Crying for Krishna

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

Many shastras and sadhus describe the practice of sincerely crying to Bhagavan Sri Krishna for His—mercy, grace, glance, guidance and darshana. To inspire all devotees to humbly lie on the ground, and just cry out to Krishna, we offer the following quotes from sadhus and shastras.

SrimadBhagavatam says:

While the gopis who had gathered were crying for Krishna, the demon fell from the sky onto a big slab of stone, his limbs dislocated, as if he had been pierced by the arrow of Lord Çiva. (SB 10.7.29)

SrilaVisvanathaCakravarti says:

In this verse (SB 11.3.32) describing the symptoms of Krishna prema, the word rudanti means the devotees cry, thinking, “O, another day has passed, and still I could not obtain Krishna. Then what will I do, where will I go, from whom shall I inquire, and who can possibly help me reach Krishna?”

SrilaPrabhupada says:

1. “Because we are part and parcel of Krishna, we are actually crying for Krishna.” (folio 710909SB.LON)

2. In the absence of Krishna the gopés were constantly shedding tears, but sometimes, when they expected that Krishna was coming, they would stop crying. But when they saw that Krishna was not coming, then again they would become frustrated and begin to cry. (Krishna Book, chapter 35)

3. When Krishna left Vrindavana, Radharaniremained simply crying for Krishna. (folio:680504SB.BOS)

4. That is another bliss, to feel separation from Krishna. Everything, either you meet or you separate, the bliss is there. Crying for Krishna is better bliss. (folio: 710206SB.GOR)

5. These phenomena indicate that even the cows and calves in Vrindavana knew how to cry for Krishna and embrace Him heart to heart. Actually, the perfection of Krishna consciousness can be culminated in the shedding of tears from the eyes. (Krishna Book chapter 21)

6. Not that in the meeting I cry, and next moment I am now dry, “I want this, I want that...” But that not crying. (folio: 721228SB.BOM)

7. But one who has once cried in separation for Krishna, that crying will not stopped; it will continue. If you want tocry for Krishna, then no more crying for this material world. Hare Krishna. If you can once learn how to cry for Krishna, then you will no more cry for this material world. That is Vedanta. (Audio C-116 0108)

8. When SrilaPrabhupada came to India in 1971, he visited different homes with his disciples. Arriving in one home, a disciple named Acyutananda asked, “SrilaPrabhupada, What will our program be here?”Prabhupsda replied, “Our program is to cry for Krishna.” (folio: PM 4.6 december)

9. No ritualistic ceremony, no formula, nothing. If your heart is always crying for God, that is perfect religion.  (folio:760605SB.LA)

Sri Bhakti RakshakSridhara Deva Goswami says:

1. Krishna sometimes likes to play hide and seek with the devotees. Sometimes Krishna is clear [visible], and sometimes He is vague [unseen], and sometimes the devotees cry, “Where are You, my Lord? I don’t feel You or see You. How can I continue my life? Without You I can’t live. So charming, so joyous, so fulfillment giving. I can’t live without You, without Your connection.” In this way they wail and cry.

2. Devotee: What should a devotee do when he is continually being attacked by lust, anger and greed?

Srila Guru Maharaja: One should cry for the help of the sadhu; the sadhus are posted from above. So the devotee will cry aloud: “I am going to be plundered! Give me protection! I am prey to all these nasty plunderers, so please protect me from kama, krodha, and lobha (lust, anger and greed)!” (Sermons of Devotion vol. 2)

SrilaAnanta das Babaji says:

1. In his state of great devotional anxiety Sri RaghunathaDasaGoswami constantly showered his own body with streams of tears while he was crying for the audience of his beloved Lord. And the prayers he wrote down in this very elevated state of mind are collected in this compilation named “Stavavali”. (Chaitanyastakam 1 tika)

Crying for Radha-Krishna ki jai! Crying out Harinamaki jai! Jaya Jaya Sri Radhe!