Cowherd men (CC)

Expressions researched:
"cowherd man" |"cowherd men" |"cowherds man" |"cowherds men"

CC Adi-lila

People generally consider cowherd men lowly members of society, but herein Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirms that they are so pious that in their next lives they are going to be brāhmaṇas.

CC Adi 17.111, Translation and Purport:

"In My last birth I was born in the family of cowherd men, and I gave protection to the calves and cows. Because of such pious activities, I have now become the son of a brāhmaṇa."

The words of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the greatest authority, herein clearly indicate that one becomes pious simply by keeping cows and protecting them. Unfortunately, people have become such rascals that they do not even care about the words of an authority. People generally consider cowherd men lowly members of society, but herein Caitanya Mahāprabhu confirms that they are so pious that in their next lives they are going to be brāhmaṇas. The caste system has a specific purpose. If this scientific system is followed, human society will get the greatest benefit. Heeding this instruction by the Lord, people should serve cows and calves and in return get ample quantities of milk. There is no loss in serving the cows and calves, but modern human society has become so degraded that instead of giving protection to the cows and serving them, people are killing them. How can they expect peace and prosperity in human society while committing such sinful activities? It is impossible.

CC Madhya-lila

CC Madhya 2.55, Translation:

When coming from the Jagannātha temple to return to His house, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu used to sit on the ground and mark it with His nails. At such times He would be greatly morose and would cry, "Alas, where is Vṛndāvana? Where is Kṛṣṇa, the son of the King of the cowherd men? Where is that person who plays the flute?"

Formerly, at the end of Dvāpara-yuga, all the cowherd men of Vṛndāvana had arranged to worship King Indra, but they gave this worship up, following the advice of Kṛṣṇa.

CC Madhya 4.86, Translation and Purport:

Seeing the influence of Mādhavendra Purī, all the people gathered there were struck with wonder. They saw that the Annakūṭa ceremony, which had been performed before during the time of Kṛṣṇa, was now taking place again by the mercy of Śrī Mādhavendra Purī.

Formerly, at the end of Dvāpara-yuga, all the cowherd men of Vṛndāvana had arranged to worship King Indra, but they gave this worship up, following the advice of Kṛṣṇa. Instead, they performed a ceremony whereby they worshiped the cows, brāhmaṇas and Govardhana Hill. At that time Kṛṣṇa expanded Himself and declared, "I am Govardhana Hill." In this way He accepted all the paraphernalia and food offered to Govardhana Hill. It is stated in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 10.24.26), (SB 10.24.31), (SB 10.24.32-33):

pacyantāṁ vividhāḥ pākāḥ sūpāntāḥ pāyasādayaḥ

saṁyāvā-pūpa-śaṣkulyaḥ sarva-dohaś ca gṛhyatām

kālātmanā bhagavatā śakra-darpaṁ jighāṁsatā

proktaṁ niśamya nandādyāḥ sādhv agṛhṇanta tad-vacaḥ

tathā ca vyadadhuḥ sarvaṁ yathāha madhusūdanaḥ

vācayitvā svasty-ayanaṁ tad-dravyeṇa giri-dvijān

upahṛtya balīn sarvān ādṛtā yavasaṁ gavām

go-dhanāni puras-kṛtya giriṁ cakruḥ pradakṣiṇam

“"Prepare very nice foods of all descriptions from the grains and ghee collected for the yajña. Prepare rice, dhal, then halavah, pakorā, purī and all kinds of milk preparations like sweet rice, sweetballs, sandeśa, rasagullā and lāḍḍu."

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, therefore advised the cowherd men to stop the Indra-yajña and begin the Govardhana-pūjā to chastise Indra, who was very much puffed up at being the supreme controller of the heavenly planets. The honest and simple cowherd men, headed by Nanda Mahārāja, accepted Kṛṣṇa's proposal and executed in detail everything He advised. They performed Govardhana worship and circumambulation of the hill. According to the instruction of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Nanda Mahārāja and the cowherd men called in learned brāhmaṇas and began to worship Govardhana Hill by chanting Vedic hymns and offering prasādam. The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana assembled together, decorated their cows and gave them grass. Keeping the cows in front, they began to circumambulate Govardhana Hill."

CC Madhya 6.149, Translation:

“"How greatly fortunate are Nanda Mahārāja, the cowherd men and all the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi! There is no limit to their fortune, because the Absolute Truth, the source of transcendental bliss, the eternal Supreme Brahman, has become their friend.""

Kṛṣṇa's friends are headed by Śrīdāmā, Subala and others. There are also elderly gopīs and the cowherd men, headed by Nanda Mahārāja, mother Yaśodā and others.

CC Madhya 8.224, Purport:

In the Goloka Vṛndāvana planet, Kṛṣṇa's servants are headed by Raktaka and Patraka. Kṛṣṇa's friends are headed by Śrīdāmā, Subala and others. There are also elderly gopīs and the cowherd men, headed by Nanda Mahārāja, mother Yaśodā and others. All of these personalities are eternally engaged in the loving service of the Lord in accordance with their specific attachments for Kṛṣṇa. One who wants to return home to serve the Lord directly may be attracted to Kṛṣṇa as a servant, friend, father or mother. If a person continuously serves Kṛṣṇa during this life in a particular ecstasy, upon giving up the material body he attains a spiritual body suitable for serving Kṛṣṇa in terms of his particular attachment. One may serve as a servant, friend, father or mother. In the same way, one who wants to serve Kṛṣṇa in conjugal love can attain a body under the guidance of the gopīs. In this connection, the most vivid example is provided by those saintly personalities known as the śrutis, who represent the Upaniṣads. The śrutis understood that without serving Kṛṣṇa and following in the footsteps of the gopīs there would be no possibility of their entering the kingdom of God and serving Kṛṣṇa in the mood of conjugal love. Therefore they engaged in spontaneous loving service unto Kṛṣṇa and followed in the footsteps of the gopīs.

Madhya 8.224

CC Madhya 15.241, Translation:

“In Vṛndāvana You also have Your father's elder brothers, Your father's younger brothers, maternal uncles, husbands of Your father's sisters and many cowherd men. There are also cowherd boyfriends, and You eat twice a day, morning and evening, in the house of each and every one."

CC Madhya 17.197, Translation:

It was only with great difficulty that the cowherd men were able to keep the cows back. Then when the Lord chanted, all the deer heard His sweet voice and approached Him.

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that a devotee is attracted by the service of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana—namely the cowherd men, Mahārāja Nanda, mother Yaśodā, Rādhārāṇī, the gopīs and the cows and calves.

CC Madhya 22.153, Purport:

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that a devotee is attracted by the service of the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana—namely the cowherd men, Mahārāja Nanda, mother Yaśodā, Rādhārāṇī, the gopīs and the cows and calves. An advanced devotee is attracted by the service rendered by an eternal servitor of the Lord. This attraction is called spontaneous attraction. Technically it is called svarūpa-upalabdhi. This stage is not achieved in the beginning. In the beginning one has to render service strictly according to the regulative principles set forth by the revealed scriptures and the spiritual master. By continuously rendering service through the process of vaidhī bhakti, one's natural inclination is gradually awakened. That is called spontaneous attraction, or rāgānugā bhakti.

CC Antya-lila

CC Antya 5.137, Translation:

“(Lord Indra said:) ‘This Kṛṣṇa, who is an ordinary human being, is talkative, childish, impudent and ignorant, although He thinks Himself very learned. The cowherd men in Vṛndāvana have offended me by accepting Him. This has not been greatly appreciated by me."