Introduction

Govinda-lila-amrita 1

translation and comments Jagadananda Das / Gadadhara Prana Das

Sri Govinda-lilamrita is a lila smaran paddhati presenting Sri Chaitanya Deva's mano'bhistha or inner desire to distribute Vraja prema bhakti. In Bhakti-rasämrita-sindhu, Sri Rupa Goswami advises:Lord Vishnu (Sri Krishna) should always be remembered and never be forgotten; all shastric rules and prohibitions are subservient to this principle. (Brs 1.2.3)

Govinda-lilamrita shows how to apply this instruction by providing us with details for remembering Sri Govinda's pastimes. We learn from Caitanya-caritamrita, Antya 5, that Sriman Mahaprabhu's formula for awarding Vraja prema centers around hearing, reciting, and remembering Sri Krishna's Vraja lilas. 

There the Lord himself states: The heart-disease of lust will be destroyed in anyone who hears or recites with devotion the topics of Krishna's Rasa and other lilas with the gopis. The three modes of material nature will not affect such a self-contented person, and he shall obtain ujjvala madhura prema bhakti. This is the ultimate happiness, whereby one goes on constantly tasting Krishna's incomparable sweetness. (CC 3.5.45-47)

Thus I declare that if one hears or reads these topics, he shall achieve perfection, and being absorbed in the lila rasa, render seva both day and night. (CC 3.5.49)Hence, Sriman Mahaprabhu assures us that two important results occur through developing an attachment for Vraja lila katha:

• One attains madhura prema bhakti 
• One becomes detached from material sense enjoyment.