their
eteral companion; finally, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Bhagavan Sri Krl)a, in His capacity of being the original person,
having a transcendental body full of eterity, knowledge and bliss.
The word Krl!a means "the all attractive person." Therefore,
according to the historical references given in the Vedas, Sri Krl!a 's
unique, enchanting complexion, peerless strength, unattainable
wisdom, unrivaled wealth and prestige, and absolute self,
dependence, makes Him the all-attractive person-whose original
two-handed form is resembled by humans-and is unquestionably
recognized as God Himself.
In the revealed scriptures, the ultimate object of knowledge is
Sri Krl)a, the Personality of Godhead. The purpose of performing
sacrifie is to please Him. Yo is for realizing Him. All fruitive
activities are ultimately rewarded by Him only. He is the supreme
knowledge, and all severe austerities are performed to know Him.
Dharma, or religion, is rendering loving service unto Him, as He
is the supreme goal of life.
Sri la, the Personality of Godhead, is the only object of
worship. The perfection of human life is to establish one's relation,
s.hip and ultimately revive our lost loving service unto Him. That
is the sum and substance of the Vs. In the Bhagvad,git the same
goal is confirmed by the Lord in His own words; the ultimate
purpose of the Vedas is to know Him only (B.G.-15.15). All the
revealed scriptures are prepared by the Lord through His incaration
in the body of Srila Vyasadeva just to remind the fallen souls,
conditioned by material nature, of Sri Krxa, the Personality of
Godhead. No demigod can award freedom fom material bondage.
That is the verdict of all Vedic literatures. I mpersonalists who have
no information of the Personality of Godhead minimize the om,
niporence of the Supreme Lord and put Him on equal footing with
all other living beings, and for this act, such impersonalists get
freedom fom material bondage only after great dificulty. They can
surrender unto Him only after many, many births in the culture of
transcendental knowledge.
Bhagavad,gita states that all sacrifices and all activities are to
be conducted for the satisfaction of Yajfa or Vil)U, who is a direct
expansion of the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krl)a. This is the case
also with the yoga systems. Yo means to get into touch with the
Supreme Lord. Paramatma realization is but partial realization of
Vil)U or Vasudeva, and if one is successful in that attempt, one
realizes Vasudeva in full. But by ill luck, most yogis are stranded by
the powers of mysticism achieved through the bodily process. Ill
fated yogis are given a chance in the next birth by being placed in
the families of leared bri hmai)as or in the families of rich mer
chants in order to execute the unfinished task of Vaudeva realiza,
tion. If such fortunate brahmalas and sons of rich men properly
utilize the chance, they can easily realize Vasudeva by good
association with saintly persons. Unfortunately, such preferred
persons are captivated again by material wealth and honor, and
thus they practically forget the aim of Life.
In the Bbagavad,giti it is said that those who are mahatmas, or
those whose minds have been so broadened as to be engaged in the
service of Lord Krl)a, are under the influence of the interal
potency of the Lord and the efect is that such broad minded living
beings are constantly and undividedly engaged in the service of the
Lord. That should be the aim of life. And that is the verdict of all
the Vedic literatures. No one should engage in fuitive activities or
dry speculation about transcendental knowledge. Everyone should
engage himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.
Nor should one worship diferent demigods who work as diferent
hands of the Lord for the creation, maintenance, or destruction of
the material world.
There are innumerable powerful demigods who look over the
exteral management of the material world. Even Lord Siva and
Lord Brahma are included in the list of demigods, but Lord Vil)u,
or Vasudeva, is always transcendentally situated. Even though He
accepts the quality of goodness in the material world, He is still
transcendental to all the material modes. A classic Vedic example
illustrates this: In the prison there are the prisoners and the
managers of the prison. Both the managers and the prisoners are
bound by the laws of the king. But even though the king sometimes
enters the prison, he is not bound by the laws of the prison. The
king is therefore always transcendental to the laws of the prison, as
the Lord is always transcendental to the laws of the material world.
The position of the Lord is always transcendental because the
causal and efectual energies required for the creation of the
material world were also created by Him. He is unafected, therefore,
by the qualities of the material modes. His existence, form, activities,
and parapheralia all existed before the material creation. He is all
spiritual and has nothing to do with the qualities of the material
world, which are qualitatively distinct from the spiritual qualities
of the Lord.
Thus, the Lord of the universes maintains all planets inhabited
by demigods, men, and lower animals. Assuming the roles of
incarations, He performs pastimes to reclaim those in the mode
of pure goodness. There are innumerable material universes, and in
each and every universe, there are innumerable planets inhabited
by diferent grades of living entities in different modes of nature.
The Lord incarates Himself in each and every one of them and in
each and every type of living society. He manifests His transcen
dental pastimes among them. just to create the desire to go back to
Godhead. The Lord does not change His original transcendental
position, but He appears to be diferently manifested according to
the particular time, circumstances, and society. Sometimes He
incarates Himself or empowers a suitable living being to act for
Him, but in either case, the purpose is the same: the Lord wants the
sufering living being to go back home, back to Godhead.
The happiness which the living beings are hankering for is not
to be found within any comer of the innumerable universes and
material planets. The eteral happiness which the living being
wants is obtainable in the kingdom of God, but the forgetful living
beings under the influence of the material modes have no informa
tion of the kgdom of Go. The Lord therefore, comes to propagate
the message of the kingdom of God either personally as an incar
nation or through His bonafide representative as the good son o
God. Such incarations or sons of God are not making propaganda
for going back to Godhead only within the human society. Their
work is also going on in all types of societies, amongst the demigods
and those other than human beings.
For the ordinary man who wants to lord it over material nature
the Lord not only sanctions and becomes a witness of activities, but
He never gives the nondevotee instructions for going back to
Godhead. That is the diference in dealings by the Lord with
diferent living beings, both the devotee and the nondevotee. He
is leader of all the living beings, as the king of the state rules both
the prisoners and the citizens, but His dealings :re different in
terms of devotee and nondevotee. Nondevotees never care to take
any instruction from the Lord, and therefore, the Lord is silent in
their cace, although He witnesses all their activities and awards
them the necessary results, good or bad. The Jevotces are above
this material goodness and badness. They are progressive on the
path of transcendence, and therefore they have no desire of
anything material. The Lord also desires the association of His pure
devotees, and for them only, the Lord descends on earth and
enlivens them. Pure devotees of the Lord have no desire other than
to render service to the Lord, and therefore they are calleJ satvatas.
The Lord is the chief amongst such satvatas. Unless one is purified
from all sorts of material desires, the Lord does not become one's
leader. Desires cannot be wiped out, but they have only t be
purified, it is confinned in the Bhagavad-gita by the Lord Himself
that He gives His instruction from within the heart of a pure
devotee who is constantly engaged in His service. Such instruction
is given not for any material purpose but only for going back home
back to Godhead (B.G.-10.10).
Rendering devotional service to the Lord, which is the spirit of
the Bhagavaram,awakens one's dormant love for KrQa. To the
surrendered soul, Sri Krl!a becomes the perfect subject on which
to concentrate the loving propensities, since He is the perfect
person to meditate upon, the best friend with which to relate, the
irreproachable son to protect, or the ideal husband to depend
wholeheartedly on. When one is acquainted with his-her spiritual
identity as an eternal loving assistant of those confidential com
panions of the Divine couple Sri Radha and Sri KrQa, the com
plete meaning of one's existence can thus be manifested. Such
realization cannot be achieved under a mundane conception, and
therefore the soul's eteral relationship with Krrya cannot be
compared to any temporary mundane relationship. The tran
scendental loving service rendered in one of the five principal
relations, namely, sanca, das ya, sakhya, vacsalya, and madhura,
i.e., neutrality, servitorship, fraterity, filial, and conjugal love,
is graciously accepted by the Lord when ofered by the devotee
in genuine love and afection.
Krl!a has appeared on this earth in His transcendental body
which resembles the bluish color of the tamala tree. His breath
taking beauty attracts everyone in the upper, middle, and lower
planetary systems. May His glittering yellow dress and His lotus
face, covered with paintings of sandalwood pulp, be the object af
my attraction, and may I not desire fruitive results. Krrya is the
origin of Lord Viryu. He should always be remembered and never
forgotten at any time. The highest perfection of human life,
achieved either by complete knowledge of matter and spirit, by
practice of mystic powers, or by perfect discharge of occupational
duty, is to remember Krrya, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
at the end of this life.
THE PLATES
GREAT SAGES AND DEVOTEES
l NARADA MUN I , THE TRANSCENDENTAL SPACEMAN
2 THE A BOMI NABLE BEHAVI OR OF NALAKOVARA AND MANI GRI VA
3 PRAHLADA MAI IARAJA INSTRUCTS IllS FRI E NDS
4 THE FOUR KUMARAS R EACH VAI KUNTHA
5 THE FOUR KUMARAS BECOME DEVOTEES OF LORD V I . NU
6 KI NG CI TRAKETU MEETS LORD SANKAR$ANA
7 MARKANQEYA $1 TEMPTED BY CUPID AND HIS FOLLOWERS
8
S
UKADEVA GOSVAMI I N THE WOMB
9 KI NG PARI K$1 T ACCEPTS
S
UKADEVA GOSVAMI AS HI S SPI RI TUAL MASTER
1 0 THE SNAKE-BI RD TAK. AKA BI TES KI NG PARI K$1 T
1 1 LORD K$NA R ESCUE S HI S DEVOTEE FROM TilE OCEAN OF BI RTH AND DEATH
1 2 AJ AMILA SAVED FROM THE YAMADOTAS
1 3 THE CYCLE OF BI RTH AND DEATH
THE DEMIGODS
1 4 BRAH MA, V I $NU , AND SI VA
1 5 LORD BRAHMA HEAR THE GAYATRI MANTRA
1 6 QUEEN KUNTI INVOKES THE SUN-GOD
1 7 THE BATTLE BETWEEN THE DEMI GODS AND THE DEMONS
1 8 THE MANTRI C SH I ELD OF LORD NARAYANA
1 9 !NORA OFFENDS BHASPATI
20 LORD SI VA I NSTRUCTS HI S WI FE, SAT!
2 1 THE SELF-IMMOLATI ON OF GODDESS SAT!
2 2 LORD
S
I VA ON HI S BULL
2 3 VI RABHADRA BEHEADS DAK$A
24 LORD BRAHMA APPROACHES LOR D
S
I VA
2 5 DAK$A SURRENDERS TO LORD
.
I VA
26 DEVA YANI RE BUKES SARMI $THA
2 7 LORD SI VA SAVES THE UNI VERSE BY DRI NKI NG POI SON
2 8 Y AMARA] A A DVI SES A KI NG'S WI DOWS
THE LORD'S INCARNATIONS
2 9 THE PASTI ME INCARNATI ONS OF GODHEAD
3 0 LORD MATSYA, THE FI SH INCARNATI ON
3 1 LORD VARAHA, THE BOAR I NCARNATI ON
3 2 LORD NSI MHADEVA BATTLES THE KI NG OF THE DEMONS
3 3 LORD NS I MHADEVA SLAYS THE DEMON HI RANYAKASI PU
3 4 LORD VAMANADEVA, THE DWARF I NCARNATI ON
3 5 THE LORD ENVELOPS THE UNI VERSE
3 6 GAJENDRA A PP EALS TO LORD V I $NU
3 7 GAJ ENDRA R EGAI NS HI S SPI RI TUAL FORM
3 8 DHANVANTARI WI TH THE POT OF NECTAR
39 NARA- NARAYANA $1 HUMBLES CUP I D
4 0 TH E HAMSA- AVATARA ENL I GHTENS BRAHMA AND THE FOUR KUMARAS
4 I MOH I NI -MURTI BEHE ADS TilE RAHU DEMON
4 2 SI VA ENCHANTED BY MOH I NI - MORTI
4 3 LORD KAL KI KI LLS THE DEMON AT THE END OF THE MI LLENNIUM
THE LORD'S NARAYNA FORMS
44 MAHA-YI$NU AT THE TIME OF CREATION
4 5 GARBHODAKASA Yl- YI$NU ON THE BED OF AN ANT A
46 LORD KESAVA
4 7 THE SUPERSOUL
48 THE LORD APPEARS BEFORE PRAJAPATI DAK$A
49 LORD NARAYANA RIDES GARUQA INTO BATTLE
50 SRI SRI LAK$MI-NARAYANA IN VAIKUNTHA
51 THE KINGDOM OF GOD
LORD RAMACANDRA
52 LORD RAMACANDRA BREAKS THE BOW OF SIVA
53 SIT A, RAMA, AND LAK$MANA IN THE FOREST
54 HANUMAN BURNS LANKA
55 THE OCEAN PERSONIFIED PRAYS TO LORD RAMACANDRA
56 LORD RAMACANDRA SLAYS THE DEMON RAVANA
57 LORD RAMACANDRA'S TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO AYODHYA
58 SIT A, RAMA, AND LAK$MANA ENTER A YODHYA
LORD KRSNA IN VRNDAVANA
59 PRAYERS FOR THE ADVENT OF LORD KR$NA
60 KAMSA THREATENS DEVAKI
6 1 THE BIRTH OF LORD KR$NA
6 2 VASUDEVA CARRIES KR$NA TO VRNDA VANA
63 THE BATHING CEREMONY OF LORD KR$NA
64 KR$NA AND MOTHER Y ASODA
65 THE DESTRUCTION OF POTANA
66 KR$NA KILLS THE CART DEMON
67 THE TRNAVARTA DEMON ATTACKS KR$NA
68 KR$NA KILLS TRNAVARTA
69 KR$NA'S AND BALARAMA'S NAME-GIVING CEREMONY
70 KR$NA SHOWS MOTHER YASODA THE UNIVERSE IN HIS MOUTH
7 1 BABY KR$NA
7 2 KR$NA AND BALARAMA STEAL BUTTER FROM THE GOPIS
7 3 THE BUTTER THIEVES
7 4 NAUGHTY KR$NA
7 5 MOTHER YASODA CHASES KR$NA
7 6 KR$NA BOUND BY HIS MOTHER'S LOVE
7 7 THE DELIVERANCE OF THE Y AMALA-AR]UNA TREES
78 KR$NA CARRIES HIS FATHER'S WOODEN SHOES
7 9 KR$NA BLESSES THE FRUIT VENDOR
80 KR$NA AND THE COWHERD BOYS PLAY IN THE FOREST
8 1 KR$NA CONFRONTS THE BAKA DEMON
8 2 MOTHER Y ASO. DA DRESSES KR$NA
8 3 AGHASURA EYES KRSNA
84 KR$NA ENJOYS LUNCH WITH THE COWHERD BOYS
85 THE COWHERD MEN AND BOYS AT THE FOOT OF GOVARDHANA HILL
86 LORD KR$NA BEWILDERS BRAHMA
8 7 BRAHMA OFFERS OBEISANCES TO LORD KR$NA
88 KR$NA, BALARAMA, AND THE COWHERD BOYS ENTER THE FOREST
89 KR$NA PRAISES BALARAMA
90 THE KILLING OF DHENUKA, THE ASS DEMON
91 KRSNA BRINGS THE COWS AND COWHERD BOYS BACK TO LIFE
92 KRSNA IN THE COILS THE KALIYA SERPENT
93 KR$NA CHASTISES THE KALIYA SERPENT
94 LORD BALARAMA SLAYS THE DEMON PRALAMBA
95 KRSNA SWALLOWS A FOREST FIRE
96 KRSNA ENJOYS EXULTANT FOREST PASTIMES
97 KRSNA AND THE COWHERD BOYS HONOR BALARAMA
98 A FRIEND PLAYS A TRICK ON KRSNA
99 KRSNA AND BALARAMA
100 KRSNA AND BALARAMA PLAY LIKE HUMAN CHILDREN
101 KRSNA WITH PEACOCK
102 KRSNA AND THE COWHERD BOYS LEAVE FOR THE FOREST
103 DESCRIPTION OF AUTUMN
104 KRSNA IN VRNDAVANA FOREST
105 KRSNA, THE DARLING OF VRNDAVANA
I06 THE ENCHANTER OF VRNDAVANA
107 KRSNA AT KE$1-GHATA
108 KRSNA AND BALARAMA ON THE BANK OF THEY AM UNA
109 KRSNA SPEAKS WITH THE CREATURES OF VRNDA VANA
110 KRSNA RETURNS HOME FROM THE FOREST
11 I THE SOUND OF KRSNA'S FLUTE
112 KRSNA, THE ALL-ATTRACTIVE FLUTE-PLAYER
113 THE GOPIS WATCH KRSNA DEPART FOR THE FOREST
114 KR$NA STEALS THE GARMENTS OF THE UNMARRIED GOPIS
115 KRSNA LIFTS GOVARDHANA HILL
116 AIRAVATA SHOWERS KRSNA WITH GANGES WATER
117 KRSNA RESCUES NANDA MAHARAJA FROM THE ABODE OF VARUNA
118 GOPALA KRSNA
119 RADHA AND KRSNA: THE PERFECTION OF LOVE
120 RADHA AND KRSNA: ONE YET DIFFERENT
121 LORD KRSNA
122 THE ALL- ATTRACTIVE COUPLE
123 RADHA AND KRSNA ENJOY TOGETHER ON THE YAMUNA'S SHORE
124 RADHA AND KRSNA ON A SWING
125 RADHA AND KRSNA. THE DIVINE COUPLE
126 RADHA AND KRSNA AND THE EIGHT CHIEF GOPIS
127 THE GOPJS OVERWHELMED BY KRSNA'S FLUTE-SONG
128 KRSNA AND THE GOPIS ENJOY PASTIMES IN A BOAT
129 KRSNA AND THE GOPlS MEET FOR THE RASA DANCE
130 THE GOPIS IMITATE KRSNA'S PASTIMES
131 RADHA- KR$NA SUPEREXCELLENT
132 RADHARANI SEPARATED FROM KRSNA
133 THE GOPIS COMFORT RADHARANI
134 THE REUNION
135 SRIMATI RADHARANI. THE TOPMOST GOPI
136 THE RASA DANCE
137 KRSNA AND THE GOPlS BATHE IN THEY AM UNA
138 SANKHACOQA SLAIN
LORD KRSNAS LATER PASTIMES
139 THE WRESTLING MATCH
140 LORD KRSNA KILLS THE TYRANT KAMSA
141 SANDIPANI MUNI INSTRUCTS KRSNA AND BALARAMA
142 KR$NA AND BALARAMA SUMMON Y AMARA] A
143 RADHARANI TALKS TO A BUMBLEBEE
144 KRSNA AND BALARAMA LEAP FROM MOUNT PRAVARSANA
145 THE KIDNAPPING OF PRINCESS RUKMINI
146 KR$NA PUNISHES THE BROTHER OF RUKMINI
14 7 KRSN A RESCUES 16,100 PRINCESSES
148 KR$NA TEASES RUKMINI
149 jAMBAVAN GIVES LORD KRSNA TWO jEWELS
150 THE RIVER GODDESS YAMUNA PRAYS FOR LORD BALARAMA'S MERCY
IS I LORD BALARAMA DRAGS HASTINAPURA WITH HIS PLOW
152 KR$NA RETURNS THE SIX SONS OF DEVAKI
153 KR$NA'S RETURN TO DV ARAKA
154 LORD KR$NA SPORTS WITH HIS QUEENS IN THE WATER
155 THE DELIVERANCE OF SISUPALA
156 KRSNA MEETS THE GOPIS AT KURUK$ETRA
157 THE ATTEMPTED DISROBING OF DRAUPADI
158 DHRTARA$TRA INQUIRES FROM SAN] A YA
159 KR$NA AND ARJUNA BLOW THEIR CONCHSHELLS
I60 OBSERVING THE ARMIES ON THE BATTLEFIELD OF KURUK$ETRA
16I KRSNA INSTRUCTS ARJUNA
162 THE UNIVERSAL FORM
163 KRSNA REVEALS HIS TWO-ARMED FORM TO ARJUNA
I64 THE BATTLE OF KURUK$ETRA BEGINS
165 PARTHASARATHI
166 KR$NA CONFRONTS 8Hi$MA IN BATTLE
I67 BHi$MADEVA ON A BED OF ARROWS
168 SAMBA DISGUISED AS A PREGNANT WOMAN
169 THEY ADUS HORRIFIED BY THE SAGES' CURSE
170 UDDHAVA AT KRSNA'S FEET
17I UDDHAVA LAMENTS HIS COMING SEPARATION FROM KR$NA
172 THE DESTRUCTION OF THEY ADU DYNASTY
173 CONVERSATION BETWEEN KR$NA AND UDDHAVA
174 LORD KR$NA WITH HIS PERSONIFIED WEAPONS
175 LORD SRI KRSNA LEAVES THE PLANET
SRI CAITANYA MAHAPRABHU
176 LORD CAITANYA, THE INCARNATION FOR KALI- YUGA
177 LORD CAITANYA AND LORD NITYANANDA
178 LORD CAIT ANY A'S EIGHT TEACHINGS ON THE HOLY NAME
179 LORD CAITANY A AND HIS ASSOCIATES PERFORM SANKiRT ANA
180 SANKIRT ANA; A CALL TO THE PEOPLE OF KALI- YUGA
181 ]AGAI AND MADHAI REPRIEVED
182 SAO-BHUJA, THE LORD'S SIX-ARMED FORM
183 LORD CAIT ANY A FAINTS IN ECSTASY
184 LORD CAITANYA RESGUED FROM THE SEA
185 THE CLEANSING OF THE GUNOICA TEMPLE
186 LORD CAITANYA DANCES BEFORE THE RATHA- YATRA CART
187 THE PASSING OF HARIDASA THAKURA
188 THE CHASTISEMENT OF jUNIOR HARIDASA
189 LORD CAITANYA IN THE ]HARIKHANOA FOREST
190 LORD CAITANYA IS WELCOMED IN YNDAVANA
191 THE LORD TAKES AN EVEN lNG BATH
192 THE REUNION OF LORD CAITANYA AND HIS DEVOTEES
193 THE SIX GOSV AM iS
PLATE
NARADA MUNI ,
THE TRANSCENDENTAL SPACEMAN
F
our billion three hundred twenty million years after the end of the previous millennium,
Brahma awoke t create. By the will of the Lord, all theTis, such as Marici, Atgira, and Atri,
were created from the transcendental body of the Lord, and Narada appeared along with them
.
Since then,
by the grace of almighty Vil)u, Narada travels everywhere unrestrictedly, both in the transcendental
world and in the three divisions of the material world. This is because he is fixed in unbroken devotional
service to the Lord. Thus he travels, constantly singing the transcendental message of the glories of the
Lord, vibrating his via, which is charged with transcendental sound and which was given to Him by Lord
Kr
.
l)a. This transcendental instrument is identical with Lord Sr" KrDa and Narada because it is in the
arne transcendental category. Sound vibrated by the instrument cannot be material, and therefore the
glories and pastimes broadcast by the instrument of Narada are also transcendental, without a tinge of
material inebriety.
As a pure devotee of the Lord, Sr1 Naradadeva is always fulfilling his obligation to the Lord for His
gift of the instrument, and thus he is always engaged in singing His transcendental glories. Therefore N arada
is infallible in his exalted position. Following in the footsteps of Srlla Narada Muni, a selfrealized soul
in the material world should also properly use the sound meters-sa, T, ga, ma, etc.-in the service of the
Lord by constantly singing the glories of the Lord, as confirmed in the Bhagavadgita.
PAINTING BY RAMADASA- ABHIRAMA DASA
(198 2)
PLATE 2
THE ABOMINABLE BEHAVIOR
OF NALAKOVARA AND MANIGRIVA
M
N
alakCJvara and MaQigriva, the on of Kuvera, were great devotee of Lord iva, but becau e
of material opulence they became o extravagant and en ele s that one day they were
enjoying with naked girl in a lake and hameles ly walking here and there. uddenly Narada Muni pa ed
by, but they were o maddened by their wealth and false prestige that even though they aw Narada Muni
pre ent, they remained naked and were una hared.
Due t opulence and fal e pre tige, they lo t their en e of common decency. It i the nature of th
material qualitie that when one become very opulent in terms of wealth and prestige, one lo e one'
en e of etiquette and doe n't care about anyone, even a age like Narada Muni. For uch bewildered
per on , who e pecially deride devotee , the proper puni hment i to be again tricken with poverty.
A poor man can be ea ily convinced that the pre tige of an opulent po ition in thi material world
i temporary, but a rich man cannot. Therefore Narada Muni set an example by curing Nalakuvara and
Mat-tigriva t become tree . This wa a ft punishment. But because Kr
.
t-ta i always merciful, even though
they were punished they were fortunate enough t ee the Supreme Per onality of Godhead face to face.
Therefore, the puni hment given by Vai
.
Qavas i not at all punishment; rather, it i another kind of mercy.
By the curse of the devari, NalakC1vara and Mat)igriva became twin arjuna tree and remained in the
courtyard of mother Ya oda and Nanda Maharaja, waiting for the opportunity t ee Kr. Qa directly. Lord
Kr. Qa, by thedesireofHi devotee, uprooted the eyamalaarjunatree , and whenNalakuvaraand Mat)igriva
were thu delivered by Kr
.
Da after one hundred year of the devas, their pure con ciou ne s was revived
and they ofered Kr.Da prayer uitable to be offered by demigods. Having thu gotten the opportunity t
ee Kr_ t)a face t face, they under tood how merciful Narada Muni was, and therefore they expre sed their
indebtedne to him and thanked him. Then, after circumambulating the Supreme Per anality of
Godhead, Kr.Da, they departed for their re pective abode .
PAINTING BY RAMANATHA DA A
(1976)
P L A T E 3
. PRAHLADA MAHARAJA
INSTRUCTS HIS FRIENDS
I
n speaking to his friends, who were all sons of demons, Prahlada Maharaja stressed that every
living entity, especially in human society, must be interested in spiritual realization from the
onset of life. From childhood one should be taught that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the
worshipable Deity for everyone. One should not be very much interested in material enjoyment; instead,
one should be satisfied with whatever material profits are easily obtainable, and because the duration of
one's life is very short, one should utilize every moment for. spiritual advancement. One may wrongly
think, "In the beginning of our lives let us enjoy material facilities, and in old age we may become KrDa
conscious." Such materialistic thoughts are always useless because in old age one cannot be trained in the
spiritual way of life. Therefore, from the very beginning of life one should engage in devotional service.
This is the duty of all living entities. Material education is infected by the three modes of nature, but
spiritual education, for which there is a great need in human society, is transcendental.
P A I N T I N G B Y P R A S A N T A D A S A
( 1 98 3 )
P LA TE 4
TE FOUR KUMARAS
REACH VAIKUNTHA
M M
T
hegreatsagesSanaka,, Sanatana,, Sanandana,, and Sanat,kumara, upon reaching Vaikulfha
in the piritual world by dint of their powers of my tic yoga, perceived unprecedented
happines . They found that the piritual ky was illuminated by highly decorated airplane piloted by the
be t devotee , and that it wa predominated by the upreme Per onality of Godhead.
After pa lng through the six entrances of Vaikulha Purl, the Lord' re idence, without feeling
a toni hment at the decoration , they aw at the eventh gate two hining being of the arne age. They
were armed with maces and adorned with most valuable earring , diamond , helmets, and garment . The
two doormen were wearing garlands of fresh fowers that attracted intoxicated bees and that hung around
their neck and rested between their four blue arms. From their arched eyebrows, flaired nostril , and
reddish eye , they appeared somewhat agitated.
The great age , headed by Sanaka, had opened door everywhere. They had no idea of ((our " and
((their . "Thu they prepared to pa s through the eventh door, just a they had pa ed through the six other
door , which were made of gold and diamonds. The four boy ages, who were naked, looked only five year
old, even though they were the olde t of all living creatures and had realized the truth of the elf. But when
the porter , who posse sed a disposition quite unpalatable to the Lord, aw the sages, they blocked their
way with their taffs, despising thei r glories, although the sages did not deserve such treatment at their
hand .
When the Kumaras, although by far the fittest persons, were thus refused entrance by the two chief
doorkeeper of rl Hari while other divinities looked on, their eyes uddenly turned red because of anger
due to their great eagernes to see their most beloved master, Sri Hari, the Per onality of Godhead.
The Kumaras decided to curse the two doorkeeper . When the doormen of Vaikul.fhaloka found
that they were going to be cur ed by the bahmaras, they at once became very much afraid and fell down
at the feet of the bahmaras in great anxiety, for a bahmara's curse cannot be counteracted by any mean .
P A INTI NG BY P AN O U DASA
( 1 9 7 6 )
P L A T E 5
TE FOUR KUMARAS
BECOME DEVOTEES OF LORD VISNU
& &
T
he sages, headed by Sanaka Ri, aw that the upremc Peronality of Godhead, ViI)u, who
was formerly vi iblc only within their heart in ec tatic trance, had now actually become
visi ble to their eyes. A-: He came forward, accompanied by Hi a- ociate bearing all paraphernalia, such
as an umbrella and a camara fan, the white bunchc of hair on the fan moved very gently like two swan ,
and due to the favorable breeze the pearl garlanding the umbrella al o moved, thu appearing like drop
of nectar falling from the white ful l l11l>l lll nr icc melting due to a gu t of wind.
The Lord is the reservoir of all pleasure. Hi au picious pre cnce i meant for everyone's
benediction, and His affectionate smiling and glancing touch the core of the heart . The Lord's beautiful
bodily color is blacki h, and His broad che t is the resting place of the goddess of fortune, who glorife
the entire spiritual world, the ummit of all heavenly planets. Thu, it appeared that the Lord was
personally spreading the beauty of the pi ritual world' good fortune. He wa adored with a girdle that
shone brightly on the yellow cloth covering His large hips, and He wore a garland of fresh flower , which
was distinguished by humming bee . Hi lovely wrist were graced with bracelet', and He rested one of
His hands on the boulder of Garuda, His carrier, and twirled a lotus with another hand. Hi countenance
was distinguished by cheeks that enhanced the beauty of Hi alligaror,shaped pendants, which outshone
lightning. Hi nose wa prominent, and Hi head was covered with a gem, tudded crown. A charming
necklace hung between Hi s stout arm , and Hi neck wa adorned with the gem known by the name
Kaustubha.
The exquisite beauty of Narayal)a, magnifed many times by the intelligence of Hi devotees, wa
so attractive that it defeated the pride of the goddes of fortune in being the mo t beautifuL The age
regarded Hi m with unsated eyes and joyously bowed their head at His lotu feet. When the breeze carrying
the aroma of tuls! leaves from the toe of the lotu feet of t he Peronaliry of Godhead entered the no tril
of those sages, they experienced a change both in body and in mind, even though they had been attached
to the impersonal Brahman understanding.
The Lord's beautiful face appeared to them like the inside of a blue lotu , and the
.
Lord' mile
appeared t be a blossoming ja mine flower. After eeing the face of the Lord, the sages were fully sari fed,
and when they wanted to sec Hi m further, they looked upon the nails of His lotus feet, which resembled
rubies. Thu they viewed the Lord' tran cendental body again and again, and o they fnally achieved
meditation on the Lord's personal feature.
P A I N T I N G BY J A D U R A N I - D E V I D A $ 1
I 9 8 5 )
P L A T E 6
KING CITRAKETU
MEETS LORD SANKARSANA
B M
K
ing Citraketu saw that the Lord was as white as the white fbers of a lotus flower. He was
dressed in bluish garments and adorned with a helmet and a belt, as well a armlets and
bangles, all of which glittered brilliantly. His face was smiling, and His eyes were reddish. He was
surrounded by such exalted liberated person as Sanatkumara.
As soon as Maharaja Citraketu saw the Supreme Lord, he was cleansed of all material contamina
tion and situated in his original KrDa consciousness, becoming completely purifed. He became silent and
grave, and because of love for the Lord, tear fell from his eyes and his bodily hairs stood on end. With
great devotion and love, King Citraketu offered his respectful obei ances unto the original Personality of
Godhead.
With tears of love and affection, Citraketu repeatedly moistened the resting place of the Supreme
Lord's lotus feet. Because his voice was choked up in ec tasy, for a considerable time he wa unable t utter
any uitable prayers to the Lord .
P A I N T I N G B Y P A R I K I T D A S A
( I 9 7 5 )
I' L f\ T E 7
MARKANDEYA RSI TEMPTED
M B
W
M
BY CUPID AND HIS FOLLOWERS
M
arkH)0eya Fi , a gre
.
at devotimal mysti c, resided in a hermi
.
tage on the northern si de of he
H 1 1nalaya Mountcuns. Observmg that the sage was becum mg very powerful by performmg
severe penances t-md austeri ti es, the demi god l ndra became fearful of his growi ng mystic potency. To rui n
the sage's spi ri tual pract ice, Lord l ndra sent Cupi d, berwtiful cel esti al si ngers, danci ng girls, the season of
spri ng, and a sandalwoodscented breeze from the Malaya Hi l ls, along wi th greed and i ntoxi cat ion
personi fed. Cupi d, the master of many heavenly women, went to Mu-kat}<;lcya's hermitage carrying hi s
bow and arrmvs. He was fol lowed by gmups of Gandharvas pl ayi ng musi cal instruments and si ngi ng. The
women danced before the sage, and the celest i al si ngers sang to the charmi ng accompani ment of drums,
cymbals, and vi1as.
Whi l e greed personified, spring, and the other servants of l ndra all tried to < lgitate M<-lrkcll)eya's
mi nd, Cupid drew hi s five headed arrow and fxed it upon hi s bow. The Apsara Punj i kasrhal l made a show
of pl ayi ng wi th a number of my halls. Her wai st seemed weighed down hy her heavy breasts, <md the wreath
of flowers in her hai r became di sheveled. As she ran about after the bal ls, glanci ng here and there, the belt
of her t hi n garment loosened, and suddenly the wi nd blew her clothes away. Cupi d, thi nki ng he had
conquered the sage, then shot hi s arrow.
But al l these attempts to seduce Markat)Qeya Fi proved futi l e, j ust l i ke the useless endeavors of an
athei st. I n the midst of al l these di sturbi ng i nfuences, Mcrbll)eya remained fixed i n hi s medi tati on,
defeat i ng Cupi d and hi s associ ates by burni ng them wi th hi s mysti c potency. Though the fol lowers of Lord
l ndra had i mpudently attacked the sai ntly Mcrkat)Qeya, he di d not succumb to any i nfluence of ftlise ego.
For great souls, such tolerance is not at al l surpri si ng. _
The mighty Ki ng I ndra was astonished when he heard of the mysti c prowess of the exal ted sage
Markat)eya and saw how Cupi d and hi s associ ates had become powerless i n hi s presence.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A ]J i D E V i D A S I
( I 9 R 2 )
P L A T E 8
&
SUKADEVA GOSVAMI IN THE WOMB
V
yasadeva maintained the daughter of Jabali as his wife, and after they performed penances
together for many years, he placed his seed in her womb. The child remained in the womb
of his mother for twelve years, and when the father asked the son t come out, the son replied that he would
not come out unless he were completely liberated from the influence of maya, or illusion. Vyasadeva then
assured the child that he would not be influenced by maya, but the child did not believe his father, for the
father was still attached to his wife and children.
Vyasadeva then went to Dvaraka and informed Lord KrQa about his problem, and KrQa, at
Vyasadeva's request, went to Vyasadeva's cottage, where He assured the child in the womb that he would
not be influenced by maya. Thus assured, the child came out, but he immediately went away as a
parivrajakarya, one who constantly travels around the world preaching the glories of the Lord.
When the father, very much aggrieved, began to follow his saintly boy, Sukadeva Gosvami created
a duplicate Sukadeva, who later entered family life.
P A I N T I N 0 B Y J A D U R A N I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 97 7 )
P L A T E 8
7
SUKADEVA GOSVAMI IN THE WOMB
V
yasadeva maintained the daughter of J abali as his wife, and after they performed penances
together for many years, he placed his seed in her womb. The child remained in the womb
of his mother for twelve years, and when the father asked the son to come out, the son replied that he would
not come out unless he were completely liberated from the influence of maya, or illusion. Vyasadeva then
assured the child that he would not be influenced by maya, but the child did not believe his father, for the
father was still attached to his wife and children.
Vyasadeva then went to Dvaraka and informed Lord KrIfa about his problem, and KrIfa, at
Vyasadeva's request, went to Vyasadeva's cottage, where He assured the child in the womb that he would
not be infuenced by maya. Thus assured, the child came out, but he immediately went away as a
parivrajakacarya, one who constantly travels around the world preaching the glories of the Lord.
When the father, very much aggrieved, began to follow his saintly boy, Sukadeva Gosvami created
a duplicate Sukadeva, who later entered family life.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A O U R A N i - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 9
#
KING PARIKSIT ACCEPTS SUKADEVA
B
GOSV AMI AS HIS SPIRITUAL MASTER
fter being cur ed to di e wi thin seven day , King Parik. it abandoned his kingdom with all its
regal wealth and went t the bank of the Gange to prepare him elf for death. Leaving all
hi a ociate , the king urrendered himself a a di ciple t ukadeva Go vami, the on of Vyasa, and thu
he wa able to under tand the actual po i t ion of the Personality of Godhead.
The Per anality of Godhead, ri Kr
.
ta, i known a Ajita, "the unconquerable one," and He i o
in every re peer. No one can know Hi actual po ition. Hi dhima, or eternal place, i Goloka Vrndavana,
and there are many cholar who interpret thi abode in different way . But by the grace of a spiritual
ma ter like ukadeva Gosvami, unto whom the king gave him elf up a a mo t humble di ciple, one i able
t under tand the actual position of the Lord, Hi eternal abode, and His tran cendental parapheralia
in that abode.
Knowing the transcendental posi t ion of the Lord and the tran cendental method by which one can
approach His transcendental abode, the king wa confident about hi ultimate de tination, and by
knowing thi he could leave a ide everything material, even hi own body, without any difficulty of
attachment. I n the Bhagavad,gti it i tated, param drcvi nivartate: one can give up all attachment for
material en e obj ect when one i able to ee the param, the uperior quality of thing . From the Bhagavad,
giti we al o under tand the quali ty of the Lord' energy that is superior to the material quality of energy,
and by the grace of a bona fide piritual ma ter like Sukadeva Go vami, it i quite po sible to know
everything of the superior energy of the Lord, by which the Lord manife ts Hi eternal name, qualities,
pa time , paraphernalia, and variegatedne . Unles one thoroughly under tand this uperior energy of
the Lord, it i not po sible to leave the material energy, however one may theoretically peculate on the
nature of the Ab olute Truth. By the grace of Lord Kr. t)a, Maharaja Parik
.
it wa able t receive the mercy
of uch a per anality a ukadeva Go vami, and thus he was able to know the actual po ition of the
unconquerable Lord.
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A D A A - A B H I R A M A D A A
( 1 9 8 4 )
-
-
THE SNAKE; BIRD TAKSAKA
N
BITES KING PARIKSIT
M
aharaja Parlksit, while engaged in hunting in the forest with bow and arrows, became
extremely fatigued, hungry, and thirsty. While searching for a reservoir of water, he entered
the hermitage of the wellknown Samlka fi and saw the sage sitting silently with closed eyes. The sage,
in meditation, was covered by the skin of a stag, and long, compressed hair was scattered all over him. The
king, whose palate was dry from thirst, asked him for water. The king, not received by any formal welcome
by means of being offered a seat, place, water, and sweet addresses, considered himself neglected, and so
thinking he became angry. Thus while leaving, the king picked up a lifeless snake with his bow and angrily
placed it on the sage's shoulder. Then he returned t his palace.
In hi palace Maharaja Parlkit began to contemplate and argue within himself whether the sage
had actually been in meditation, with senses concentrated and eyes closed, or whether he had just been
feigning trance just to avoid receiving a lower latriya.
The sage had a son named Sp1gi, who was very powerful, being a brahmara's son. Srngi cursed the
king thus: "On the seventh day from today a snake bird will bite the most wretched Parlkit because he
broke the laws of etiquette by insulting my father! "
A week later, as the snake bird Takaka approached King Parlkit to ki ll hi m, he saw Kasyapa Muni
on the path. The snakebird flattered Kasyapa by presenting him with valuable offerings and thereby
stopped the sage, who was expert in counteracting poison, from protecting Maharaja Parlkit. Then the
snakebird, who could assume any form he wished, disguised himself as a brahmarya, approached the king,
and bit him.
While living beings all over the universe looked on, the body of the great selfrealized saint among
kings was immediately burned to ashes by the fre of the snake's poison. There arose a terribly cry of
lamentation in all ten directions on the earth and in the heavens, and all the demigods, demons, human
beings, and other creatures were astonished. Hearing that his father had been fatally bitten by the snake
bird, Maharaja Janamejaya became extremely angry and had brahmaras perform a mighty sacrifce, in
which he ofered all the snakes in the world into the sacrifcial fre.
P A I N T I N G B Y P A R I K $ 1 T O A S A
( 1 98 2)
LORD KRSNA RESCUES HIS DEVOTEE
N # #
FROM THE OCEAN OF BIRTH AND DEATH
trd Krra says, "Those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being
devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon
Me, having fxed their minds upon Me, 0 son of Prtha-for them I am the swift deli verer from the ocean
of birth and death."
A devotee does not need to practice eightfold yoga in order to transfer his soul to the spiritual
planets. The responsibility is taken by the Supreme Lord Himself. He clearly states here that He Himself
becomes the deliverer. A child is completely cared for by his parents, and thus his position is secure.
Similarly, a devotee does not need to endeavor to transfer himselfby yoga practice to other planets. Rather,
the Supreme Lord, by His great mercy, comes at once, riding on His bird carrier Garu<la, and delivers the
devotee from material existence. Although a man who has fallen in the ocean may struggle very hard and
may be a very expert swimmer, he cannot save himself. But if someone comes and picks him up from the
water, then he is easily rescued. Similarly, the Lord picks up the devotee from this material existence. One
has to practice the process of Krra consciousness and fully engage oneself in devotional service. An
intelligent man should always prefer the process of devotional service to all other paths.
One should give up all other processes of selfrealization and simply execute devotional service in
KrDa consciousness. That will enable one to reach the highest perfection of life. There is no need for a
person to consider the sinful actions of his past life, for the Supreme Lord fully takes charge of him.
Therefore, one should not futilely try to deliver himself in spiritual realization. Let everyone take shelter
of the supreme omnipotent Godhead, KrDa. That is the highest perfection of life.
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A D A S A - A B H I R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 8 3 )
P L A T E 1 2
AJAMILA SAVED FROM THE YAMADOTAS
jamila was a bahma?a who, due to bad association, gave up all brahminical culture and
religious principles. Becoming most fallen, he stole, drank, and performed other abominable
acts. He even kept a prostitute. Thus he was destined t be carried away to hell by the order,carriers of
Yamaraja. But he was immediately rescued because he chanted the holy name of Narayal)a.
When the time of death arrived for the foolish Ajamila, he began thinking exclusively of his son
Narayat:a. Ajamila then saw three awkward persons with deformed bodily features, fierce, twisted faces,
and hair standing erect on their bodies. With ropes in their hand , they had come to take him away to
the abode of Yamaraja. When he saw them, he was extremely bewildered, and becau e of attachment t
his child, who was playing a short distance away, Ajamila began to call him loudly by his name. Thus with
tears in his eyes, he chanted the h0ly name of Narayat)a.
The order,carriers of Vit:.u, the Vir:udutas, immediately arrived when they heard the holy name
of their master from the mouth of the dying Ajamila, who had certainly chanted offen elessly because he
had chanted in complete anxiety. The order,carriers of Yamaraja were snatching the oul from the core
Ajamila's heart, but with resounding voices the ViQudutas forbade them to do so.
While suffering at the time of death, Ajamila chanted the holy name of the Lord, and although the
chanting was directed toward his son, he nevertheless returned home, back to Godhead. Therefore, if one
faithfully and inoffensively chants the holy name of the Lord, he will undoubtedly return to Godhead.
At the time of death, one is certainly bewildered because his bodily functions are in disorder. At
that time, even one who throughout his life has practiced chanting the holy name of the Lord may not
be able to chant the Hare KrDa mantra very distinctly. Nevertheless, such a person receives all the benefit
of chanting the holy name. While the body is ft, therefore, we should chant the name of the Lord loudly
and distinctly. If a person does so, it is quite possible that even at the time of death he will be properly able
to chant the holy name of the Lord with love and faith. In conclusion, one who chant the holy name
of the Lord constantly is guaranteed to return home, back to Godhead.
P A I N T I N G B Y B H A R A D R A J A D A A
( 1 9 7 9 )
P L A T E 1 3
THE CYCLE OF BIRTH AND DEATH
T
he Vedic literatures inform us that there are 8,400,000 species of life, including aquatic,
plant, insect, bird, animal, and human varieties. The conditioned soul, having fallen from
his original position as a loving servant of the Supreme Lord in the spiritual world, enters these various
bodies. In the human form, the original nature of the soul is most brilliantly displayed. The human form
of life is especially intended for qual ifying oneself to return home, back to Godhead, but if the conditioned
soul misuses this opportunity, he may descend once more into the lower species.
J ust as fre may appear differently as dormant, manifest, weak, brilliant, etc. , according to the
condition of the fuel, similarly the spirit soul enters a material body and accepts particular bodily
characteristics. Although fre may appear and disappear within a particular object, the element fire always
exists. Simi larly, the eternal soul appears within a suitable body and then disappears from that body, but
the soul always exists. J ust as fire is different from its fuel, the soul is diferent from the body. A match makes
a tiny fre, whereas the explosion of a huge gasoline tank will send flames soaring into the sky. But still,
fre is one. Similarly, one spirit soul may appear in the body of Brahma and another in the body of an ant,
but the spirit soul is qualitatively the same in every body. Due to ignorance we impose the bodily
characteristics upon the soul, and thus we label a particular person as American, Russian, Chinese, old,
or young. Although such designations apply to the body, they do not apply to the spirit soul, which is
described as para/, or a transcendental entity. As long as the bewildered spirit soul remains inimical to
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the designations pertaining to the gross and subtle bodies will affect
him, keeping him in darkness. When one intellectually identifes oneself with various materialistic
philosophies oflife, he becomes covered by the subtle mind. Ultimately, everything that exists is part and
parcel of the Absolute Truth, Lord KrI)a. When the living entity realizes this, he becomes nirupihi, or
free from material designations. This is his constitutional position.
By awakening to KrDa consciousness, one becomes absorbed in the progressive realization of the
soul situated within the body. Both the individual soul and the Personality of Godhead are completely
separated from the gross and subtle material bodies. If one recognizes one's eternal dependence on the
Lord, he will become free from suffering or anxiety, even though one is still ituated within the material
world. The unlimited experiences of material objects only increase one's anxiety, whereas perception of
the Absolute Truth, Srl KrDa, immediately elevates one to the platform of peace. Thus one who is
intelligent retires from the world of matter and becomes a fully selrrealized KrDa conscious person.
As Lord KrDa states in Bhagavadgiti ( 9. 3 ) , "Those who are not faithful in this devotional service
cannot attain Me, 0 conqueror of enemies. They return to the path of birth and death in this material
world." If one is not a devotee of Lord KrDa, the eventual result of his activities is simply mrtyusamstra
repeated birth and death.
P A I N T I N G B Y j A D U R A N i - D E V i D A S i
( 1 9 8 0 )
P L A T E 1 4
#
BRHMA, VISNU, AND SIVA

T
he transcendental Personality of Godhead is indirectly associated with the three modes of
material nature, namely passion, goodness, and ignorance, and just for the material world's
creation, maintenance, and destruction He accepts the three qualitative forms of Brahma, ViDu, and
Siva. Of these three, all human beings can derive ultimate beneft from ViDU, the form of the quality of
goodness.
Lord Sri Krr:a and all his plenary parts are viu-tttva, or entities in the category of Godhead. From
Sri KrDa expands Baladeva, from Baladeva, Sankarata, from Sankaratla, Narayata, and from Narayata,
the second Sankarata. From this Sankarata come the pura-avataras-Kararodakasayi Viru,
Garbhodakasayi Viru, and KIrodakasayi ViJu. Kirodakasayi ViDu, or Paramatma, is the Deity of the
quality of goodness in the material world, Brahma is the deity of rajas , or passion, and Siva the deity of
ignorance. They are the three departmental heads of the three qualities of this material world. Creation
is made possible by the goodness of ViDu, and when it requires to be destroyed, Lord Siva does it by the
ta1va-nytya, the dance of devastation. The materialists and the foolish human beings worship Brahma
and Siva respectively. But the pure transcendentalists worship the form of goodness, ViDu in His various
forms.
The prison house of the material world is created by Brahma under instruction of the Personality
of Godhead, and at the conclusion of a kalpa the whole material world is destroyed by Siva. But as far as
maintenance of the prison house is concerned, it is done by Vil)u, just as the state prison house is
maintained by the state. Anyone, therefore, who wishes to get out of this .prison house of material
existence, which is full of miseries like birth, death, disease, and old age, must please Lord ViDu, who is
worshiped by devotional service only. But if someone wants to continue prison life in the material world,
he may ask demigods like Siva, Brahma, lndra, and VaruDa for relative facilities in order to enjoy
temporary relief. No demigod, however, can release the imprisoned living beh1g from the conditioned l ife
of material existence. This can be done only by ViDU. Therefore the ultimate beneft may be derived from
ViDu, the Personality of Godhead.
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A N A T H A D A S A
( 1 9 8 2 )
P L A T E 1 5
LORD BRAHMA HEARS
THE GAYATRI MANTRA
W
hen Lord Brahma, the first created being, found himself seated upon a lotus fower, he was
unable to fnd its source. He could not see that the lotus sprang from the Lord; nor did he
know who he was or what his purpose was. He followed the stem of the lotus down to the waters from which
it had arisen, and there he considered all these questions. While thus engaged in thinking, Brahma heard
two syllables joined together These formed the word tapa, austerity, which is the wealth of the renounced
order of life. When he heard this sound, he tried to fnd the speaker, searching on all sides. But when he
was unable to fnd anyone besides himself, he thought it wise to sit down frmly on his lotus seat and give
his attention to the execution of penance, as he had been instructed. He underwent penances for one
thousand years by the calculation of the demigods. Thus he controlled his mind and senses as a great lesson
for the living entities. By reciting the mantra of the Lord and meditating on the transcendental form of
the Lord in the spiritual world, Brahma at last heard the sound of Sri Krta's fute. As the sound entered
his eight ears, it came out of his mouths as the transcendental Gayatrl mantra. I n this way Brahma was
initiated with all the Vedic knowledge and came to understand who he was and how he was to engage
himself in creation of this universe.
P A I N T I N G B Y ] A D U R A N I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 7 1 )
P L A T E 1 6
QUEEN KUNTI
INVOKES THE SUNGoD
0 nee when Durvasa Muni was a guest at the house of Kunti's father, Kunti satisfied Durvasa
by rendering service, and thus he blessed her with the mystic power by which she could
summon any demigod. To examine the potency of this mystic power, the pious Kunti immediately called
for the sun,god.
As soon as Kunti called for the demigod of the sun, he appeared before her, much to her surprise.
She told the sun,god, "I was simply examining the efectiveness of this mystic power. I'm sorry I have called
you unnecessarily. Please return and excuse me. "
The sun,god said, "0 beautiful Kunti, your meeting with the demigods cannot be fruitless.
Therefore, let me place my seed in your womb so that you may bear a son. I shall arrange to keep your
virginity intact, since you are still an unmarried girl. "
According to rules of the Vedic civilization, if a girl gives birth to a child before she is married, no
one will marry her. Therefore, although the sun,god wanted to give Kunti a child, she hesitated because
she was still unmarried. To keep her virginity intact, the sun,god arranged to give her a child that came
from her ear.
After saying this, the sun,god discharged his semen into the womb of Kunti and then returned to
the celestial kingdom. Immediately thereafter, Kunti gave birth to Karna, a child who was like a second
sun,god.
P A I N T I N G B Y B H A R A D R A ) A D A S A
( 1 9 8 0 )
! L . T E I I
THE BATTLE BETWEEN
THE DEMIGODS AND THE DEMONS
ong <go, the demi gods and the demons declared a truce and together churned the ocean
mi l k t attai n the nect<H of immortal i ty- But Lord Vi nu decei ved the demons ;md gave all
the nectar to the demigods.
Seeing that the demigods had attai ned all the nectar, the demons became i ntnlerant of thei r
superior opul ence. Thus they marched toward the demi gods wi th rai sed weapons. Enl ivened by dri nking
the nectar, the demigods used their ,arious \veapons to counterattack the demons in <1 fighting spi ri t. A
fierce battl e on the beach of the ocean of mi l k ensued between the demigods and the demons. This fighting
was so terri ble that si mpl y hearing about it vmuld make the hai rs on one's body stand on end.
Both parties in that tight were extremely angry, and i n enmi ty they att<Kked one another wi th
swords, arrows, and varieties of other weapons- The sounds of the conchshclls, bugles, drums, hherls , damar is ,
and kettledrums, as well as the sounds made by the elephants, horses, and soldiers, were tumul tuous
On that battlefeld the chari oteers fought \vi th the opposing chari oteers, the i nfc: mt ry soldiers wi t h
t he opposing infantry, the soldiers on horseback wi th the oppL)Sing soldiers on horseback, and the soldiers
on the backs of elephants wi th the enemy soldi ers on elephants. I n this \vay the fighting took pl<1ce
between equals+ Some soldi ers fought on the backs of camels, some on the backs of elephants, some on
asses, some on whi tefaced and reclfaced monkeys, some on t i gers, anJ some on I inns.
Some soldiers fought on the backs of ndtures, eagles, ducks, hmvks, and bhasa bi rds. Some fought
on the backs of timingilas , whi ch can Je, uur huge whales, some on the backs of sarahhas , and some on
buffal o, rhinoceroses, cows, bul ls, j ungle cows, and aru_ws . Others fuught on the backs of j ackals, rats,
l izards, rabbits, human beings, goats, black deer, S\v ans, < nd boars. I n this way, mounted on ani mals of the
water, l and, and sky, i ncl uding ani mals with deformed bodies, the two armies faced each other and
attacked.
The demons, under the command l)f Bal i Maharaj a, then used magic to begin sl ayi ng the demi gods
by the thousands. Fi ndi ngno other recourse, the demi gnds surrendered ag<lin to the Supreme Personali ty
of Godhead, Vir:u, who then appeared on the back ofGarlll,b. md cnurHeracted all the i l l usions presented
by the j ugglery of the de1nons. Heroes among the demons fought the Supreme Personal i ty of Godhead
and were al l ki l led by the Lord. The demi gods were rhus freed from all dangers+
!' A ! N T ! N l; B Y N A N A N J A N A !) A S A
( I 9 H - )
I' L : T E I 7
THE BATTLE BETWEEN
THE DEMIGODS AND THE DEMONS
t1g ago, the demi gods and the clemons decl ared a truce and together churned the ocean of
mi l k to attai n the nectar of immortal i ty. But Lord Vit)u decei ,cd the demons and gave all
the nectar to the demigods.
Seeing that the demigods had attai ned all the nectar, the demtms became i ntolerant of thei r
superior opulence. Thus they marched toward the demigods wi th raised weapons
.
Enl i vened by dri nki ng
the nectar, the demigods used thei r various weapons to counterattack the demtms i n a fghti ng spi ri t. A
fierce battle on the beach of the ocean of mi l k ensued between the demigt'ds and the demons. This fghti ng
was so terrible that si mpl y hearing about it would make the hairs on one's body stand on end.
Both parties i n that fight were extremely angry, and i n enmi ty they attacked one another wi th
swords, arrows, and varieties of other weapons. The sounds nf the ccmchshells, bugles, drums, hheris , damar i s ,
and kettledrums, as wel l as t he sounds made by t he elephants, horses, and oldiers, were tumul tuous.
On that battlefeld the charioteers fought \Vith the opposing charioteer , the i nfantry soldiers wi th
the opposi ng i nfantry, the soldiers on hor eback wi th the opposing soldiers on horseback, and the soldiers
on the backs of el ephants wi th the enemy soldi er on elephants. In thi s way the fghti ng rook place
between equals. Some soldiers fought on the backs of camel , some on the back: of elephants, some on
asses, some on whi te,faced and red,faced monkey , some on ti gers, and snme on l ions.
Some soldiers fought on the backs of vul tu re , eagles, ducks, hawks, and hhasa bi rds. Some fought
on the backs of timingilas , whi ch can devour l1uge whales, some on the backs of sarahhas , and some on
buffalo, rhi noceroses, cows, bul l s, j ungle cows, and arW)ClS. Others fought on the backs of j ackals, rats,
l izards, rabbits, human beings, goats, black deer, swans, and boars. In thi s way, mounted on ani mals of the
water, l and, and sky, i ncl udi ng ani mal wi th deformed bodi es, the two armies faced each other and
attacked.
The demons, under the command of Bal i Maharaj<l, then used magic to begin slayi ng the demigods
by the thousands. Fi ndi ngno other recourse, the demi gods surrendered agai n to rhc Supreme Personal i ty
of Godhead, Virtu, who then appeared on the back ofGaru0a and counteracted < 1 1 1 the i l lusions presented
by the j ugglery of the demons. Heroes among the demons fought the Supreme Personal i ty of Godhead
and were all ki lied by the Lord. The demi gods were thus freed from all dangers.
P A l T I N C B Y A N A N j t\ 1 A D A A
( I 9 4 )
TE MANTRIC SHIELD
OF LORD NARAYANA

V
isvan1pa, whom the demigods had engaged as their priest, instructed King Indra about the
N arayal)a armor, which enabled lndra to conquer the demons. Visvarupa said, "If some form
of fear arrives, a person should first wash his hands and legs and then perform acamana by chanting this
mantra: om apavitra pavitro va sarvavastham gato 'pi val ya smaret pundarikikam sa bahyabhyantara suci/
srivirtu sriviryu sriviryu. Then he should touch ku5a grass, sit gravely and silently facing north, and bind
himself with the Nrayal).a coat of armor as follows:
First , while chanting the mantra composed of eight syllables-om nama narayarya-beginningwith
the pva, the syllable om, he should touch his hands to eight parts of his body, starting with the two
feet and progressing systematically to the knees, thighs, abdomen, heart, chest, mouth, and head. Then
he should chant the mantra in reverse, beginning from the last syllable ya, while touching the parts of the
body in the reverse order. These two processes are known as as utpattinyasa and samharanyasa
respectively.
Then the person should chant the mantra composed of twelve syllables-om nama bhagavate
vasudevaya. Preceding each syllable by the omki ra, he should place the syllables of the mantra on the tips
of his fingers, beginning with the index finger of the right hand and concluding with the index finger of
the left. The four remaining syllables should be placed on the joints of the thumbs.
The chanter must then chant the mantra of six syllables-om virve nama. He should place the
syllable om on his heart, the syllable vi on the top of his head, the syllable a between his eyebrows, the
syllable rta on his tuft of hair, and the syllable ve between his eyes. The chanter of the mantra should then
place the syllable na on all the joints of his body and meditate on the syllable r as being a weapon. He
should thus become the perfect personifcation of the mantra. Thereafter, adding visarga to the final syl
lable, ma, he should chant the mantra ma astraya phat in all directions, beginning from the east. In this
way, all directions will be bound by the protective armor of the mantra.
After finishing this chanting, the chanter should think himself qualitatively one with the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, who is ful l in six opulences and is worthy to be meditated upon. Then he should
chant the protective prayer to Lord Narayal)a, the Narayal).akavaca.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N l - D E V i D A S i
( 1 9 7 5 )
P L A T E 1 9 --
lNDRA OFFENDS BRHASPATI
.
0
n one occasion, the King of heaven, lndra, being extremely proud because of his great
opulence, transgressed the law of Vedic etiquette. Seated on his throne, he was surrounded
by the Maruts, Vasus, Rudras, Adityas, Rbhus, Visvadevas, Sadhyas, Asvinikumaras, Siddhas, Caralas,
Gandharvas, and great saintly persons. Also surrounding him were the Vidyadharas, Apsaras, Kinnaras,
Patagas (birds), and Uragas, snakes. All of them were offering lndra their respects and services, and the
Apsaras and Gandharvas were dancing and singing with very sweet musical instruments. Over lndra's
head was a white umbrella as effulgent as the full moon. Fanned by yak; tail whisks and served with all the
paraphernalia of a great king, lndra was sitting with his wife, Sacidevi, who occupied half the throne,
when the great sage Brhaspati appeared in that assembly. Brhaspati, the best of the sages, was the spiritual
master of lndra and the other demigods and was respected by the demigods and demons alike.
Nevertheless, although Indra saw his spiritual master before him, he did not rise from his own seat or offer
a seat to his spiritual master, nor did Indra offer him a respectful welcome. Indra did nothing to show him
respect.
Brhaspati knew everything that would happen in the future. Seeing Indra's transgression of
etiquette, he understood that Indra was pufed up by his material opulence. Although able to curse Indra,
he did not do so. Instead, he left the assembly and in silence returned home.
lndra immediately understood his mistake. Realizing he had disrespected his spiritual master, he
condemned himself in the presence of all the members of the assembly.
"Alas, what a regrettable deed I have committed because of my lack of intelligence and my pride
in my material opulence! I failed to show respect to my spiritual master when he entered this assembly,
and thus I have insulted him. Although I am the King of the demigods, who are situated in the mode of
goodness, I was proud of a little opulence and polluted by false ego. Under the circumstances, who in this
world would accept such riches at the risk of falling down? Alas! I condemn my opulence."
While lndra spoke in this way and repented in his assembly, Brhaspati understood his mind. Thus
he became invisible to lndra and left home, for Brhaspati was spiritually more powerful than King Indra.
P A I N T I N G B Y J N A N A N J A N A D A S A
( 1 9 8 6 )
P L A T E 2 0
7
LORD SIVA
INSTRUCTS HIS WIFE, SATI
I
n ancentimes the chief
.
progenitor, Daka, arranged t
.
perform a gresarice. At the time
he mvtted all the demtgods and great sages except Srva. Because Stva 1s m charge of the
mode of ignorance, his appearance and activities contradict the accepted norm of gentile society, and
therefore Daka did not invite him. This was a great offenst and spiritual transgression, because Siva is
in fact always detached and unafected by his socalled association with the mode of ignorance.
Unfortunately, Daka could not understand this, although his daughter, who was married to Siva, did.
Seeing that all the demigods and sages were on their way to the sacrifce, she approached Siva and said:
"My dear Lord Siva, your fatherinlaw is now executing great sacrifces, and all the demigods,
having been invited by him, are going there. If you desire, we may also go. I think that all my sisters must
have gone to this great sacrifcial ceremony with their husbands j ust to see their relatives. I also desire to
decorate myself with the ornaments given to me by my father and go there with you to participate in that
assembly. How can the daughter remain undisturbed when she hears that some festive event is taking place
in her father's house? Even though I have not been invited, there is no harm if one goes to the house of
one's friend, husband, spiritual master, or father without invitation. Therefore please grant me this
request. "
Lord Siva replied, "My dear wife, it is clear that of the many daughters ofDaka you are his favorite,
yet you will not be honored at his house, for you are my wife. Rather, you will be sorry that you are
connected with me. Therefore you should not see your father, although he is the giver of your body,
because he and his followers are envious of me. Because of his envy he has insulted me with cruel words,
although I am innocent."
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R T I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 8 2 )
P L A T E 2 1
THE SELF IMMOLATION
OF GODDESS SATI
D
isregarding Siva's wrning, Sati went to her father's house to attend the great sacrifice.
Thousands of Lord Siva's disciples-ghosts, ghouls, and demons-accompanied her. When
Sati reached the sacrificial arena, her mother and sisters received her well, but her father, Daksa, snubbed
her. Then, seeing that the brahmaras were offering no oblations to her husband, Sati became extremely
angry and said to Daka, "Lord Siva is the most beloved of all living entities. He has no rival, and he
behaves equally towards everyone. No one but you could be envious of such a universal being, who is free
from all enmity. My dear father, you are committing the greatest offense by envying Lord Siva, whose very
name purifies one of all sin. Because you have blasphemed him, I shall no longer bear this unworthy body,
which has been received from you. "
Having said this, Sati sat down on the floor and absorbed herself in mystic yoga. Then, meditating
on the fiery elements and Lord Siva's lotus feet, Sati caused her body to ignite and burn to ashes.
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A D A S A - A B H I R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 8 2 )
P L A T E 2 2
7
LORD SIVA ON HIS BULL
td Brahma prays, "Just as milk changes into yogurt when mixed with a yogurt culture but
is actually constitutionally nothing but milk, so Govinda, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, assumes the form of Lord Siva for the work of destroying the material world. "
The Vedic literature declares that Lord Siva is the personality of the principle of destruction in the
form of time, and that Goddess Durga is his energy for that purpose. The name Siva means "auspicious. "
Therefore, although he is followed
b
y ghosts, ghouls, and hobgoblins and is covered with ashes and sleeps
in crematoriums, Siva is always pure. In fact, he is never affected by his low surroundings. He consorts with
the low, materially motivated, and spiritually corrupt to give them a chance to elevate themselves.
Granting them various benedictions, he is called Asutoa, one who is easily pleased. He rides upon the
back of a bull, the symbol of religiosity, showing that his position is supported by the principles of religion.
His mind is always absorbed in the highest transcendental consciousness, without wavering for a moment
from his obj ect of meditation. He teaches the most confidential secrets about God and love of God and
sets the best and most practical example of how to live detached from one's circumstances. The VaiI).avas
therefore hail Lord Siva as the greatest ofVaiI)avas and also declare him to be above all living entities
including the demigods-in a category by himself. He is ultimately identical with the Supreme Lord,
KrI).a, yet as milk is transformed into yogurt, he has transformed his identity to Siva in order to deal with
the mode of ignorance in this world.
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A D A S A - A B H I R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 8 5 )
P L A T E 2 3
VIRABHADRA BEHEADS DAKSA

W
hen Lord Siva heard from N arada that Sati was now dead because ofDaksa's insult to her and
that Siva's soldiers had been driven away by the Rbhu demigods, he became greatly angry.
Biting his lips, he immediately snatched from his head a strand of hair that blazed like electricity or fire.
He stood up at once, laughing like a madman, and dashed the hair to the ground.
There suddenly appeared a fearful black demon as high as the sky and as bright as three suns, his
teeth very terrifying and the hairs on his head like burning fire. He had thousands of arms equipped with
various weapons, and he was garlanded with human heads. That gigantic demon, whose name was
Virabhadra, asked with folded hands, "What shall I do, my lord?" Siva ordered, "Because you were born
from my body, you are the chief of all my associates. Therefore kill Daka and his soldiers at the sacrifice."
Virabhadra was the personified anger of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he was prepared
to execute the orders of Lord Siva. Confident of his invincibility, Virabhadra circumambulated Lord Siva
and set out for the sacrificial arena ofDaka. Many other soldiers ofLord Siva fol lowed Vlrabhadra, making
a tumultuous uproar. Virabhadra carried a great trident, fearful enough to kill even death, and on his legs
he wore bangles that seemed to roar.
Vlrabhadra bared his fearful teeth. With the movements of his brows he scattered the luminaries
all over the sky and covered them with his strong, piercing efulgence. Because of the misbehavior of
Daka, even Lord Brahma, Daka's father, could not have been saved from that greatest exhibition of
anger.
When Virabhadra and his soldiers arrived at Daka's sacrifcial arena, they destroyed everything,
terrorized the assembly, and desecrated the whole area. Finally Virabhadra beheaded Daka.
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R U V A D A S A
( 1 9 8 5 )
P L A T E 2 4
LORD BRAHMA
*
APPROACHES LORD SIVA
T
he banyan tree under which Lord Siva sat was eight hundred miles high, and its branches
spread for six hundred miles around. That tree cast a fine shade that permanently cooled
the space beneath the tree, yet there was no noise of birds.
The demigods saw Lord Siva sitting under that tree, which was competent to give perf ection to
mystic yogis and deliver all people. As grave as time eternal, he appeared to have given up all anger. Lord
S
iva sat there surrounded by saintly persons like Kuvera', the master of the Guhyakas, and the four
Kumaras, who were already liberated souls.
S
iva looked grave and saintly, situated as he was in his
perfection as the master of the senses, knowledge, fruitive activities, and the path of yoga. He was the
friend of the entire world, and by virtue of his full affection for everyone, he was very auspicious.
Wearing a deerskin, his body smeared with ashes, and bearing the sign of a halrmoon on his head,
he looked like an evening cloud. He was seated on a straw mat, speaking about the Absolute Truth to the
great sage Narada and others. His left leg was placed on his right thigh, and his left hand was placed on
his left thigh. In his right hand he held Rudraka beads. As he sat in this posture, called virdsana, he held
his finger in the mode of argument. He was dressed in safron garments and absorbed in trance, thus
appearing to be the foremost of all sages.
All the sages and demigods, headed by lndra, offered their respectful obeisances unto Lord
S
iva
with folded hands. Indeed, his lotus feet were worshiped by both the demigods and the demons, but still,
despite his exalted position, as soon as he saw that Lord Brahma was among the assembly, he immediately
.
stood up and offered him respect by bowing down and touching his lotus feet, just as Vamanadeva offered
His respectful obeisances to Kasyapa Muni.
Narada and the other sages sitting with Lord Siva also ofered their respectful obeisances to Lord
Brahma. After being so worshiped, Brahma smiled and began to speak to Lord
S
iva.
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A D A S A - A B H I R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 8 4 )
P L A T E 25
DAKSA SURRENDERS
7
TO LORD SIVA
D
aka was given
_
a goat's head, and his consciousness was revived. He awakened as if from sleep
and saw Lord Siva standing before him. At that time Daka's heart, which had been polluted
by envy of
S
iva, was immediately cleansed, just as the water in a lake is cleansed by autumn rains. Daka
wanted to offer prayers to Lord
S
iva, but as he remembered the illfated death of his daughter Sati, his eyes
filled with tears. In his bereavement, his voice choked up, and he could not say anything.
At this time Daka, aficted by love and afection, was very much awake to his real senses. With
great endeavor he pacifed his mind, checked his feelings, and with pure consciousness began to ofer
prayers to Lord
S
iva: "My dear Lord
S
iva, I committed a great ofense against you, but you are so kind that
instead of withdrawing your mercy you have done me a great favor by punishing me.
"My dear great and powerful Lord S
iva, you were created by Lord Brahma in order to protect the
bahma1 in their pursuit of education, austerities, vows, and selfrealization. As protector of the
brahmalas, you always enforce the regulative principles they must follow, just as a cowherd boy wields a
stick to keep the cows safely on the path.
"I did not not know your full glories. For this reason I threw arrows of sharp words at you in the open
assembly. But you did not take them seriously. I was going down to hell because of my disobedience to you,
who are the most respectable personality, but you took compassion upon me and saved me by awarding
punishment. I request that you be satisfied by your own mercy, since I cannot satisfy you by my words."
Lord
S
iva was pleased with Daka and pardoned him. Then Daka, having received the permission
of Lord Brahma, again began the performance of the sacrifice, aided by greatly lerned sages, priests, and
others.
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R U V A D A S A
( 1 9 8 5 )
P L A T E 2 6
7
DEVAYANI REBUKES SARMISTHA
W
O
ne day Yraparva's daughter
S
armigha, who was innocent but angry by nature, was walking
in the palace garden with Devayanl, the dughter of
S
ukracarya, and thousands of friends.
The garden was filled with lotuses and with trees bearing flowers and fruits, and it was inhabited by sweetly
singing birds and bumblebees.
When the lotuseyed young girls came to the bank of a reservoir of water, they wanted to enjoy
bathing there. Thus they left their clothes on the bank and began sporting, throwing water on one
another. While sporting in the water, the girls suddenly aw Lord
S
iva passing by, seated on the back of
his bull with his wife, Parvati. Ashamed because they were naked, the girls quickly got out of the water
and covered themselves with their garments.
Sarmigha unknowingly put on Devayanl's clothes, thus angering Devayanl, who then spoke as
follows: "Oh, just see the activities of this servant maid
S
armigha! Disregarding all etiquette, she has put
on my clothes, just like a dog snatching clarified butter meant for use in a sacrifce."
When thus rebuked in cruel words,
S
armigha became very angry. Breathing heavily like a serpent
and biting her lower lip, she spoke to the daughter of
S
ukracarya as follows: "You beggar! Since you don't
understand your position, why should you talk so much? Don't you wait at our house, depending on us for
your livelihood like a crow?" With these unkind words Sarmirha rebuked Devayanl, and then she took
away Devayani's garments, threw her into a well, and went home.
Meanwhile King Yayati, while on a hunting excursion, happened upon the well in search of a drink
of water, and there in the well he saw Devayani. When he saw that she was naked, Yayati immediately
gave her his upper cloth. Being very kind to her, he caught her hand with his own and lifted her out. With
words saturated with love and affection, Devayani said to King Yayati, "0 great hero, 0 king, 0 conqueror
of the cities of your enemies, by accepting my hand you have accepted me as your married wife. Let me
not be touched by others, for our relationship as husband and wife has been made possible by providence,
not by any human being."
Because such a marriage is not sanctioned by regular scriptures, King Yayati did not like it, but
because it was arranged by Providence and because he was attracted by Devayani's beauty, he accepted
her request.
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R T I - D Y I D A S I
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 2 7
7
LORD SIVA SAVES THE UNIVERSE
BY DRINKING POISON
W
ith the understanding that when the nectar was generated from the churning of the milk
ocean they would share it equally, the demigods and the demons brought the snake Vasuki
to be used as the rope for the churning rod. By the expert arrangement of the Supreme Lord, the demons
held the snake near the mouth, whereas the demigods held the tail of the great snake. Then with great
endeavor they began pulling the snake back and forth. Because the churning rod, Mandara Mountain,
was very heavy and was not held by any support in the water, it sank into the ocean, and in this way the
prowess of both the demons and the demigods was vanquished.
The Supreme Lord then appeared in the form of a tortoise and supported Mandara Mountain on
.
His back. Then the churning resumed with great force. As a result of the churning, a huge amount of
poison named kalakut was produced. The Prajapatis, seeing no one else to save them, approached Lord
S
iva and offered him prayers full of truth.
S
iva readily agreed to drink all the poison generated by the churning. The goddess Durga, Siva's
wife, was not at all disturbed when Lord
S
iva agreed to drink the poison, for she knew his prowess. Indeed,
she expressed her pleasure at this agreement. Then Lord
S
iva gathered the devastating poison, which was
everywhere. He took it in his hand and drank it, and after he drank the poison his neck became bluish.
A small quantity of the poison dropped from his hands to the ground, and it is because of this poison
that there are poisonous snakes, scorpions, toxic plants, and other poisonous things in this world.
P A I N T I N G B Y P A R i K S I T D A S A
( 1 9 7 6 )
P L A T E 2 8
YAMARAJA INSTRUCTS
A KING' S WIDOWS
I
n the state known as Usinara lived a celebrated king named Suyajfa. When the king was
killed in battle by his enemies, his kinsmen sat down around the dead body and began to
lament his death.
His golden, bejeweled armor smashed, his ornaments ard garlands fallen from their places, his hair
scattered and his eyes lusterless, the slain king lay on the battlefield. His heart had been pierced by his
enemy's arrows, and his entire body was now smeared with blood. When he died he had wanted to show
his prowess, and thus he had bitten his lips, and his teeth remained in that position. His beautifl lotuslike
face was now black and covered with dust from the battlefield. His arms, with his sword and other weapons,
were cut and broken. When the queens of the King of Usinara saw their husband lying in that position,
they began crying, "0 lord, now that you have been killed, we have also been killed!" Repeating these
words again and again and striking their breasts, they fell down at the feet of the dead king.
As the queens loudly cried, their tears glided down their breasts, becoming reddened by kunkum
powder, and fell upon the lotus feet of their husband. Their hair became disarrayed, and their oraments
fell as they piteously lamented their husband's death. Their loud cries were heard even from the abode
ofYamaraj a. Assuming the body of a boy, Yamaraja approached the queens and advised them as follows:
"Every conditioned soul receives a certain type of body according to his work, and when the soul's
engagement with that body is finished, the body is finished. Although the spirit soul is situated in subtle
and gross material bodies in various forms of life, he is not bound by them, for he is always completely
different from the manifested body. Just as a householder, although diferent from his house, identifes
himself with his house, so out of ignorance a conditioned soul identifies himself with his body, although
the body is actually diferent from the soul. The body is obtained through a combination of earth, water,
and fre, and when the earth, water, and fre are transformed in the course of time, the body is vanquished.
The soul has nothing to do with this creation and dissolution of the body."
P A I N T I N G B Y S U D D H A - B H A K T A D A S A
( 1 9 8 7 )
P L A T E 2 9
THE PASTIME INCARNATIONS
OF GODHEAD
I
n the center square, KrQ.a is shown in His original two,handed form, holding a flute.
Surrounding Him are ten of His eternal incarnations, pictured in the order in which They
appear in the material world. Beginning from the upper left, hand corner and moving counterclockwise,
They are:
1 . Matsya, the fish incarnation, who saved the Ved;
2. Kurma, the tortoise incaration, who held Mount Mandara on His back;
3. Varaha, the boar incarnation, who
.
saved the earth from the water of devastation;
4. Nrsirilhadeva, the man,lion incarnation, who killed the tyrant HiraQ.yakasipu;
5. Vamana, the dwarf incarnation, who covered the universe with two steps;
6. Parasurama, the warrior incarnation, who killed all the demoniac kings on the earth twenty,one
times;
7. Ramacandra, the Lord's incarnation as the ideal monarch, with His wife, Sita, who accompanied
Him during His exile to the forest;
8. KrQ.a, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and Balarama, His primary expansion, who enjoyed
pastimes together as brothers in Vrndavana;
9. Buddha, the incarnation of the Lord whose mission was to stop animal slaughter through his
teaching of ahimsa, or nonviolence; and
10. Kalki, the incarnation of the Lord who will appear in 427,000 years to herald the change of
universal time.
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R T I - D E V I D A S I A N D
R A M A D A S A - A B H I R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 8 2 )
P L A T E 3 0 -
LORD MATSYA,
TE FISH INCARNATION
D
uring the Cakua manvantara there was a king named Satyavrata who was a great devotee
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Satyavrata performed austerities by subsisting only
on water.
One day while King Satyavrata was offering water on the bank of the River Krtamala, a small fsh
appeared in the water in his palms. Satyavrata threw the fsh into the water of the river, along with the
water in his palm. In a plaintive voice the poor, small fsh said to King Satyavrata, "My dear king, protector
of the poor, why are you throwing Me into the river, where there are other aquatics who can kill Me? I
am very much afraid of them. " Unaware that the fsh was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, King
Satyavrata gladly decided to help Him. The merciful king thus placed the fsh into a water j ug and brought
Him to his own residence.
But in one night the fsh grew so much that He could not move His body comfortably in the water
of the pot. He then spoke to the king as follows: "0 My dear king, I do not like living in this waterpot.
Therefore please find some better reservoir of water where I can live comfortably."
After taking the fsh out of the waterpot, the king threw Him into a large well. But within a moment
the fsh grew to the length of fve feet.
The fsh then said, "My dear king, this reservoir of water is not ft for My happy residence. Please
give Me a more extensive pool of water, for I have taken shelter of you."
King Satyavrata then took the fsh from the well and threw Him into a lake, but the fsh at once
assumed a gigantic form exceeding the extent of the water. The fsh then said, "0 king, I am a large aquatic,
and this water is not at all suitable for Me. Now kindly find some way to save Me. It would be better to
put Me into the water of a lake that will never diminish."
Thus requested, King Satyavrata took the fsh to the largest reservoir of water; but when that also
proved insuffi cient, the king at last threw the gigantic fsh into the ocean. While being thrown into the
ocean, the fsh said to King Satyavrata, "0 hero, in this water there are very powerful and dangerous sharks
that will eat Me. Therefore you should not throw Me into this reservoir of water."
After hearing these sweet words from the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the form of a fsh, the
bewi ldered king asked Him, "Who are You, Sir? You simply bewilder me. In one day You have expanded
Yourself for hundreds of miles, covering the water of the river and the ocean. Before this, I have never seen
or heard of such an aquatic animal. My Lord, You are certainly the inexhaustible Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Narayal)a, Sri Hari. It is to show Your mercy to the living entities that You have now assumed
the form of an aquatic. 0 my Lord, master of creation, maintenance, and annihilation, 0 best of enjoyers,
Lord Vil).u, You are the leader and destination of surrendered devotees. Therefore, let me offer my
respectful obeisances unto You. "
P A I N T I N G B Y P R E M A V I L A S A D A S A
( 1 9 8 5 )
P L . T E 3 1
LORD VARAHA,
THE BOAR INCARNATION
S
ince the beginning of creation, the demons and the demigods have always been the two
classes of l i vi ng beings to dominate the planets of the universes. Lord Brahma i s the first
demigod, and Hi ranyaka is the frst demon i n this universe.
Only under certain conditions do the planets float as weightless balls i n the air, and as soon as these
conditions are disturbed, the planets may fall down i n the Garbhodaka Ocean, which covers half the
universe. The other half is the spherical dome wi thin which the innumerable pl anetary systems exi st. The
fl oating of the planets in the weightless ai r is due to the inner constitution of the globes, and the dri ll ing
of the earth to extract oil from within i s a disturbance by the moder demons and can result i n a greatly
harmful reaction to the fl oating condition of the earth. A s imilar disturbance was created formerly by the
demons headed by Hiraryaka, and the earth lost i ts weightless condition and fel l down into the
Garbhodaka Ocean. The Lord, as maintainer of the whole creation of the material world, therefore
assumed the gigantic form of a boar wi th a proportional snout i n order to li ft the earth from wi thi n the
water of the Garbhodaka Ocean. When the Lord dove into the ocean t pi ck up the earth, Hiraryaka
challenged Hi m, and thus the Lord k illed the demon by pi ercing hi m wi th Hi s tusk.
P . I N T I ( ) B Y D H R T I - D E V I D A S I
I 9 8 2 )
P L A T E 3 2
LORD NRSIMHADEVA BATTLES
M
THE KING OF THE DEMONS
T
he demon Hiral.yakasipu said to his devotee,son Prahlada, "0 most unfortunate Prahl ada,
you have always described a supreme being other than me, a supreme being who is above
everything, who is the controller of everyone, and who is all,pervading. But where is He? If He is
everywhere, then why is He not present before me in this pillar? Because you are speaking so much
nonsense, I shall now sever your head from your body. Now let me see your most worshipable God come
to protect you. I want to see it."
Obsessed with anger, Hiral).yakasipu thus harshly chastised his exalted devotee,son Prahlada.
Cursing him repeatedly, Hiral).yakasipu took up his sword, got up from his royal throne, and with great
anger struck his fist against the column.
Then from within the pillar came a fearful sound that seemed to crack the covering of the universe.
This sound reached even the abodes of the demigods like Lord Brahma, and when the demigods heard
it, they thought, "Oh, now our planets are being destroyed! "
While showing his extraordinary prowess, Hiral).yakasipu heard that wonderful, tumultuous sound,
which had never been heard before. Upon hearing the sound, the other leaders of the demons were afraid.
None of them could find the origin of that sound in the assembly.
While Hiral).yakasipu looked all around to find the source of the sound, a wonderful form of the Lord
that was half man and half lion emerged from the pillar. In amazement, Hiral).yakasipu wondered, "What
is this creature that is half man and halflion? Lord ViIu, who possesses great mystic power, has made this
plan to kill me, but what is the use of such an attempt? Who can fight with me?" Thinking like this and
taking up his club, Hiral).yakasipu attacked the Lord like an elephant.
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A D A S A - A B H I R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 7 6 )
P L A T E 3 3
LORD NRSIMHADEVA SLAYS

THE DEMON HIRANYAKASIPU

T
he Supreme Personality of Godhead, exhibiting the wonderful, fearsome form of Lord
Nrsimhadeva, emerged from the pillar. The Lord's form was half man and halflion. His angry
eyes resembled molten gold, His teeth were deadly, His nostrils and gaping mouth appeared like caves of
a mountain, His j aws were parted fearfully, and His body touched the sky. His neck was very short and
thi_ck, His chest broad, and His waist thin, and the hairs on His body were as white as moonrays. His arms,
spread in all directions, carried His conchsqel l , disc, club, lotus, and other weapons.
The demon Hiral)yakasipu attacked Nrsirhhadeva with great force, but the Lord captured him, as
a snake might capture a mouse or GarUa a snake. Then, as Hiral.yakasipu flailed his limbs in all directions,
very much afflicted at being captured, Lord Nrsirhhadeva placed him on his lap, supporting him with His
thighs, and in the doorway of the assembly hall the Lord very easily tore the demon to pieces with the nails
of His hands.
Lord Nrsirhhadeva's mouth and mane were sprinkled with drops of blood, and His ferce eyes, ful l
of anger, were impossible to look at. Licking the edge of His mouth with His tongue, Lord Nrsirhhadeva,
decorated with a garland of intestines ripped from Hiral)yakasipu's abdomen, resembled a lion that has
just killed an elephant.
P A I N T I N G B Y ] A D U R A N i - D E V i D A S I
( 1 9 7 6 )
P L A T E 3 4 --
LORD VAMANADEVA,
TE DWARF INCARNATION
I
n the home of Kasyapa Muni and Aditi, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appeared in
His fourarmed Vi$I.U form, with ornaments and weapons in His hands. Then, j ust like a
theatrical actor, He assumed the form of Vamana, a brahmaJadwarf. Greatly pleased to see this incar
nation of the Lord, the great sages placed Kasyapa Muni in front of them and then performed all the
prescribed ritualistic ceremonies.
At Lord Vamanadeva's sacredthread ceremony, the sungod personally uttered the Gayatri mantra,
Brhaspati offered the sacred thread, and Kasyapa Muni offered a straw belt. Mother earth gave Him a
deerskin, and the moongod gave Him a brahmadaJfQa, the rod of a brahmacari. His mother, Aditi, gave
Him cloth for underwear, and the deity presiding over the sky offered Him an umbrella. Lord Brahma
offered Vamanadeva a waterpot, the seven sages offered Him kusa grass, and mother Sarasvati gave Him
a string of Rudrak$a beads. Kuvera then gave Him a pot for begging alms, and mother Bhagavati, Lord
S
iva's wife, gave Him His frst alms.
Having thus been welcomed by everyone, Lord Vamanadeva, the best of the brahmacaris , exhibited
His Brahman effulgence. Thus He surpassed in beauty that entire assembly, which was filled with great
saintly brahma1as.
P A I N T I N G B Y P A R l K $ I T D A S A
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 3 5
TE LORD ENVELOPS THE UNIVERSE
T
he unlimited Supreme Personality of Godhead, who had assumed the form of dwarf,
bma', then began increasing in size, until everything in the universe was within His
body, including the earth, the planetary systems, the sky, the directions, the various holes in the universe,
the seas, the oceans, the birds, the beasts, the human beings, the demigods, and the great saintly persons.
Bali Maharaj a, along with all the priests, acaryas, and members of the assembly, observed the Lord's
universal body, which was full of six opulences. That body contained everything within the universe,
including all the gross material elements, the senses, the sense objects, the mind, intelligence, and false
ego, the various kinds of living entities, and the actions .and reactions of the three modes of material
nature.
Bali Maharaja could see the lower planetary systems, such as Rasatala, on the soles of the feet of
the Lord's universal form. He saw on the Lord's feet the surface of the globe, on His calves all the
mountains, on His knees the various birds, and on His thighs the varieties of air. Beneath the garments
of the Lord, Bali Maharaj a saw the evening twilight, in the Lord's private parts the Praj apatis, and in the
round portion of the waist himself with his confi dential associates. In the Lord's navel Bali saw the sky,
on the Lord's waist the seven oceans, and on the Lord's bosom the clusters of stars.
In the heart of the Lord's universal form Bali saw religion; on the chest, pleasing words and
truthfulness; in the mind, the moon; on the bosom, the goddess of fortune, with a lotus in her hand; on
the neck, the Ved and all other sound vibrations; on the arms, all the demigods, headed by King lndra;
in both ears, all the directions; on the head, the upper planetary systems; on the hair, the clouds; in the
nostrils, the wind; on the eyes, the sun; and in the mouth, fire. From His words came all the Vedic mntras,
on His tongue was the demigod of water, Varul)adeva, on His eyebrows were the regulative principles, and
on His eyelids were day and night. On His forehead was anger, and on His lips was greed. In His touch
were lusty desires, in His semen were all the waters, on His back was irreligion, and in His wonderful
activities was the fre of sacrifice. On His shadow was death, in His smile was the illusory energy, and on
the hairs of His body were all the drugs and herbs. In his veins were all the rivers, on His nails were all
stones, in His intelligence was Lord Brahma, the demigods, and the great saintly persons, and throughout
His entire body and senses were all living entities, moving and stationary. Bali Maharaja thus saw
everything in the gigantic body of the Lord.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A Y A R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 3 6
GAJENDRA
APPEALS TO LORD VISNU
N
B
y the arrangement of providence, a strong crocodile once became angry at Gajendra, the
King of the elephants, and attacked his leg in the water. Pulling one another in and out of
the water, the powerful elephant and the crocodile fought for one thousand years. Because of being pulled
into the water and fighting for many long years, Gajendra became diminished in his mental, physical, and
sensual strength. The crocodile, on the contrary, being an animal of the water, increased in enthusiasm,
physical strength, and sensual power. At last Gajendra saw that he was helpless, and he prayed to the Lord
for release. Understanding the elephant's awkward condition, and moved by his heartfelt prayers, the
Suprme Personality of Godhead, Narayala, appeared before Gajendra accompanied by the demigods,
who were also offering prayers to Him. Gajendra had been forcefully captured by the crocodile in the water
and was feeling acute pain, but when he saw that Narayal).a, wielding His disc, was coming in the sky on
the back of Garua, he immediately took a lotus flower in his trunk, and with great difficulty due to his
painful condition, he uttered the following words: "0 my Lord, Narayal).a, master of the universe, 0
Supreme Personality of Godhead, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You."
P A I N T I N G B Y M U R A L i D H A R A D A S A
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 3 7
GAJENDRA REGAINS
HIS SPIRITUAL FORM
W
hen the Lord delivered Gajendra, King of the elephants, all the demigods, sages, and
Gandharvas, headed by Brahma and
S
iva, praised the Lord and showered fowers upon both
Him and Gajendra. Kettledrums resounded in the heavenly planets, and the inhabitants of Gandharvaloka
began to dance and sing, while great sages and the inhabitants of CaraQaloka and Siddhaloka offered
prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Puruottama.
The history of the crocodile and Gajendra is as follows: There was once a King of the Gandharva
planet whose name was Huhu. One day King Huhu was enjoying with women in the water, and while
enjoying he pulled the leg of Devala 1i, who was also bathing in the water. The sage became very angry
and immediately cursed Huhu to become a crocodile. King Huhu was very sorry when cursed in that way,
and he begged pardon from the sage, who out of compassion gave him the benediction that he would be
freed when Gajendra was delivered by the Personality of Godhead. Thus the crocodile was delivered when
killed by N arayaQa.
As for Gajendra, in his previous birth he had been a great devotee of Lord ViQ.u. His name was
lndradyumna, and He was the King of the Tamila country. Following the Vedic principles, this king retired
from .amily life and constructed a small cottage in the Malayacala Hills, where he always worshiped the
Supreme Personality of Godhead in silence. Agastya 1i, along with many disciples, once approached
King Indradyumna's israma, but because the king was meditating on the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, he could not receive Agastya Ri properly. Thus the ri became very angry and cursed the king
to become a dull elephant. In accordance with this curse, the king was born as an elephant, and he forgot
all about his previous activities in devotional service. Nonetheless, in his birth as an elephant, when he
was attacked by the crocodile, he remembered his past life in devotional service and also remembered a
prayer he had learned in that life. Because of this prayer, he again received the mercy of the Lord. Thus
he was immediately delivered, and he became one of the Lord's four,handed associates.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N i - D E V i D A S i
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 3 8
DHANVANTARI
WITH THE POT OF NECTAR
W
hile the demons and demigods churned the ocean of milk, a very wonderful person appeared.
He was strongly built; his arms were long, stout, and strong; his neck, which was marked with
three lines, resembled a conchshell; his eyes were reddish; and his complexion was blackish. He was very
young, he was garlanded with flowers, and his entire body was fully decorated with various oraments. He
was dressed in yellow garments and wore brightly polished earrings made of pearls. The tips of his hair were
anointed with oil, and his chest was very broad. His body had all good features, he was stout and strong
like a lion, and he

was decorated with bangles. In his hand he carried a jug flled to the top with nectar.
This person was Dhanvantari, a plenary portion of a plenary portion of Lord Vitu. He was very
conversant with the science of medicine, and as one of the demigods he was permitted to take a share in
sacrifices.
Upon seeing Dhanvantari carrying the jug of nectar, the demons, desiring the jug and its contents,
immediately snatched it away by force.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A Y A R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 3 9 -
NARA;NARAYANA RSI
e
4
o
HUMBLES CUPID
N
ara N arayal).a Ri, an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, i s perfectly
peaceful and is the best of sages. He is especially known for His practice of severe penances
and austerities. He appeared as the son of Dharma and his wife Murti, the daughter of Daka.
King Indra became fearful, thinking that NaraNarayal).a Ri would become very powerful by His
severe penances and seize Indra's heavenly kingdom. Thus lndra, not knowing the transcendental glories
of the incarnation of the Lord, sent Cupid and his associates to the Lord's residence in Badarikasrama.
As the charming breezes of spring created a most sensuous atmosphere, Cupid himself attacked the
Lord with arrows in the form of the irresistible glances of beautiful women. The primeval Lord,
understanding the offense committed by Indra, did not become proud. Instead He spoke laughingly as
follows to Cupid and his followers, who were trembling before Him: "Do not fear, 0 mighty Cupid, 0
windgod and wives of the demigods. Rather, please accept these gifts and kindly sanctify My asrama by
your presence."
When NaraNarayal).a Ri thus spoke, eradicating the fear of the demigods, they bowd their heads
with shame and glorified the Lord to invoke His compassion. While the demigods were praising the Lord,
He suddenly manifested before their eyes many women who were astonishingly gorgeous, decorated with
fine clothes and ornaments, and all faithfully engaging in the Lord's service. When the followers of the
demigods gazed upon the fascinating mystic beauty of the women created by NaraNarayal)a Ri and
smelled the fragrance of their bodies, the minds of these followers became bewildered. Indeed, upon seeing
the beauty and magnificence of those women, the representatives of the demigods were completely
diminished in their own opulence.
P A I N T I N G B Y D i R G H A - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 8 1 )
P L A T E 4 0
TE HAMSA,AVATARA ENLIGHTENS
BRAHMA AND THE FOUR KUMARAS
0
nee, the mental sons of Lord Brahma-the sages headed by Sanaka-inquired from their
father about the difcult subject matter of the supreme goal of yoga. "0 Lord," said Sanaka,
"people's minds are naturally attracted to material sense objects, and similarly the sense objects in the form
of desire enter within the mind. Therefore, how can a person who desires liberation, who desires to cross
over activities of sense gratification, destroy this mutual relationship between the sense objects and the
mind? Please explain this to us

"
Lord Brahma seriously contemplated the question posed by his sons, but his intelligence had been
affected by his activities of creation, and thus he could not think of the answer. Desiring to attain the
answer, he fixed his mind on the Supreme Lord, and soon the Lord appeared to Brahma as Har.sa, the swan
incarnation.
When the four sages headed by Sanaka saw the Lord, they placed Brahma before them and
approached the Lord's lotus feet. Then they inquired from Him about His identity and the truth of the
yoga system.
P A I N T I N G B Y ) A G A T - K A R A N A - D E V l D A S l
( 1 9 8 1 )
MOHINlMORTI BEHEADS
THE RAHU DEMON
W
hen the demons got possession of the container of nectar, an extraordinarily beautiful young
woman-an incarnation of the Supreme Lord called Mohin1,murti-appeared before them.
All the demons were captivated by the young woman's beauty and became attracted to Her. The demons
began fighting among themselves to possess the nectar, and then they selected this beautiful woman as
a mediator to settle their quarrel.
Taking advantage of their weakness in this regard, Mohin1,murti got the demons to promise that
whatever decision She might give, they would not reject it. When the demons made this promise, the
beautiful Mohini,murti had the demigods and demons sit in diferent lines so that She could distribute
the nectar. She knew that the demons were quite unfit to drink the nectar. Therefore She cheated them
and distributed all the nectar to the demigods. When the demons saw this cheating ofMohin1,murti, they
remained silent. But one demon, Rahu, dressed himself like a demigod and sat down in the line of the
demigods, beside the sun and the moon.
When the Supreme Personality of Godhead understood how Rahu was cheating, He immediately
^
cut of the demon's head. Rahu, however, had already tasted the nectar. Therefore, although his head had
been severed from his body, the head remained alive. Because Rahu's head had touched the nectar, it
became immortal, and Brahma accepted it as one of the planets. Since Rahu is an eternal enemy of the
moon and the sun, he always tries to attack them on the nights of the full moon and the dark moon.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N l - D E V l D A S l
( 1 9 7 6 )
P L A T E 4 2
w
SIVA ENCHANTED
BY MOHINIMORTI
T
he Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, in the form of a woman, captivated the demons
and enabled the demigods to drink nectar. After hearing of these pastimes, Lord
Siva went
to see Lord Vil).u in the company of his wife and his companions. The Supreme Personality of Godhead
welcomed Lord Siva and his entourage with great respect, and after being seated comfortably, Lord Siva
duly worshiped the Lord and requested to see the Lord's incarnation as a woman. The Lord agreed, and
soon, in a nearby forest full of trees with reddishpink leaves and varieties of flowers, Lord Siva saw a
beautiful woman playing with a ball. Her hips were covered with a shining sari and ornamented with a
belt, and Her face was decorated with broad, beautiful, restless eyes, which moved as She played with a
ball and bounced it here and there. The two brilliant earrings on Her ears decorated Her shining cheeks
like bluish reflections, and the hair scattered on Her face made Her even more beautiful .
While Lord Siva observed the beautiful woman playing with the ball, She sometimes glanced at
him and slightly smiled in bashfulness. As he looked at the beautiful woman and She watched him, he
forgot both himself, his wife, and his associates nearby.
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R T I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 8 3 )
P L A T E 4 3
LORD KLKI KILLS THE DEMONS
AT THE END OF THE MILLENNIUM
s the age of Kali ( the present age) draw to an end, the earth wi l l become crowded wi th
corrupt people. Whoever among them hows hi m elf to be the rronget wi l l gai n pol i ti cal
power. Lo i ng thei r wive and propertie to uch avari ci ou and mercile ruler , who wi l l behave no better
than ordi nary thieves, the ci tizens wi l l fee to the mountains and fore t . Hara ed by fami ne and exce ive
taxe , people wi l l re orr to eati ng leave , root , fe h, wi l d honey, frui t , flmer , and eed . Tormented by
drought, they wi l l become completely ruined. They will uffer greatly from exce ive cold, wind, heat,
rai n, and now. They will be further distre ed by quarrels, hunger, thirst, di ea e, and evere anxiety. The
maxi mum duration of l i fe wi l l be fifty year . Rel igiou principles will be rui ned, and the general populace
wi l l mostly engage i n stealing, lyi ng, and needless violence.
At that ti me the Supreme Personal i ty of Godhead wi l l appear on the earth a Lord Kal ki i n the
home of the mo t emi nent brahma1aofSambhala vi l lage, the great oul Vit)uya a. Acti ng wi th the power
of pure piri tual goodncs , Lord Kal ki wi l l re cue eternal religion. He wi l l mount Hi wi ft whi te hor e
Devadatta and, word i n hand, travel over the earth exhi bi ti ng Hi eight my ti c opulence and ei ght
speci al qual i ti es of Godhead. Ridi ng with great peed, He wi l l k i l l by the mi l l ion tho e thieve who have
dared dre s as king . After al l the impo tor king have been ki ll ed, the resident of the citie and towns
wi l l feel the breeze carrying the most sacred fragrance of the sandalwood pa te and other decoration of
Lord Kalki , and thei r minds wi l l thereby become transcendentally pure. After the Lord's advent as Kalki ,
the mai ntai ner of rel i gion, the golden age of atyayuga wi l l begi n, and human ociety wi l l bring forth
progeny in the mode of goodnes .
P A l T I G B Y R H A R A D R A J A D A . A
( I 9 l I )
P L A T E 4 4
MAHA. VISNU
M M
AT THE TIME OF CREATION
T
o create the material co mos, Lord KrQa expands Hi m - el f as Maha ViI}u, who l i es wi th i n
the Causal Ocean n .nd emanates mi l l i ons of uni verse from the pores of Hi ski n. As wi th the
sun globe and its expanded rays, the Lord and Hi s cxpandecl potency arc si multaneously one ancl Jifferent.
Al though to condi t ioned souls material dual i ty . eems to be based on the modes of nature, the enti re
material manifestation is actuall y nondifferent from the Lord and is one ul t i mately pi ri tual nature. The
modes of nature create sense obj ects, demigods, human beings, ani m<lls, fri ends, enemi es, and so forth.
But i n real i ty everythi ng i s si mply an expansi on of the potency of the Supreme Lorcl.
Foolishly, the condi tioned soul tries to lord it over materi al nature, but the Lord Hi mself, bei ng
nondifferent from that nature, i its onl y true proprietor. As a spider spi ns i ts \veb by expanding thread
from i ts mouth, the Lord mani fe t. the material world by expandi ng Hi s potencie , and by those same
potencies He mai nta ins it and eventual l y wi thdraws i t wi thi n Hi mself. Although the Lord is the uni que
Supreme Personal i ty of Godhead, above everyone and everythi ng, He i s si multaneously and inconcei v
ably nondifferent from everythi ng. Therefore i t i s the Lord Hi m el f who i s mani fe ted ,hen the Lord
creates, i t is the Lord Hi mself who i s mai ntai ned when the Lord mai ntai ns, and i t i s the Lord Hi mself who
is wi thdrawn at the ti me of anni hi l ati on.
Although the Lord i s nondi fferent from both His spi ri tual abode and His ntaterial creati on, sti l l ,
the pi ri tual abode i s always superior to the materi<ll mani festati on. Both matter and spi ri t are energies
of the Lord, yet the spi ri tual energy i molded i nto the eternal forms of bl iss and kno\vlcdge, whereas the
temporary form of matter arc symbols of ignorance and frustration fo the condi tioned souls who covet
them.
P : l T l l B Y J A D U R :\ 1. l !) E \' l lJ A S I
( I 9 7 )
P L A T E 4 '
GARBHODAKASAYI ,VISNU
# #
ON THE BED OF ANANTA
W
hen the three worlds were submerged in water, Garbhodab1s:tyi Vit}u W<lS alone, l yi ng on
Hi s hedste<KI, the great snake Ananta, and although He ;1ppeared to he sleepi ng i n Hi s
i nteral potency, free from the acti on of the exteral energy, His eye - were not completely closed.
The Lord lay down for four thousand yuga cycles in His i nterc 1 1 potency. When the l i vi ng enti t ies
who were merged wi thi n the body ofGarbhodakasayi ViQU were ready to reenter the material world, the
Lord saw His transcendental body as bl ui sh. Al though Lakmidevi , the eteral consort of the Lord, sat
massaging Hi s lotus feet, He took no help from her for the purpose of creati on. I nstead He fxed Hi s gme
upon the subtle material nature. Thereafter the form of the sum totc d of al l the l i vi ng enti t ies' frui ti vc
acti vi ties pierced through the abdomen of the Lord i n the shape of a lotus bud. I nto that uni versal lotus
bud, Lord Vi DU personal l y entered as the Supersoul , after which the personal i ty of Vedi c wisdom, Lord
Brahma, was generated. At first Brahma coul d not understand hi s i denti ty, purpose, or ori gi n, but after
proper austeri t ies and meditati on executed over a long t i me, everything was revealed to hi m. Real i zi ng
hi mself to be the Lord's eternal servant, Brahma engaged hi mself i n the matter of secondary creati on i n
fulfi l l ment of the Lord's pl an.
P A I T I I Ci 11 Y R A M A I) A S A - A B I I I R A M A I ) A S A
( I 9 8 ) )
P L A T E 4 6
LORD KESAVA
1og should meditate on the beautiful face of the Lord, which is adorned with curly hair and
decorated by lotus like eyes and dancing eyebrows. A lotus surrounded by swarming bees and
a pair of swimming fsh would be put to shame by its elegance. The yog should contemplate with full
devotion the compassionate glances frequently cast by the Lord's eyes, for they soothe the most fearful
threefold agonies of His devotees. His glances, accompanied by loving smiles, are full of abundant grace.
The yog should similarly meditate on the most benevolent smile of Lord S
ri Hari, a smile which, for all
those who bow to Him, dries away the ocean of tears caused by intense grief. The yog should also meditate
on the Lord's arched eyebrows, which are manifested by His internal potency in order to charm the sex,
god for the good of the sages. With devotion steeped in love and affection; the yog should meditate within
the core of his heart upon the laughter of Lord ViI.U. The laughter of ViI.U is so captivating that it can
be easily meditated upon. When the Supreme Lord is laughing, one can see His small teeth, which
resemble white j asmine buds rendered rosy by the splendor of His lips. Once devoting his mind to this,
the yog should no longer desire anything else. By following this course, the yog gradually develops pure
love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 7 0 )
P L A T E 4 7
TE SUPERSOUL
O
ne should meditate upon the Supersoul within the heart, for that form is the most auspicious
goal of all mystic meditation. The Lord in the heart is perfectly proportioned, gentle, and
cheerful. He possesses four beautiful long arms, a charming, beautiful neck, a handsome forehead, a pure
smile, and glowing shark-shaped earrings suspended from His ears. He is the color of a dark raincloud and
is garbed in golden-yellowish silk. His chest is the abode of
S
rivatsa and the goddess of fortune, and He
is decorated with a conchshell, disc, club, lotus, and garland of forest flowers. His two brilliant lotus feet
are decorated with ankle ells, He is wearing the Kaustubha gem and an effulgent crown, His waist is
beautified by a golden belt, and His arms are decorated with valuable bracelets. All of the Supersoul's
beautiful features, especially His merciful glances, captivate the heart. Withdrawing the senses from the .
sense objects, one should be grave and selfcontrolled and should use one's intelligence to firmly fix the
mind upon all the limbs of the Supersoul's transcendental form.
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R T I - D E V l D A S l
( 1 9 8 1 )
/
P L A T E 4 8
TE LORD APPEARS
BEFORE PRAJAPATI DAK$A
A
the beginning of creation, Praj apati Daka created progeny to populate the universe.
Because he experienced difficulties in this regard, he offered prayers to the Lord: "Krrya is
the ultimate resting place and source of everything. Everything is done by Him, everything belongs to
Him, and everything is offered to Him. He is the ultimate objective, and whether acting or causing others
to act, He is the ultimate doer. There are many causes, high and low, but since He is the cause of all causes,
He is well known as the Supreme Brahman, who existed before all activities. He is one without a second
and has no other cause. I therefore offer my respects unto Him. "
The Lord was extremely pleased with these prayers and thus appeared before Daka at a holy place
known as Aghamarara. The Lord's lotus feet rested on the shoulders of His carrier, Garuc)a, and He had
eight long, mighty, very beautiful arms. In His hands He held a disc, conchshell, sword, shield, arrow, bow,
rope, and club. He was accompanied by intimate devotees like Narada and Nanda, as well as by all the
principal demigods and the residents of the upper planetary systems. Situated on both sides of the Lord,
they continuously offered Him prayers.
The Lord said, "0 most fortunate Daka, because of your great faith in Me you have attained the
supreme devotional ecstasy. Indeed, because of your austerities, combined with exalted devotion, your life
is now successful. You have achieved complete perfection. You have performed austerities for the welfare
and growth of the world. My desire also is that everyone within this world be happy. I am therefore very
pleased with you because you are endeavoring to fulfill My desire for the welfare of the entire world."
Then the Lord blessed Daka with the ability to procreate and fill the worlds and at the same time
make devotional presentations to the Lord.
P A I N T I N G B Y M U R A L l D H A R A D A S A
( 1 9 7 5 )
4
P L A T E 4 9
LORD NARAYANA

RIDES GARUDA INTO BATTLE

I
n ancient times, the demons who inhabited the nether regions wished to conquer the
demigods and drive them from their abodes. Once a truce was called by the demons, after
which they duped the demigods into working jointly to acquire nectar from the ocean of milk. The Lord,
however, cheated the demons in His incaration as Mohini and gave the nectar of immortality to the
demigods. Then the Lord returned to His abode in the spiritual world.
Most aggrieved at being deprived of the nectar of immortality, the demons again declared war
against the demigods. Bali Mah

raj a, the son ofVirocana, became the commander in chief of the demons.
In the beginning of the battle, the demigods prepared to defeat the demons. Indra, King of heaven, fought
with Bali, and other demigods, like Vayu, Agni, and Varura, fought against other leaders of the demons.
In this fight the demons were defeated, and to save themselves from death they began to manifest many
illusions, thereby killing many soldiers on the side of the demigods. The demigods, finding no other
recourse, surrendered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vigl, who then appeared before them
riding on the back of His birdcarrier, Garu<a. He at once counteracted all the illusions presented by the
j ugglery of the demons. Heroes among the demons such as Kalanemi, Mali, Sumali and Malyavan fought
the Lord. The demon Kalanemi, who was riding a lion, hurled his trident at Garu<a's head. But Lord Vi:tu
caught the trident, and with that very same weapon He killed Kalanemi, along with his lioncarrier. In
this way the Lord killed all the demons and freed the demigods from danger.
P A I N T I N G B Y M U R A L I D H A R A D A S A
( 1 9 7 6 )
7 *
P L A T E 5 0
SRI SRI LAKSMI,NARAYANA
e e
IN VAIKUNTHA

I
n the Vaikul.ha planets the Personality of Godhead, who is the Lord of the entire devotee
community, the Lord of the goddess of fortune, the Lord of all sacrifces, and the Lord of the
universe, is served by anda, Sunanda, Prabala, Arhana, and other intimate devotees. The very sight of
the Personality of Godhead is intoxicating and attractive, and He is very favorably disposed toward His
loving servitors. He has a smiling face decorated with an enchanting reddish hue, He is dressed in yellow
robes, and He wears earrings and a helmet on his head. He has four hands, and His chest is marked with
the lines of the goddess of fo

tune. The Lord is seated on His throne surrounded by various energies, like
the four, the sixteen, the five, and the six natural opulences, along with other, temporary energies. In this
way the Supreme Lord enjoys in His abode.

P A I N T I N G B Y P R A S A N T A D A S A
( 1 9 8 4 )
P L A T E 5 1
THE KINGDOM OF GOD
I
n the Vaikut).ha planets all the residents are similar i n form to the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, and they all engage in His devotional service without the least desire for sense
gratification. Indeed, everything there is full of the uncontaminated mode of goodness, with no place for
passion or ignorance.
In the Vaikutha planets are many auspicious forests, where the trees are all desire trees. In all seasons
4
these forests are filled with flowers and fruits, because everything in the Vaikutha planets is spiritual and
personal. The inhabitants ofVaikui).ha fly in their airplanes in the company of their wives and consorts,
eternally singing of the Lord's auspicious character and activities. While singing the glories of the Lord,
their beauty surpasses that of even the blossoming mahavi flowers, which are fragrant and laden with
honey.
When the king of bees hums in a high pitch, singing the glories of the Lord, there is a temporary
lull in the noise of the pigeon, the cuckoo, the crane, the cakravaka, the swan, the parrot, the partridge,
and the peacock. Such transcendental birds stop their own singing simply to hear the glories of the Lord.
The flowering plants like the mandara, ku, kurabaka, utpala, campaka, art)a, pannaga, nagakesara,
bakula, lily, and parijata are full of transcendental fragrance, yet they all appreciate the austerities
performed by tulasi , for tulasi is given special preference by the Lord, who garlands Himself with tulasi
leaves.
The men of Vaikui.ha travel in their airplanes made of lapis lazuli, emerald, and gold. Although
crowded by their consorts, who have large hips and beautiful smiling faces, they cannot be stimulated to
passion by their consorts' mirth and beautiful charms. The ladies in the Vaikut)
.
ha planets are as beautiful
as the goddess of fortune herself. Such transcendentally beautiful ladies, their hands playing with lotuses.
and their leg bangles tinkling, are sometimes seen sweeping the marble walls in order to receive the grace
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
P A I N T I N G B Y P A R I K $ I T D A S A
( 1 9 8 2 )
P L A T E 5 2
LORD RAMACANDRA
7
BREAKS THE BOW OF SIVA
K
ing Janaka had inherited through his family line a powerful bow given by Lord S
iva. No
ordinary man could even lift it. The king had an exceptionally beautiful daughter named
Sita. While she was a young girl, King J anaka gave her the duty of cleaning the great bow an
d
the altar
on which it sat. One day, as he was watching her from behind a pillar, he saw her easily lift the bow, which
even hundreds of men could not budge. After dusting, she returned it to its place. At that time, the king
vowed that he would give Sita in marriage only to that man who could lift the bow and string it. As word
of this vow spread through the world, many great kings from various lands came to test their strength on
the great bow. However, they were unable to lift it, much less String it. Out of frustration these kings would
attack King Janaka. Fortunately, he was always able to repel them.
One day the sage Visvamitra asked the king to show the bow to Prince Rama. The king again
promised that if Rama could string the bow He would receive the hand of Sita in marriage. At the king's
command, three hundred strong men brought the bow into a great assembly hall. Thereafter Lord Rama,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, seized the bow in the middle with His left hand. As many thousands
of men watched in amazement, Lord Rama lifted up the bow and strung it. Then He pulled the string back
with such force that the massive bow broke in half. The bow's cracking sounded like a thunderbolt and
made the whole earth tremble. Everyone was knocked to the ground except Rama, Sita, Visvamitra, and
King J anaka. Afterward, the king arranged for the marriage of Sita and Rama.
P A I N T I N G B Y M U R A L I D H A R A D A S A
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 5 3
SITA, RMA, AND LAKSMANA
W
IN THE FOREST
td KrDa appeared in Ayodhya as Lord Ramacandra. His activities were recorded by Valmiki
Muni through the world renowned epic poem, the Ramayal).a. He appeared accompanied by
His internal energy and eteral consort Sitadevi, His brothers Lakmal).a, Nakula, and Sahadeva, who
represent His first main expansions; also by His eternal monkey servant, Hanuman, who plays an
important role in this pastime. The Vedas conclude that the Absolute Truth should be known in five
transcendental aspects: the Supreme Person, His plenary portion, His incarnation, His energies and His
devotees. Thus,
Sri KrI.a should not be thought of as bei
p
.g alone but should be considered as eternally
existing in all His manifestations. KrDa's energies, expansions, and incarnations are considered to be
oneness in diversity, KrI.a is not separated from all of these.
King Dasaratha of Ayodhya had two wives, Kausalya and Kaikeyi. Lord Rama was the son of
Kausalya, and Bharata was the son of Kaikeyi. When King Dasaratha was quite old, he decided to install
his favorite son, Rama, as king. However, Queen Kaikeyi came to fear that after coronation she and her
son would be banished from the kingdom.Therefore she devised a plot to deprive Lord Rama of His rightfl
claim to the throne.
Previously, when King Dasaratha had been in battle, he was severely wounded and lay unconscious
on the ground. At that time Kaikeyi had tended to his injuries and nursed him back to health. For that
the king promised her two benedictions. Now she approached him and requested that he fulfll her two
requests. Kaikeyi said, "Let my son, Bharqta, be installed as king. Also, let Rama live in the forest as a
hermit for fourteen years." Because of his righteousness, King Dasaratha could not refuse the request of
his wife. Thus the preparations that had been made for the coronation of Lord Rama were used for the
coronation of Bharata, and Rama was banished to the forest. Out of love, Rama's consort,
S
rimati Sita,
devi, accompanied Him, as did His younger brother Lakmal).a.
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R T I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 5 4
HANUMAN BURNS LANK
W
hile Lord Rama, Sita, and Lakmal).a were living in the forest in exile, the great demon
Ravala kidnapped Sita and took her to his capital on the island of Lanka. There he
imprisoned her within a garden in his palace until she would voluntarily agree to marry him. Sita, however,
remained steadfast in her devotion to Lord Rama. After her kidnapping, Lord Rama began searching for
her everywhere. Having learned that she was held captive in Lanka by the demon Raval).a, Lord Rama
sent His staunch monkey devotee Hanuman to Lanka to find her. After an extensive search, Hanuman
at last found Sita in the Asoka garden and gave her news of Lord Ra
f
a's imminent arrival. Hanuman then
>
decided to give the Rakasa demons of Lanka a foretaste of what awaited them by destroying the garden.
Hearing the commotion, Raval).a's formidable army captured Hanuman and brought him before the
demon. Hanuman informed Raval.a that he was the servant of Lord Rama and that Rama would invade
Lanka with his army of monkeys and annihilate Raval)a and his followers unless Sita was retured to
Rama. Hearing this, Raval).a ordered Hanuman put to death, but Hanuman pointed out that it was
forbidden to put a messenger to death. Raval).a relented, but he still wanted to punish Hanuman. Knowing
that a monkey prizes its tail highly, Raval).a ordered that Hanuman's tail be bound with oil,soaked cloth
and set on fire. When this was done, Hanuman broke free and beat the soldiers with his burning tail,
setting their clothes on fire. He then went through the city, jumping from roof to roof, setting the entire
city on fire. Then he extinguished the fire on his tail, left the island of Lanka, and returned to Lord Rama.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 8 3 )
P L A T E 5 5 -
TE OCEAN PERSONIFIED
PRAYS TO LORD RAMACANDRA
D
esiring to travel to Raval)a's island kingdom of Lanka and rescue mother Sita, Lord Rama
went to the ocean shore with His army of monkeys. After reaching the shore, Lord
Ramacandra fasted for three days, awaiting the arrival of the ocean personified. When the ocean did not
come, the Lord became angry, and simply by His glancing over the ocean, all the living entities within
it became agitated by fear. Then the personifed ocean fearfully approached Lord Ramacandra, taking all
paraphernalia for worshiping Him. Falling at the Lord's 'lotus feet, the personifed ocean spoke as follows:
"0 all;pervading Supreme Person, we are dull;minded and did not understand who You are, but
now we understand that You are the Supreme Person, the master of the entire universe, the unchanging
and original Personality of Godhead. The demigods are infatuated with the mode of goodness, the
Prajapatis with the mode of passion, and the lord of ghosts with the mode of ignorance, but You are the
master of all these qualities.
"My Lord, You may use my water as You like. Indeed, You may cross it and go to the abode ofRaval).a,
who is the great source of disturbance and crying for the three worlds. Please go kill him and thus regain
Your wife, Sita;devi. 0 great hero, although my water presents no impediment to Your going to Lanka,
please construct a bridge over it to spread Your transcendental fame. Upon seeing this wonderfully
uncommon deed of Your Lordship's, all the great heroes and kings in the future will glorify You."
After constructing a bridge over the ocean by throwing into the water the peaks of mountains
whose trees and other vegetation had been shaken by the hands of great monkeys, Lord Ramacandra went
to Lanka to release Sita;devi from the clutches ofRaval.a. With the direction and help ofRavai).a's brother
Vibhiai).a, the Lord entered Ravai).a's kingdom with the monkey soldiers.
P A I N T I N G B Y P R A S A N T A D A S A
( 1 9 8 4 )
P L A T E 5 6
LORD RAMACANDRA
SLAYS THE DEMON RVANA
W
td Ramacandra, surrounded by Lakmal)a and monkey soldiers like Sugriva, Hanuma,
Gandhamada, Nila, Angada, J ambavan, and Panasa, attacked Raval.a's soldiers, who were
fully equipped with various invincible weapons like swords, lances, bows, prasas , nis , sakti arrows, khgas ,
and tomaras.
Angada and the other c

mmanders of Rama's S
<
ldiers faced the elephants, infantry, horses, and
chariots of the enemy and hurled big trees and mountain peaks against them, along with clubs and arrows.
Thus the soldiers of Lord Ramacandra killed Ravala's soldiers, who had lost all good fortune because
Raval).a had been condemned by the anger of mother Sita.
Thereafter, when Raval).a saw that his soldiers had been lost, he was extremely angry. Thus he
mounted his flower-bedecked airplane and flew toward Lord Ramacandra, who sat on the efulgent chariot
brought by Matali, the chariot driver of Indra. Then Rava!a struck Lord Ramacandra with sharp arrows.
Lord Ramacandra said to Raval).a, "You are the most abominable of the man-eaters. Indeed, you are
like their stool. You resemble a dog, for as a dog steals eatables from the kitchen in the absence of the
householder, in My absence you kidnapped My wife, Sita-devi. You are most abominable, sinful, and
shameless. Therefore, as Yamaraj a punishes sinful men, today I shall also punish you."
After thus rebuking Raval)a, Lord Ramacandra fixed an arrow on His bow, aimed it at Raval.a, and
then released it. The arrow pierced Raval).a's heart like a thunderbolt. Upon seeing this, Raval).a's followers
cried out tumultuously, "Alas! alas! What has happened? What has happened?" They watched in horror
as Raval).a, vomiting blood from his ten mouths, fell from his airplane, just as a pious man falls to earth
from the heavenly planets when the results of his pious activities are exhausted.
P A I N T I N G B Y J N A N A N J A N A D A S A
( 1 9 8 5 )
P L A T E 5 7
LORD RAMACANDRS
TIUMPHANT RETURN TO AYODHYA
fter giving Vibhial)a the power to rule the Rakasa population of Lanka for the duration of
one kalpa, Lord Ramacandra placed Slta,devi on an airplane decorated with fowers and
u
then boarded the plane Himself. The period for His living in the forest having ended, the Lord returned
to Ayodhya in the company of Hanuman, Sugriva, and His brother Lakmal)a.
When the Lord retured to Ayodhya, He was greeted on the road by the princely order, who
showered His body with beautiful, fragrant flowers while great personalities like Lord Brahma and other
demigods glorifed Him in great jubilation.
When Lord Bharata understood that Rama was returning to Ayodhya, He immediately took upon
His head Lord Rama's wooden shoes and came out from His camp at N andigrama. Lord Bharata was
accompanied by ministers, priests, and other respectable citizens, by professional musicians playing their
instruments pleasingly, and by learned bahmar loudly chanting Vedic hymns. Following in the proces,
sion were chariots decorated with flags and drawn by beautiful horses with haresses of golden rope. There
were soldiers bedecked with golden armor and servants bearing betel nut, an umbrella, whisks, various
grades of precious jewels, and other paraphernalia befitting a royal reception. Accompanied in this way,
Lord Bharata, His heart softened by intense loving ecstasy and His eyes full of tears, approached Lord
Ramacandra and fell at His lotus feet.
Bharata carried Rama's wooden shoes, Sugriva and Vibhial)a carried a whisk and an excellent fan,
Hanuman carried a white umbrella,
S
atrughna carried a bow and two quivers, and Sita,devi carried a
waterpot flled with water from holy places. Angada carried a sword, and J ambavan carried a golden shield.
As the Lord sat on His airplane of flowers, with women offering Him prayers and reciters chanting
His glories, He appeared like the moon with the stars and planets.
P A i N T I N G B Y R A M A D A S A - A B H I R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 8 5 )
P L A T E 5 8
SITA, RAMA, AND LAK$MANA
ENTER AYODHYA
fter killing the demon Raval.a and rescuing mother Sita, Lord Ramacandra returned to His
capital, Ayodhya. He was greeted on the road by the princely order, who showered His body
with beautiful, fragrant fowers while great personalities like Brahma and other demigods glorifed His
activities in great jubilation. When Lord Bharata understood that Rama was returning to Ayodhya, He
immediately took upon His head Lord Rama's wooden shoes and came out from His camp at N andigrama.
Lord Bharata was accompanied by ministers, priests, and other respectable citizens, by professional
musicians playing their instruments pleasingly, and by learned bahmars loudly chanting Vedic hymns.
Following in the procession were chariots decorated with fags and drawn by beautiful horses with
harnesses of golden rope. There were soldiers bedecked with golden armor and servants bearing betel nut,
an umbrella, whisks, various grades of precious jewels, and other paraphernalia beftting a royal reception.
Accompanied in this way, Lord Bharata, His heart softened by intense loving ecstasy and His eyes full of
tears, approached Lord Ramacandra and fell at His lotus feet.
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A D A S A - A B H I R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 8 5 )
P L A T E 5 9
PRAYERS FOR THE ADVENT
OF LORD KRSNA

0 nee when mother earth was overburdened by hundreds of thousands of military phalanxes
of various conceited demons dressed like kings, she approached Lord Brahma for relief.
Mother earth assumed the form of a cow. Very much distressed, with tears in her eyes, she appeared before
Lord Brahma and told him about her misfortune. Thereafter Lord Brahma went with mother earth, Lord
S
iva, and all the other demigods to the shore of the ocean of milk. There the demigods worshiped Lord
ViQ.u, the master of the universe, the supreme God of all gods, who provides for everyone and diminishes
everyone's suffering. With great attention they worshiped Him by reciting the Vedic mantras known as
the Puru$a,sukta.
While in trance, Lord Brahma heard the words of Lord ViJ.u vibrating in the sky. Thus he told the
demigods, "0 demigods, hear from me the order ofKirodakasayl ViQu, the Supreme Person, and execute
it attentively without delay. Before we submitted our petition to the Lord, He was already aware of the
earth's distress and planned to descend. For as long as the Lord moves on earth to diminish its burden by
His potency in the form of time, all you demigods should appear through plenary portions as sons and
grandsons in the family of the Yadus. All your wives should also descend to satisf
S
ri KrQa, who will
appear as the son of Vasudeva.
"The frst expansion of KrQ.a is SankaraQa, who is known as Ananta. He is the origin of all
incarnations within this material world. Before the appearance of Lord Krra, this original Sankarara
will appear as Baladeva just to please Lord KrIa by assisting Him in His transcendental pastimes."
P A I N T I N G B Y P U $ K A R A D A S A
( 1 9 8 3 )
P L A T E 6 0
KAMSA THREATENS DEVAKI

s the newly married Vasudeva and Devaki prepared to start for home, conchshells, bugles,
drums, and kettledrums all vibrated in concert for their auspicious departure. But as Kamsa,
controlling the reins of the horses, drove the chariot along the way, an unembodied voice addressed him,
"You foolish rascal, the eighth child of the woman you are carrying will kill you! "
Kamsa was a condemned personality i n the Bhoja dynasty because he was envious and sinful.
Therefore, upon hearing this omen from the sky, he caught hold of his cousin's hair with his left hand and
took up his sword with his righ hand to sever her head from her body.
Wanting to pacify Kamsa, who was so cruel and envious that he was shamelessly ready to kill even
his own cousin, the great soul Vasudeva spoke to him in the following words: "My dear Kamsa, you are
the pride of your family, the Bhoja dynasty, and great heroes praise your qualities. How could such a
qualified person as you kill a woman, your own cousin, especially on the occasion of her marriage? 0 great
hero, one who takes birth is sure to die, for death is born with the body. One may die today or after hundreds
of years, but death is sure for every living entity."
When Vasudeva saw that Kamsa was determined to kill his cousin Devaki, he thought to himself
very deeply. Considering the imminent danger of death, he thought of another plan to stop Kamsa. "By
delivering all my sons to Kamsa," Vasudeva thought, "I shall save the life of Devaki. Perhaps Kamsa will
die before my sons take birth, or, since he is already destined to die at the hands of my son, one of my sons
may kill him. For the time . being, let me promise to hand over my sons so that Kamsa will give up this
immediate threat, and if, in due course of time, Kamsa dies, I shall have nothing to fear."
After thus considering the matter as far as his knowledge would allow, Vasudeva submitted his
proposal to the sinful Kamsa with great respect. Kamsa agreed to the logical arguments of Vasudeva, and
h
a
ving full faith in Vasudeva's words, he refrained from killing his cousin. Vasudeva, being pleased with
Kamsa, pacified him further and went home.
P A I N T I N G B Y P A R l K $ I T D A S A
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 6 1
THE BIRTH OF LORD KRSNA

V
asudeva and Devaki were within Kamsa's prison when Lord Kr!fa, in His Vi!fu form,
appeared before them as their son. He appeared from the heart of Devaki in the dense
darkness of night, like the full moon rising on the eastern horizon. The newborn child had very wonderful
lotus, petal eyes and bore in His four hands a conchshell, disc, club, and lotus. On His chest was the mark
of
S
rlvatsa, and on His neck the--brilliant Kaustubha gem.
Vasudeva could understand that the child was th
e
Supreme Personality of Godhead, N araya!a.
Having concluded this without a doubt, he became fearless. Bowing down with folded hands, he offered
prayers to the child, who illuminated His birthplace with His natural effulgence. Next Vasudeva's wife
Devaki offered her prayers. The Lord, being very pleased by the prayers of His parents, responded, "0 My
dear mother and father, I appeared twice before as your son because I found no one else as highly elevated
as you in simplicity and other good qualities. Both of you should constantly think of Me as your son, but
you should always know that I am the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By thus thinking of Me constantly
with love and afection, you will achieve the highest perfection: returning home, back to Godhead."
After thus instructing His father and moth
e
r, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kr!fa,
transformed Himself into a small human child.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 6 2
VASUDEVA CARRIES KRSNA
TO VRNDAVANA

0 rdered by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva took his son from the prison. The
night was very dark, but as soon as Vasudeva picked Kr$Da up and went out, he could see
everything just as in the sunlight.
By the influence ofYogamaya, all the prison guards fell fast asleep, their senses unable to work, and
the other inhabitants of the house also fell deeply asleep. When the sun rises, the darkness automatically
disappears; similarly, when Vasudeva appeared, the closed doors, which were strongly pinned with iron
and locked with iron chains, opened automatically. Since the clouds in the sky were mildly thundering
and showering, Ananta-naga, an expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, followed Vasudeva,
beginning from the door, with hoods expanded to protect Vasudeva and the transcendental child.
Because of the constant rain sent by the demigod Indra, the River Yamuna was flled with deep
water, foaming about with fiercely swirling waves. But as the great Indian Ocean had formerly given way
to Lord Ramacandra and allowed Him to construct a bridge, the River Yamuna gave way to Vasudeva and
allowed him to cross.
When Vasudeva reached the house ofNanda Maharaja, he saw that all the cowherd men were fast
asleep. Thus he placed his son on the bed ofYasoda, picked up her daughter, an expansion ofYogamaya,
and then returned to his residence, the prison house of Kamsa. Vasudeva placed the female child on
Devakl's bed, replaced the iron shackles on his legs, and thus remained there as before.
Exhausted by the labor of childbirth, Yasoda was overwhelmed with sleep and unable to understand
whether a male or a female child had been born to her.
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A D A S A - A B H I R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 6 3
THE BATHING CEREMONY
OF LORD KRSNA
N
anda Maharaj a was naturally very magnanimous, and when Lord
S
ri Krl)a appeared as his
son, he was overwhelmed with j ubilation. He first bathed and purified himself and dressed
himself properly, and then he invited brahmal who knew how to recite Vedic mntra. After having
these qualified brahma-s recite auspicious Vedic hymns, he arranged to have the Vedic birth ceremony
celebrated for his newborn child according to the rules and regulations, and he also arranged for worship
of the demigods and forefathers.
Nanda Maharaja gave two million cows, fully decorated with cloth and jewels, in charity to the
brahma-s. He also gave them seven hills of grain covered with jewels and with cloth decorated with
golden embroidery.
The brahmal recited auspicious Vedic hymns, which purifed the environment by their vibration.
The experts in reciting old histories like the Pural, the experts in reciting the histories of royal families,
and general reciters all chanted, while singers sang and many kinds of musical instruments, like bheris and
dundubhis, played in accompaniment.
Vraj apura, the residence ofNanda Maharaja, was fully decorated with various festoons and flags,
and in various places there were gates made with varieties of flower garlands, pieces of cloth, and mango
leaves. The courtyards, the gates near the roads, and everything within the rooms of the houses were
perfectly swept and washed with water.
The cows, bulls, and calves were thoroughly smeared with a mixture of turmeric, oil, and various
minerals. Their heads were bedecked with peacock feathers, and they were garlanded and covered with
cloth and golden ornaments.
The cowherd men put on valuable ornaments and garments such as coats and turbans. Decorated
in this way, and carrying various presentations in their hands, they approached the house of Nanda
Maharaj a. The wives of the cowherd men were very pleased to hear that mother Yasoda had given birth
to a son, and they decorated themselves very nicely with proper garments, ornaments, black ointment for
the eyes, etc. With their lotuslike faces looking extraordinarily beautiful, decorated as they were with
safron and fresh kurkuma, the wives of the cowherd men hurried to the house of mother Yasoda with
presentations in their hands.
Ofering blessings to the newborn child, Krl)a, the wives and daughters of the cowherd men said,
"May you become the King ofVraja and long maintain all its inhabitants." Then they sprinkled a mixture
of turmeric powder, oil, and water upon the birthless Supreme Lord and ofered Him prayers.
P A I N T I N G B Y P A R I K $ 1 T D A S A\
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L .A T E 6 4
KRSNA AND MOTHER YASODA

W
hen Lord Brahma ordered Drol)a, the best of the Vasus, and his wife Ohara to increase
progeny, they said unto him, "Dear father, we seek your benediction. Please let us be born on
earth so that after our appearance the Supreme Lord will appear a our son and spread devotional service.
In this way those born in the material world may very easily be delivered fom misery." Brahma agreed,
8
and thus when Drol)a and Ohara too
k
birth in Yrndavana as Nanda Maharaja and mother Yasoda, Lord
KrDa appeared as their son and in their presence enacted His most attractive childhood pastimes. Their
dealings with KrDa were so powerful that simply by hearing of them anyone can very easily cross over the
nescience of birth and death.
Having gotten KrDa as their son, Nanda and Yasoda developed their unalloyed devotion for Him,
and all the men, women, boys, girls, and others in the cowherd community who associated with KrDa
naturally developed their own distinct feelings of love for Him.
Thus fulflling the benediction of Lord Brahma, Lord KrDa appeared with His plenary expansion
Balarama and performed all kinds of childhood pastimes to increase the transcendental pleasure of the
residents of Vrndavana.
P A I N T I N G B Y M U R A L I D H A R A D A S A
( 1 9 7 9 )
-P L A T E 6 5
THE DESTRUCTION OF POTANA
O
ne day the demoness Putana descended from outer space into Gokula, the home ofNanda
Maharaja. Having been sent by the cruel King Kamsa to kill all the babies in the Vrndavana
area, Putana displayed her mystic ower and assumed the disguise of a very beautiful woman. She boldly
entered KrIfa's bedroom without permission, but everyon

was so overwhelmed by her beauty that they
did not protest. The baby KrIa, who resembled a fire covered by ashes, looked upon Putana and thought
that He would have to kill her. Putana could understand the great potency of KrIfa, but, enchanted by
the influence ofKrIa's internal energy, she took KrIfa upon her lap anyway and ofered Him her poison;
smeared breast to suck. Suddenly baby KrIfa became very angry at Putana, and taking hold of her breast,
He squeezed it very hard with both hands and began to suck out both the poison and her life. In unbearable
agony, Putana perspired heavily, flailed her arms and legs wildly, and cried out, "Please leave me, leave
me! Suck my breast no longer! " But KrIfa persisted, and as the demoness lost her life, she assumed her
original, huge form. Then, before the amazed go pis KrIa began fearlessly playing on the breast of Putana's
twelve;mile;long corpse.
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R T I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 8 3 )
-- P L A T E 6 6 -
KRSNA KILLS THE CART DEMON
. . .
D
uring baby Krra's uthi n ceremony, mother Yasoda saw that He was falling asleep, and she
placed the child in a cradle underneath a household cart. This handcart was actually a form
of
S
akaasura, a demon who had come there to kill the child. Although Lord Krr:a's little legs were as soft
as leaves, when He struck the cart with them it turned over violently and collapsed. The wheels separated
from the axle, the hubs and spokes fell apart, and the pole of the handcart broke. On the cart there were
many little utensils made of various metals, and they all scattered hither and thither.
When mother Yasoda, Nanda Maharaj a, and their friends saw the situation, they wondered how
the handcart had collapsed by itself. They wandered here and there, trying to fnd the cause, but they were
unable to do so. "Is it the work of some demon or evil planet?" they asked.
At that time the small children present asserted that the cart had been kicked apart by baby KrIa,
but the assembled cowherd men and women, unaware of Krra's powers, did not believe it.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N l - D E V l D A S l
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 6 7
THE TRNAVARTA DEMON

ATTACKS KRSNA

O
ne day, a year after Krta had appeared, mother Yasoda was patting Him on her lap when
suddenly she felt the child to be heavier than a mountain peak, and she could no longer bear
His weight. Thinking that perhaps the child was being attacked by some ghost or demon, the astonished
mother Yasoda put the child down on the ground and began to think of Narayala. Foreseeing
disturbances, she called for the brahmaras to counteract this heaviness, and then she engaged in her other
household affairs. She felt she had no alternative but to remember the lotus feet of Narayal).a.
While the child sat on the ground, a demon named T p.avarta came there disguised as a whirlwind
&
and very easily carried the child away into the air. Obscuring the whole land of Gokula with dust,
T fl).avarta began vibrating a greatly fearful sound everywhere. In a moment the whole pasturing ground
was overcast with dense darkness from the dust storm, and mother Yasoda was unable to find her son where
she had placed Him. Greatly disturbed, she fell down on the ground and began to lament very pitifully,
like a cow who has lost her calf.
When the force of the dust storm and the winds had subsided, the gopi friends of mother Yasoda
heard her pitiful crying and approached her. Not seeing Krl)a, they too felt very much aggrieved and
joined mother Yasoda in crying, their eyes full of tears.
Having assumed the form of a forceful whirlwind, the demon T fl).avarta took Krl).a very high in
the sky, but when Krta became heavier than the demon, the demon had to stop his force and could go
no further.
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A D A S A - A B H I R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 6 8 -
KRSNA KILLS TRNAVARTA

B
ecause of Krta's weight, T rtavarta considered Him to be like a great mountain or a hunk
of iron. But because Krt.:a had caught the demon's neck, the demon was unable to throw
Him off. He therefore thought of the child as wonderful, since he could neither bear the child nor cast
aside the burden. With Krta grasping him by the throat, T rtavarta choked; unable even to make a sound
=
or move his hands and legs. His eyes popping out, the demon lost his life and fell, along with the little boy,
down to the ground of Vraj a.
While the gopis who had gathered were crying for Krta, the demon fell from the sky onto a big slab
of stone, his limbs dislocated. The gopis immediately picked Krta up from the demon's chest and
delivered Him to mother Yasoda. Because the child was unhurt and now free from all danger and
misfortune, the gopis and cowherd men, headed by Nanda Maharaj a, were extremely happy.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N i - D E V i D A S I
( 1 9 8 0 )
P L A T E 6 9
KRSNA' S AND BALARAMA'S
M M &
NAMEGIVING CEREMONY
T
he astrologer Garga Muni told Nanda Maharaj a, "Your son KrIfa appears as an incarnation
in every millennium. In the past He assumed three different colors-white, red, and
yellow-and now He has appeared in a blackish color. For many reasons this beautiful son of yours
sometimes appeared previously as the son of Vasudeva. Therefore, those who are learned sometimes call
this child Vasudeva. For this son of yours there are many forms and names according to His transcendental
qualities and activities. These are known to me, but people in general do not understand them. To increase
the transcendental bliss of the cowherd men of Go kula, this child will always act auspiciously for you, and
by His grace only, you will surpass all difficulties.
"As recorded in history, when there was an irregular, incapable government, Indra having been
dethroned, and when honest people were being harassed by thieves, this child appeared in order to curb
the rogues and protect the people and enable them to flourish. Demons cannot harm the demigods, who
always have Lord ViDU on their side. Similarly, any person or group attached to allauspicious KrIfa
cannot be defeated by enemies.
"Therefore, 0 Nanda Maharaja, this child of yours is as good as NarayaQa. In His transcendental
qualities, opulence, name, fame, and influence, He is exactly like NarayaQa. Thus you should not be
astonished by His activities."
P A I N T I N G B Y ) A D U R A N I - D E V I D A S I ,
T R I B H U V A N E S V A R i - D E V I D A S I ,
A N D P A R I K $ I T D A S A
P L A T E 7 0 ---
KRSNA SHOWS MOTHER YASODA
M M M
THE UNIVERSE IN HIS MOUTH
O
ne day while KrDa was playing with His small playmates and Balarama, all His friends joined
Balarama in lodging a complaint with mother Yasoda. "Mother," they submitted, "KrDa has
eaten earth."
Upon hearing this from KrDa's playmates, mother Yasoda, who was always full of anxiety over
KrDa's welfare, picked KrDa up to look into His mouth and chastise Him. Her eyes fearful, she spoke to
her son as follows: "Dear Krl).a, why are You so restless that You have eaten dirt in a solitary place?''
Lord KrDa replied, "My dear mother, I have never eaten dirt. All My friends complaining against
Me are liars. I f you think they are being truthl, you can directly look into My mouth and examine it."
Mother Yasoda challenged Krr:ta: "If you have not eaten earth, then open Your mouth wide."
When KrDa was ordered by His mother, He immediately opened His mouth just like an ordinary
boy. Then mother Yasoda saw within His mouth the complete opulence of creation. She saw outer space
in all directions, mountains, islands, oceans, seas, planets, air, fire, moon, and stars. Indeed, mother Yasoda
saw within the mouth ofher child everything necessary for the cosmic manifestation. Upon seeing all this,
she became struck with awe and wondered whether she was dreaming or actually seeing something
extraordinary. Then Lord Krrta expanded His internal energy, and Yasoda forgot all philosophical
speculation and accepted Krr:ta once again as her own child.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N l - D E V I D A S l ,
S U L A K $ M A N A - D E V I D A S I , A N D P A R l K $ I T D A S A
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 7 1
BABY KRSNA
T
he bells tied to Baby KrIla's waist and ankles sounded fascinating, and He would move
around very pleasingly. Sometimes, imitating an ordinary child, he would pretend to be
frightened by others and immediately hurry to His mother for protection. Sometimes He would fall into
the clay and mud of Yrndavana and would approach His mother smeared with clay and saffron. He had
been smeared with saffron and sandalwood pulp by His mother, but due to crawling over muddy clay He
would also smear His body with clay. As soon as He would come crawling to His mother, Yasoda would
take Him on her lap and allow Him to suck her breast. When KrJla was sucking her breast, mother Yasoda
would see small teeth coming in. Thus her joy would be intensified to see her child grow.
Within the house ofNanda Maharaja, the cowherd ladies would enjoy seeing the pastimes of Baby
KrJ.la. The baby would catch the end of a calf's tail, and the calf would drag Him here and there. When
the ladies saw these pastimes, they stopped their household activities and laughed and enjoyed the fun.
Mother Yasoda felt she was unable to protect Baby KrJla from calamities threatened by horned
cows, fire, animals with claws and teeth such as monkeys, dogs, and cats, and by thorns, swords, and other
^
weapons on the ground. Thus she was always in anxiety, and her household engagements were disturbed.
At that time she was fully absorbed in the transcendental ecstasy known as the distress of maternal
affection for the Lord.
P A I N T I N G B Y P A R i K $ I T D A S A
( 1 9 8 3 )
P L A T E 7 2 -
KRSNA AND BALARAMA
M M
STEAL BUTTER FROM THE GO PIS
11 the gopi frends of:asoda and Rohil)i ejoyed the naughty childish ctivities of Krl)a and
Balarama m Vrndavana. In order to enJoy further transcendental bhss, they all assembled
and went to mother Yasoda to lodge complaints against the restless boys. They said, "Dear Yasoda, why
don't you restrict your naughty Kr1a? He comes to
o
ur houses with Balarama every morning and evening,
and before the milking of the cows They free the calves, a

d the calves drink all the cows' milk. So when

we go to milk the cows, we find no milk, and we have to retur with empty pots. If we war Krl)a and
Balarama not to do this, They simply smile charmingly. We cannot do anything.
"Krl).a and Balarama fnd great pleasure in stealing our stock of yogurt and butter from wherever
we keep it. When KrIfa and Balarama are caught stealing the yogurt and butter, They say, 'Why do you
charge Us with stealing? Do you think that butter and yogurt are scarce in Our house?' Sometimes They
steal butter, yogurt, and milk and distribute them to the monkeys. When the monkeys are well fed and
do not take any more, your boys chide, 'This milk and butter and yogurt are useless-even the monkeys
won't take it. ' Then They break the pots and throw them hither and thither.
"If we keep our stock of butter and yogurt high on the ceiling, in a pot hanging on a swing, although
it is beyond Their reach They try to reach it by piling all kinds of wooden planks on top of a grinding
machine. And if They still cannot reach the mouth of the pot, They poke a hole in the bottom."
P A I N T I N G B Y M U R A L I D H A R A D A S A
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 7 3
TE BUTTER TIEVES
T
he gopis complained to mother Yasoda: "If we keep our stock of yogurt, butter, and milk in
a solitary dark place, your Krr:ta and Balarama find it in the darkness by the glaring efulgence
of the ornaments and jewels on Their bodies. If by chance They cannot find the hidden butter and yogurt,
They go to our little babies and pinch their bodies so that they cry, and then They go away. If we keep our
stock of butter and yogurt high on the ceiling, in a pot
'
hanging on a swing, although it is beyond Their
reach They try to reach it by piling all kinds of wooden planks on top of a grinding machine. And if They
still cannot reach the mouth of the pot, They poke a hole in the bottom. So we think that you'd better
take all the jeweled oraments from the bodies of your children. "
On hearing this, Yasoda would say, "All right, I will take all the jewels from KrJa so that He cannot
see the butter hidden in the darkness."
Then the gopis would say, "No, no, don't do this. What good will it do to take away the jewels? We
do not know what kind ofboys these are, but even without oraments They spread some kind of efulgence
so that even in the dark They
-
can see everything."
P A I N T I N G B Y D H T I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 7 8 )
-P L A T E 7 4 -
NAUGHTY KRSNA
W
hile mother Yasoda churned butter, Lord Krrw, desiring to drink her breast milk, appeared
before her, and to increase her transcendental pleasure He caught hold of the churning rod
and prevented her from churning.
Mother Yasoda then embraced Krr:a, allowed Him to sit down on her lap, and began to look upon
the face of the Lord with great love and affection. Because of her intense affection, milk flowed from her
breasts. But when she saw that the milk pan on the stove was boiling over, she immediately left her son
to take care of the overflowing milk, although the child was not yet fully satisfed with drinking His
mother's breast milk.
Biting His reddish lips in anger and shedding false tears, Krr:a broke the container of yogurt with
a stone. Then He entered a room and began to eat the freshly churned butter in a solitary place.
Mother Yasoda, after taking down the hot milk from the stove, retured to the churning spot, and
when she saw that the container of yogurt was broken and that Krra was gone, she concluded that the
breaking of the pot was His work.
P A I N T I N G B Y P A R l K $ I T D A S A
( 1 9 8 1 )
P L A T E 7 5
MOTHER YASODA CHASES KRSNA
W W W
K
ra sat on an upsidedown wooden grinding mortar and distributed yogurt and butter to the
monkeys as He liked. Because ofhaving stolen the milk products, He glanced all around with
great anxiety, suspecting that He might be chastised by His mother. Mother Yasoda, upon seeing Him,
very cautiously approached Him from behind. When Lord
S
ri Kra saw His mother, stick in hand, He
very quickly got down from the tpp of the mortar and began to flee, as if very much afraid. Although yogis
try to capture Him as the Supersoul by meditating and performing great austerities and penances, they
fail to reach Him. But mother Yasoda, thinking that Kra was her son, began running after Him to catch
Him.
While running after Krr:, mother Yasoda had to reduce her speed, for her heavy breasts over
burdened her thin waist. As she followed KrQ.a very swiftly, her hair became loose, and the flowers in her
hair began falling behind her. finally she captured her son, KrQ.a. When caught by mother Yasoda, KrQ.a
became more and more afraid and admitted to being an offender. As she looked upon Him, she saw that
He was crying, His tears mixing with the black ointment around His eyes, and as He rubbed His eyes with
His hands, He smeared the ointment all over His face. Mother Yasoda caught her beautiful son by the hand
and mildly began to chastise Him. She was always overwhelmed by intense love for KrQ.a, not knowing
who KrQ.a was or how powerful He was. Because of maternal affection for Kra, she never even cared
to know who He was. Therefore, when she saw that her son had become excessively afraid, she threw the
stick away and decided to bind Him so that He would not do any further mischief.
P A I N T I N G B Y D I R G H A - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 7 6
KRSNA BOUND

BY HIS MOTHER' S LOVE
T
he Supreme Personality of Godhead has no beginning and no end, no exterior and no
interior, no front and no rear. In other words, He is all,pervading. Because He is not under
the influence of the element of time, for Him there is no difference between past, present, and future; He
exists in His own transcendental form at all times. Being absolute, beyond relativity, He is free from
distinctions between cause and effect, although He
'
is the cause and effect of everything. That
-
up.manifested person, who is beyond the perception of the senses, had now appeared as a human child,
and mother Yasoda, considering Him her own ordinary child, began binding Him to a wooden mortar with
a rope.
When mother Yasoda was trying to bind the offending child, she saw that the binding rope was short
by a distance the width of two fingers. Thus she brought another rope to join it. This new rope also was
short by a measurement of two fingers, and when another rope was joined to it, it was still two fingers too
short. As many ropes as she joined, all of them failed; their shortness could not be overcome.
Thus mother Yasoda joined whatever ropes were available in the household, but still she failed in
her attempt to bind KrDa. Mother Yasoda's friends, the elder gopis in the neighborhood, smiled and
enjoyed the fun. Similarly, mother Yasoda, although laboring in that way, also smiled. All of them were
struck with wonder.
Because of mother Yasoda's hard labor, her whole body became covered with perspiration, and the
flowers and comb fell from her hair. When child KrDa saw His Mother thus fatigued, He became merciful
to her and agreed to be bound.
The entire universe, with its great, exalted demigods like Lord S
iva, Lord Brahma, and Lord lndra,
.
is under the control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yet the Supreme Lord has one special
transcendental attribute: He comes under the control of His loving devotees. This was now exhibited by
KrDa in this pastime.
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A N A T H A D A S A
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 7 7
TE DELIVERANCE
OF THE YAMALA,ARJUNA TREES

fter stealing butter one day, KI.a allowed mother Yasoda to catch Him and bind Him to a
grinding mortar. Thus by His own arrangement He was then ready to fulfill the words of His
great devotee Narada Muni. Narada had cursed the two brothers Nalakuvara and Ma!igrlva to become
twin arjuna trees in Nanda Mahar
a
j a's courtyard, but Narada had also promised that one day they would
8
see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, KIfa, face to face. Seeing the two arjuna trees in front of Him,
KIfa thought, "These two trees were formerly Nalakuvara and Matigrlva. But although these two young
.
men are the sons of the very rich Kuvera, I actually have nothing to do with them. Yet Narada Muni is
My very dear and affectionate devotee, and therefore, because he wanted Me to come face to face with
them, I must do so for their deliverance." Having thus decided to deliver the two brothers, KIfa dragged
the big mortar between the two arjuna trees and caused it to become stuck between them. Then with great
force He uprooted the two trees, which trembled severely and fell to the ground with a great crash.
Thereafter, in that very place where the two arjuna trees had fallen, two great, perfect personalities
- appeared, their effulgent beauty illuminating all directions.
P A I N T I N G B Y P A R l K $ 1 T D A S A
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 7 8
KRSNA CARRIES
M M M
HIS FATHER' S WOODEN SHOES
I
n any situation, KrDa is always the infinitely powerful Supreme Personality of Godhead. But
just to increase the ecstatic emotion of His intimate, loving devotees like mother Yasoda and
Nanda Maharaj a, KrDa agrees to

come under their control.

Sometimes Nanda Maharaja would ask KrDa to bring him his wooden slippers, and KrI)a,
seemingly with great diffculty, would put the slippers on His head and take them to His father. At such
times Nanda Maharaja would exclaim, "My dear Yasoda, just look at our son, Kr9a. See His blackish
bodily luster, His eyes tinged red , His broad chest, and His be'autiful pearl ornaments. How wonderful He
looks, and how He is increasing my transcendental bliss more and more! ,
The elder gopis would say, "If You dance, my
d
ear KrI)a, then I shall give You half a sweetmeat."
. By saying these words or by clapping their hands, all the gopis encouraged KrDa in various ways. At such
times, although He was the supremely powerful Personality of Godhead, He would smile and dance
according to their desire, as if He were a wooden doll in their hands. Sometimes He would sing very loudly,
at their bidding. In this way KrDa came completely under the control of the gopis.
Sometimes mother Yasoda and her gopi friends would tell KrI)a, "Bring this article,, or "Bring that
article. , Sometimes they would order Him to bring a wooden plank, wooden shoes, or a wooden measuring
pot, and KrI)a, when thus ordered by the gopis , would try to bring them. Sometimes, however, as if unable
to raise these things, He would touch them and stand there. Just to invite the pleasure of His relatives,
He would strike His body with His arms to show that He had sufcient strength.
P A I N T I N G B Y P A R l K $ I T D A S A
( 1 9 7 5 )
P L A T E 7 9
KRSNA BLESSES THE FRUIT VENDOR

0 nee a woman selling fruit in Vrndavana called out, "0 inhabitants of Vrajabhumi, if you
want to purchase some fruit, come here! " Upon hearing this, KrQ.a immediately took some
grains and went to barter as if He needed some fruit.
While KrQ.a hastily went toward the fruit vendor, most of the grains He was holding fell.
Nonetheless, the fruit vendor filled KrQ.a's hands with fruit, and her basket was immediately filled with
jewels and gold.
KrQ.a is so kind that if anyone ofers Him a leaf, a fruit, a flower, or some water, He will immediately
.
accept it. The only condition is that these things should be ofered with loving devotion. The fruit vendor,
although a woman belonging to the lower class, dealt with KrQ.a with
.
great afection, saying "KrQ.a, 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 KrQ.a's palms with whatever fruit He could carry. In exchange,
KrI)a filled her whole basket with jewels and gold.
From this incident one should learn that when something is offered to KrQ.a with love and
affction, KrQ.a will reciprocate many millions of times over, both materially and spiritually.
P A I N T I N G B Y M U R A L I D H A R A D A S A
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 8 0
KRSNA AND THE COWHERD BOYS
M M
PLAY IN THE FOREST
D
uring the day, KrIa and his friends would frolic in the forest of Vrndavana.When KrIa
would go ahead to a distant place to see some specific scenery, the boys would run to catch
up to Him and be the first to touch Him. So there would be a great competition. One would say, "I will
go there and touch KrIa," and another would say, "Oh, you cannot go. I'll touch KrIfa first."
Some of the boys would play on their flutes or vibrate bugles made of buffalo horn. Others would
gladly follow the peacocks and imitate the sounds of the cuckoo. As the birds flew in the sky, the boys
would run after the birds' shadows on the ground and try to follow their exact courses. Some boys would
go to the monkeys and silently sit !down by them, and some would catch the tails of the monkeys and tease
them, and when the monkeys would jump into a tree, the boys would follow. When a monkey would show
its face and teeth, a boy would imitate and show his teeth to the monkey. Some of the boys would play
with the frogs on the bank of the Yamuna, and when the frogs would become frightened and jump into
the water, the boys would dive in after them. When the boys would come out of the water and see their
own reflections, they would make caricatures and laugh. They would also go to an empty well and make
loud sounds, and when the echo would come back, they would call it ill names and laugh.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N I - D E V i D A S I
( 1 9 8 5 )
P L A T E 8 1
KRSNA CONFRONTS
M M M
THE BAKA DEMON
.emon named Bakasura once came to Vrndavana in the form of a huge crane with a very
sharp beak. As soon as he arrived in Vrndavana, he swallowed KrI.a. When Balarama and
the other boys saw that Krr: had been devoured by the gigantic crane, they became almost unconscious,
like senses without life.
Although Krtfa is always as soft as a lotus, within the throat of Bakasura He created a burning
sensation as if He were hotter than fire. And although Krta's whole body is sweeter than sugar candy, to
Bakasura He tasted extremely bitter. When Krtfa is accepted as an enemy, He becomes the most
intolerable object for the nondevotee; indeed, a nondevotee cannot tolerate Krtfa either within or
without.
Krtfa became like fre, burning the root of the demon's throat, and the demon immediately
disgorged Him. When the demon saw that Krtfa, although having been swallowed, was unharmed, he
immediately attacked Krtfa again with his sharp beak.
Krtfa then. took hold o! the two halves ofBaka's beak, and in the presence of all the cowherd boys
He very easily bifurcated the demon, as a child splits a blade of vira7a grass. By killing Bakasura, KrDa
delighted the denizens of heaven. They showered Him with mallikapupa, flowers grown in the heavenly
Nandana gardens, and congratulated Him by sounding celestial kettledrums and conchshells and offering
prayers. Seeing this, the cowherd boys were struck with wonder.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A G A T - K A R A N A - D E V i D A S I
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 8 2
MOTHER YASODA DRESSES KRSNA
M M &
O
ne day mother Yasoda called to KrIa, "My dear son, because You have been playing all
day, Your body has become covered with dust and sand. Therefore come back, take Your bath,
and cleanse Yourself. Today the moon is conjoined with the auspicious star of Your birth. Therefore be
pure and give cows in charity to the brihmar:as.
"Just see how all Your playmates have been cleansed and decorated with beautiful oraments by
their mothers. You should come here, and after You have taken Your bath, eaten Your lunch, and been
decorated with beautiful ornaments, You may play with Your friends again."
Because of intense love and affection, mother Yasoda considered KrIa, the Supreme Lord, to be
her son. Thus she took KrIa by the hand and brought Him home, and then she fully bathed, dressed, and
fed Him.
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R T I - D E V I D A S l
( 1 9 7 8 )
P L A T E 8 3
AGHASURA EYES KRSNA
M
T
he demon Aghasura assumed the form of a huge python as thick as a mountain and as long
as eight miles. Having assumed this wonderful python's body, he spread his mouth like a big
mountain cave and lay down on the road, expecting to swallow KrI.a and His cowherd boyfriends.
The demon expanded his mouth from land to sky. At first the boys thought the demon was a statue,
but after examining it, they saw that it was in reality a big serpent lying down on the road and widening
its mouth. Fully confident ofKrIa's protection, the boy& marched into the mouth of the gigantic serpent
with their calves-and they all died.
Then KrI.a considered how the demon should be killed and how He could revive the boys and
calves.Fmally He entered the mouth of the demon and immediately began to expand Himself within the
demon's throat. Although Aghasura had a gigantic body, KrI.a choked him by expanding in his throat.
After the demon died, Krl.a revived all the boys and calves with His transcendental glance and led them
out of the demon's mouth.
P A I N T I N G B Y P A R I K $ I T D A S A , D H R T I - D E V l D A S I ,
A N D J A D U R A N l - D E V l D A S I
( 1 9 7 7 )
P L A T E 8 4
KR$NA ENJOYS LUNCH
WITH TE COWHERD BOYS
T
he cowherd boys allowed the calves to drink water from the river and then tied them to trees
where there was green, tender grass. Then the boys opened their baskets of food and began
eating with KrI)a in great transcendental pleasure.
l
ike the whorl of a lotus flower surrounded by its petals
and leaves, KrI.a sat in the center, encircled by His friends, who all looked very beautiful. Every one of
them was looking at KrI).a, hopi
l!
g that KrI).a might look at him. In this way, they all enjoyed their lunch
in the forest.
Some cowherd boys placed their lunch on flowers, some on leaves, fruits, or bunches ofleaves, some
in their baskets, some on bark, and some on rocks. These are what the children used for plates as they ate
their lunch. All the cowherd boys enjoyed their lunch with KrI).a, sharing with one another the various
dishes they had brought from home. As they tasted one another's preparations, they began to laugh and
make one another laugh.
KrI).a sat with His fute tucked between His waist and His tight cloth on His right side and with
His horn bugle and cow,herding stick on His left. Holding in His hand a very nice preparation of yogurt
and rice, with pieces of fruit between His fingers, He sat like the whorl of a lotus, looking at all His friends,
enjoying with them and creating jubilant laughter among them as He ate.
As the denizens of heaven looked on, they were struck with wonder at how the Personality of
Godhead, who generally eats only food ofered informal Vedic sacrifices, was now enjoying lunch with
His friends in the forest.
P A I N T I N G B Y M U R A L l D H A R A D A S A A N D P A R l K $ I T D A S A
( 1 9 7 8 )
P L A T E 8 5
THE COWHERD MEN AND BOYS
AT THE FOOT OF GOVARDHANA HILL
O
ne day KrQa entered the forest with Balarama while tending the calves. When the cows who
were pasturing atop Govardhana Hill looked down to find some green grass and saw their
calves pasturing at the bottom of the hill, they forgot themselves and their caretakers because of intense
afection. Although the path was very rough, the cows ran down the hill toward their calves with great
anxiety. -With their full udders spilli
p
g milk, their heads and tails raised, and their humps moving with
their necks, they ran forcefully until they reached their calves to feed them.
Meanwhile the cowherd men traversed the rough path down the mountain with great difculty.
Having failed to check the cows from racing toward their calves, the men felt ashamed and angry. But when
they reached their own sons, they were overwhelmed by great afection. All the thoughts of the cowherd
men merged into the mellow of paternal love, which was aroused by the sight of their sons. Feeling great
attraction for Them, their anger completely gone, they lifted up their sons, embraced Them in their arms,
and enjoyed the highest pleasure by smelling Their heads.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A G A T - K A R A N A - D E V I D A S I ,
D H R T I - D E V I D A S I , A N D P A R i K $ 1 T D A S A
( 1 9 7 8 )
- -- P L A T E 8 6 ---
LORD KRSNA BEWILDERS BRAHMA
B
fter killing Aghasura, Krra took the cowherd boys to the forest for a picnic. As the boys
enjoyed eating lunch in one another's company, the calves were allured by green grass and
gradually wandered off. Krr:ta's friends became a little agitated and wanted to bring the calves back, but
Kr$rta encouraged the boys: "Take your lunch without being agitated. I shall go find the calves." And thus
the Lord departed. Then, just to examine the potency ofKrr:ta, Lord Brahma took away all the calves and
cowherd boys and kept them in a secluded place.
When Krr:ta was unable to find the calves and boys; He could understand that this was Brahma's
trick. Then, in order to please Lord Brahma, as well as His own associates and their mothers, Krr:ta
expanded Himself to become the calves and boys, exactly as they had been before. In this way He
discovered another pastime. A special feature of this pastime was that the mothers of the cowherd boys
became more attached to their respective sons, and that the cows became more attached to their calves.
After nearly a year, Baladeva observed that all the cowherd boys and calves were expansions of Krrta.
Thus He inquired from Krr:ta and was informed of what had happened.
When one full year had passed, Brahma returned and saw that Krr:ta was still engaged as usual with
His friends and calves. Then, as Brahma looked on, Krra exhibited all the calves and cowherd boys as
fourarmed forms of Narayal)a. The calves and the boys were suddenly transformed into personalities
possessing complexions the color of bluish rainclouds and wearing garments of yellow silk. All those
personalities had four arms and held a conchshell, a disc, a mace, and a lotus in Their hands. They wore
helmets, earrings, armlets, bracelets, and garlands of forest fowers, and on the upper portion of the right
side of Their chests They bore the emblem of the goddess of fortune. With the Kaustubha gem hanging
around Their necks, which were marked with three lines like a conchshell, as well as bangles on Their
ankles, ornaments on Their feet, and sacred belts around Their waists, They all appeared very beautiful.
Every part of Their bodies, from Their feet to the top of Their heads, was fully decorated with
garlands of fresh, tender tulasz leaves. These garlands had been offered by devotees engaged in worshiping
the Lord by the greatest pious activity, namely hearing and chanting His glories.
By Their pure smiling, which resembled the light of the moon, and by the sidelong glances of Their
reddish eyes, those Vir:tu forms created and protected the desires of Their devotees, as if by the modes of
passion and goodness. Brahma could then understand Krr:ta's potency, and he was astonished by the
pastimes of his worshipable Lord.
P L A T E 8 7
BRAHMA OFFERS OBEISANCES
To LORD KRSNA
M
fter being bewildered by Lord Krl).a's unlimited potencies and practically rendered dumb
and blind, Lord Brahma slowly regained his external consciousness and stood up, just like
a dead man coming back to life. Opening his eyes with great difficulty, he saw the universe, along with
himself. Then, looking icy all directions, Lord Brahma immediately saw Vrndavana before him, filled with
trees, which were the means of livelihood for the inhabitants and which were equally pleasing in all
seasons. Next Lord Brahma saw the Absolute Truth-who is one without a second, who possesses full
knowledge, and who is unlimited-assuming the role of a child in a family of cowherd men and standing
all alone with a morsel of food in His hand, searching everywhere for the calves and His cowherd friends.
Brahma hastily got down from his swan carrier, fell down like a golden rod, and touched the lotus
feet of Lord Krl).a with the tips of the four crowns on his heads. Ofering his obeisances, he bathed Krl).a's
feet with tears of joy.
Rising and falling again and again at Krl).a's lotus feet for a long time, Brahma repeatedly
remembered the Lord's greatness he had j ust seen. Then Brahma rose very gradually, wiped his eyes, and
looked up at Krl)a. With his head bent low, his mind concentrated, and his body trembling, Brahma very
humbly and falteringly began to offer praises to the Lord.
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A N A T H A D A S A
( 1 9 7 8 )
P L A T E 8 8
KRSNA, BALARAMA,
AND THEIR FRIENDS ENTER THE FOREST
0 ne day KrDa decided to take His breakfast as a picnic in the forest. Having risen early in
the morning, He blew His bugle made of horn and woke all the cowherd boys and calves with
its beautiful sound. Then KrDa and the boys, keeping their respective herds of calves before them,
proceeded from Vraj abhumi to the forest.
At that time hundreds and thousands of cowherd boys came out of their respective homes in
Vraj abhumi and j oined KrDa, keeping before them their hundreds and thousands of herds of calves. The
8
boys were very beautiful, and they were equipped with lunch bags, bugles, futes, and sticks for controlling
the calves.
Along with the cowherd boys and their own herds of calves, KrDa came out with an unlimited
number of calves assembled. Then all the boys began to sport in the forest in a greatly playful spirit.
Although all these boys were already decorated by their mothers with ornaments of ka, gnja,
pearls, and gold, when they went into the forest they further decorated themselves with fruits, green
leaves, bunches of flowers, peacock feathers, and soft minerals.
The cowherd boys used to steal one aother's lunch bags. When a boy discovered that his bag had
been taken away, the other boys would throw it to some boys at a distance, and those boys would throw
it still farther. When the proprietor of the bag became disappointed, the other boys would laugh, the
proprietor would cry, and then the bag would be returned.
Sometimes KrDa would go to a somewhat distant place to see the beauty of the forest. Then all
other boys would run to accompany Him, each one saying "I shall be the frst to run and touch KrDal I
shall touch KrDa frst! " In this way, they enjoyed life by repeatedly touching Krla.
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R T I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 8 1 )
- - P L A T E 8 9
KRSNA PRISES BALARAMA
M
-Ia and His brother Balarama passed the childhood age known as kaumira and stepped into
the age of paugar,t4a, from the sixth year up to the tenth. At that time all the cowherd men
conferred and agreed to give those boys who had passed their ffth year charge of the cows in the pasturing
ground. Given charge of the cows, Kr-Da and Balarama traversed Vrndavana, purifying the land with
Their footprints.
Accompanied by the cowherd boys and Balarama, Kr-Da herded the cows and played on His flute
through the forest ofVrndavana, which was full of flowers, vegetables, and pasturing grass. The Vrndavana
forest was as sanctifed as the clear mind of a devotee and was full of bees, fowers, and fruits. There were
chirping birds and clear lakes with waters that could relieve one of all fatigue. Sweetfragranced breezes
blew always, refreshing the mind and body. Seeing the favorable situation, Kr-Ifa, Balarama, and Their
cowherd friends entered the forest and enjoyed the atmosphere to the fullest extent.
Kr-Da saw that all the trees, overloaded as they were with fruits and fresh twigs, were bending down
to touch the ground as if welcoming Him by touching His lotus feet. He was very pleased by the behavior
of the trees, fruits, and flowers, and He began to smile, realizing their desires.
Kr-Da then spoke to Balarama as follows: "My dear brother, You are superior to all of us, and Your
lotus feet are worshiped by the demigods. Just see how these trees, full with fruits, have bent down to
worship Your lotus feet! It appears that they are trying to get out of the darkness of being obliged to accept
the form of trees. Actually, the trees born in the land ofVrndavana are not ordinary living entities. Having
held the impersonal point of view in their past lives, they now have the opportunity of seeing You in
Vrndavana, and they are praying for further advancement in spiritual life through Your personal
association.
"The herbs, creepers, and grass are also fortunate to touch Your lotus feet. And by Your touching
.
the twigs with Your hands, these small plants are also made glorious. As for the hills and the rivers, they
too are now glorious because You are glancing at them. Above all, the damsels ofVraj a, the gopis, attracted
by Your beauty, are the most glorious, for You embrace them with Your strong arms."
In this way Kr-Da and Balarama enjoyed in the forest ofVrndavana to their full satisfaction, along
with the cows and cowherd boys.
P A I N T I N G B Y P A R I K I T D A S A
( 1 9 8 4 )
P L A T E 9 0
THE KILLING OF DHENUK,
THE Ass DEMON
0 nee the cowherd friends of KrDa and Balarama told Them, "In the Talavana forest many
fruits are falling from the trees, and many are lying on the ground. But all the fruits are being
guarded by the evil Dhenuka. 0 Ramal 0 KrDa! Dhenuka is a most powerful demon in the form of an
ass. He is surrounded by many friends who have assumed similar shapes and who are just as powerful as
he. Dhenuka has eaten men alive, and therefore all people and animals are terrifed of going to the Tala
forest. 0 killer of the enemy, even the birds are afraid to fly there. In the Tala forest are sweetsmelling
u
fruits no one has ever tasted. Indeed, even now we can smell the fragrance of the tala fruits spreading all
about. 0 KrDa! Please get those fruits for us. Our minds are so attracted by their aroma! Dear Balarama,
our desire to have those fruits is very great. If You think it's a good idea, let's go to that Tala forest."
Hearing the words of Their dear companions, KrDa and Balarama laughed and, desiring to please
them, set off for the Tala forest surrounded by Their cowherd boyfriends. Lord Balarama entered the Tala
forest first. With His arms He began shaking the trees with the power of a maddened elephant, causing
the tala fruits to fall to the ground. Hearing the sound of the falling fruits, the ass demon Dhenuka ran to
attack Balarama, making the earth and trees tremble. The powerful demon rushed up to Lord Balarama
and sharply struck His chest with the hooves of his hind legs. Then Dhenuka began to run about, braying
loudly.
Again the furious ass rushed toward Balarama and situated himself with his back toward the Lord.
Then, screaming in rage, the demon hurled his two hind legs at Him. Lord Balarama seized Dhenuka by
his hooves, whirled him about with one hand, and threw him into the top of a palm tree. The violent
wheeling motion killed the demon.
Lord Balarama threw the dead body of Dhenukasura into the tallest palm tree in the forest, and
when the body landed in the treetop, the tree began shaking. The great palm tree frst caused a tree by
its side to shake, and then it broke under the weight of the demon. As the second tree shook, it caused
a third one to shake. In this way a chain reaction was created, and many trees in the forest shook and broke.
Thoroughly enraged by the death of Dhenuka, the remaining ass demons ran to attack KrDa and
Balarama. As the demons attacked, KrDa and Balarama easily seized them one after another by their hind
legs and threw them all into the tops of the palm trees.
P A I N T I N G B Y
J
A D U R A N I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 7 8 )
P L A T E 9 1
KRSNA BRINGS THE COWS

AND COWHERD BOYS BACK TO LIFE
0 nee, surrounded by His boyfriends, Krr:a went without Balarama to the Yamuna River. At
that time the cows and cowherd boys were feeling acute distress from the glaring summer sun.
Aflicted by thirst, they drank the river water. But it had been contaminated with poison, and as soon as
the cows and boys touched the poisoned water, they all lost consciousness and fell lifeless at the water's
edge.
Seeing them in such a condition, Lord KrIa, the master of all masters of mystic potency, felt
compassion for these devotees of His, who had no Lord other than Him. Thus He immediately brought
them back to life by showering His nectarean glance upon them.
Regaining their full consciousness, the cows and boys stood up out of the water and looked at one
another in great astonishment. They realized that although they had drunk poison and died, simply by
the merciful glance of Govinda they had regained their lives and stood up by their own strength.
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R T I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 7 8 )
P L A T E 9 2
KRSNA IN THE COILS
W
OF THE KALIYA SERPENT
W
ithin the Yamuna river was a lake inhabited by the serpent Kaliya, whose fiery poison
constantly heated and boiled its waters. Indeed, the vapors thus created were so poisonous
that birds flying over the contaminated lake would fall down into it. The wind blowing over that deadly
lake carried droplets of water to the shore. Simply by coming in contact with that poisonous breeze, all
vegetation and creatures on the shore died.
Lord KrI)a saw how the Kaliya serpent had polluted the Yamuna River with his terribly powerful
'
poison. Since KrI).a had descendep from the spiritual world specifically to subdue envious demons, the
Lord immediately climbed to the top of a very high kamba tree and prepared Himself for battle. He
tightened His belt, slapped His arms, and then j umped into the poisonous water.
KrI)a began sporting in Kaliya's lake like a lordly elephant-swirling His mighty arms and making
the water resound in various ways. When Kaliya heard these sounds, he understood that someone was
trespassing in his lake. The serpent could not tolerate this and immediately came forward.
Kaliya saw that
S
rl KrI).a, who wore yellow silken garments, was very delicate, His attractive body
shining like a glowing white cloud, His chest bearing the mark of
S
rlvatsa, His face smiling beautifully,
and His feet resembling the whorl of a lotus flower. The Lord was playing fearlessly in the water. Despite
His wonderful appearance, the envious Kaliya furiously bit Him on the chest and then completely
enwrapped Him in his coils.
When the members of the cowherd community, who had accepted KrIa as their dearmost friend,
saw Him enveloped in the snake's coils, motionless, they were greatly disturbed. They had ofered KrDa
everything-thei
-
r families, wealth, and wives, all pleasures, and their very selves. At the sight of the Lord
in the clutches of the Kaliya snake, their intelligence became deranged by grief, lamentatio
n
, and fear,
and thus they fell to the ground.
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R T I - D E V i D A S i
( 1 9 7 8 )
P L A T E 9 3
KRSNA CHASTISES
M M
THE KALIYA SERPENT
T
he Lord remained for some time within the coils of the serpent, imitating the behavior of an
ordinary mortal. But when He understood that the women, children, and other residents of
His village of Gokula were in acute distress because of their love for Him, their only shelter and goal in
life, He immediately rose up from the bonds of the Kaliya serpent.
His coils tormented by the expanding body of the Lord, Kaliya released Him. In great
.
anger the
serpent then raised his hoods hgh and stood still, breathing heavily. His nostrils appeared like vessels for
cooking poison, and the eyes in his face like frebrands. Thus the serpent stared at the Lord.
Again and again Kaliya licked his lips with his bifurcated tongues as He stared at KrIa with a glance
full of terrible, poisonous fire. But KrI)a playfully circled around him, j ust as Garua would play with a
snake. In response, Kaliya also moved about, looking for an opportunity to bite the Lord.
Having severely depleted the serpent's strength with His relentless circling,
S
ri KrDa pushed down
Kaliya's raised shoulders and mounted his broad, serpentine heads. Thus Lord
S
ri KrI)a, the original
master of all fne arts, began to dance, His lotus feet deeply reddened by the touch of the numerous j ewels
upon the serpent's heads.
Seeing the Lord dancing, His servants in the heavenly planets-the Gandharvas, Siddhas, sages,
Caraias, and wives of the demigods-immediately arrived there. With great pleasure they began
accompanying the Lord's dancing by playing drums such as mydargas , par.avas , and anakas. They also made
offerings of songs, flowers, and prayers.
Kaliya had one hundred and one prominent heads, and when one of them would not bow down,
Lord
S
ri Krra would smash that stubborn head by striking it with His feet. Then, as Kaliya entered his
death throes, he began wheeling his heads around and vomiting ghastly blood from his mouths and
nostrils. The serpent thus experienced extreme pain and misery.
Lord Krra's wonderful, powerful dancing trampled and broke all of Kaliya's one thousand hoods.
Then the serpent, profusely vomiting blood from his mouths, finally recognized
S
ri KrDa to be the eternal
Personality of Godhead, the supreme master of all moving and nonmoving beings,
S
ri Narayai)a. Thus
within his mind Kaliya took shelter of the Lord.
P A I N T I N G B Y . D H R T I D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 7 9 )
P L A T E 9 4
LORD BALARAMA
SLAYS THE DEMON PRALAMBA
0 ne day while KrDa and Balarama and their cowherd friends were tending the cows in the
Vrndavana forest, the demon Pralamba entered their midst. He had assumed the form of a
cowherd boy wi
t
h the intention of kidnapping KrDa and Balarama. Since Lord KrDa sees everything,
He understood who the demon was. Still, the Lord pretended to accept the demon as a friend-while at
the same tire considering how to kill him.
KrIfa then assembled the cowherd boys and divided them into two even teams. After the cowherd
boys had chosen KrIa and Balarama as the leaders of the two teams, the boys began to play various games
involving carriers and passengers. In these games the winners would climb up on the backs of the losers,
who would have to carry them. Thus carrying and being carried by one another, and at the same time
tending the cows, the boys went to a banyan tree known as Bhalc;lraka. When
S
rldama, Vrabha, and the
other members of Lord Balarama's party were victorious in these games, KrJa and His followers had to
carry them. Thus KrDa had to carry
S
rldama, Bhadrasena had to carry Vrabha, and Pralamba had to
carry Balarama.
Considering Lord KrDa invincible, the demon Pralamba quickly carried Balarama far beyond the
spot where he was supposed to put his passenger down. As the great demon carried Balarama, the Lord
became as heavy as massive Mount Sumeru, and Pralamba had to slow down. He then resumed his actual
form-an effulg
e
nt body that was covered with golden ornaments and that resembled a cloud flashing
with lightning and carrying the moon.
When Lord Balarama saw the gigantic body of the demon as he moved swiftly in the sky-with his
blaing eyes, fery hair, terrible teeth reaching toward his scowling brows, and an amazing effulgence
generated by his armlets, crown, and earrings-the Lord seemed to become a little frightened. Remem,
bering the actual situation, the fearless Balarama understood that the demon was trying to kidnap Him
and take Him away from His companions. The Lord then became furious and struck the demon's head
with His hard fst, just as lndra, the King of the demigods, strikes a mountain with his thunderbolt weapon.
Thus smashed by Balarama's fist, Pralamba's head immediately cracked open. The demon vomited blood
from his mouth and lost all consciousness, and then with a great noise he fell lifeless to the ground, like
a mountain devastated by lndra.
The cowherd boys were most astonished to see how the powerful Balarama had killed the demon
Pralamba, and they exclaimed, "Excellent! Excellent! " They ofered Balarama profuse benedictions and
then glorifed Him. Their minds overwhelmed with ecstatic love, they embraced Him as if He had
returned from the dead.
P A I N T I N G B Y G U N A M A Y I - D E V i D A S i
( 1 9 7 9 )
P L A T E 9 5
KRSNA SWALLOWS A FOREST FIRE

S
uddenly a great forest fre appeared on all sides, threatening to destroy all the forest creatures.
Like a chariot driver, the wind swept the fre onward, and terrible sparks shot in all directions.
Indeed, the great fre extended its tongues of flame toward all moving and nonmoving creatures.
As the cows and cowherd boys stared at the forest fre attacking them on all sides, they became
fearful. The boys then approached Krg1a and Balarama for shelter and said, "0 KrDa! KrDa! Most
powerful one! 0 Rama! You whose prowess never fails ! Please save Your devotees, who are about to be
burned by this forest fre and have come to take shelter of You! "
Hearing these pitiable words from His friends, Lord KrDa told them, "Just close your eyes and do
not be afraid." The boys immediately closed their eyes. Then the Supreme Lord, the master of all mystic
power, opened His mouth and swallowed the terrible fre, saving His friends from danger. The cowherd
boys opened their eyes and were amazed to fnd not only that they and the cows had been saved from the
terrible fre, but that they had all been brought back to the Bhal}clra tree. When the cowherd boys saw
that they had been saved from the forest fre by the Lord's mystic power, which is manifested by His internal
potency, they began to think that KrDa must be a demigod.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 8 4 )
P L A T E 9 6
KR$NA ENJOYS
EXULTANT FOREST PASTIMES
T
he cowherd boys of Vrndavana were able to play with KrDa just as if He were an ordinary
human child, though neither they nor KrDa were ordinary boys. The great sages who took
birth as KrDa's friends had spent many previous lives performing severe penances and austerities. Thus
when KrDa appeared in Vrndavana, India, some ffty centuries ago, they were awarded the greatest
possible benediction: the opportunity to play with the Supreme Personality of Godhead on an equal level.
By KrDa's special mercy, they did not know that He was the Supreme Lord; they simply loved KrI].a, and
this was true of everyone in Vrndavana at the time of KrDa's advent. KrDa's father and mother loved
KrI)a; KrDa's girlfriends loved KrI)a; the trees loved KrI)a; the water loved KrIa; the flowers, the cows,
the calves-everyone and everything loved KrI].a.
KrI]a, the reservoir of pleasure, blowing His fute and accompanied by His brother Balarama, the
cowherd boys, and the cows, entered the beautiful forest of Vrndavana to enjoy the atmosphere. They
walked into the midst of newly grown leaves of trees whose flowers resembled peacock feathers. They
garlanded themselves with those flowers and decorated themselves with safron chalk. Sometimes they
danced and sang, and sometimes they wrestled with one another. While KrDa danced, some of the
cowherd boys sang, while others played on flutes; some bugled on buffalo horns or clapped their hands,
praising KrIa: "Dear brother, You are dancing very nicely." Actually, all these boys were demigods
descended from higher planets to assist KrI]a in His pastimes. The demigods garbed in the dress of the
cowherd boys were encouraging KrDa in His dancing, just as one artist encourages another.
Up to that time, neither Balarama nor KrDa had undergone the haircutting ceremony; therefore
Their hair was clustered like craw's feathers. They were always playing hide and seek with their boyfriends
or j umping or fghting with them.
Sometimes, while His friends were chanting and dancing, KrDa would praise them: "My dear
friends, you are dancing and singing very nicely." The boys played catch with fruits like bel and amalaki.
They played blindman's buff, challenging and touching one another. Sometimes they imitated the forest
deer and various kinds of birds. At other times they joked with one another by imitating croaking frogs,
sometimes they enjoyed swinging beneath the trees, and sometimes they would play like a king and
his subjects.
In this way KrDa and Balarama played all kinds of sports with Their friends and enjoyed the
soothing atmosphere ofVrndavana, which was flled with rivers, lakes, rivulets, fne trees, and excellent
fruits and flowers.
P A I N T I N G BY J A G A T - K A R A N A - D E V I D A S I
( I 9 7 9 )
P L A T E 9 7
KRSNA AND THE COWHERD BOYS
M
HONOR BALARAMA
W
hen His elder brother, fatigued from playing, would lie down with His head upon the lap of
a cowherd boy, Lord KrDa would help Him relax by personally massaging His feet and
7
offering other services. Sometimes, as the cowherd boys danced, sang, moved about, and playfully fought
one another, KrDa and Balarama, standing nearby hand in hand, would glorify Their friends' activities
and laugh. Sometimes Lord KrDa grew tired from fighting and lay down at the base of a tree, resting upon
a bed made of soft twigs and buds and using the lap of a cowherd friend as His pillow. Some of the cowherd
boys, who were all great souls, would then massage His lotus feet, and others would expertly fan the
Supreme Lord. Other boys would sing enchanting songs appropriate t the occasion, and their hearts
would melt out of love for the Lord.
In this way the Supreme Lord, whose soft lotus feet are personally attended by the goddess of
fortune, concealed His transcendental opulences by His internal potency and acted like the son of a
cowherd.
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R T I - D E V I D A S I
I 9 7 8 )
P L A T E 9 8
A FRIEND
PLAYS A TICK ON KRSNA

O
nce one ofKrDa's friends informed Him, "My dear Krl)a, if you will open Your mouth I shall
give You a nice sugar candy mixed with yogurt." KrDa immediately opened His mouth, but
instead of giving Him sugar candy with yogurt, the friend dropped a flower into His mouth. Then KrDa
twisted Hi mouth in distaste, and upon seeing this, all His friends began to laugh very loudly.
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A D A A - A B H I R A M A D A A
( 1 9 7 8 )
P L A T E 9 9
KRSNA AND BALARAMA

K
fIa wore yellow garments, Balarama blue, and Their eyes resembled autumnal lotuses. One
of those two mighty,armed youths had a dark blue complexion, and the other's was white.
With Their fine, featured faces, They were the most beautiful of all persons. As they walked with the gait
of young elephants, glancing about with compassionate smiles, those two exalted personalities beautified
the cow pasture with the impressions of Their feet, which bore the marks of the flag, lightning bolt,
elephant goad, and lotus. The two Lords, whose pastimes are most magnanimous and attractive, were
oramented with j eweled necklaces and flower garlands, anointed with auspicious, fragrant substances,
freshly bathed, and dressed in spotless raiment. They were the primeval Supreme Personalities, the
masters and original causes of the universes, who had for the welfare of the earth now descended in Their
distinct forms ofKrIa and Balarama. They resembled two gold,bedecked mountains, one of emerald and
the other of silver, as with Their efulgence They dispelled the sky's darkness in all directions.
P A I N T I N G B Y D H I T I - D E V i D A S I
A N D R A M A D A S A - A B H I R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 8 3 )
P L A T E 1 0 0
KRSNA AND BALARAMA
. . .
PLAY LIKE HUMAN CHILDREN
S
ometi mes Krrw and Balarama would play on Their flutes; sometimes They would throw
ropes and stones devised for getti ng fruits from the trees, sometimes They would throw only
stones, and sometimes, Their ankle bells ti nkl ing, They would play soccer with fru its l ike bel and amalaki.
Sometimes They would cover Themselves wi th blankets and i mitate cows and bul ls and fight wi th one
another, roaring loudly, and sometimes They would i mitate the voices of ani mals. I n thi s way They
enj oyed sporting exactly l ike two ordinary human chi ldren.
Krra and Balarama, whi le tendi ng the cows, appeared j ust l i ke two actors going to play on a
dramatic stage. Krra was dressed i n glowing garments of yellow, Balarama in blue, and They held new
twigs of mango tree, peacock feathers, and bunches of flowers i n Thei r hands. Dressed wi th garlands of
lotuses, They sometimes sang very sweetly among Their friends. One gop! told her friend, "How is i t that
Krra and Balarama are looking so beautiful?" Another gofJi said, "My dear friends, we cannot even thi nk
of Hi s bamboo fute ! What sort of pi ous acti vi ties did i t execute so that i t i s now enjoyi ng the nectar of
Krra's l i ps ?" Krra sometimes kisses the gop is . Therefore the transcend en tal nectar of Hi s l ips is available
only to them, and Hi s l ips are considered their property. So the gopis asked, "How i s it possible that the
flute, whi ch is nothi ng but a bamboo rod, i s always enjoyi ng the nectar from Krra's l i ps? Because the flute
is servi ng the Supreme Lord, the mother and the father of the fute must be happy."
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A D A S A - A B H I R A M A D A S A
A N D D H R T I - D E V I D A S I
( I 9 8 2 )
7
P L A T E 1 0 1
KRSNA WITH PEACOCK

S
ukadeva Gosvami sai d t Ki ng Pari ki t, "For one who has a cepted the boat of the l otus feet
of the Lord, who i the shel ter of the cosmi c mani festation < tnd i s famous as Murari , the enemy
of the Mura demon, the ocean of the materi al world i s l i ke the water contai ned i n a cal f's hoofpri nt. Hi s
goal is Vai kul)ha, the pl ace where there <He no materi al mi series, not the pl ace where there i s
danger at every step. "
One who seeks shel ter at t he lotus feet of Lord KrDa i s i mmedi atel y protected by the Lord. As the
Lord promises i n Bhagavad-gita, "1 shal l del i ver you from al l si nful reacti ons. Do not fear." By taki ng shel ter
of Lord KrDa, one comes under the safest protection. I f one can remember Krt)a at the ti me of death,
one' l i fe i s successful .
Lord i va prays, "My dear Lord, Your two lotus feet arc so beaut i ful that they appear l i ke two
blossoming petals of the l otus that grow duri ng autumn. I ndeed, the nai Is of Your lotus feet emanate uch
a great effulgence that it i mmedi atel y di - ipates the darkness i n the heart of a condi ti oned soul . My dear
Lord, ki ndl y show me that form of Yours whi ch always di ssipates al l ki nds of darkness i n the heart of a
devotee. You arc the supreme spi ri tual master of everyone; therefore al l condi t ioned soul s covered wi th
the darkness of ignorance can be enl ightened by You as the spi ri tual master. "
P A I N T I N ( R Y L 1 I I R T I - J ) E V I I ) A S I
I 9 H 1 )
P L A T E 1 0 2
KRSNA AND THE COWHERD BOYS

LEAVE FOR THE FOREST

0 ne day Krrta decided to take His breakfast as a picnic in the forest. Having risen early in the
morning, He blew His bugle made of horn and woke all the cowherd boys and calves with
its beautiful sound. Then Krrta and the boys, keeping their respective herds of calves before them,
proceeded from Vraj abhumi to the forest.
At that time, hundreds and thousands of cowherd. boys came out of their respective homes in
Vraj abhumi and joined Krrta, keeping before them their hundreds and thousands of herds of calves. The
boys were very beautiful, and they were equipped with lunch bags, bugles, flutes, and sticks for controlling
the calves.
Along with the cowherd boys and their own herds of calves, Krrta came out with an unlimited
number of His calves. Then the boys began to sport in the forest in a greatly playful spirit. Although they
had already been decorated by their mothers with ornaments of kaca, gunja, pearls, and gold, when they
went into the forest they further decorated themselves with fruits, green leaves, bunches of fowers,
peacock feathers, and soft minerals.
P A I N T I N G B Y M U R A L I D H A R A D A S A
( 1 9 7 3 )
P L A T E 1 0 3
DESCRIPTION OF AUTUMN
V
rndavana forest improved from the rains and was replete with ripened dates, mangoes,
blackberries, and other fruits. Lord KrI.a, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, accompa
nied by His cowherd friends and Lord Balarama, entered the forest to enjoy the new seasonal atmosphere.
The cows, nourished by new grasses, became very healthy, and their milk bags were all very full. When
Lord KrI.a called them by name, they immediately came to Him out of affection, and in their joyful
condition the milk fowed from their bags.
Lord KrIa was very pleased when passing through the Yrndavana forest by the side of Govardhana
Hill. On the bank of the Yamuna He saw all the trees decorated with beehives pouring honey. There were
many waterfalls on Govardhana Hill, and their fowing made a nice sound. KrI.a heard them as He looked
into the caves of the hill. When there was rainfall within the forest, KrI.a and His companions would
sit under a tree or within the caves of Govardhana Hill and enjoy eating the ripened fruits and talking
with great pleasure.
KrIa and Balarama were in the forest all day; so mother Yasoda used to send Them fruits,
sweetmeats, and rice mixed with yogurt. KrI.a would take them and sit on a slab of stone on the bank of
the Yamuna. While KrI.a, Balarama, and Their friends were eating, they watched the cows, calves, and
bulls. The cows appeared to be tired from standing with their heavy milk bags. By sitting and chewing
grass, they became happy, and KrI.a was pleased to see them in this condition. He was also pleased to see
the beauty of the forest, which was nothing but the manifestation of His own energy.
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A D A S A - A B H I R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 8 0 )
P L A T E 1 0 4
KRSNA IN
M
VRNDAVANA FORESl

Ifa has many pastimes, of which His pastimes in Goloka Vrndavana are supreme. He also
has pastimes in the Vaikul).has, the spiritual world, as Vasudeva, Sal.karana, Pradyumna
and Aniruddha.
When we impartially consider all the unlimited pastimes of the Lord, we find that His pastimes as a
human being on this planet-wherein He sports as a cowherd boy with a flute in His hands and appears

youthful and fresh like a ballet dancer-are pastimes and features that are never subjected to material laws
and inebrieties. The wonderful beauty of KrIa is presented in the supreme planet, Gokula (Goloka
Vrndavana) .
The name KrIfa and the Personality of Godhead KrIfa are identical. There is no difference in the
absolute realm between the name, form, or person of the Absolute Truth because in the absolute realm
everything is transcendental bliss. There is no difference between the body and the soul for the Personality
of Godhead, KrIfa. Thus He is different from the living entity who is always different from his outward
body. Because of KrIfa's transcendental position, it is very dificult for a layman to actually know the
Personality of Godhead, KrIfa, His holy name and fame, etc. His name, fame, form, and pastimes all are
one and the same transcendental identity, and they are not knowable by the exercise of the material
senses.
"In this age of Kali there is no other religion but the glorification of the Lord by utterance of His holy
name, and that is the injunction of all the revealed scriptures."
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R U V A D A S A
( 1 9 8 3 )
P L A T E 1 0 5
KRSNA,
THE DARLING OF VRNDAVANA
M
W
hen Lord Krl).a wanders in the forest of Vrndavana with His fiends on an equal level, tere
are innumerable cows graing . This is one of the Lord's blissful enjoyments. When He plays
on His flute, all living entities-including trees, plants, animals, and human beings-tremble and are
saturated with jubilation. Tears flow constantly from their eyes.
l.a wears a pearl necklace that appears like a chain of white ducks around His neck. The peacok
feather in His hair appears like a rainbow, and His yellow gents appear like lightning in the sky. KrIa
appears like a newly risen cloud, and thegopis appear like newly grown grains in the field. Constant rains
of nectarean pastimes fall upon these newly grown grains, and it seems that the gopis are receiving beams
of life fom KrIa, exactly as grains receive life from the rains.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krl).a, is full in all six opulences, including His attractive
beauty, which engages Hi m in conjugal love with the gopis. Such sweetness is the quintessence of His
qualities.
S
ukadeva Gosvami, the son of Vyasadeva, has described these pastimes of KrIa throughout
Srima,Bhi gavatam. Hearing the descriptions, the devotees become mad with love of God.
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A D A S A - A B H I R A M A D A S A
A N D D H R T I - D E V I D A S i
( 1 9 8 0 )
P L A T E 1 0 6
THE ENCHANTER OF VRNDAVANA

T
he gopis would si
n
g of Krra as He played His flute in Vrndavana forest:
"Blessed are all the foolish deer, for they have approached Maharaja Nanda's son, who is
gorgeously dressed and is playing on His flute. Indeed, both the doe and the bucks worship the Lord with
looks of love and affection.
"Using their upraised ears as vessels, the cows are drinking the nectar of the flute-song flowing out
of Krrta's mouth. The calves, their mouths full of milk from their mothers' moist nipples, stand still as
they take Govinda within themselves through their tear-flled eyes and embraced Him within their hearts .
8
"In the forest all the birds have risen onto the beautiful branches of the trees to see KrQa. With
closed eyes they are simply listening in silence to the sweet vibrations of His flute, and they are not
attracted by any other sound. Surely these birds are on the same level as great sages.
"When the rivers hear the flute-song of Krra, their minds begin to desire Him, and thus the flow
of their currents is broken and their waters are agitated, moving around in whirlpools. Then with the arms
of their waves the rivers embrace Krra's lotus feet and, holding on to them, present oferings of
lotus fowers.
"In the company of Balarama and the cowherd boys, Lord Krra is continually vibrating His flute
as He herds all the animals of Vraj a, even under the full heat of the summer sun. Seeing this, the cloud
in the sky has expanded himself out of love. He is rising high and constructing out of his own body, with
its multitude of fowerlike droplets of water, an umbrella for the sake of his friend."
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N I - D E V I D A S I
( I 9 8 4 )
P L A T E 1 0 7
KRSNA AT KESIGHATA

0 ne of the gopzs once playfully warned her friend about the power of KrIa's attraction: "My
dear friend, if you are at all attached to your worldly friends and relatives, do not look at the
smiling face of Lord Govinda as He stands on the bank of the Yamuna at Kesi,ghaa. Casting sidelong
glances, He places His flute to His lips, which seem like newly blossomed twigs. His transcendental body,
bending in three places, appears very bright in the moonlight."
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, KrQa, the Supersoul in the hearts of all living entities,
descends in His original form as a human being in the aynasty of Yadu. By His pleasing smiles, His
afectionate behavior, His instructions, and His uncommon pastimes, Lord KrIfa pleases all of human
society. Although the Lord's form exactly resembles that of a human being, His form is diferent from ours,
for it is completely spiritual and thus attractive to everyone. Krta's body is the essence ofloveliness, and
as the only abode of beauty, fame, and opulence, it is self,perfect and ever fresh. KrQa's face is decorated
with ornaments, such as earrings resembling sharks. His ears are beautiful and His cheeks brilliant, and
His smiling is attractive to everyone. Whoever sees Lord KrIa sees a festival. His face and body are flly
satisfing for everyone to see, so much so that the devotees become angry at the creator for the disturbance
caused by the momentary blinking of their eyes.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A Y A R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 7 5 )
P L A T E 1 0 8
KRSNA AND BALARAMA

ON THE- BANK OF THE YAMUNA
D
uring the day, when Kr$l)a goes to the forest to herd the cows with His friends, the gopis in
Vrndavana village sing of Him as follows: "Kf$l)a moves about the forest in the company of
His friends, who vividly chant the glories of His magnifcent deeds. When the cows wander onto the
mountainsides and Kf$l)a calls out to them with the sound of His fute, the trees and creepers in the forest
respond by becoming so luxuriant with fruits and flowers tpat they seem to be manifesting Lord Vi$lU
within their hearts. As their branches bend low with the weight, the flaments on their trunks and vines
stand erect out of the ecstasy of love of God, and both the trees and the creepers pour down a rain of sweet
sap.
"Maddened by the divine, honey like aroma of the tulasi flowers on the garland Kf$l)a wears, swarms
of bees sing loudly for Him, and that most beautiful of all persons thankfully acknowledges and acclaims
their song by taking His flute to His lips and playing it. The charming fute,song then steals away the minds
of the cranes, swans, and other lake,dwelling birds. Indeed, they approach Kf$la, close their eyes and,
maintaining strict silence, worship Him by fixing their consciousness upon Him in deep meditation.
"When Kr$Da is enjoying Himself with Balarama on the mountain slopes, playfully wearing a flower
garland on the top of His head, He engladdens all with the resonant vibrations of His fute. Thus He
delights the entire world. At that time the nearby cloud, afraid of ofending a great personality, thunders
very gently in accompaniment. The cloud showers flowers onto his dear friend Kf$la and shades Him from
the sun like an umbrella.
"0 pious mother Yasoda, your son, who is expert in all the arts of herding cows, has invented many
new styles of fute,playing. When He takes His fute to His bimba,red lips and sends forth the tones of the
harmonic scale in va!iegated melodies, Brahma, Siva, Indra, and other chief demigods become confused
upon hearing the sound. Although they are the most learned authorities, they cannot ascertain the
essence of that music, and they bow down their heads and hearts. "
=
P A I N T I N G B Y V I $ N U D A S A
( 1 9 9 0 )
P L A T E 1 0 9
KRSNA SPEAKS

WITH THE CREATURES OF VRNDAVANA

I
n the transcendental land of Vrndavana, every living creature is established in his eteral
loving relationship with KrIa. And the Lord can reciprocate with each one perfectly. Not
only does He respond to their loving mood heart,to,heart, but He can also communicate in their own
language. This is so because He is the most wonderful linguist. As Srila Rupa Gosvami explains in the
Bhakti,rasamyta,sindhu, "A person who knows the languages of different countries, especially the Sanskrit
language, which is spoken in the cities of the demigods-as well as other, worldly languages, including
those of the animals-is called a wonderful linguist. It appears from this statement that Krrta can also
speak and understand the languages of the animals. An old woman in Yrndavana, present at the time of
Krrta's pastimes, once stated in surprise, ' How wonderful it is that KrIa, who owns the hearts of all the
young girls of Vraj abhumi, can nicely speak the language of Vraj abhumi to the gopis , while in Sanskrit
He speaks with the demigods, and in the language of the animals he can even speak with the cows and
bufalo! Similarly, in the language of the Kashmir province, and with the parrots and other birds, as well
as in most common languages, Krrta is so expressive! ' She inquired from the gopis as to how Krrta had
become so expert in speaking so many different types of languages. "
P A I N T I N G B Y P U $ K A R A D A S A
( 1 9 8 0 )
P L A T E 1 1 0
KRSNA RETURNS HOME

FROM THE FOREST
At the end of the day, having rounded up all His cows, Krl)a plays a song on His flute while
f exalted demigods standing along the path worship His lotus feet and the cowherd boys
accompanying Him chant His glories. His garland is powdered by the dust raised by the cows' hooves, and
His beauty, enhanced by His fatigue, creates an ecstatic festival for everyone's eyes. Eager to fulfll His
friends' desires, Krta is the moon arisen from the womb of mother Yasoda.
At this point the goprs climb into the watchtowers of Vrndavana's houses so they can see Krta as
soon as possible when He returns home. Mother Yasoda is very anxious for her son to come back, and
therefore she has the tallest of the beautiful young goprs climb up to see when He will arrive.
As Krta respectfully greets His wellwishing friends, His eyes roll slightly as if from intoxication.
He wears a fower garland, and the beauty of His soft cheeks is accentuated by the brilliance of His golden
earrings and the whiteness of his face, which has the color of a bcara berry. With His cheerful face re
sembling the moon, lord of the night, the Lord of the Yadus moves with the grace of a regal elephant. Thus
He returns in the evening, delivering the cows of Vraj a from the heat of the day.
P A I N T I N G B Y M U R A L I D H A R A D A S A
( 1 9 8 3 )
P L A T E 1 1 1
THE SOUND OF KRSNA' S FLUTE

T
he sound of Krl)a's flute spreads in all directions. Even though Krla vibrates His fute
within this universe, its sound pierces the universal coverings and goes to the spiritual sky.
Thus the vibration enters the ears of all inhabitants. It especially enters Goloka Vrndavana,dhama and
attracts the minds of the young damsels of Vraj abhumi, bringing them forcibly to Krl)a.
The vibration of Krl)a's flute is j ust like a bird that creates a nest within the ears of the gopis and
always remains prominent there, not allowing any other sound to enter their ears. Indeed, the gopis cannot
E
hear anything else, nor are they able to concentrate on anything else, not even to give a suitable reply.
Such are the effects of the vibration of Lord Krsna's flute.
The vibration of Krl)a's fute is always prominent in the ears of the gopis . Naturally they cannot
hear anything else. Constant remembrance of the holy sound ofKrla's fute keeps them enlightened and
enlivened, and they do not allow any other sound to enter their ears. Since their attention is fixed on
Krl)a's flute, they cannot divert their minds to any other subj ect. In other words, a devotee who has heard
the sound of Krl)a's fute forgets to ask or hear of any other subj ect. This vibration of Krl)a's fute is
represented by the Hare Krl)a maha,mantra. A serious devotee of the Lord who chants and hears this
transcendental vibration becomes so accustomed to it that he cannot divert his attention to any subj ect
matter not related to Krl)a's blissful pastimes, characteristics, and paraphernalia.
P A I N T I N G B Y P A R I K $ I T D A S A
( 1 9 8 1 )
P L A T E 1 1 2
KRSNA, THE ALL ATTRACTIVE

FLUTE PLAYER
O
rnaments caress KrDa's body, but the transcendental body of KrDa is so beautiful that it
beautifi es the ornaments He wears. Thereore KrDa's body is said to be the ornament of
ornaments. Enhancing the wonderful beauty of KrDa is His three,curved style of standing, which
beautifies that form. Above all these beautiful features, KrDa's eyes dance and move obliquely, acting like
arrows to pierce the minds of Srimati RadharaJi and the other gopzs . When the arrow succeeds in hitting
its target, their minds become agitated.
Lord KrDa has many pastimes, of which His pastimes as a human being are the best. His form as
a human being is the supreme transcendental form. In this form He is is a cowherd boy, He carries a flute
in His hand, and His youth is new. He is also an expert dancer. All this is j ust suitable for His pastimes
as a human being.
The sweet, attractive transcendental form ofKrDa is so nice. One should try to understand it. Even
a fractional understanding ofKrDa's beauty can merge all three worlds in the ocean oflove, for He attracts
all living entities.
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R U V A D A S A
( 1 9 8 3 )
P L A T E 1 1 3
THE GOPIS WATCH KRSNA

DEPART FOR THE FOREST
W
earing a peacockfeather ornament upon His head, blue karrikira flowers on His ears, a
yellow garment as brilliant as gold, and the Vaij ayanti garland, Lord KrDa exhibited His
8
transcendental form as the greatest of dancers as He entered the forest of Vrndavana, beautifying it with
the marks of His footprints. He flled the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips, and the cowherd
boys sang His glories.
When the young ladies in Vraj a heard the sound of KrDa's flute, which captivates the minds of all
living beings, they all embraced one another and began describing it. One cowherd girl said, "0 friends,
those eyes that see the beautiful faces of the sons of Maharaj a Nanda are certainly fortunate. As these two
sons enter the forest, surrounded by Their friends, driving the cows before them, They hold Their flutes
to Their mouths and glallce lovingly upon the residents ofVrndavana. For those who have eyes, we think
there is no greater obj ect of vision. "
Another gopz remarked, "Dressed in a charming variety of garments, upon which Their garlands
rest, and decorating Themselves with peacock feathers, lotuses, lilies, newly grown mango sprouts, and
clusters of fower buds, KrDa and Balarama shine forth magnifcently among the assembly of cowherd
boys. They look j ust like the best of dancers appearing on a dramatic stage, and sometimes They sing."
A third gopz remarked, "My dear gopzs , what auspicious activities the fute must have performed to
enjoy the nectar of KrDa's lips independently and leave only a taste for us gopzs , for whom that nectar is
actually meant! The forefathers of the fute, the bamboo trees; shed tears of pleasure. His mother, the river
on whose bank the bamboo was born, feels j ubilation, and therefore her blooming lotus flowers are
standing up like hair on her body."
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N f - D E V f D A S f
( 1 9 7 8 )
P L A T E 1 1 4
KRSNA STEALS THE GARMENTS
M
OF THE UNMARRIED GO PIS
D
uring the month of Margasira, every day early in the morning the young daughters of the
cowherds would take one another's hands and, singing of Kr:a's transcendental qualities,
go to the Yamuna to bathe. Desiring to obtain Kr:a as their husband, they would then worship the
goddess Katyayani with incense, flowers, and other items.
One day the young gopis left their garments on the shore as usual and began playing in the water
while chanti
n
g of Lord Kr:.a's activities. Suddenly Kr:a Himself came there, took away all the garments,
and climbed a nearby kamba tree. Wanting to tease th

gopis , Kr:a said, "I understand how fatigued
you gopis are from your austerities, so please come onto the shore and take back your clothes."
The gopis then pretended to become angry and said, "Dear Kr:a, don't be unfair! We know that
You are the respectable son of Nanda and that You are honored by everyone in Vraj a. You are also very
dear to us. Please give us back our clothes. We are shivering in the cold water. 0
S
yamasundara, we are
Your maidservants and must do whatever You say. But give us back our clothing. You know what the
religious principles are, and if You don't give us our clothes we will have to tell the king. Please! "
Sri Kr:a replied, "If you girls are actually My maidservants, and if you will really do what I say, then
come here with your innocent smiles and let each girl pick out her clothes. If you don't do what I say, I
won't give them back to you. And even if the king becomes angry, what can he do?"
Then the girls, shivering from the cold, climbed out of the water with their two hands covering their
private parts. Kr:a felt great affection for them and said, "Because while executing a vow you bathed in
the water naked, you have committed an offense against the demigods, and to counteract it you should
offer obeisances with palms joined above your heads. Then your vow of austerity will achieve its
full result."
The gopis followed this instruction, and joining their palms in respect, offered obeisances to
Sri
Kr:a. Satisfied, He returned their clothing. But the young girls had become so attracted to Him that they
could not leave. Understanding their minds, Kr:a said, "0 saintly girls, I understand that your real motive
in this austerity has been to worship Me. I approve this intent of yours, and indeed it must come to pass.
Go now, girls, and return to Vraj a. Your desire is fulfi lled, for in My company you will enjoy the coming
nights in the rasa dance."
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N l - D E V l D A S l
( 1 9 8 4 )
P L A T E 1 1 5
KRSNA LIFTS GOVARDHANA HILL

W
hen lndra understood that the sacrifce the cowherd men had meant to ofer him in
Vrndavana had been stopped by Krla, he became furious and sent the Samvartaka clouds
to inundate the whole area with an extensive food. Ordered by King Indra, the dangerous clouds appeared
above Vrndavana and began to pour water incessantly with all their strength. There was constant
lightning and thunder, severe wind, and incessant hail and rain. Every living creature in Vrndavana began
to tremble from the severe cold. Unable to find any other source of deliverance, the residents ofVrndavana
approached Govinda to take shelter at His lotus feet.
Lord Krl)a immediately picked up Govardhana Hill with one hand, exactly as a child picks up a
mushroom from the ground. Lord Krla then addressed His devotees, "My dear brothers, My dear father,
My dear inhabitants of Vrndavana, you can now safely enter under the umbrella of Govardhana Hill,
which I have j ust lifted. Do not be afraid that the hill will fall from My hand. You have been too much
afficted by the heavy rain and strong wind; therefore I have lifted this hill, which will protect you exactly
like a huge umbrella."
Thus assured by Lord Krl)a, all the inhabitants ofVrndavana went under the great hill with their
property and animals. They all remained there for one week without being disturbed by hunger, thirst, or
any other discomforts. After seven days, Indra finally understood Krla's mystic power and ordered the
clouds to withdraw.
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R T I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 8 1 )
P L A T E 1 1 6
AIRAVATA SHOWERS KRSNA
M M
WITH GANGES WATER
0
ne day, shortly after KrDa had lifted Govardhana Hill, Indra sec red y came into His presence,
offered obeisances, and praised Him: "0 Lord, although You are never caught in the current
of material illusion, which is born of ignorance, You nevertheless accept a humanlike body and perform
various activities to establish religious principles and chastise the wicked."
Satisfied with Indra's prayers,
S
ri KrDa replied, "My dear Indra, it was out of mercy that I stopped
the sacrifice meant for you. You were greatly intoxicated by your opulence as King of heaven, and I wanted
you to always remember Me. A man blinded by intoxication due to his power and opulence cannot see
Me nearby with the rod of punishment in My hand. If I desire his real welfare, I drag him down from his
materially fortunate position. Indra, you may go now. Execute My order and remain in your appointed
position. But be sober, without false pride."
The cow Surabhi then offered her prayers to the Lord. Afterward she performed KrDa's bathing
ceremony with her own milk, and Indra, ordered by Aditi and other mothers of the demigods, bathed the
Lord with heavenly Ganges water from the trunk of Indra's elephant carrier, Airavata. Thus in the
company of the demigods and great sages, Indra corona ted Lord Kr!a, the descendant of Dasarha, and
gave Him the name Govirda.
P A I N T I N G B Y P U $ K A R A D A S A
( 1 9 8 5 )
P L A T E 1 1 7
KRSNA RESCUES
W M M
NANDA MAHARAJA
FROM THE ABODE OF VARUNA
T
he king of the cowherd men, Nanda Maharaj a, observed the prescribed fast on the eleventh
day of the lunar month and then considered how to break his fast properly on the twelfth day.
By circumstance only a few more minutes remained, and so he decided to take his bath at the very end
of the night, although astrologically that was an inauspicious time. Thus he entered the water of the
Yamuna. A servant ofVarul)a, the demigod of the ocean, noticed Nanda Maharaj a entering the water at
a time forbidden by scripture and took him away to the demigod's abode.
In the early morning the cowherd men unsuccessfully searched for Nanda, but Lord KrDa
immediately understood that he had been captured by Varul)a. So the almighty Lord went to Varul)a's
court. Seeing that KrDa had arrived, Varul)a worshiped Him with elaborate oferings. The demigod, in
a state of great j ubilation upon seeing the Lord, spoke as follows: "Now my body has fulfilled its fnction.
Indeed, now the goal of my life is achieved, 0 Lord. Those who accept Your lotus feet can transcend the
path of material existence. My obeisances unto You, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute
Truth, the Supreme Soul, within whom there is no trace of the illusory energy, which orchestrates the
creation of this world. Your father, who is sitting here, was brought to me by a foolish, ignorant servant
of mine who did not understand his proper duty. Therefore please forgive us."
Satisfied with Lord Varula's words,
S
rl KrDa took His father and returned home, where their
relatives were overjoyed to see them.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 8 5
.
)
P L A T E 1 1 8
GOP ALA KRSNA

S
ri Krra, as the original Lord and source of everything, has four more extraordinary tran,
scendental qualities than His other expansions. They are as follows: 1 ) He is the performer
of wonderful varieties of pastimes (especially His childhood pastimes) ; 2) He is surrounded by devotees
endowed with wonderful love of Godhead (the cowherd girls, or go pis); 3) He can attract all living entities
within the universe by playing on His flute; 4) The wonderful excellence of His beauty cannot be rivaled
anywhere in the creation. Therefore, He is addressed as Madana,mohana, "the attractor of Cupid";
Govinda, "He who gives pleasure to the cows"; Gopala, "the protector of the cows"; Yasodanandana, "the
dear son of Mother Yasoda"; Nandanandana, "the dear son ofNanda Maharaja"; Gopinatha, "the Lord
of the cowherd girls".
The ultimate expression of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is found in His personal abode,
S
ri Vrndavana, which is located in the central planet Krraloka of the spiritual world. A manifestation
of S
ri Vrndavana can be found in this planet, which is identical to the original in Krraloka, although
specific pastimes of the Lord differentiates them. Even though one may be fortunate enough to be in the
very physical place of Vrndavana,dhama, where the Lord performed His earthly pastimes five thousand
years ago, if he is spiritually dull it won't be thoroughly manifested to him.
It is a Vedic assertion that
S
ri Krra never leaves Vrndavana, which is a simple and sweet village setting.
Engaged in a peaceful life of tending the cows and calves of His father Nanda Maharaj a, who would ever
think that the Supreme Lord of everything would be a beautiful young cowherd boy performing such
menial tasks? Exhibiting His magnanimous innocence, Krr:ta displays inconceivable pastimes full of
contrast, variety, anxiety, and sweetness, all in a constant and incommensurable increase of transcend en,
tal happiness. The devotees in Vrndavana are mainly focused on the conjugal loving pastimes of the Lord.
Conjugal love for the Lord includes the relationship of adherence, service, friendly confidence, and
parental love. Thus, the wholesale expression of the soul's love for Godhead is found in the conjugal
relationship, which includes all other relationships and which can only be found in Sri Krra.
The inhabitants of Vrndavana are the perfect setting for the most precious jewel, S
ri Krra, who
manifests His maximum beauty when with
Sri Radha, accompanied by unlimited gopis, in a loving
mellowness. This is considered by ancient sages as the sweetest of the Lord's pastimes, when the soul's
supreme eternal pleasure is gifted personally by her main subject of love-
S
ri Krra.
P A I N T I N G B Y M U R A L I D H A R A D A S A
( 1 9 7 8 )
P L A T E 1 1 9
RDHA AND KRSNA,
N W
THE PERFECTION OF LOVE
W
hen
S
rimat1 Radharal)i and Lord Krl)a would meet, They would each enjoy supreme bliss
in each other's association. But often They were apart-when Krla would be in the forest
herding the cows with His cowherd friends, when He went away to Mathura to kill Kamsa, and so on. In
separation, Srimati Radharal).i would feel intense longing for Krl)a and, completely absorbed in thought
of Her beloved, glorify Him incessantly. Thus She enjoyed another kind of bliss.
One day, separated from Krla,
S
rimati Radharali spoke as follows to Visakha: "My dear friend,
the ler of Krl).a's body is more brilliant than a newly formed cloud, and His yellow garments are more
attractive than flashing lightning. A peacock feather decotates His head, and on His neck hangs a lovely
necklace of brilliant pearls. As He holds his charming flute to His lips, His face looks as beautiful as the
full autumn moon. By such beauty Madana,mohana, the enchanter of Cupid, is increasing the desire of
My eyes to see Him. "
Lord Caitanya, in
S
rimati Radharal).i's mood of love,in,separation, expanded upon the meaning
of Her statement to Visakha: "
S
ri Krla's complexion glistens like powdered eye ointment. It defeats the
beauty of a newly formed cloud and is softer than a blue lotus. Indeed, His complexion is so pleasing that
it attracts the eyes and minds of everyone, and it is so powerful that it defies all comparison. My dear friend,
please tell Me what I should do. Krl).a is as attractive as a wonderful cloud, and My eyes are just like cataka
birds dying of thirst because they do not see that cloud.
"Krl).a's yellow garments resemble restless lightning in the sky, and the pearl necklace on His neck
resembles a line of ducks flying below a cloud. Both the peacock feather on His head and His vaijayant1
garland resemble rainbows.
"The luster of Krl).a's body is as beautiful as a spotless, newly risen full moon, and the vibration of
His flute sounds like the sweet thundering of a newly formed cloud. When the peacocks in Vrndavana hear
that vibration, they all begin to dance.
"The cloud of Krl).a's pastimes is drenching the fourteen worlds with a shower of nectar.
Unfortunately, when that cloud appeared, a whirlwind arose and blew it away from Me. Being unable to
see that cloud, the cataka bird of My eyes is almost dead from thirst."
.
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A D A S A - A B H I R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 8 6 )
P L A T E 1 2 0
RADHA AND KRSNA:
M M M
ONE YET DIFFERENT
T
he loving affairs of
Sri Sri Radha and Kreta arc transcendental manifestations of the Lord's
pleasuregiving potency. Although Radha and Krrw are one in Their identity, They
separated Themselves eternally to enjoy loving pastimes. In those pastimes Kr!a is the Supreme
Energttic, and
S
rimat1 Radharali the Supreme Energy, the personifcation of His pleasuregiving potency.
Indeed, She is a transformation of Kr!a's love.
Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami describes
S
rimati Radhara!l as follows: "
S
rimati Radharal)i takes
Her frst bath in the shower of the nectar of compassion, and She takes Her second bath in the nectar of
youth. After Her midday bath, Radharal)i takes another bath in the nectar of bodily luster, and She puts

on the black silk sari of shyness.

"Srimati Radharal)i's pinkish upper garment is Her affection for Kr!a. Her reddish kunkuma
powder is Her beauty, sandalwood pulp is Her affection for Her friends, and camphor is Her smile's
sweetness. These three substances anoint Her entire body, along with an abundance of musk, which is Her
conjugal love for Kr!a.
"The arrangement of
S
rimati Radharali's hair comprises covered anger and craftiness, while the
silk garment covering Her body is anger due to jealousy. The reddish color of betel nuts on Her brilliant
lips is Her attachment for Kr!a, and the black ointment around Her eyes comprises Her doubledealings
in loving affairs.
"The ornaments on
S
rimatl Radharal)i's body are j ubilation and other symptoms of Her extremely
intense ecstatic love for Kr!a. The fower garland She wears comprises Her transcendental qualities,
while the tilaka of good fortune graces Her beautiful broad forehead. She always wears the gem of Her
various loving afairs in the locket of Her heart.
"
S
rimati Radharal)i's thoughts, which are concentrated on Kr!a's pastimes, are Her gopi friends.
She rests Her hand on the shoulder of a friend who represents youth, and She sits on the couch of pride,
which is situated in the abode of Her bodily aroma. She always sits there thinking ofKr!a's association.
"
S
rimati Radharal)i's earrings are the name, fame, and qualities of Lord Kr!a, and the glories of
His name, fame, and qualities are always inundating Her speech. She induces Kr!a to drink the honey
of the conjugal relationship. She is a mine filled with the valuable j ewels of love for Kr!a. Indeed, Her
transcendental body is filled with unparalleled spiritual qualities."
P A I N T I N G B Y O H R T I - D E V I D A S I
1 9 8 0 )
- P L A T E 1 2 1
LORD KRSNA

trd Brahma prays, "I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is adept at playing on His
fute, whose eyes are like the petals of a blooming lotus, whose head is bedecked with peacock
feathers, whose beauty is tinged with the hue of blue clouds, and whose unique loveliness charms millions
of Cupids. "
Lord
S
iva prays, "The Lord's beauty resembles a dark cloud during the rainy season. As the rainfall
glistens, His bodily features also glisten. Indeed, He is the sum total of all beauty. The Lord is
superexcellently beautiful on account of His open and merciful smile and His sidelong glances upon His
devotees. His black hair is curly, and His garments, waving in the wind, appear like flying saffron pollen
from lotus flowers. The Lord has shoulders just l ike a lion's, upon which rest garlands, as well as necklaces
that are always glittering. On the dark chest of the Lord are streaks named
S
rivatsa, which are signs of the
#
goddess of fortune. The glittering of these streaks excels the beauty of the golden streaks on a goldtesting
stone. Indeed, such beauty defeats a goldtesting stone.
"My dear Lord, Your two feet are so beautiful that they appear like two petals of a lotus blossoming
during the autumn season. Indeed, the nails of Your lotus feet emanate such a great effulgence that it
immediately dissipates all the darkness in the heart of a conditioned soul. My dear Lord, kindly show me
that form of Yours which always dissipates all kinds of darkness in the heart of a devotee. You are the
supreme spiritual master of everyone, my Lord, and therefore all conditioned souls covered with the
darkness of ignorance can be enlightened by You as the spiritual master."
Srila Prabhupada comments, "The beauty of the lotus feet of the Lord is compared to the petals of
a lotus fower that grows in the autumn season. By nature's law, in autumn the dirty or muddy waters of
rivers and lakes become very clean. At that time the lotus flowers growing in the lakes appear very bright
and beautiful. The lotus flower itself is compared to the lotus feet of the Lord, and the petals are compared
to the nails of the feet of the Lord. The nails of the feet of the Lord are very bright, as Brahmasarhita
testifes. Every limb of the transcendental body of the Lord is anandacinmayasaujjvala. Thus every limb
is eternally bright. As sunshine dissipates the darkness of this material world, so the efulgence emanating
from the body of the Lord immediately dries up the darkness in the heart of the conditioned soul. In other
words, everyone serious about understanding the transcendental science and seeing the transcendental
form of the Lord must frst of all attempt to see the lotus feet of the Lord by studying the Frst and Second
Cantos of Sri mad Bhagavatam. When one sees the lotus feet of the Lord, all kinds of doubts and fears within
the heart are vanquished."
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R T I - D E V i D A S i
( 1 9 8 5 )
P L A T E 1 2 2
THE ALL, ATTRCTIVE COUPLE
K
f$1a, who is also known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful,
spiritual body. He is the origin of all, but He has no origin, for He is the prime cause of all
causes. The very name KnDa means that He attracts even Cupid. He is therefore attractive to every living
entity-whether male or female, moving or inert. Indeed, Kr$1fa is known as the allattracdve one.
Radha is the one who gives pleasure to Govinda, and She is also the enchantress of Govinda. She
is the beall and endall of Govinda, and the crest jewel ,of all His consorts. The transcenden-tal goddess
S
rimati Radharal).i is the direc_ counterpart of Lord S
ri Kr$1fa. She is the central fgure of all the goddesses
of fortune. She possesses all the attractiveness to attract the allattractive Personality of Godhead. She
is the primeval internal potency of the Lord. Radha is the paramadevati, the supreme goddess, and She
is worshipble for everyone. She is the protectress of all, and She is the mother of the entire universe.
The supreme ecstasy of
S
rimati Radharal.i is the essence of spiritual life. Her only desire is to fulfll
the desires of Kr$ifa. In pure ecstatic love for Him, She spoke the following to Her go pi friends: ''I do not
mind My personal distress. I wish only for the happiness ofKr$1a, for His happiness is the goal of My life.
However, if He feels great happiness in giving Me distress, that distress is the best of My happiness. Kr$1a
is My life and soul. Kr$1a is the treasure of My life. Indeed, Krlfa is the very life of My life. I therefore keep
Him always in My heart and try to please Him by rendering service. That is My constant meditation."
P A I N T I N G B Y Y I $ N U D A S A
( 1 9 9 0 )
P L A T E 1 2 3
. RDHA AND KR$NA ENJOY
TOGETHER ON THE YAMUNA'S SHORE
fter performing wonderfl pastimes in the Yamuna River with
S
rimati Radharati and His
other beloved gop is, Lord Krtta came out onto the shore, taking all the gopis with Him. Then
the gopis who had stayed on the riverbank rendered service by massaging the other gpis and Krtta with
scented oil and smearing paste of amalaki fruit on their bodies.
Next they all bathed again, and after putting on dry clothing they went to a small jeweled house,
where the gopi Yrnda arranged to dress them in forest cl
o
thing by decorating them with fragrant flowers,
green leaves, and all kinds of other ornaments.
In Yrndavana the trees and creepers are wonderful because throughout the entire year they produce
unlimited varieties of fruits and flowers. The gopis and maidse
-
rvants in the bowers of Vrndavana picked
these fruits and flowers and brought them before Radha and Krta. The gopis peeled all the fuits and
placed them together on large plates on a platform in the j eweled cottage. They arranged the fruit in
orderly rows for eating, and in front of it they made a place to sit. Among the fuits were many varieties
of coconut and mango, as well as bananas, berries, j ackfruits, dates, tangerines, oranges, blackberries,
grapes, almonds, and various dried fruits. There were also cantaloupes, palmfruits, bel, pilu, pomegranate,
and many others. Some of these fruits are occasionally available in other places, but in Yrndavana they
are always available in so many infinite varieties that no one can fully describe them.
At home
Srimati Radharatti had made various sweetmeats from milk and sugar, and then She had
brought them all for Krla. Now these sweets were also presented before the divine couple, Radha and
Krta. When Krtta saw the very nice arrangement of food, He happily sat down and had a forest picnic.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N I - D E V I D A S i
( 1 9 7 5 )
P L A T E 1 2 4
RADHA AND KRSNA ON A SWING
M
R
dha is the one wo gives pleasure to Govinda, and She is also the enchantress of Govinda.
She . is the be,all and end,all of Govinda, and the crest jewel of all His consorts. The
transcendental goddess
Srimati Radharali is the direct counterpart of Lord
S
ri Kr$l)a. She is the central
fgure for all
.
the goddesses of fortune. She possesses all the attractiveness to attract the all,attractive
Personality of Godhead, for She is the primeval internal potency of the Lord .
.
Srila Rupa Gosvami prays, "0 queen whose fair limbs are more splendid than pure gold, 0 queen
whose eyes are as charming as a doe's, 0 queen whose face defeats mill ions of moons, 0 queen dressed in

garments as dark as monsoon clouds, 0 teacher of the intelligent, expertgopis, 0 queen elaborately decorated
with a host of transcendental virtues, 0 queen accompanied by Your eight very dear friends, 0 queen who
arouses Lord Kf$l)a's amorous desires with the waves of Your restless sidelong glances, 0 queen of
Vrndavana, I bow down to You and, rolling about on the Yamuna's shore, pray that even though I have
committed many offenses, even though I am unqualifed, and even though my intelligence is crooked, You
may please give me a small particle of Your devotional service. Because the fresh butter of Your heart is
always melting in the splendor of Your transcendental mercy, it is not proper for You to neglect this
anguished person."
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A D A S A - A B H I R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 8 2 )
m
P L A T E 1 2 5
RDHA AND KRSNA,
THE DIVINE COUPLE
A
.
S
rila Narottama dasa Thakura, a great Vail)ava spiritual master of the sixteenth century,
sings, "The divine couple,
S
ri
S
ri Radha and Krr, are my life and soul. In life or death I have
no other refuge but Them. In a forest of small kaamba trees on the bank of the Yamuna, I will seat the
divine couple on a throne made of brilliant jewels. I will anoint Their dark and fair forms with sandalwood
paste scented with cuya, and I wlll fan Them with a cimara whisk. Oh, when will I behold Their moonlike
faces?
"After stringing together garlands ofmilati fowers, 1 will place them around Their necks, and I will
offer tambulascented with camphor to Their lotus mouths. With the permission of all the sakhis , headed
by Lalita and Visakha, I will serve the lotus feet of Radha and Krrta.
"N arottama dasa, the servant of the servant of
S
ri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, longs for this service to
the divine couple."
P A I N T I N G B Y P A R l K $ 1 T D A S A
( 1 9 7 9 )
P L A T E 1 2 6
RADHA AND KRSNA
M M M
AND THE EIGHT CHIEF GO PIS
I
n the Brahma-samhiti, Lord Brahma states, "I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who
resides in His own realm, Goloka, with Radha, who resembles His own spiritual fgure and
who embodies the ecstatic potency hlini . Their companions are Her confdantes, who embody exten
sions of Her bodily form and who are imbued and permeated with ever-bl issful spiritual rasa. " The gopis
assist Radha and KrDa in Their transcendental pastimes, expertly using their talents to increase the
divine couple's spiritual pleasure.
S
rila Rupa Gosvami glorifes the divine couple as follows in his Stava-mali: "0 KrIfa, You have
placed the flute to Your lips to sing the glories of Srimati Radharali, who is the best of the gopis , who are
alr personifcations of prema. 0 Radha, Your tongue is expert at relishing transcendental mellows by
singing the glories ofMukunda, who delights the whole universe. 0 KrIfa, the swan of the mind ofRadha,
the crest-jewel of all the gopis of Vraj a, is enchanted by the sweet beauty of the lotuses of Your eyes. 0
Radha, You are expert at catching the king of fshes ( the mind of
S
ri KrDa) in the net of Your sidelong
glances. 0 KrIfa, the sound of Your flute is the Agastya Muni who drinks the ocean of the composure of
S
rimati Radharali. 0 Radha, the deer of the mind ofKrIfa, who enchants the entire world, is enchanted
by the glorious song You play on your vili. 0 Radha
.
and KrIa, since the lakes of Your hearts are always
being flled by the giant waterfalls of the nectar of Your intense mercy, please show mercy to this rascal
and grant him just a hint of love for You, which will guarantee his seeing You in the future. "
P A I N T I N G B Y M U R A L I D H A R A D A S A
( 1 9 8 4 )
P L A T E 1 2 7
THE GO PIS OVERWHELMED
BY KRSNA'S FLUTESONG

T
he moon rose, anointing the face of the eastern horizon with the reddish hue of his
comforting rays and thus dispelling the pain of all who watched him rise. The moon was like
a beloved husband who returs home after a long absence and adorns the face of his beloved wife with
red kurkuma.
When the young women ofVrndavana heard Krr:a's fute,song, which arouses romantic feelings,
their minds were captivated by the Lord. They went to where their lover waited, each unknown to the
others, moving so quickly that their earrings swung back and forth.
Some gopis had been milking cows when they heard Krr:a's fute. They stopped milking and went
off to meet Him. Some left milk curdling on the stove, and others left cakes burning in the oven. Some
of the gopis were getting dressed, feeding milk to their infants, or rendering personal service to their
husbands, but they all gave up these duties and went to meet Krra. Other gopis were taking their evening
meals, washing themselves, putting on cosmetics, or applying black ointment to their eyes. But all the
gopis stopped these activities at once, and though their clothes and ornaments were in complete disarray,
they rushed off to Krr:a.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 8 5 )
P L A T E 1 2 8
KRSNA AND THE GO PIS
M M M
ENJOY PASTIMES IN A BOAT
trd KrI.a saw the unbroken disk of the full moon glowing with the red effulgence of newly
applied vermilion, as if it were the face of the goddess of fortune. He also saw the kumud
lotuses opening in response to the moon's presence and the forest gently illumined by its rays. Thus the
Lord began to play sweetly on His flute, attracting the minds of the doeeyed go pis.
When the young women of Vrndavana heard KrI.a's flutesong, which arouses romantic feelings,
their minds were captivated by the Lord, and they went to where their lover waited.
Among the assembled gopis, the infallible Lord Kr$Ia appeared just like the moon surrounded by
stars. He whose activities are so magnanimous made their faces blossom with His affectionate glances, and
His broad smiles revealed the effulgence of His jasmine bud teeth.
KrI.a sang the glories of the autumn moon, the moonshine, and the lotusfilled river, while the gopis
simply sang His name repeatedly.
P A I N T I N G B Y D H R T I - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 8 2 )
P L A T E 1 2 9
KRSNA AND THE GO PIS
M M
MEET FOR THE RSA DANCE
I
n their previous births,

during Lord Ramacandra's advent, some of the gopis who gathered for
the rasa dance were Vedic scholars who desired the association of Lord Ramacandra in
conjugal love. He gave them the benediction that they would be present for the advent of Lord KrI)a and
that He would fulfll their desires. During KrI)a's advent, the Vedic scholars took birth in the shape of
gopis in Vrndava
n
a. As young gopis , they got the associatioi ofKrI).a in fulfllment of their previous births'
desire. The ultimate goal of their perfect desire was attained, and they were so j oyous that they had nothing
:
.
further to desire.
When the gopis had KrI)a in their company, all their grief caused by His absence was relieved. Fully
satisfed in His company, they spread their fne linen cloths on the ground for Him to sit on. KrI).a was
their life and soul, and they carefully arranged a very comfortable seat for him.
Sittmg on the seat among the go pis, KrI).a became even more beautiful. Great yogis like Lord Siva,
Lord Brahma, and Lord
S
ea always try to fx their attention upon KrI).a in their hearts, but here the gopis
actually saw KrI).a seated before .hem on their cloths. In the society of thegopis , KrIa looked very beautiful.
They were the most beautiful damsels within the three worlds, and they assembled around KrI).a.
P A I N T I N G B Y R A M A D A S A - A B H I R A M A D A S A
( 1 9 8 6 )
THE GO PIS IMITATE
KRSNA' S PASTIMES
M
K
fl)a disappeared from the arena of the rasa dance because the gopis became a little proud. As
the cowherd girls remembered Lord Krl).a in His absence, their hearts were overwhelmed by
His movements and loving smiles, His playful glances and enchanting talks, and by the many other
pastimes He had enjoyed with them. Thus absorbed in thoughts of Krg1a, the gopis began acting out His
various transcendental pastimes. Because the go pis were absorbed in thoughts of their beloved Krl).a, their
bodies imitated His way of moving and smiling, His way of beholding them, His speech, and His other
distinctive features.
The gopis asked the creatures in Vrndavana forest where they could find Krl.a. Then, distraught
in separation from Him, they began to imitate His pastimes. One gopi imitated Putana, while another
acted like infant Krl).a and pretended to suck her breast. Another gopi , crying in imitation of infant Krl).a,
kicked a go pi who was taking the role of the cart demon. One go pi assumed the role ofT fl).avarta and carried
away another, who was acting like infant Krl.a, while yet another gopi crawled about, her ankle bells
tinkling as she pulled her feet.
Two gopis acted like KrDa and Balarama in the midst of several others, who took the role of cowherd
boys. One gopi enacted KrDa's killing of the demon Vatsasura, represented by another gopi, and a pair of
gopis acted out the killing of Bakasura.
When one gopi perfectly imitated how Krl)a would call the cows who had wandered far away, how
He would play His flute, and how He would engage in various sports, the others congratulated her with
exclamations of "Well done! Well done! "
Another go pi, her mind fixed on Krl).a,. walked about with her arm resting on the shoulder of a friend
and declared, "I am Krl).a! Just see how gracefully I move! "
"Don't be afraid of the wind and rain," said one gopi. "I will save you." And with that she lifted her
shawl above her head, enacting Lord KrDa's pastime of lifting Govardhana Hill.
One go pi climbed onto another's shoulders, and putting her foot on the other's head, said, "Go away
from here, 0 wicked snake! You should know that I have taken birth in this world just to punish
the envious."
Then another gopi spoke up: "My dear cowherd boys, look at this raging forest fire! Quickly close
your eyes and I will easily protect you."
One gopi bound her slender companion with a flower garland and said, "Now I will bind this boy
who has broken the butter pots and stolen the butter." The second gop! then covered her face and beautiful
eyes, pretending to be afraid.
When the gopis were thus imitating KrDa's pastimes and asking Vrndavana's creepers and trees
where Krl)a, the Supreme Soul, might be, they happened to see His footprints in a corner of the forest.
P A I N T I N G B Y J A D U R A N I - D E V I D A S I
( I 9 8 5 )
P L A T E 1 3 1
RADHAKRSNA SUPEREXCELLENT

W
hen Krca left the arena of the rasa dance, He took
S
rimati Radharacyi with Him to a secluded
comer of the Vrndavana forest. There She worshiped Him with great love and devotion.
Meanwhile, as the gopzs searched for Krca in the forest, they suddenly came upon His footprints.
One gopz said, "The marks of a flag, lotus, thunderbolt, elephant goad, barleycorn, and so forth on these
footprints clearly distinguish them as belonging to that great soul, the son of Nanda Ma

aja."
The gopzs began following Krca's path, as shown by His many footprints, but when they saw that
these prints were thoroughly intermixed with those of His dearmost consort,
S
rimati Radharaci, they
became perturbed and spoke as follows: "Here we see the footprints of some gopz who must have been
walking along with the son of Nanda Maharaj a. He must have put His arm on Her shoulder, just as an
elephant rests His trunk on the shoulder of an accompanying she,elephant. Certainly this particular gopz
has perfectly worshiped the all,powerful Personality of Godhead, Govinda, since He was so pleased with
Her that He abandoned the rest of us and brought Her to a secluded place, where He is now enjoying
pastimes with Her."
P A I N T I N G B Y M U R A L I D H A R A D A S A
( 1 9 8 0 )
P L A T E 1 3 1
RADHA KRSNA SUPEREXCELLENT
W M
W
hen Krlfa left the arena of the rasa dance, He took Sr1mat1 Radhara1)1 with Him to a secluded
-
corner of the Vrndavana forest. There She worshiped Him with great love and devotion.
Meanwhile, as the gopzs searched for Krlfa in the forest, they suddenly came upon His footprints.
One gopz said, "The marks of a fag, lotus, thunderbolt, elephant goad, barleycorn, and so forth on these
footprints clearly distinguish them as belonging to that great soul, the son of Nanda Maharaj a."
The gopis began following Krlfa's path, as shown by His many footprints, but when they saw that
these prints were thoroughly intermixed with those of His dearmost consort, Srimat1 Radharal)i, they
became perturbed and
.
spoke as follows: "Here we see the footprints of some gopz who must have been
walking along with the son of Nanda Maharaja. He must have put His arm on Her shoulder, just as an
elephant rests His trunk on the shoulder of an accompanying she,elephant. Certainly this particular gopi
has perfectly worshiped the all,powerful Personality of Godhead, Govinda, since He was so pleased with
Her that He abandoned the rest of us and brought Her to a secluded place, where He is now enjoying
pastimes with Her."
P A I N T I N G B Y M U R A L I D H A R A D A S A
( 1 9 8 0 )
P L A T E 1 3 3
TE GO PIS COMFORT RADHARANI

W
hen
S
ri Krra suddenly disappeared from the arena of the rasa dance, the go pis '
.
their minds
fully absorbed in thoughts of Him, began looking for Him in the various forests. From the
moving and nonmoving creatures they asked for news of Krrta's whereabouts. fnally they became so
distraught that they began imitating His pastimes.
Later, while wandering in a corner of the forest, thegopis saw
S
ri Krra's footprints, which appeared
to be mixed with Srimati Radharari's. Seeing these footprints perturbed them greatly, and they declared
that surely
S
rimati Radharari must have worshiped Krra with unusual excellence, since she had been
privileged to associate with Him in seclusion. Further along the path, the gopis came to a place where they
could no longer see
S
rimati Radharar:i's footprints. They then concluded that Krra must have taken
Radharari onto His shoulders. In another place they noticed that Krra's footprints were showing only
the toes, and thus the gopis concluded that He had been picking flowers with which to decorate His
beloved. In yet another spot the gopis saw signs that led them to imagine that
S
ri Krr:a had been tying
the locks of
S
rimati Radharari's hair. All these thoughts brought pain to the gopis' minds.
Because of the special attention She received from Krra,
S
ri Radha began to consider Herself the
most forqmate of women. She told Him that she could walk no further and that He would have to carry
Her on His shoulders. But j ust then Lord Krra disappeared from Her sight. Srimati Radharari, extremely
troubled, then began looking everywhere for Him, and when She fnally met Her gopi girlfriends, She
related to them what had happened.
While continuing to search out Krra's path, the gop is discovered their unhappy friend close by. She
was bewildered by separation from Her lover. She told them how Krra had given Her much respect, but
how She then sufered dishonor because of Her misbehavior.
In search of Krra, the gopis then entered the depths of the forest as far as the light of the moon
shone. But when they found themselves engulfed in darkness, they decided to turn back.
P A I N T I N G B Y D I R G H A - D E V I D A S I
( 1 9 8 5 )