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Mohana bhoga lagAo...

From the Bhakti List Archives

M. Tandy • November 29, 1998 


On Sat, 28 Nov 1998 bhakti-errors@lists.best.com wrote:
	Namas te VaiSNavas,

> >Aao Bhog Lagaao Mere Mohan...
>
> this reminds me of a system of thought which has roots in chaitanya
> sampradaya,  known by its originator, sri kripalu maharaj, who insists on
> offering food to lord Krishna using such prayers as the one quoted here.  I
> witnessed the sanyasin of that order offering food with great affection
> mentioning that "O lord Krishna, I dont have the bhakti in you like how
> shabari etc. had.   Neither do I have enemity such as putana who wanted to
> poision you.  hende, since, I have come here with very little bhakti and
> whatever food I could prepare with items earned by just means, please come
> and accept my humble offerings.... please do so....even from such a low
> undeserving person as myself.  

	Taking this que, allow me to quote the following verse from ZrIla
RUpa GosvAmI's anthology PadyAvalI. I'm not sure who the original author
was, but there at any rate are many similar poems:

	dvija-strINAM bhakte mRduni vidurAnne vraja-gavAM       
        dadhi-kSIre sakhyuH sphuTa-cipita-muSTau mura-ripo
        yazodAyAH stanye vraja-yuvati-datte madhuni te
        yathAsId Amodas tam imam upahAre 'pi kurutAm
 
        "O Lord Mura-ripu, just as you delighted in the succulent meals
offered by the yajJika brAhmaNas' wives, the foodstuffs of Vidura, the
dairy products of Your cows in Vraja, the puffed rice in the fist of Your
friend (SudAmA), the breast-milk of Your mother Yashoda, and the sweets
given to You by the young girls in Vraja, so I hope You will accept even
this offering."

	As regards the humility with which such an offering should be
made, RUpa's elder brother SanAtana prayed as follows:

	 na premA zraNAdi-bhaktir api vA yogo 'thavA vaiSNavo       
        jJAnaM vA zubha-karma vA kiyad aho saj-jAtir apy asti vA /
        hInArthAdhika-sAdhake tvayi tathApy accheda-mUlA sati
        he gopI-jana-vallabha vyathayate hA hA madAzaiva mAm //
 
        "I am poor in love of Godhead, and I have no asset for hearing
about devotional service. Nor do I have any understanding of the science
of devotional service, nor any cultivation of knowledge, nor any righteous
activities to my credit. I am not even born in a high family. Nonetheless,
O darling of the damsels of Vraja, I still maintain hopes of achieving
You, and these hopes are always disturbing me."	

	Finally, since three is a more auspicious number, here's another
one, which should clarify anyone's doubts about what bhoga to offer the
chuffed and gloating son of Yashoda:

	prati-bhavanam upetyAbhIra-rAmaikSaNAnAM      
        abhinava-navanItaM vittam apy AdadAnaH
        kavalayati balenAlokitAH sAvahelaM
        hasati madhura-mandaM nanda-bAlaH sa-khelaH
 
        "Having gone to each and every house of the cowherd women,
        He pilfered their wealth of freshly churned butter.
        Now He eats it voraciously, and when seen doing so by Balabhadra,
	Nanda's boy softly, sweetly chuckles, in sport, and without any
	concern whatsoever."
 

	MT