A Playful Fall
BY: TAMOHARADASA (ACBSP)
Mar 15, MONTREAL, CANADA (SUN) — The question of the fall of the jiva from Goloka is moot. Srila Prabhupada has stated
that that is the case. There is no question. After all, it is BACK to Godhead, not TO
Godhead. There are so many proofs, that any Prabhupadanuga can reach another conclusion is beyond me, frankly. However, some do not understand how the jiva, in such a blissful situation as residing in Vrndavana, can become envious and depart that realm.
I will attempt to explain using a story, (this story taken from Mahanidhi Maharajah's book of excerpts, from sastra and sadhu, glorifying Sri Vrndavana dhama):
One day, in a mood of blissful enjoyment, Lord Baladeva asked Lord Krsna if he could
Himself be Krsna for just one day! Lord Krsna agreed, and consequently gave Balaramaji
His flute and peacock feather, which Baladeva happily accepted. He then went off dancing joyfully, playing the flute.
Meanwhile, back at King Kamsa's palace, he was entertaining the Kesi demon. Kesi was
asked to go to Vrndavana. There, he should seek out a beautiful young boy playing the
flute and wearing a peacock feather upon his head. Kesi agreed, and immediately set out
in the form of a gigantic horse. When he reached Vrndavana, he saw Balarama dancing and playing beautifully upon Krsna flute, and taking Him to be Krsna, proceeded to deliver an earth-shaking kick from his hind hooves, striking Balaramaji squarely upon His chest, this in turn sending the Lord tumbling and flying for a great distance through the fields and forest from the powerful blow.
Baladeva was shocked and somewhat stunned from the force, and arose with
a sore chest and feeling pain from the places where he landed while tumbling. He returned to the village, and there he saw Rohini, His dear mother, who took Him upon her lap with loving parental affection for His well being. At this point, Balaramaji exclaimed that He did not want to be Krsna anymore! Krsna's flute and feather were returned, and He promptly went to find Kesi, and killed him.
Of particular interest is the innocent vulnerability and sensitivity displayed by our
Lord Balarama, features most endearing to his devotees, and somewhat in contrast to our
usual mood of seeing Him as Haladhara, the mighty holder of the plow. He becomes like a small boy in the arms of His dear parents, a mood preferred by our lords over that of awe or reverence and display of power.
Hence my thesis: that as the source of all us jivas, Balaramaji, in a mood of
playfulness, accepted the position of Krsna for a day. Similarly, I suggest that the
jivas can fall down in a mood not necessarily of envious separatist mentality, but in a
blissful mood of adventure! Like skaters venturing too far out on thin ice, they may
sometimes fall through the ice, having not paid attention to or disregarded the danger
potential. Similarly the jives fall in a mood of playful adventure and
inattentiveness, not one of anger or hatred, etc., or of any grievous offense to the
Lord.
