Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


The gopis gave the dust of their feet for curing Krsna's headache

Expressions researched:
"Krsna sometimes became sick" |"Krsna pretended that He was sick" |"Krsna sometimes pretended to be sick" |"curing Krsna's headache"

Notes from the compiler: Search query: "dust feet cur*"@12

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Just like Kṛṣṇa sometimes became sick. So, in Dvārakā so many physicians came; nobody could cure Him. Then Kṛṣṇa suggested His own medicine, that "If some of my devotees will give the dust of his feet on My head, then I'll be cured."
Lecture on SB 1.8.48 -- Mayapura, October 28, 1974: Where is the difficulty to understand that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa? Īśāvāsyam idaṁ sarvam: [Īśo mantra 1] "Everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa."

So this is knowledge. This is knowledge. And when you come to the right knowledge, after many, many births... Even Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira... Of course, he is playing the part of ordinary man, pious man. Pious man is also not perfect. Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja should have thought like this, that "Yes, this body does not belong to me, but it belongs to Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa desired that with this body there must be fighting for His satisfaction." So Arjuna thought like that. Arjuna thought like that. Therefore Arjuna is higher grade devotee than Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja. Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja has got personal consideration. When Kṛṣṇa advised him that "You go to Droṇācārya and speak this lie, that his son Aśvatthāmā is dead, otherwise he'll not die. You go and speak," so he hesitated. He said, "How is that? I never spoke lie. How can I go and say him the lie?" So this personal consideration is there, that "If I speak lies, then I will be sinful, and I'll be punished and so on, so on." But a devotee does not think like that. "Maybe it is sinful, but it will satisfy Kṛṣṇa; I must do it." This is devotee's decision.

Just like Kṛṣṇa sometimes became sick. So, in Dvārakā... You have seen that play in Bombay. And so many physicians came; nobody could cure Him. Then Kṛṣṇa suggested His own medicine, that "If some of my devotees will give the dust of his feet on My head, then I'll be cured." So the first devotee, Nārada and others, everywhere, it was approached that "Give your dust of feet. Kṛṣṇa is suffering." "No, no, no. How can I give my dust of feet? Kṛṣṇa is Supreme Personality of Godhead." But when the gopīs were approached, when they heard that Kṛṣṇa is sick, and He's in urgently necessity of the dust of His devotees' feet, so immediately they began to give: "Take it, take it immediately. Immediately." They did not consider that "Giving the dust of my feet to Kṛṣṇa, I shall go to hell." "Never mind, I shall go to hell; it doesn't matter, but let Kṛṣṇa be cured." That is first consideration.

So this is the topmost devotee, prepared to do anything without any consideration. That is pure devotee. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam [Brs. 1.1.11]. There should be no personal desire. That should be zero. Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anā... Simply one should try to please Kṛṣṇa. There is no other consideration. Only to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. That is pure bhakti.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

Just like Kṛṣṇa pretended that He was sick, and many physicians came. He said, "No physician cured Me. If some devotee gives Me the dust of his feet on My head, then I can be cured."
The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, December 26, 1972: So the point is that superficially it may appear sometimes against the social and religious rules and regulations, but if it is done for Kṛṣṇa, ānukūlyena... Bhakti means ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanam [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. Kṛṣṇa should be satisfied. That is... It doesn't matter. Kṛṣṇa should be satisfied. Just like Kṛṣṇa pretended that He was sick, and many physicians came. He said, "No physician cured Me. If some devotee gives Me the dust of his feet on My head, then I can be cured." So all devotees were asked, and nobody... "Oh! How can I give? My dust on the head of Kṛṣṇa? How it is possible?" Nobody prepared. Then Kṛṣṇa asked that "Go to Vṛndāvana. Just ask the gopīs if they can give. They are My best friends. If they are prepared? Oh, I am very much suffering from headache." So nobody was prepared to go... As soon as gopīs were approached: "Oh, Kṛṣṇa is sick. They want, oh, dust of...?" Immediately: "Please take. Please take." She did not care that "We are going to hell by offering our dust of feet on the head of Kṛṣṇa. Never mind. We shall go. Kṛṣṇa will be happy. That's all. Kṛṣṇa will be happy." This is gopī. It doesn't matter the whole world is going to hell, but if Kṛṣṇa is satisfied, a devotee's prepared to do that. That is, that is called uttama bhakti. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā [Cc. Madhya 19.167]. You'll find, this Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. To, not to make business with Kṛṣṇa: "I shall be devotee of Kṛṣṇa provided my everything is all right adjusted. I shall not be sinful. I shall not do this. I shall not do... My family will be kept nicely. This..." All these conditions. Just as people go to Vṛndāvana—all the money distributed. And there are many persons, and the sons and grandsons are all right, that "You send me two hundred rupees per month. And all the two crores of rupees, that is for you. That is for you. That is not for Kṛṣṇa. And simply for my eating, you send me two hundred." There are many in Vṛndāvana. So Kṛṣṇa is also very, that, that "Two crores of rupees you earned, so with hard labor, that is kept for your children. And you have come here with empty hand. And for your food, two hundred rupees." So, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham [Bg. 4.11]. No. The first principle is that one should be prepared to sacrifice any, everything for Kṛṣṇa. Everything. It doesn't matter—my fate, my honor, my money, my prestige. He doesn't care. Kṛṣṇa must be satisfied. Just (like) Arjuna did. Arjuna didn't like to fight, to kill, on the other side his brother, his grandfather. No. But when he understood, "No, Kṛṣṇa wants it. Yes, kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg. 18.73]. That's all right." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. No consideration for anything else. Simply to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. Satisfy Kṛṣṇa, or Kṛṣṇa's representative. The same thing. That is bhakti.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Kṛṣṇa sometimes pretended to be sick. And many physicians came, they could not cure Him, headache. So He suggested that "I think if My devotee gives their dust of foot on My head, then I'll be cured."
Room Conversation with Indian Guests -- March 13, 1975, Tehran:

Prabhupāda: Yes, question, you question something.

Guest: It's just people... For example, could the president of the Coca-Cola company find the way to Kṛṣṇa, to serve Kṛṣṇa?

Prabhupāda: Yes, everyone can serve. Cola company?

Guest: Coca-Cola company.

Prabhupāda: Coca-Cola.

Guest: Somebody that manufactures a product which is basically destructive.

Prabhupāda: No. Coca-Cola company... Of course, we advise... Kṛṣṇa advises, yat karoṣi. It includes Coca-Cola company. But He said yat karoṣi: "Whatever you do." Kṛṣṇa said, "Whatever you do." So that includes all kinds of activities. But will the Coca-Cola company agree to give the profit to Kṛṣṇa? Then he is Kṛṣṇa conscious. The profit he will enjoy for his wine and woman, that's all, not for Kṛṣṇa. That is the difficulty.

Guest: Can the profit of the manufacture of something which is manufactured purely for profit be turned to good?

Prabhupāda: Yes, if he gives to Kṛṣṇa. Just like Arjuna. He fought. He killed. Killing is not good business, but he killed on the advice of Kṛṣṇa, and he became a bhakta by killing. Kṛṣṇa said, bhakto 'si. And what did he do? He killed, that's all. This is an example. Of course, bhakta never kills. Kṛṣṇa... Arjuna was not willing to kill. But when he saw that "Kṛṣṇa wants it, so this is my first business. Never mind I shall go to hell," that is Kṛṣṇa conscious. "By killing my brother I may go to hell. It doesn't matter. But Kṛṣṇa will be satisfied. That is my first business." Kṛṣṇa sometimes pretended to be sick. And many physicians came, they could not cure Him, headache. So He suggested that "I think if My devotee gives their dust of foot on My head, then I'll be cured." Then every devotee was approached that "Give your dust of feet. Kṛṣṇa wants it." Even Nārada. So Nārada said, "How it is possible I shall give my dust of feet to Kṛṣṇa? No, no, no, it is not possible." But when the person, messenger, approached gopīs in Vṛndāvana and they were informed that "Kṛṣṇa is sick. So He wanted the dust of feet of the devotee to be applied on His head. Nobody gave it. So we have come last to you," so immediately: "Yes, yes, take it, take it." Immediately. So so much dust was collected. And Kṛṣṇa was cured. So this is gopīs. Others thought that "If I give the dust of my feet to Kṛṣṇa, I may go to hell," but the gopīs thought, "Let us go to hell, but let Kṛṣṇa be cured." Therefore the gopīs are the first-class devotee. They do not care for themselves. That is recommended by Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Ramyā kācid upāsanā vraja-vadhū-vargabhir ya kalpitāḥ: "The process of worship as it was planned by the gopīs in Vṛndāvana, there is no comparison. That is the highest devotion." They did not care for themself. They simply wanted to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. When Kṛṣṇa was playing flute at dead of night, all the gopīs were flying to Kṛṣṇa. His father, his husband—"Where you are going in this dead of...? Where you are going?" They didn't care. Society, friendship, love—all sacrificed: "We shall go to Kṛṣṇa." This is kṛṣṇa-bhakti. That is the highest perfection of life, to sacrifice everything for Kṛṣṇa. "Only Kṛṣṇa should be satisfied." That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But that is not very easy job. But one can do if he likes, everything for Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says also, sarva-dharmān parityajya [Bg. 18.66]. Gopīs did not care for social, for religious or family and nothing. Sarva-dharmān parityajya. They went: "Kṛṣṇa now is calling. Let us go." This is the typical example of sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ. So, of course, it is not possible to become on the standard of gopīs. That is not possible. But at least we shall try to follow these devotees. Arjuna is there, gopīs are there, Uddhavas are there—many devotees. Lord Brahmā is there. Lord Śiva is there. Kapiladeva is there. The four Kumāras are there. Bhīṣmadeva is there. Prahlāda Mahārāja is there. Janaka Mahārāja is there. Śukadeva Gosvāmī is there. So mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc. Madhya 17.186]. If we simply follow these big, big devotees, then our life is successful.

Correspondence

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Nayanabhirama -- Calcutta 28 January, 1973: Here also in India we are making drama, and at our Bombay Pandal on the last evening we had one drama about Krsna and the gopis in which the gopis gave the dust of their feet for curing Krsna's headache. This was very much appreciated by the audience. So in this way we can present the philosophy of Krsna Consciousness very nicely for everyone to relish.
Page Title:The gopis gave the dust of their feet for curing Krsna's headache
Compiler:Sahadeva
Created:26 of May, 2009
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=2, Con=1, Let=1
No. of Quotes:4